European Commission proposes Anti-Tax Avoidance Package
On 28 January 2016, the EU Commission presented its Anti-Tax Avoidance Package. The continuing political will to address tax avoidance may result in the 100% consensus required by EU Member States to effect the proposed tax changes. The EU-28 governments will have to decide if they are willing to go further than the G20/OECD BEPS
Enhanced transparency for multinational enterprises: Multilateral agreement enabling automatic sharing of Country-by-Country reports signed
31 countries signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA) on 28 January 2016, which will bring greater sharing of information in international tax matters. The MCCA provides for the automatic exchange of Country-by-Country reports, enabling tax administrations to obtain a complete understanding of how multinational enterprise operations are structured across the value chain, while ensuring
Belgian Minister of Finance sheds light on implementation of BEPS related measures
The Belgian Minister of Finance has just shared new insights on how Belgium will be addressing the outcome of the OECD/G20 project in relation to Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (“BEPS”). He opted to do so via the “Plan to combat tax fraud”. The title of his policy note is misleading since the document covers,
EU Commission’s final decisions in Starbucks and Fiat state aid cases
On 21 October 2015, the European Commission decided that Luxembourg and the Netherlands have granted selective tax advantages to Fiat Finance and Trade and Starbucks, respectively. These are illegal under EU state aid rules. For more information on the key aspects of the investigation and its impact, please have a look at our news alert.
Aligning transfer pricing outcomes with value creation – Revised chapters I, II, VI and VII of the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines
On 5 October 2015, the OECD presented its final package of Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) measures for a comprehensive, coherent, and co-ordinated reform of the international tax rules. The package was endorsed by the G20 Finance Ministers at their meeting on 8 October 2015, in Lima, Peru. This final package (referred to below
OECD Public Consultation on BEPS Actions 8 through 10 reveals planned revisions to transfer pricing drafts
During the July 6-7, 2015 public consultation on BEPS Actions 8 through 10, the OECD Working Party 6 announced planned revisions to its proposed changes to the Transfer Pricing Guidelines, including its December 2015 papers on Risk, Recharacterisation and Special Measures and Use of Profit Split Methods and its 2014 draft on Intangibles. The OECD
OECD releases model documents for implementing BEPS country-by-country reporting
On 8 June 2015, the OECD released a “Country-by-Country Reporting Implementation Package”. The package includes model legislation the OECD suggests could be used by countries to mandate filing of country-by-country reports (“CbCRs”). The model legislation does not attempt to address the filing of the so-called master file or local file reports. The key takeaway is
European Commission takes the next step in its EU-wide State aid review of tax ruling practices
On 8 June 2015, the European Commission announced its next steps in its EU-wide State aid review of Member States’ tax ruling practices. The European Commission states in its press release that, following the December 2014 enquiry, Estonia and Poland refused to respond in full detail to the information request. Therefore, the Commission has now
