I am part of a larger research project: ‘Prerequisites and conditions for entrepreneurship in the form of foundations: long-term and sustainable development in rural areas?’ The project is interdisciplinary and combines business administration and law. The debate on a successful business sector has often focused on active ownership and entrepreneurship, whilst the role of foundations has long been more limited. My thesis aims to highlight the potential of foundations in the business sector.
The public benefit requirement is one of three grounds for tax exemption that a foundation can invoke to obtain limited tax liability. Put simply, the requirement means that the foundation must have one or more public benefit purposes that it promotes – for example, by awarding grants for scientific research – in order to be exempt from taxation. Against the backdrop of a potentially more generous and extensive interpretation by the courts regarding the question of how a public-benefit purpose can be promoted, several interesting and as yet unexplored questions of principle arise. One such question is how tax liability should be assessed for foundations engaged in purpose-driven investments.
“Impact investments” are becoming increasingly common. These are investments in companies, organisations and funds where the aim is – in addition to financial returns – to have a positive impact on social and environmental development. This study aims to examine how impact investments relate to the current legal framework and whether these investments can serve as a means for a foundation to promote a public-benefit purpose.
My principal supervisor is Hanna Almlöf and my co-supervisor is Jan Kellgren.
The public benefit requirement is one of three grounds for tax exemption that a foundation can invoke to obtain limited tax liability. Put simply, the requirement means that the foundation must have one or more public benefit purposes that it promotes – for example, by awarding grants for scientific research – in order to be exempt from taxation. Against the backdrop of a potentially more generous and extensive interpretation by the courts regarding the question of how a public-benefit purpose can be promoted, several interesting and as yet unexplored questions of principle arise. One such question is how tax liability should be assessed for foundations engaged in purpose-driven investments.
“Impact investments” are becoming increasingly common. These are investments in companies, organisations and funds where the aim is – in addition to financial returns – to have a positive impact on social and environmental development. This study aims to examine how impact investments relate to the current legal framework and whether these investments can serve as a means for a foundation to promote a public-benefit purpose.
My principal supervisor is Hanna Almlöf and my co-supervisor is Jan Kellgren.
