Liechtenstein.

Liechtenstein abolished inheritance tax effective 1 January 2011 with the Steuergesetz reform. The Principality operates under the Allgemeines bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (ABGB, derived from Austrian civil law) for substantive succession, with Pflichtteil protecting descendants and the surviving spouse. The 2025 succession-law modernization (Erbrecht-Modernisierung) updated provisions to reflect contemporary family structures and digital-asset succession.

Liechtenstein’s distinctive contribution to cross-border practice is the Stiftung regime under Articles 552 et seq. of the Personen- und Gesellschaftsrecht (PGR) — a legal entity uniquely suited to multi-generational family-wealth structuring. Both gemeinnützige (charitable) and privatnützige (private-benefit) Stiftungen are recognized, with private-benefit foundations subject to the foundation supervisory authority STIFA. The 2009 Stiftungsrechtsrevision substantially modernized the regime, including transparency and beneficiary-rights reforms.

The memoranda in this series address the recurring fact patterns in Liechtenstein cross-border estate planning — including the Stiftung as an alternative to common-law trusts, the Anstalt and Treuunternehmen as further structural options, the absence of inheritance tax and its impact on estate planning, the professio juris under Article 29 IPRG, the post-AIA/CRS reporting environment, and the absence of estate-tax treaties with Canada and the United States.