Nutreco España, S.A. had taken on significant debt to finance an acquisition of shares by other foreign group companies. Its role in the acquisition was limited to the channelling of funds. The debt consisted of an intercompany loan of 240 million euros granted by Nutreco Nederland B.V. and an amount of 100 million euros from […]
IHLE ESPAÑA (later NEX TYRES) purchased tyres from its German parent company (IHLE BB) using what it claimed was the CUP method. It claimed that IHLE BB sold the tyres at the same price as it paid to third party suppliers, simply passing on additional transport costs and a small administration fee. The tax authorities […]
“Group Rating SA” was subject to an assessment in relation to intra-group loans. The tax authorities found that the method used to determine the arm’s length interest rate was reasonable, but that the credit rating was incorrect as it did not take into account that “Group Rating SA” was part of a larger group. According […]
“TW XZ SA” was subject to an assessment in relation to intra-group loans and cash pools for Fiscal Year 2013 – 2016. The tax authorities found that the credit rating used by the company (BBB) in determining the interest rate was incorrect as it did not take into account that “TW XZ SA” was part […]
In 2016 the European Commission found that a Spanish tax regime constituted illegal state aid. The tax regime allowed for the deduction of goodwill in the case of acquisitions of shares in foreign companies. Spain and several companies appealed the decision. Judgment of the General Court The Court annulled the decision of the Commission. […]
At issue was whether or not a proportionate share of management and general administrative expenses incurred by the head office in Spain should be allocated to its PE in Algeria. The tax authorities (appelante) argued that, in general, these expenses cannot be individualised and, therefore, a proportional criteria should be used to determine the amount […]
Tomas Bodero S.A. added a 4% fee when re-invoicing goods purchased from unrelated manufacturers to its Panamanian subsidiary. The transfer pricing documentation stated that “this fee (4%) is very similar to the fee that brokers in the sector usually charge for brokering imports of goods, so it can be concluded that a market price is […]
In 2009 and 2010 Global Nory, S.L. distributed a dividend of 7,000,000 euros to its parent company resident in Luxembourg, without declaring withholding taxes, as it considered that the dividend was exempt. In 2013, Global Nory, S.L. was notified of the commencement of general inspection proceedings, referring, among other items, to the dividend payments, and […]
Institute of International Research España S.L. belongs to the international group Informa Group Brand, of which Informa PLC, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange, is the parent company. In 2006 it had entered into a licence agreement (“for the use of the Licensed Property, Copyright, Additional Property Derived Alwork, the Mark and Name […]
Ferroli España, S.L.U. is a Spanish manufacturer manufacture of cookers and heaters. In FY 2010 and 2011 the company had various transactions with other companies in the Ferroli Group and reported negative profit margins on these transactions. According to the company this was due to the financial crises in Spain. Following an audit, the tax […]
Following an audit, the Spanish tax authorities issued a notice of assessment where the profit of Electrolux España had been adjusted resulting in additional taxable income. The related party transactions resulting in the adjustment were Manufacturing costs under a manufacturing contract Profit margin under a distribution contract Deductibility for restructuring costs Pricing of a warehouse […]
Bunge Iberica SA participates in the Group’s cash pooling system, both as a borrower and as a provider of funds. The tax authorities had issued a notice of assessment in which the interest rates on deposits and withdrawals were adjusted and determined on the basis of a group credit rating. Bunge Iberica SA filed a […]
SGGE W T is a Spanish branch of SGG that carries out distribution and marketing activities related to the information technology network products and services. SGG is part of the KF group which “is an international group that provides solutions and services in the Information Technology (IT) sector, starting its activity in . .. as […]
In a request for a binding consultation the question raised was whether activities carried out in Spain resulted in the existence of a permanent establishment. The General Directorate considered that an enterprise cannot fragment a cohesive operating business into several small operations and argue that each of these is merely engaged in a “preparatory or […]
Universal Pictures International Spain SL is a distributor of films on the Spanish Market. It distributes films both from related parties (Universal Pictures) and from unrelated parties. Following an audit, the Spanish tax authorities issued an assessment where the remuneration received for distribution of films from related parties had been compared to the remuneration received […]
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 […]
“XZ Insurance SA” is the parent company in a group engaged in insurance activities in its various branches, both life and non-life, finance, investment property and services. An audit was conducted for FY 2013-2016 and in 2020 an assessment was issued in relation to both controlled transactions and other transactions. Among outher issued the tax […]
