Everyone concerned with international taxation awaits the publication of the final package of BEPS measures by the OECD on Monday 5 October 2015. While the BEPS programme addresses disparities between national tax systems and features of international tax rules that have allowed some multinational companies to enjoy very low effective corporate tax rates, it is…
In many European countries, the question of legal personality has relevance for determining the transparent character of a business entity for tax purposes and this assessment is even more complex when the entity has been established under foreign law. On the other side, in the United States, any business entity can acquire status of corporation…
William Byrnes and Haydon Perryman FATCA FFI GIIN List Monthly Update The IRS released the sixteenth FATCA GIIN list of foreign financial institutions (FFIs) that have registered with the IRS through its FATCA portal. The IRS provides these FFIs a Global Intermediary Identification Number (GIIN). The FFI may then use its unique 19 digit GIIN to…
In a globalized economy, financial crimes –including tax crimes– threaten the strategic, political and economic interest of developed and developing countries as well, and undermine confidence in the global financial system. The traditional perception was that tax evasion, even of a criminal nature, was somehow different from money laundering and other financial crimes (e.g., corruption),…
On 18 September 2015 the US Treasury issued Notice 2015-66 which announced that the it intends to amend the regulations under chapter 4 (sections 1471-1474) to extend the period of time that certain transitional rules will apply. Specifically, the amendments will extend: (1) the date upon which withholding on gross proceeds and foreign passthru payments…
In the last few months I have been deeply committed with the Klaus Vogel Lecture, which will be held in September 25, 2015, in the Vienna University of Economics and Business (see invitation here). I have chosen the theme “Arm’s Length beyond the Guidelines of the OECD”. My research has led to the writing of…
The establishment of a link between the financial interests of the Union and the general budget of the Union is the reason why the domestic penalties made applicable in matters of VAT fraud are covered by Union law. On 8 September 2015 the Court of Justice of the EU (“CJEU”) issued its ruling in Taricco,…
China’s fiscal and tax reform should aim to narrow down income disparity and facilitate income redistribution to realize social equity. Justifiably, Chinese citizens’ perception to the rich has been different and subtle, given the suspicion that the rich grows wealth through unethical rent-seeking or corruption. The philanthropic tradition and culture were squandered by uncivilized spending…
In a recent post, Professor Werner Haslehner raised an interesting discussion on the new wording of Article 4.1 (a) of the Parent-Subsidiary Directive (“PSD”), which obliges the Member State of the parent company to tax the dividends received to the extent that the corresponding payment are deductible from the corporate income tax paid by the…
In many respects a multilateral tax treaty represents an utopian view of international tax law: a wide consensus among nation states to submit themselves to a common set of rules that govern the levying of taxes across national boundaries. While there have been several examples of attempts at multilateral double taxation treaties, such as the…
A Delaware company, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of a Swedish corporation (aktiebolag), acted as a non-independent agent on behalf of exporting companies in the United States. The profit of the subsidiary was exempt from corporate taxation in the United States, while the dividends paid to the Swedish parent were subjected to federal tax….
This post answers the emails received requesting further information on the US Competent Authority, including statistics, based upon my Kluwer Tax Blog post of 25 August IRS Issues New Competent Authority And Advance Pricing Agreement Procedures. The Office of the United States Competent Authority (USCA) includes both the Advance Pricing and Mutual Agreement (APMA) Program…
Last month, Dennis Weber started a debate on recent BEPS-related changes to European tax directives with his post on the General Anti-Abuse Rule in the Parent-Subsidiary. I would like to follow up on this with a short discussion of the second anti-avoidance measure introduced last year through Directive 2014/86/EU, which specifically targets hybrid financial instruments…
This is another lone voice cry in the wilderness – I am getting used to that. By 9 September 2015, anyone who has an opinion about further corporate tax transparency in Europe, are invited to file it (or forever hold their peace?). Those opinions must not be filed with DG-Taxud, but the EU General Directorate…
