The tax authorities had issued a notice of assessment which, among other adjustments, disallowed a bad debt loss and certain costs as tax deductible. In addition, royalties paid to the parent company were adjusted on the basis of the arm’s length principle. N…S.A. appealed to the Administrative Court, which partially annulled the assessment. Both the tax authorities and N…S.A. then appealed to the Administrative Court of Appeal. Judgement of the Court The Administrative Court of Appeal partially upheld the assessment of the tax authorities, but dismissed the appeal in respect of the royalty payments. According to the Court, a transfer pricing adjustment requires a reference to the terms of the comparable transaction between independent entities and a justification of the comparability factors. Extracts from the judgement related to the controlled royalty payment. “2.2.2.2 Regarding the correction for ‘transfer pricing’, the applicant submits that the Judgment ... Continue to full case

Italien fashion group, Dolce & Gabbana s.r.l. (hereinafter DG s.r.l.), the licensee of the Dolce&Gabbana trademark, entered into a sub-licensing agreement with its subsidiary Dolce&Gabbana Industria (hereinafter DG Industria or Industria) whereby the former granted to the latter the right to produce, distribute and sell products bearing the well-known trademark throughout the world and undertook to carry out promotion and marketing activities in return for royalties. DG s.r.l., in order to carry out promotion and marketing activities in the U.S.A., made use of the company Dolce&Gabbana Usa Inc. (hereinafter DG Usa) with contracts in force since 2002; in particular, on March 16, 2005, it entered into a service agreement whereby DG Usa undertook to provide the aforesaid services in return for an annual fee payable by DG s.r.l.; this consideration is determined on the basis of the costs analytically attributable to the provision of the ... Continue to full case

Mylan Pharmaceuticals is engaged in the business of trading pharmaceutical products in both domestic and export markets. It also provides business support services and research and development activities to other group companies. Following an audit, the tax authorities issued a notice of assessment which partially disallowed deductions for advertising and promotional expenses for the launch of new products. Mylan appealed to the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax where the assessment was subsequently overturned. The tax authorities then appealed to the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. Judgement of the ITAT The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal allowed the appeal and set aside the decision of the Commissioner of Income Tax. Excerpts “It has been held in various decisions that for invoking jurisdiction u/s 263 of the I.T. Act, the twin conditions namely, (a) the order is erroneous and (b) the order is prejudicial to the interest of the ... Continue to full case

As a general rule interest expenses are deductible for the purposes of income taxation of a business activity. However, for companies in a group, e.g. companies in the same group, certain restrictions on the deductibility of interest can apply. In Sweden one of these limitations is that if the debt relates to the acquisition of a participation right from another enterprise in the partnership, the deduction can only be made if the acquisition is substantially justified by business considerations, cf. Chapter 24, Sections 16-20 of the Swedish Income Tax Act. A AB is part of the international X group, which is active in the manufacturing industry. A restructuring is planned within the group which will result in A becoming the group’s Swedish parent company. As part of the restructuring, A will acquire all the shares in B AB, which is currently the parent company of ... Continue to full case

Following an audit of “Tin Cup Ltd” for FY 2016 and 2017 an assessment was issued by the tax authorities regarding excessive amounts of waste materials and pricing of intra-group transactions. On the issue of excessive amounts of waste materials, tax deductions was denied by the authorities as the costs was not considered to have been held in the interest of the company, i.e. it did not take place with the purpose of increasing “Tin Cup Ltd” income. On the second issue, the tax authorities found that the most appropriate method for the transactions in question (sales to a related party) was the CUP method. Applying the CUP to the controlled transactions (instead of the TNMM) resulted in additional income of approximately 392.000 EUR in total for FY 2016 and 2017. A complaint was filed by “Tin Cup Ltd” with the Dispute Resolution Board. Decision ... Continue to full case

The owner of a buy sell distributor in the pharmaceutical sector had entered into a total return swap with the company and on that basis the company had deducted a commission corresponding to 85% of net profits from its taxable income. The tax authorities disallowed the deduction claiming the swap-arrangement was not at arm’s length. The commission-payments received by the owner was instead considered a non-deductible hidden distribution of profits (dividend) and a withholding tax of 15% was applied. An appeal was filed with the Administrative Tribunal. Judgement of the Administrative Tribunal The Tribunal found the appeal of “TR Swap SARL” unfounded and decided in favor of the tax authorities. Excerpt “However, the court is obliged to note that the commissions paid to Mr … on the basis of the … and corresponding to 85% of the net profits of the company … amount to ... Continue to full case

Transalliance Iberica SA had priced its controlled transactions for the years 2008-2013 by comparing the gross margin achieved on an overall basis with the gross margins of comparable companies. Following an audit, the tax authorities issued a notice of assessment rejecting the method used by the company due to differences in the treatment of cost items and thus issues of comparability at a gross margin level. Instead, the tax authorities applied the TNMM. The profit was outside the interquartile range and an adjustment to the median was made. Transalliance lodged an appeal. Judgement of the Court The Court largely ruled in favor of the tax authorities, but according to the Court, an adjustment to the median could only be made where the tax authorities established the existence of comparability defects. Since such defects had not been established, the adjustment was reduced to the lower quartile ... Continue to full case