The issue presented before the Spanish Supreme Court is if and how the arm’s length principle apply to the salary of the owner of a consultancy company for personal services provided to an independent company, i.e. if the price agreed for provision of these services to an independent party is a CUP in relation to […]
“XZ SA” is a Spanish parent of a tax consolidation group which is part of a multinational group. The Spanish group participates in the group’s cash pooling system, both as a borrower and as a provider of funds. The objective of cash pooling agreements is to manage the cash positions of the participating entities, optimising […]
DELSEY España belongs to the French DELSEY-group and sells suitcases and other travel accessories on the Spanish market. The Spanish distributor had declared losses for FY 2005-2010 and was subject to a transfer pricing audit for FY 2011 to 2014. Based on the audit, the tax authorities concluded that the losses in FY 2005-2010 was […]
An appeal before the Supreme Court was allowed to determine whether or not the Spanish State Tax Administration Agency is obliged to notify the Provincial Treasury of the Basque Historical Territories of a transfer pricing valuation adjustments issued to an entity taxed in accordance with the regulations of the Basque Historical Territories. Click here for […]
Narcea Producciones y Promociones, S.L. (Narcea S.L.) had as shareholders Mr. Emiliano and Mrs. Filomena and their son, Mr. Ismael, a professional footballer, who had an employment relationship with the football club Hércules CF SAD of Alicante. Narcea S.L. purportedly managed the economic rights, the representation fees and the image and TV rights of Mr. […]
Sierra Spain Shopping Centers Services S.L.U. is part of a multinational group that manages shopping centres. Sierra Spain had deducted expenses for services rendered from a related party in Portugal. According to Sierra Spain, the services were related to strategic management and marketing. The tax authorities considered the expenses non-deductible and issued an assessment of […]
The Mahou (SAN MIGUEL) S.A Group is active in brewing and sale of beers. Penibética de cervezas y bebidas SL and Andaluza de cervezas y bebidas SL are wholly owned by Cervezas Alhambra SL, which again is owned by MAHOU (SAN MIGUEL) S.A. The main activity of Cervezas Alhambra SL is the distribution and marketing […]
The tax authorities excluded some of the entities selected by the taxpayer in a benchmark study, as it considered that they did not meet the necessary comparability requirements, and also included some of the excluded entities, as it considered that they were comparable. These modifications to the benchmark resulted in a variation of the arm’s […]
Varian Medical Systems Iberica S.L. is the Spanish subsidiary of the multinational company Varian Medical Systems and carries out two types of activities – distribution and after-sales services. The products sold was purchased from related entities: Varian Medical Systems Inc., Varian Medical Systems UK Ltd., Varian Medical Systems International AG and Varian Medical Systems HAAN […]
VOCENTO, S.A. is the parent company of a multinational publishing group. The registered office of VOCENTO, S.A. is in Bizkaia and it is subject to the regulations of this Territory regarding Corporate Income Tax. COMERESA PRENSA, S.L.U. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VOCENTO and holds most of the shares in regional press publishing companies held […]
A Spanish subsidiary – SGL Carbon Holding SL – had significant financial expenses derived from an intra-group loan granted by the parent company for the acquisition of shares in companies of the same group. The taxpayer argued that the intra-group acquisition and debt helped to redistribute the funds of the Group and that Spanish subsidiary […]
Following an audit the tax administration had adjusted the margin obtained by the taxpayer to the median, as it was below the interquartile range of the benchmark analysis. An appeal was filed by the taxpayer with the TEAC. Judgment of the TEAC The TEAC upheld the taxpayer’s appeal and annulled the decision of the tax […]
The SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION is a multinational group of Japanese origin active in among others areas, production and sale of computer products. The group is present in Spain, EPSON IBÉRICA, but has its European HQ in the Netherlands, EPSON EUROPE BV. The main shareholder and sole director of EPSON IBÉRICA S.A.U. was initially Mr. Jose […]
On 25 February 2021, a note was released by the Spanish Tax Agency on number of practical issues relating to application of the arm’s-length range. The note – which is based on the OECD transfer Pricing Guidelines, guidance on benchmark studies issued by the Joint Transfer Pricing Forum, and relevant Spanish case laws – answers […]
DIGITEX INFORMATICA S.L. had entered into a substantial service contract with an unrelated party in Latin America, Telefonica, according to which the DIGITEX group would provide certain services for Telefonica. The contract originally entered by DIGITEX INFORMATICA S.L. was later transferred to DIGITEX’s Latin American subsidiaries. But after the transfer, cost and amortizations related to […]
BIOMERIEUX ESPAÑA SA is active in the business of clinical and biological analysis, production, distribution, training and technical assistance. Likewise, the provision of computer services and, in particular, the computer management of laboratories. Following an audit the tax authorities found that the controlled prices agreed for the acquisition of instruments and consumables between bioMérieux España […]
