부동산신탁 과세제도의 현재와 미래: 신탁세제의 분석과 개선방안에 관하여

Abstract

The revised Trust Act introduced new systems such as collateral trusts, self-trusts and beneficiary certificates issuance trusts, through which measures to utilize real estate trusts for collateral purposes were diversified. Such a trust structure is a system developed around the Anglo-American law, citing the convenience of bankruptcy remoteness, dual recourse, and controlling interests of mortgage holders. Meanwhile, in connection with the trust tax system, the Supreme Court recently made decisions in various tax categories, including acquisition tax, property tax and value-added tax(2012du22485, 2014du38149, 2015du49694, 2014du13393, 2016da224961). A real estate trust is a kind of property trust that manages and preserves land or buildings by trusting them, and pays them according to the status quo at maturity. Many development trust companies went bankrupt in the wake of the financial crisis in 1997. The real estate investment is classified into development trust, property management trust, disposition trust and collateral trust. Meanwhile, each country's trust tax system can be divided into two: the trust entity theory and the trust conduit theory. The former believes that the trust property can be an independent taxpayer or a taxable unit(United States and Great Britain’s taxation systems), whereas the latter assumes the trust is merely a conduit for distributing income to the beneficiary(Germany’s taxation system). It is assessed that national taxes(income tax, corporate tax, value added tax, inheritance tax and gift tax), and acquisition tax among local taxes of Korea's trust taxation system were taken as trust conduit theory, while property tax, gross real estate Tax, and local public facilities taxes were taken as trust entity theory. However, recent Supreme Court decisions seem to have made a number of cases based on the belief of trust entiy theory. This attitude of precedent is thought to be a desirable tendency to enhance the essential function of trust. Nevertheless, the recent legislation has been based on trust conduit theory, as opposed to the attitude of the Supreme Court’s decisions. In order to realize the legislative purpose of amending the Trust Act in 2011, effective trust taxation system is very important. Trust entity theory has a theoretical advantage in that it increases the predictability of taxpayers and clarifies legal relations compared to trust conduit theory. Consistent trust conduit theor (as clearly seen in the taxation issues of collective investment schemes) will not only burden taxpayers with unnecessary tax compliance costs, but will also result in excessive administrative costs. Therefore, it is desirable to pursue a unified trust taxation system under trust entity theory that can be harmonized with the revised Trust Act.