Update COVID-19 and cross-border employment: agreements with Luxembourg and the Netherlands extended
We refer to our previous newsflashes regarding the specific agreements that Belgium has concluded with almost all of its neighboring countries (Germany, the Netherlands, France and Luxembourg). These agreements implement a mutual “force majeure tolerance” for cross border employees in relation to COVID-19 (travel) restrictions. A fiction is created in relation to the employment income
Gentlemen’s agreement Belgium-Luxembourg: a new chapter for cross-border workers
On 16 May 2019 the Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and the Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel have agreed to reopen negotiations regarding the double tax treaty concluded between Belgium and Luxembourg, with respect to the taxation of individuals working in a cross-border context. Belgian-Luxembourg double tax treaty In principle, employees who are tax resident
European Commission opens State aid investigation into Luxembourg’s tax treatment of Huhtamäki
On 7 March 2019, the European Commission (EC) announced the opening of an in-depth State aid investigation in a number of tax rulings granted by Luxembourg to Huhtamäki. This decision is another important decision in a range of decisions dealing with the taxation of intra-group financing activities. A brief explanation of the decision can be found
Belgian Net Asset Tax and Withholding Tax: opportunities to reclaim for Luxembourg SICAV
In a decision dated 29 November 2018, the Court of Appeal of Brussels concluded that the Double Tax Treaty concluded between Belgium and Luxembourg (hereinafter the ‘DTT’) prevents the application of the Belgian Net Asset Tax (hereinafter the ‘NAT’) to a Luxembourg SICAV. As it confirms that a Luxembourg SICAV falls within the personal scope
Decision of the European Court of Justice: taxation of foreign employment income
In 2017, the Belgian Court of First Instance of Liege referred a question to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for obtaining a preliminary ruling. It concerned the situation of a tax resident of Belgium, employed in a company established in Luxembourg. His position as a financial consultant resulted in the fact
EU Direct Tax Newsalert: EU Commission finds that Luxembourg did not grant State aid to McDonalds
On 19 September 2018, the European Commission (“EC”) issued a press release concerning its final decision in the State aid investigation into tax rulings granted by the Luxembourg tax authorities to a Luxembourg subsidiary of the McDonald’s group in relation to the treatment of a branch established in the United States of America (“US”). The
Non-confidential version of the EC’s State aid opening decision in GDF Suez published
On 5 January 2017, the European Commission (“EC”) published its opening decision in the formal investigation into Luxembourg tax rulings obtained by entities of GDF Suez. The opening decision dated 19 September 2016 explains the reasons for the initiation of the formal investigation and the additional information requested from Luxembourg in order to reach a
Luxembourg proposes new tax measures
The Luxembourg Government introduced a bill on 26 July 2016, with proposed tax measures for corporations for the 2017 tax year. The proposed changes are in line with the announcements made by the Government earlier this year. Although the bill has not been finalised, multinational enterprises operating in Luxembourg should start considering how the proposed measures,