A Swiss company, Ashland Industries Europe GmbH, had not declared a presence in Spain for VAT purposes and did not charge VAT for local sales. However, the Swiss company used the resources of its Spanish subsidiary when performing these local sales of goods in Spain. On that basis, the Spanish tax authorities found that the […]
At issue in this case was whether or not it is possible to regularize transactions between companies by directly applying art. 9.1 of DTA between Spain and French, without resorting to the transfer pricing methods provided for in local Spanish TP legislation. Application of article 9 and taxing according to local tax legislation is often […]
The tax authorities had issued an assessment according to which royalty payments from Colgate Palmolive España S.A (CP España) to Switzerland were not considered exempt from withholding taxes under the Spanish-Swiss DTA since the company in Switzerland was not the Beneficial Owner of the royalty-income. The assessment was set aside by the National Court in […]
In the case at hand a related-party transactions had been carried out between a person (shareholder) and a related company. The transaction took place in 2007 and 2008 and was exempt from Spanish transfer pricing documentation requirements. The tax authorities issued an assessment where the transfer pricing had been adjusted and a penalty/fine was added […]
Microsoft’s tax affairs have been in the spotlight of tax authorities all over the World during the last decade. Why? The setup used by Microsoft involves shifting profits from sales in the US, Europe and Asia to regional operating centers placed in low tax jurisdictions (Bermuda, Luxembourg, Ireland, Singapore and Puerto Rico). The following text has been […]
There is an obligation to withhold tax on dividends paid to a holding company resident in an EU Member State, if the beneficial owner is resident abroad. Although the Parent-Subsidiary Directive 90/435 does not contain a beneficial owner clause, the exemption clause contained in Article 14.1.h) of the TRLIRNR is perfectly in line with EU […]
“X Iberica SA” is a Spanish subsidiary of a multinational group and also a participant in the group’s cash pooling system, both as a borrower and as a provider of funds. When the group is not able to finance itself, the vehicle called THE X TES US comes into play, which raises these funds from […]
A Spanish subsidiary, ARW Enterprise Computin Solution SA, had deducted intra-group management fees paid according to two service contracts with two french group companies – Distrilogie SA and DCC France Holding SAS. For an expense to be deductible it is required not only that invoice, account, payments have been imputed correctly, but also that the […]
A Spanish subsidiary – SGL Carbon Holding SL – had significant financial expenses derived from an intra-group loan granted by the parent company for the acquisition of shares in companies of the same group. The taxpayer argued that the intra-group acquisition and debt helped to redistribute the funds of the Group and that Spanish subsidiary […]
Acer Computer Ibérica S.A. (ACI) is part of the multinational ACER group, which manufactures and distributes personal computers and other electronic devices. Acer Europe AG (AEAG), a group entity in Switzerland, centralises the procurement of the subsidiaries established in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and acts as the regional management centre for that geographical […]
The tax administration had issued an adjustment to the taxable profit of IKEA’s subsidiary in Spain considering that taxable profit in years 2007, 2008, and 2009 had not been determined in accordance with the arm’s length principle. In 2007 taxable profits had been below the interquartile range and in 2008 and 2009 taxable profits had […]
The tax authorities had issued an assessment according to which royalty payments from Colgate Palmolive España S.A. (CP España) to Switzerland were not considered exempt from withholding taxes under the Spanish-Swiss DTA since the company in Switzerland was not the Beneficial Owner of the royalty-income. Judgment of the National Court The court held in favour […]
Tax penalties/fines had been issued following a transfer pricing adjustments in regards of controlled transactions exempt from Spanish TP documentation requirements. An appeal was filed by the taxpayer claiming to be excluded from the Spanish penalty regime. The appeal was dismissed by the lower courts. Judgment of the Supreme Court The Supreme Court upheld the […]
ZERAIM IBERICA SA, a Spanish subsidiary in the Swiss Syngenta Group (that produces seeds and agrochemicals), had first been issued a tax assessment relating to fiscal years 2006 and 2007 and later another assessment for FY 2008 and 2009 related to the arm’s length price of seeds acquired from Zeraim Gedera (Israel) and thus the […]
ICL ESPAÑA, S.A., ICL Packaging Coatings, S.A., were members of the Tax Consolidation Group and obtained extraordinary profits in the financial years 2000, 2001 and 2002. (AKZO NOBEL is the successor of ICL ESPAÑA, as well as of the subsidiary ICL PACKAGING.) On 26 June 2002, ICL ESPAÑA, S.A. acquired from ICL Omicron BV (which […]
Microsoft Ibérica S.R.L is responsible for distribution and marketing of Microsoft products in Spain. According to an agreement concluded between Microsoft Ibérica and MIOL (Microsoft’s Irish sales and marketing hub) with effect from 1 July 2003, Microsoft Ibérica would received the largest amount of either a commission based on sales invoiced in Spain or a […]
