Experts-Opinion

Transfer Pricing and BEPS Expert Opinion and Analysis

India’s CbC Reporting Requirement Clarified

Posted on by in Asia Pacific, BEPS, India, Latest, Transfer Pricing, US and tagged .
Maulik Doshi discusses CBDT's clarification issued in relation to the timeline for furnishing of Country-by-Country Report

By Maulik Doshi (Partner, Head of Transfer Pricing & International Tax, SKP Group) and Kamlesh Kaltari (Senior Manager, SKP Group)

As an active participant in the OECD’s base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project, India has implemented nearly all the BEPS recommendations and has taken several steps to amend the country’s domestic tax laws appropriately. The Indian Finance Act, 2016 implemented BEPS Action Item 13 by introducing a three-tiered transfer pricing documentation structure and made it effective from the 2016-17 financial year.Continue Reading

How Will Brazil’s OECD Membership Affect Its Transfer Pricing Regime?

Posted on by in Americas, Brazil, Latest, Transfer Pricing and tagged .
How Will Brazil’s OECD Membership Affect Its Transfer Pricing Regime?

By Debora De Souza Correa Talutto (Group Transfer Pricing Manager, Temenos Banking Software Co.)

The Brazilian transfer pricing rules were created to address the maximum tax deductible costs or expenses when domestic taxpayers buy goods and services from foreign suppliers, and the minimum taxable revenues when local companies sell goods and services to foreign customers.Continue Reading

Italy’s Transfer Pricing Overhaul Will Boost Taxpayer Confidence

Posted on by in BEPS, Europe, Italy, Latest, Transfer Pricing and tagged .
Italy’s Transfer Pricing Overhaul Will Boost Taxpayer Confidence

By Marco Greggi (Professor, International Tax Law, University of Ferrara)

The Italian Finance Ministry, on February 21, 2018, published for stakeholders’ comments two draft transfer pricing regulations. The first Regulation is a proposed decree that deals with substantive aspects of transfer pricing regulations (analyzed in this article), while the second Regulation concerns corresponding adjustments (procedural aspects). The second Regulation on corresponding adjustments will be analyzed in a forthcoming article.Continue Reading

South Africa’s 2018 Budget: Unpacking International Tax Measures

Posted on by in Africa, BEPS, Latest, South Africa, Transfer Pricing and tagged .
South Africa’s 2018 Budget: Unpacking International Tax Measures

By Ahmed Jooma (Independent Tax, Legal, and Public Policy Consultant)

On February 21, 2018, South Africa’s Finance Minister, Malusi Gigaba, presented the country’s National Budget, which will be tougher on the populace than on multinational corporations. Most of the tax changes that will affect cross-border transactions are of a technical nature. A continued focus on base erosion and profit shifting is expected to assist in arresting the deteriorating fiscal environment. This is further exacerbated by pressure to maintain a relatively low corporate tax rate in the face of tax competition.
Continue Reading

The Future of the Dutch Tax Ruling Practice

Posted on by in Europe, Latest, Netherlands, Transfer Pricing and tagged .
The Future of the Dutch Tax Ruling Practice

By Jian-Cheng Ku (Legal Director, DLA Piper Nederland N.V.) and Jeroen Swart, (Tax Adviser, DLA Piper Nederland N.V.)

On February 18, 2018, the Dutch State Secretary of Finance announced that it will revise the Dutch tax ruling practice in light of results from a review conducted to examine if Dutch tax rulings met Dutch procedural requirements. Over 4,000 Dutch tax rulings were reviewed.

