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 […]
The Swedish group TELE2, one of Europe’s largest telecommunications operators, had invested in an entity in Kazakhstan, MTS, that was owned via a joint venture together with an external party. Tele2 owned 51% of the Joint venture and MTS was financed by Tele2’s financing entity, Tele2 Treasury AB, which, during 2011-2015, had issued multiple loans […]
Google Ireland licenses Google AdWords technology to its subsidiary in India and several other countries across the world. The Tax Tribunal in India found that despite the duty of Google India to withhold tax at the time of payment to Google Ireland, no tax was withheld. This was considered tax evasion, and Google was ordered […]
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 […]
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 […]
Sulzer Tech India Pvt Ltd (the assessee) is in the business of providing design and engineering services. To that end Sulzer Management AG, an associated enterprise provided various IT and support services to Sulzer Tech India. The payment for these services had been determined based on a benchmark study where Sulzer Management AG was chosen […]
At issue was an interest free loan granted by “L…. Engenharia e Construções, S.A.” to a related party. The loan had been granted before the parties became related following an acquisition in 2007. The tax authorities had issued an assessment where the interest had been determined to 1.4% based on the interest rate that would […]
Akzo Nobel India Pvt – a subsidiary of Akzo Nobel Coatings International BV – had paid for administrative services purportedly rendered form a group company in Singapore and had claimed a deduction of INR 19,465 250. The price paid for these services had been determined by the group on an aggregate basis using the transactional […]
Synamedia Ltd. provides open end-to-end digital technology services to digital pay television platform operators. The company has expertise in the area of providing conditional access system, interactive systems and other software solutions as well as integration and support services for digital pay TV networks. For FY 2014-15 the company filed a tax return with nil […]
Ikea France (SNC MIF) had concluded a franchise agreement with Inter Ikea Systems BV (IIS BV) in the Netherlands by virtue of which it benefited, in particular, as a franchisee, from the right to operate the ‘Ikea Retail System’ (the Ikea concept), the ‘Ikea Food System’ (food sales) and the ‘Ikea Proprietary Rights’ (the Ikea […]
In 2012, Flir Commercial Systems AB sold intangible assets from a branch in Belgium and subsequently claimed a tax relief of more than SEK 2 billion in fictitious Belgian tax due to the sale. The Swedish Tax Agency decided not to allow relief for the Belgian “taxâ€, and issued a tax assessment where the relief […]
The Revenue Service had audited Severstal Distribution for FY 2008-2009 and found that the company had purchased metal products from related companies at prices above market prices. An assessment was issued where reported losses for 2009 were reduced. During the audit, Severstal Distribution indicated to the tax authorities that it had used the transactional net […]
In this case the assessed company had imported goods from a related party. It did not fail to declare the relation to the exporter, but indicated in the completion of its import declarations that this relation did not influence the price. It therefore adopted the first method of customs valuation; the transaction value, to establish […]
AES SUL Distribuidora Gaúcha de Energia S/A is active in footwear industry. It had paid for services to related foreign companies in South Africa, Argentina, Canada, China, South Korea, Spain, France, Holland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Portugal and Turkey. The tax authorities were of the opinion that withholding tax applied to these payments, which they considered […]
Natura Cosmeticos S/A had been issued a tax assessment for FY 1999 to 2001. In the assessment interest income from loans granted to foreign group entities had been added to the taxable income of the company. NATURA COSMETICOS S/A stated that the transfer pricing rule provided for in paragraph 1 of article 22 of Law […]
SA Compagnie Gervais Danone was the subject of an tax audit at the end of which the tax authorities questioned, among other things, the deduction of a compensation payment of 88 million Turkish lira (39,148,346 euros) granted to the Turkish company Danone Tikvesli, in which the french company holds a minority stake. The tax authorities […]
In 2007 real estate had been transferred from “G gestão imobiliária S.A.” to “Publicações Real Estate Lda”. The Portuguese tax authority issued an assessment, where the pricing of real estate had been adjusted in accordance with the arm’s length principle, based on the prices paid for real estate in the same area. “Publicações Real Estate […]
Société Générale S.A. had paid for costs from which its subsidiaries had benefited. The costs in question was not deducted by Société Générale in its tax return, but nor had they been considered distribution of profits subject to withholding tax. Following an audit for FY 2008 – 2011 a tax assessment was issued by the […]
“Cosmetics Corp” is active in wholesale of medicinal products, cosmetics, perfumery and cleaning products. Following an audit the tax authorities issued an assessment regarding the interest rate on loans granted to the related parties domiciled in Cayman Islands and Luxembourg. An appeal was filed by the company. Judgement of the Tax Court The court partially […]
Following an audit the tax authorities issued an assessment regarding various intra group costs of sales deducted for tax purposes by “E-S. Sales Corp”. An appeal was filed by the company. Judgement of the Tax Court The court partially upheld the assessment, but in regards of application of the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines, the assessment […]
S GmbH was an Austrian trading company of a group. In the course of business restructuring, the real estate division of the Austrian-based company was initially separated from the “trading operations/brands” division on the demerger date of 31 March 2007. The trademark rights remained with the previous trading company, which was the parent company of […]
Between the end of 2008 and the end of 2012 Studialis had issued bonds subscribed by British funds, partners of a Luxembourg company, itself a majority partner of Studialis, carrying an interest rate of 10%. The Tax authorities considered that the interest rate on the bonds was higher than the limit provided for by Article […]
The Administrative Court of Appeal (CAA) set aside a judgement of the administrative court and upheld the tax authorities claims of withholding taxes on royalties paid by Société Planet to companies in Belgium and Malta irrespective of the beneficial owner of those royalties being a company in New Zealand. Hence, Article 12(2) of the Franco-New […]
Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts Private Limited manufactures auto parts and sold them to Toyota Kirloskar Motors Limited, another Indian corporation in the Toyota Group. In FY 2013-14 Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts Private Limited paid a 5% royalty to the Japanese parent Toyota Motor Corporation for use of know-how. The royalty rate had been determined by application […]
The tax authority had set the price range for “APA Ktf’s” request for an advance pricing arrangement (APA) at 12.50 to 22.50 basis points. According to the tax authorities, it follows from points 3.61 and 3.62 of the Guidelines that it is only appropriate to adjust the arm’s length price for such transactions to a […]
It is up to the Tax Administration to prove the existence of transactions between related companies with clear discrepancies compared to transactions of the same kind on an independent market, while the taxpayer bears the burden of proving that the transactions took place for market values to be considered normal. This is the division of […]
A GmbH (“Sport Data GmbH”) was founded in 2006 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of A Holding AG, which had been founded shortly before and had its registered office in Switzerland. A AG, Switzerland was also founded as a sister company of A GmbH. A AG is A GmbH´s only customer. The business of A GmbH […]
N. S.P.A. was issued a notice of assessment in regards of transfer pricing. The PLI initially taken into consideration by the tax authorities was the return on sales (ROS). The company observed that, since the uniform application of such a PLI to the amount of all revenues was not possible, it was necessary to take […]
At issue were the tax consequences from (alleged) “key account expenses” paid by “Key Account – X GmbH” to a related party, X FL. X GmbH provided marketing services for an unrelated German manufacturer of machine tools Y. The marketing contract between X GmbH and Y was the basis for the intensive cooperation between Y […]
A Dutch company was engaged in smelting of zinc. The business was then restructured, for which the company received a small compensation. Dutch tax authorities disagreed with both the amount of compensation payment and the arm’s-length remuneration of the post restructuring manufacturing activities. Until 2003 the Dutch Company was a fully fledged business. The company owned the assets and controlled […]
In 2014, the tax authorities issued the Italien Bank a notice of assessment with which it reclaimed for taxation IRAP for 2009 part of the interest expense paid by the bank to a company incorporated under Irish law, belonging to the same group which, according to the tax authorities, it also controlled. In particular, the […]
The Tax Agency had issued some notices of assessment against “Lender SpA” that had provided non-interest bearing loans to two Serbian companies, of which it owned respectively 70 and 80 per cent of the share capital, because it had decided not to recognise such loans, hypothesising a violation of Article 110, paragraph 7 of the […]
Syngenta had been issued a tax assessment related to two tax violations: (1) incorrect ascertainment of the PRL 60, in disagreement with IN SRF no. 243, of 2002, in the ascertainment of transfer prices, and (2) omission of revenues arising from inventory differences. Syngenta filed an opposition claiming (1) illegality of IN SRF 243, of […]
The Provincial Tax Commission had upheld F. S.p.A.’s appeal and set aside the assessment made by the tax authorities, both because it had failed to prove tax avoidance and because it had used the TNMM (Transactional Net Margin Method) method, which the tax authorities advised against in favour of the CUP (Comparable Uncontrolled Price) method, […]
LG Electronics Do Brasil LTDA imported goods from a related company and used the “resale price minus” method to determine the arm’s length price. Following an audit, an assessment was issued for FY 2006 and 2007 where the tax authorities rejected the pricing method chosen by LG Electronics. An appeal was filed by LG Electronics […]
Ballantine’s Mumm Distribution (later – Société de participations et d’études des boissons sans alcool or SOPEBSA), is a French wholesaler of beverages, and was, until 1999, a fully fledged distributor on the French market of the products from the English company Allied Domecq Spirits and Wine Limited (ADSW). Both companies are owned by the Allied […]
SC Enviro Agro India is a manufacturer of household insecticides and pesticides and had entered into a technology license agreement with a related party – SCCL Japan – and it also purchases the requirement of intermediates from the said company only. In the years in question, it has purchased intermediates and sold the products to the […]
Following an unfavorable decision form the Administrative Court, the Tax Authorities asked the Court of Appeal to: 1°) to annul judgment No. 0703258 of 29 April 2010 by which the Administrative Court of Cergy-Pontoise discharged SAS Unilever France holding of its corporate tax assessments of EUR 27,188 for the financial year ended 31 December 1996 […]
A & W AG, a company based in Germany, had maintained a permanent establishment in Austria which provided “distribution and support of software” services. No profits had been attributed to the Austrian permanent establishment. An assessment was issued where profits for FY 1998 to 2002 had been determined by the tax authorities using the cost […]
The administration found that the reimbursement of a charge represented a transfer of profits abroad where the French company has not substantiated the benefit of the services which the French company could perform itself. Incomplete documents submitted by the company was not considered proof of the purported benefits. This analysis was confirmed by the French […]
In the case of Montlaur Sakakini the tax authorities had issued an adjustment where the arm’s length interest rate on deposits had been determined to be between 10-12%. The company held that the interest rate should be 4.5%. Judgement of the Court The court decided in favour of the company as no proof of the […]
The Pharmatique Industrie case shows the high comparability standard required by the courts of France. The tax authorities used five similar license agreements in the same pharmaceutical sector, as comparables in a transfer pricing dispute regarding payments of royalties for the use of knowhow and trademarks. Judgement of the Court The court ruled in favour […]
In Reynolds Tobacco, the 2%-3% commission received was considered arm’s-length, even though competitors received 8% for providing similar services. The services provided by the French company were sufficiently different, and this justified the lower commission rate charged. Excerpt from the Judgement “…by virtue of a contract concluded between the two companies on 14 December 1976, […]
