Dear supporter of the Free Evangelical Schools Berlin,

Have you made your will?
Many people avoid this topic but we want to address it.

If there is no will, many times exactly those who were supposed to have something from the deceased’s life’s work are the ones to miss out. We are talking about people outside of the so called legal succession, e.g. distant relatives, or close friends or acquaintances. If you don’t have a spouse or blood relations, making a will is especially important, because without your precaution the state would inherit your entire legal estate.

It is a comforting knowledge that one has made precautions and that all personal matters after one departs this life are well taken care of. And namely according to the own wishes.
It is possible to name inheritors in your testament but you can also appoint legatees. A legacy has a special status in the German law: It can be a certain amount of money, a piece of real estate, shares of stock or a particular valuable item like a painting or a piece of jewelry. The legacy goes directly to the legatee before the division of the estate.

A donation can be made during one’s lifetime. In this case a part of your possessions is transferred to the donee. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you lose the right of use for the donated object (for example a piece of real estate). In this way donors get to see and take a part in what they made possible.

Nonprofit organizations are completely exempt from inheritance tax; this also goes for FESB e.V. Your heritage, respectively legacy would therefore benefit our work without deductions.

We would be more than willing to discuss this issue with you in person.