Global round table provides comparison of transfer pricing legislation & BEPS implementation around the world

The round table report involving Alliott Group member firms provides a comparison of evolving transfer pricing legislation, trends and compliance requirements, and an update on how national tax authorities are responding to the OECD/G20 led Base Erosion & Profit Shifting (BEPS) project in countries such as the UK, Australia, USA, Belgium, Mexico, UAE, Netherlands, Brazil, Italy, Colombia and Spain. The report also provides useful information on what multinational corporations can do to avoid double taxation in these countries.

Highlights from each country, and in some cases different regions, are provided below:

United Arab Emirates and MENA region

While there are currently no transfer pricing guidelines in the UAE, Dr Hadi Shahid of Alliott Hadi Shahid Chartered Accountants comments that the UAE is “in the process of developing its tax regulations and policies, and multinational companies in the UAE must prepare and plan their operations for taxation purposes in response to the developing and evolving needs of the market and the economy.”

Shahid also states that changes to the global tax landscape are expected to have a direct impact on countries in the MENA region, “especially those that are known for having low taxes.”

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United Kingdom

While the impact of Brexit is still unknown, David Gibbs, partner at Alliotts in London, points out that on leaving the EU, the UK will no longer be party to the European Parent Subsidiary Directive or the Interest & Royalties Directive which could potentially see withholding taxes being levied on cross border payments. Gibbs comments: “Equally, there is more exposure to CFC rules when the EU exemption is removed. This is still some time away and we await the outcome of negotiations.”

Gibbs also emphasises that the planned reduction of corporation tax to 17% by 2020 will nevertheless continue to make the UK an attractive place to set up and accrue profits. Gibbs adds: ”The traditional areas of product based transfer pricing are perhaps less sensitive in the UK with the main focus now being on the digital economy and licensing and trademark royalties.”

He adds that the UK has been an “enthusiastic supporter of the BEPS projects” and “has already taken steps to incorporate early proposals into domestic law.”

The Netherlands

The Netherlands is an early adopter of transfer pricing rules, having been adopted into Dutch law as far back as 2001. According to Maarten Borrie, partner at Borrie Accountants, “Transfer pricing is a key issue in any tax audit.” Borrie adds: “Dutch regulations follow the OECD guidelines with the incorporation of the arm’s length principle in the Dutch Corporate Income Tax Act. In 2013, a new transfer pricing decree was issued by the Dutch State Secretary of Finance which apart from a general outline of the arm’s length principle, focuses on intra-group services (headquarter) services, financial services transactions activities (including loans and guarantees), centralised procurement and intangible transactions.”

Borrie remarks that the Netherlands tax authorities have taken “an active role in the development of the BEPS recommendations,” adding that “Specific regulations of the BEPS Action Plan have already been introduced.”

The USA

In the USA, transfer pricing rules have remained largely unchanged in recent years and continue to be centred on the arm’s length principle as the standard for evaluating transactions among related parties. Hunter Norton, Tax Director at Farkouh, Furman & Faccio LLP in New York, explains that “the arm’s length principle is a common element among the Treasury regulations and the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises & Tax Administrations (used by OECD countries other than the U.S.).”
However, Norton emphasises that the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) is upping the ante by significantly increasing the resources dedicated to examining transfer pricing cases: “The IRS now has a dedicated Transfer Pricing Group staffed with a substantial number of revenue agents and economists.”

In terms of implementation of the BEPS Action Plan, Norton offers that by proposing regulations that would mandate Country-by-Country reporting by U.S. persons that are the parent of a multinational enterprise (MNE) group with annual revenues of over $850 million, the IRS is seeking greater transparency of the operations and tax positions taken by a U.S. MNE: “This information would enable the IRS to identify those taxpayers who have earned substantial profits through tax haven or tax preferred countries, and to make a more informed decision as to whether certain taxpayers should be targeted for additional scrutiny.”

Belgium

Transfer pricing legislation is well established in Belgium, with the tax authorities having recommended since the late 1990s that corporates should prepare adequate transfer pricing documentation which is largely based on the BEPS principles.

Marie-Lise Swinne, partner at Belgian accounting firm Tax Consult, comments that the tax authorities’ transfer pricing auditing department is growing fast and is very active. Things are progressing fast in Belgium, with Swinne adding: “The Belgian Government submitted a Draft Program Act to Parliament, which if enacted, will introduce BEPS Action Point 13 into Belgian law, specifically statutory transfer pricing documentation requirements and country-by-country reporting for certain taxpayers from assessment year 2017.”