Real estate juggler Rene Benko has suffered another setback after several bankruptcies: the Republic has now seized the villa he uses privately in Innsbruck. The reason: the company that owns the property allegedly has not paid sales tax for years.
The former Schlosshotel Igls was purchased in 2016 by the Schlosshotel Igls company, which is largely owned by Benko’s Laura Private Foundation. The hotel was demolished and a luxury building was built on the site of several thousand square meters. Benko and his family would live there. The private foundation has denied the allegations.
Schlosshotel Igls GmbH would have owed more than twelve million euros in sales tax since 2016, various media reported on Sunday from the retention application of December 13.
Benko Foundation: “Wrong and misleading”
According to ORF, the finance department confirmed the registration of the lien, but without specifying the amounts or background information. There was no comment from Signa. The Laura Private Foundation dismissed the reports about the private villa as “false and misleading” to the broadcaster.
Schlosshotel Igls GmbH is an independent real estate entrepreneur. In the context of the construction of the new building, “the VAT on the construction costs has been duly paid and the input tax has been duly and correctly received from the Innsbruck tax authorities”, the ORF referred to a statement from the private foundation.
The tax authorities believe that the input taxes that have already been refunded should be refunded – which has no legal basis and is rejected by the property owner. As part of this discussion, the board ensured that the disputed input taxes could be secured through a mortgage. “These are not personal taxes of Mr. Rene Benko,” the foundation said.
Next low after bankruptcies
Last week, the Signa companies Prime Selection AG and Development Selection AG filed for bankruptcy at the Vienna Commercial Court. Signa Development Selection AG has 39 projects in its hands and is directly and indirectly involved in 290 companies. The assets are valued at approximately 296 million euros, the liabilities at 1.2 to 1.3 billion euros.
Signa Prime Selection AG is the largest operating subsidiary of the corporate network. The company’s real estate portfolio includes the Golden Quarter in Vienna, the under-construction Lamarr department store on Mariahilfer Strasse in Vienna, the KaDeWe in Berlin and the Elbtower project in Hamburg, which has not been worked on for weeks. Signa Prime’s debts are estimated at 4.3 to 4.5 billion euros.
Source: Krone
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