A was the sole owner of “C-Advisory Business ApS” established in Denmark in 2003. The company advised and represented taxpayers in cases related to tax deductions for land improvements to immovable property. A was also the sole owner of a company established in Dubai in 2006. The Dubai company provided services for “C-Advisory Business ApS” in Denmark and a total of DKK 78,785,549 was expensed in FY 2006-2010 relating to the purchase of these services. The Danish tax authorities considered that the payments had not been at arm’s length and reduced the service fees to the Dubai company to DKK 20 million for the income years in question. This resulted in additional taxable income of “C-Advisory Business ApS” in a total amount of DKK 58,5 million. Following an unsuccessful complaint to the Tax Tribunal, “C-Advisory Business ApS” filed an appeal with the regional court where ... Continue to full case

Yazaki Systems Technologies France (SY France) is wholly owned by the German company SY Systems Technologie Europe GmbH, which became Yazaki Systems Technologie Europe GmbH (SY Europe) in 2013 following the acquisition of 100% of its shares by the Japanese parent company that created the group, Yazaki Corporation Japan. The group develops and distributes wiring harnesses for the automotive industry. SY France was subject to an audit for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 where the tax authorities denied the deductibility of a compensation of EUR 7,000,000 paid to Renault, which was intended to compensate the latter for the damage suffered as a result of an anti-competitive agreement involving several automotive suppliers, including the Yazaki group. According to the tax authorities SY France’s payment to Renault was made on behalf of the Japanese parent which had negotiated the cartel/anti-competitive agreement. Yazaki France filed an appeal ... Continue to full case

The tax authorities had disallowed deductions for purported administrative services paid for by Akzo Nobel India to a group company in Singapore. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal upheld the assessment in a Judgement issued in February 2022. An appeal was then filed by Akzo Nobel India with the High Court. Judgement of the High Court The High Court dismissed the Appeal of Akzo Nobel India and upheld the judgement of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. Excerpt “…this Court finds that all the three authorities below have given concurrent findings of fact that the Appellant had failed to furnish evidence to demonstrate that administrative services were actually rendered by the AE and the assessee had received such services. In fact, the ITAT has noted in the impugned order “….On a specific query made by the Bench to demonstrate the receipt of services from AE through cogent ... Continue to full case

“H. LVAS Sp. z oo” had deducted expenses related to intra-group services in its taxable income. The services had been provided by its German parent company, H. GmbH. The services (supervision and management support, coordination of projects, support in accounting, controlling, IT and personnel) had been classified by the group as low value-added services. Following a inspection, the tax authority issued an assessment where these deductions had been denied resulting in additional taxable income. An appeal was filed by H with the Administrative Court. Judgement of the Administrative Court The Court found that the assessment issued by the tax authorities was incorrect and remanded the case for further considerations. Excerpts “Inaccuracies or incompleteness of documentation, and in particular its absence, may result in the necessity to estimate income (cf. the judgments of the Supreme Administrative Court of 22 October 2014, II FSK 2494/12 and of ... Continue to full case

This case concerns pricing of four reinsurance agreements concluded between Codan Forsikring A/S (Codan) and a controlled Irish company, RSA Reinsurance Ireland Ltd. for FY 2010-2013. The tax authorities had increased Codan’s taxable income for FY 2010, 2011 and 2012 by DKK 23 million, DKK 25 million, and DKK 18 million and reduced the taxable income for FY 2013 by DKK 4 million. At issue was whether the expenses incurred by Codan under the reinsurance agreements with RSA Ireland were commercially justified and thus deductible. If so, there were questions as to whether the reinsurance agreements had been concluded at arm’s length. By decision of 26 June 2019 the Tax Court reduced the assessment to DKK 0 for the 2010-2012 tax years and upheld Codan’s taxable income for FY 2013. An appeal was filed by the tax authorities. Judgement of the Eastern High Court The ... Continue to full case

This case deals with VAT treatment of disallowed deductions for intra-group services. Following an audit, an adjustment of the taxable income was issued to “VAT Ltd.” by the tax authorities where intra-group services had been disallowed and VAT had been adjusted as a result. “VAT Ltd.” disagreed with the adjustment and filed an appeal. Judgement of the Tax Court The Tax Court upheld the assessment of the tax authorities. Click here for English translation ... Continue to full case