Current practice and review

A tax ruling provides Dutch taxpayers with the opportunity to obtain advance certainty on the tax consequences of proposed legal transactions. Taxpayers and the tax authorities are able to avoid potential disputes through tax rulings, which provide upfront assurance. The Dutch tax ruling practice is considered an important pillar of the Dutch business climate.Continue Reading

Belgium Initiating New Wave of Transfer Pricing Audits

Posted on by in Europe, Latest, Transfer Pricing and tagged .
Belgium Initiating New Wave of Transfer Pricing Audits

By  Bram Markey (Director, Transfer Pricing, PwC Belgium)

The Belgian tax authorities are increasing their manpower, shifting focus areas, and stepping up national and international cooperation with other tax authorities, with a clear view to audit transfer pricing and other international tax matters in a more targeted and efficient way, writes Bram Markey, Director, Transfer Pricing at PwC Belgium. Continue Reading

Italy Enacts New Web Tax, Redefines PE

Posted on by in BEPS, Europe, France, Latest and tagged .
Italy Enacts New Web Tax, Revises PE definition

By Aurelio Massimiano (Partner, Maisto e Associati) and Matteo Cataldi (Associate, Maisto e Associati)

On December 29, 2017, the Italian Government published Law No. 205 of December 27, 2017 (Budget Law) in the Italian Official Journal, which contains key tax measures including a new tax on digital transactions (Web Tax) and revisions to the definition of permanent establishment (PE) in the domestic law.Continue Reading

France Gazettes Revised Transfer Pricing Documentation Requirements

Posted on by in BEPS, Europe, France, Latest, Transfer Pricing and tagged .
Terence WILHELM of CARA Avocats, France discusses Transfer Pricing Documentation Requirements in France

By Terence WILHELM (Attorney at Law, Managing Partner, CARA Avocats, France) 

On December 31, 2017, the French Government gazetted Finance Act, 2018, which revises the current transfer pricing documentation requirements in France. Accordingly, companies falling within the ambit of the new requirements will need to newly submit to the tax authority a two-fold documentation comprising “master” and “local” files, developed under Action 13 of the OECD’s base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project. The revised transfer pricing documentation requirement is inserted in Article L13AA of the French Procedural Tax Book (Livre des procedures fiscales) and is applicable to fiscal years beginning January 1, 2018.
Continue Reading

Indian Budget 2018: Transfer Pricing Expectations

Posted on by in Asia Pacific, India, Latest, Transfer Pricing and tagged .
Maulik Doshi of SKP Group stresses what India's 2018 Budget must cover on the transfer pricing front

By Maulik Doshi (Partner, Head of Transfer Pricing & International Tax, SKP Group) and Kamlesh Kaltari (Senior Manager, SKP Group)

The Indian Government has, in recent past, taken bold and practical measures to align the Indian transfer pricing regulations with global best practices by introducing country-by-country reporting and “master” file regulations; interest limitation provisions; revising the rates under the safe harbor rules; rationalizing specified domestic transactions; and introduction of range concept and use of multiple-year data. Additionally, the Government has made several attempts on the administrative side to reduce litigation and introduce a taxpayer-friendly regime. Having said that, there are certain ambiguities that need to be resolved.

In the 2018 Budget, which is due to be presented on February 1, 2018, we hope to see appropriate steps being taken to address these ambiguities, some of which are listed below.Continue Reading

CbC Reporting Regulations in Nigeria: Potential Implications For Taxpayers

Posted on by in Africa, BEPS, Latest, Nigeria, Transfer Pricing and tagged .
Joshua Bamfo of Andersen Tax discusses CbC Reporting Regulations in Nigeria

By Josh Bamfo (Partner & Head, Transfer Pricing Services, Andersen Tax, Nigeria)

Since the signing of the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and its subsequent ratification by the Federal Executive Council in 2016, most Nigerian taxpayers and tax practitioners have been keenly waiting for the implementation of a country-by-country (CbC) reporting requirement, developed under Action 13 of the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project. Nonetheless, we were still surprised by the FIRS’ communication via its official Twitter handle on 24 January, 2018, that the Income Tax (Country-by-Country Reporting) Regulations, 2018, (CbC Regulations) has now been signed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, and will be gazetted soon.Continue Reading