EPSON IBÉRICA S.A.U. had deducted the full employee pension costs of a CEO that had worked both for the HQ in the Netherlands and the local Spanish Company. The tax authorities issued an assessment where 90% of the pension costs had been disallowed in regards to the taxable income in Spain. The disallowed percentage of […]
According to Colgate Palmolive, following a restructuring, the local group company in Spain was changed from being a “fully fledged distributor” responsible for all areas of the distribution process to being a “limited risk distributor” (it only performs certain functions). A newly established Swiss company, Colgate Palmolive Europe, instead became the principal entrepreneur in Europe. […]
An adjustments had been made by the tax authorities to a series of loans granted by GOLDEN ARCHES OF SPAIN SA (GAOS), domiciled in Ireland, to RESTAURANTES MC DONALDS, S.A. (RMSA), throughout the period 2000/2004 for amounts ranging between 10,000,000 and 86,650,000 €, at interest rates between 3,450% and 6,020%. The tax administration held that […]
The Spanish Tax administration made an income adjustment of Citresa (a Spanish subsidiary of the Schweeps Group) Corporate Income Tax for FY 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, resulting in a tax liability of €38.6 millon. Citresa entered into a franchise agreement and a contract manufacturing agreement with Schweppes International Limited (a related party resident in the Netherlands). […]
In this case ZERAIM IBÉRICA SA argues that the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines has not been applied propperly, as secret comparables have been used in determining the arm’s length price of controlled transactions between the Spanish company and its Dutch parent company. The court concludes that the “..Guidelines are considered to be merely recommendations to […]
Dell Spain is part of a multinational group (Dell) that manufactures and sells computers. Dell Ireland, operates as distribution hub for most of Europe. Dell Ireland has appointed related entities to operate as its commissionaires in several countries; Dell Spain and Dell France are part of this commissionaire network. The group operates through a direct […]
The company had deducted impairment losses recognised on an investment in an Argentinean company (recently acquired from a related entity) arising from the conversion into capital of loans granted to the entity by other group companies, loans which had been acquired by the Spanish taxpayer. The tax administration argued that acquisition of such loans would not have taken […]
In the INC bank case the tax administration had characterised part of the interest-bearing debt of a local branch of a Dutch bank, ING DIRECT B.V, as “free” capital, in “accordance” with EU minimum capitalisation requirements and consequently reduced the deductible interest expenses in the taxabel income of the local branch for FY 2002 and […]
“X Beverages S.A.” had entered into an agreement with the ABCDE Group for the use of concentrate and trademarks for the production and sale of beverages in Spain, but according to the agreement, “X Beverages S.A.” only paid for the concentrate. Following an audit for the financial years 2005-2007, the tax authorities issued an assessment […]
In May 1997, BICC CABLES ENERGÍA COMUNICACIONES, S.A. acquired 177 class B shares in BICC USA Inc. (BUSA) for USD 175 million. The par value of each share was one dollar. The acquisition price of the shares was set on the basis of an Arthur Andersen Report which stated that the fair market value of […]
Prior to a business restructuring in 1999, the Spanish subsidiary, Roche Vitaminas S.A., was a full-fledged distributor, involved in manufacturing, importing, and selling the pharmaceutical products in the Spanish and Portuguese markets. In 1999 the Spanish subsidiary and the Swiss parent, Roche Vitamins Europe Ltd., entered into a manufacturing agreement and a distribution agreement. Under […]
EcoloJeans SL had made purchases from its majority shareholder, Mr Donato. According to the tax authorities, the agreed prices for these purchases were higher than the arm’s length price, resulting in lower taxation. The tax authorities had determined the arm’s length price by applying the resale price method, based on the margin obtained by companies […]
A Spanish subsidiary of a UK Group (Borex), which imported, processed and sold the materials to third parties, was transformed into a a contract manufacturer. The Spanish subsidiary signed two separate contracts with the UK parent – one for warehousing and the provision of services and the other in respect of an sales agency. Under the […]
Refrescos Envasados, S.A. – a Coca-Cola subsidiary in Spain – bought soft drink concentrate manufactured by Coca-Cola companies in Ireland and France. According to the tax authorities the prices paid for the concentrate were above market prices. Hence, an assessment was issued where the prices for the concentrate had been lowered resulting in additional taxable […]
A holding company of an international Group was established in Spain and in it and in the Group’s operating entity, which was made dependent on it and with which it was fiscally consolidated, intra group loans were requested, for the acquisition of shares in other Group companies, which were mere asset relocations without any economic […]
