International Tax Law

Administrative Co-operation, Administrative cooperation, Double Taxation, ECHR, EU, Exchange of Informaion, International Tax Law, OECD, Rule of law, Tax Treaties, United Kingdom, United States

(Temple Tax Chambers; King’s College London)/ /Leave a comment

It has been 60 years since publication of the OECD 1963 Draft Double Taxation Convention on Income and Capital. That model has provided the core and structure of all subsequent model double tax treaties published by the OECD, the UN and some states. During this period the number of bilateral tax treaties has grown exponentially….

Arm's Length, ESG, International Tax Law, Transfer Pricing

(University of Hamburg; Tax administration, Germany), (University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf), and (Quantum Transfer Pricing)/ /Leave a comment

Climate change and the use of natural resources present us all with a major challenge. We all have our part in it and we can all contribute to ensure that we do not live at the expense of future generations. Various reports and goals were agreed upon internationally (e.g. Brundtland Report and Sustainable Development Goals)….

International Tax Law, Intertax, MLI, Permanent Establishments

(General Editor of Intertax)/ /Leave a comment

We are happy to inform you that the latest issue of the journal is now available and includes the following contributions: Rachna Matabudul, The Multilateral Instrument in Africa: A Strategic Analysis The Multilateral Instrument (MLI) was launched under Action 15 of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project in November 2016 under the joint…

Diversity, International Tax Law, OECD

(Prof. dr. Sigrid Hemels, State Councillor in the Dutch Council of State, professor of tax law, Erasmus University Rotterdam School of Law and affiliated to Lund University School of Economics and Management)/ /1 Comment

“Oh, I was so happy when I was told you were in the panel!” It is always nice that someone is pleased with your presence, but this surprised me a bit. The OECD employee who made this confession had only just met me in the taxi that would bring us to the conference. Seeing my…

CJEU, Direct taxation, ECJ, EU, Germany, Indirect taxation, International Tax Law, Non-established taxpayers, OECD, Permanent Establishments, Physical presence, Place of taxation, Tax Treaties, United Nations, VAT

(Temple Tax Chambers; King’s College London)/ /Leave a comment

The very recent CJEU judgement in Berlin Chemie A. Menarini v Administraţia Fiscală pentru Contribuabili Mijlocii Bucureşti (Case C-333/20) ECLI:EU:C:2022:291, admirably examined by Giorgio Beretta last week considered the circumstances in which a subsidiary might be a VAT fixed establishment (FE) of its parent company or another affiliate. A Romanian company supplied advertising, marketing and…

Canada, International Tax Law, Tax Treaties, United Kingdom

(Temple Tax Chambers; King’s College London)/ /Leave a comment

English may be the lingua franca of our time, but it is not the only language of international law. Royal Bank of Canada v HMRC [2022] UKUT 45 (TCC).  raised issues around the interpretation of a tax treaty concluded in English and French, both languages being equally authentic. The complex facts are summarised at https://kluwertaxblog.com/2020/07/29/income-from-immoveable-property-article-6-and-royalty-streams/….

CJEU, Double Taxation, DTA, Dual VAT, ECJ, Financial institutions, Financial services, Fixed establishment, Indirect taxation, International Tax Law, Pensions, Permanent Establishments, Physical presence, Place of Supply, Place of taxation, Tax Treaties, United Nations, VAT, VAT grouping

(Temple Tax Chambers; King’s College London)/ /Leave a comment
PVD article 44

Territorial connection (or its more fashionable name “nexus”) for tax purposes is expressed in a variety of ways in domestic and international legal instruments. Permanent establishment in article 5 of the Model treaties and “fixed base” in article 14 of the UN Model are central concepts in direct tax subject matter jurisdiction. Fixed establishment The…

Australia, DTA, International Tax Law, Personal income tax, Tax Treaties, United Kingdom

(Temple Tax Chambers; King’s College London)/ /Leave a comment

The right to be free from discrimination is perhaps the single most important human right as indicated by the fact that it appears as the first article in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” In the field of international taxation, article 24…

Corporate income tax, Double Taxation, Finance, Financial institutions, Financial services, International Tax Law, Liability to tax, MLI, OECD, Permanent Establishments, POEM, Residence, Rule of law, Tax Treaties, United Kingdom, United Nations, United States

(Temple Tax Chambers; King’s College London)/ /1 Comment

G E Financial Investments Limited v HMRC [2021] UKFTT 210 (TC)  raised central aspects of the interpretation of double tax treaties. My previous blogs considered the corporate residence  under article 4(1) of the UK-US Double Tax Treaty and the existence of a permanent establishment under article 5(1) of the treaty. The First-tier Tribunal decided that…

Corporate income tax, Dispute resolution, Double Taxation, India, International Tax Law, OECD, Permanent Establishments, Physical presence, Place of taxation, Tax Treaties, United Kingdom, United States

(Temple Tax Chambers; King’s College London)/ /3 Comments
Delaware law, habitual exercise

Last month my blog discussed the questions relating to corporate residence and article 4(1) of the UK-US Double Tax Treaty raised in G E Financial Investments v HMRC  [2021] UKFTT 210 (TC). This month the focus is on the permanent establishment issues. The case concerned a complex financing structure General Electric Company group. The taxpayer,…

Canada, Corporate income tax, Double Taxation, International Tax Law, MAPs and APAs, MNEs, OECD, Permanent Establishments, Residence, Tax Treaties, United Kingdom, United States

(Temple Tax Chambers; King’s College London)/ /2 Comments

When is a taxpayer a resident of a contracting state for purposes of a tax treaty? The decades old definition in article 4(1) of the OECD Model that ‘“resident of a Contracting State” means any person who, under the laws of that State, is liable to tax therein by reason of his domicile, residence, place…

Double Taxation, Financial institutions, Hybrids, International Tax Law, Limitation on benefits, Principal purpose test, Tax Administration, Tax Credits, Tax Planning, Tax Policy, Tax Treaties, Treaty shopping, United Kingdom, United States, Withholding Taxes

(Temple Tax Chambers; King’s College London)/ /Leave a comment

The relationship between treaties and domestic tax law ought to be straightforward. The pacta servanda sunt principle expressed in articles 26 and 27 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties itself implies that treaty obligations must be upheld notwithstanding domestic law. A variety of constitutional arrangements around the world mean that there is…

Administrative cooperation, Administrative obligations, Common Reporting Standard, Exchange of Information, FATCA, Germany, India, International Tax Law, Law enforcement, Mandatory disclosure, Personal income tax, Residence, Tax Treaties, United Kingdom, United States

(Temple Tax Chambers; King’s College London)/ /Leave a comment

HMRC v Embiricos [2020] UKUT 370 (TC) reflects a common issue that arises in connection with tax investigations or audits of internationally mobile individuals. Mr Embiricos  filed his tax returns on the basis that he was resident, but not domiciled in the UK. On that basis, he was entitled to the remittance basis of taxation….

Abuse of rights, Administrative cooperation, Brexit, Double Taxation, EU law, EU/EEA, International Tax Law, Tax Treaties, United Kingdom

(Temple Tax Chambers; King’s College London)/ /Leave a comment

The newly concluded Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and UK has limited provisions concerning taxation, but interesting provisions relevant to interpretation of treaties including good faith. The Agreement does not seek to replicate many of the rights which UK citizens and businesses had under EU law. There is no general non-discrimination provision. Double…