SNC Oakley Europe, a subsidiary of SAS Oakley Holding, which belonged to the American group Oakley Inc. until its takeover in 2007 by the Italian group Luxottica, carried on the business of distributing clothing, footwear, eyewear and accessories of the Oakley brand on European territory. Following the takeover SNC Oakley Europe in 2008 transferred its distribution activity on the French market to another French company, Luxottica France, and its distribution activity on the European market to companies incorporated in Ireland, Luxottica Trading and Finance and Oakley Icon, and deducted restructuring costs in an amount of EUR 15,544,267. The tax authorities qualified these costs as an advantage granted without consideration to its sister companies, constituting, on the one hand, an abnormal management act and, on the other hand, an indirect transfer of profits within the meaning of Article 57 of the General Tax Code on the ... Continue to full case

Vincenzo Zucchi spa is an Italian company that operates in the textile sector. Following an audit an assessment was issued related to various controlled transaktions – deductions for bad debt, deductions for costs, lack of income on a loan, income from sale of goods to foreign subsidiaries, cost of goods and services purchased from subsidiaries in non EU countries, costs of employees VAT etc. The adjustment was partially upheld and partially dismissed by the Court of Appeal. An appeal and cross appeal was then filed with the Supreme Court by the tax authorities and Vincenzo Zucchi. Among the objections in the cross appeal filed by Vincenzo Zucchi was a claim stating that transfer pricing rules were not applicable in the case since the group was using global tax consolidation. Judgement of the Supreme Court The Supreme Court upheld the second plea in the main appeal ... Continue to full case

D. Sp. z oo had deducted interest expenses on intra-group loans and expenses related to intra-group services in its taxable income for FY 2015. The loans and services had been provided by a related party in Delaware, USA. Following a inspection, the tax authority issued an assessment where deductions for these costs had been denied resulting in additional taxable income. In regards to the interest expenses the authority held that the circumstances of the transactions indicated that they were made primarily in order to achieve a tax advantage contrary to the object and purpose of the Tax Act (reduction of the tax base by creating a tax cost in the form of interest on loans to finance the purchase of own assets), and the modus operandi of the participating entities was artificial, since under normal trading conditions economic operators, guided primarily by economic objectives and ... Continue to full case

An intercompany loan in the form of a so-called international debt pushdown had been issued to Universal Music Japan to acquire the shares of another Japanese group company. The tax authority found that the loan transaction had been entered for the principal purpose of reducing the tax burden in Japan and issued an assessment where deductions of the interest payments on the loan had been disallowed for tax purposes. The Tokyo District Court decided in favour of Universal Music Japan and set aside the assessment. The Court held that the loan did not have the principle purpose of reducing taxes because the overall restructuring was conducted for valid business purposes. Therefore, the tax authorities could not invoke the Japanese anti-avoidance provisions to deny the interest deductions. In 2020 the decision of the district court was upheld by the Tokyo High Court. The tax authorities then ... Continue to full case

Adidas India Marketing Pvt. Ltd. is engaged in distribution and marketing of a range of Adidas and tailor made branded athletic and lifestyle products. Following an audit for FY 2016-2017, an assessment had been issued by the tax authorities where adjustments had been made to (1) advertising, promotion and marketing activities in Adidas India which was considered to have benefitted related parties in the Adidas group, (2) royalty/license payments to the group which was considered excessive and (3) fees paid by Adidas India to related parties which was considered “fees for technical services” (FTS) subjekt to Indian withholding tax. Following an unfavorable decision on the first complaint, an appeal was filed by Adidas with the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. Judgement of the ITAT The Tribunal decided predominantly in favor of Adidas. Issues 1 and 2 was restored back to the tax authorities for a new ... Continue to full case

In 2009-2011 Fortis Petroleum Norway AS (FPN) bought seismic data related to oil exploration in the North Sea from a related party, Petroleum GeoServices AS (PGS), for NKR 95.000.000. FBN paid the amount by way of a convertible intra-group loan from PGS in the same amount. FPN also purchased administrative services from another related party, Consema, and later paid a substantial termination fee when the service contract was terminated. The acquisition costs, interest on the loan, costs for services and termination fees had all been deducted in the taxable income of the company for the years in question. Central to this case is the exploration refund scheme on the Norwegian shelf. This essentially means that exploration companies can demand cash payment of the tax value of exploration costs, cf. the Petroleum Tax Act § 3 letter c) fifth paragraph. If the taxpayer does not have ... Continue to full case

A S.A. is 51% owned by B SA and 49% by C Corp. A S.A is active in development of energy efficiency projects. In 2015 A S.A took out loans from B and C at an annual interest rate of 3.22xEuribor 12 months, plus a spread of 14%. A S.A had also paid for services to related party D. The tax authorities issued an assessment related to the interest rate on the loan and the service purportedly received and paid for. A complaint was filed by A S.A. with the Administrative Tribunal (CAAD). Judgement of the CAAD The complaint of A S.A was dismissed and the assessment upheld. Excerpts regarding the interest rate “Now, regarding the first argument, it falls immediately by the base, since the Applicant has not proved that it had made any effort to finance itself with the bank and that this ... Continue to full case