Painting a Bigger Picture: Where Art and Law Collide
Artists, art collectors and art dealers are often individuals, but they can face complex legal and tax issues that otherwise affect only major corporations. That’s because art transcends national borders while coming into contact with many areas of law and almost all types of tax.
In advising players of all kinds on the art market, we contribute our legal and tax expertise to meet the needs of collections, galleries, auction houses, foundations, museums, and artists themselves. Our international network extends beyond the core topics of law and tax and includes experts in art valuation and insurance.
Our clients can leave all their questions to us, so they’re free to focus on what’s most important to them: art.
We look forward to sharing ideas with you:
Send us an e-mail at kunst@fgs.de or get in touch directly with one of the contacts below.
All contacts and experts
Our expertise at a glance
- Securing tax exemptions for cultural property (from fine art and vintage car collections to significant real estate) in generational transitions
- Avoiding liquidity risks arising from claims to a compulsory portion in inheritance cases or claims to the equalization of gains in divorce cases
- Resolving potential complications with donations, gifts or withdrawals of art from business property
- Valuations prior to implementing planned solutions and foundation contributions under tax law (avoiding unpleasant surprises)
- Advising enterprises on dealing with cultural property
- Consequences of classifying cultural property as business property
- Preferential tax treatment
- Avoiding the classification of private collections as commercial collections
- Digital business models and art trading (NFTs)
We advise clients on buying and selling, auctions, art transport, import and export, and lending cultural property and other luxury goods, especially in cross-border transactions
VAT and customs law affect not only galleries, auction houses, dealers, artists and museums, but also collectors, who may qualify as entrepreneurs for VAT purposes. Private individuals who import art also face customs and import VAT issues.
Tax law affects everyone, including philanthropists. We’re on hand to advise on art donations, sponsoring museums and exhibitions, setting up museums and foundations, and non-profit activities in general.