Tag: In dubio contra fiscum

Czech Republic vs ERT Automotive Bohemia s.r.o., June 2023, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No 10 Afs 257/2022

Czech Republic vs ERT Automotive Bohemia s.r.o., June 2023, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No 10 Afs 257/2022

ERT Automotive Bohemia s.r.o. is active in the automotive industry. From 1 January 2013 to 30 November 2013, it provided the manufacture and repair of upholstery products for the automotive industry for its ‘sister’ company, Reiner Lasertec GmbH, established in Germany (both companies were owned at the time by the parent company Notos Beteiligungen GmbH, also established in Germany). ERT Automotive Bohemia s.r.o. provided ‘wage labour’ for Reiner Lasertec at a price of EUR 0,15 per minute of work. In December 2013, ERT Automotive Bohemia s.r.o. changed this business model. It no longer simply processed materials for Reiner Lasertec, but instead took over its former role. It was thus responsible for the production of the entire specific automotive part, which it then supplied as an independent manufacturer and final supplier. The Tax Office suspected that ERT Automotive Bohemia s.r.o. had supplied services to a related party from January to November 2013 at a lower price than would have been agreed ... Read more
Czech Republic vs ESAB CZ, s. r. o., May 2023, Regional Court , Case No 31 Af 21/2022 - 99

Czech Republic vs ESAB CZ, s. r. o., May 2023, Regional Court , Case No 31 Af 21/2022 – 99

ESAB CZ was a contract manufacturer for ESAB Europe. The contract set ESAB CZ’s target profit margin for 2014 and 2015 at between 2,5 % and 3,5 %, with an adjustment to 3 % if the actual profit margin achieved was outside that range. Those values were determined on the basis of a benchmarking analysis which produced a minimum profit margin of 0,41 % and an interquartile range of profit margins between 2,14 % and 5,17 %. The benchmarking analysis were not disputed, but the tax authorities held that the cost base on which the markup was calculated should have included annual amortisations/depreciations. ESAB CZ disagreed and filed a complaint with the Regional Court. Judgement of the Court The court ruled in favour of the tax authorities. Excerpts “51. Furthermore, it should be emphasised that the applicant has not demonstrated that the asset allowance does not relate to the applicant’s contract manufacturing and has not demonstrated that it relates to ... Read more
Belgium, December 2021, Constitutional Court, Case No 184/2021

Belgium, December 2021, Constitutional Court, Case No 184/2021

By a notice of December 2020, the Court of Appeal of Brussels referred the following question for a preliminary ruling by the Constitutional Court : “ Does article 207, second paragraph, ITC (1992), as it applies, read together with article 79 ITC (1992), in the interpretation that it also applies to abnormal or gratuitous advantages obtained by a Belgian company from a foreign company, violate articles 10, 11 and 172 of the Constitution? “. The Belgian company “D.W.B.”, of which Y.S. and R.W. were the managers, was set up on 4 October 2006 by the Dutch company “W.”. On 25 October 2006, the latter also set up the Dutch company “D.W.” On 9 November 2006, bv “W.” sold its shareholdings in a number of subsidiaries of the D.W. group to its subsidiary nv ” D.W. “. It was agreed that 20 % of the selling price would be contributed by e.g. “W.” to the capital of the latter and that ... Read more
Romania vs "Broker" A SRL, September 2016, Supreme Court, Case No 3818/2019

Romania vs “Broker” A SRL, September 2016, Supreme Court, Case No 3818/2019

Following an audit Broker A SRL was ordered to submit corrective statements on the corporate income tax for the tax years 2016 and 2017, and not to take over the tax loss from previous years, in the amount of RON 62,773,810 in 2016 and 2017. The tax authorities had found shortcomings in the comparability study drawn up by the company and replaced it with their own study. According to Broaker A SRL the transfer pricing adjustment was unlawful: the measure of reworking the comparability study has no legal basis and was not reasoned by the tax authorities; the findings of the tax inspection bodies are based on a serious error concerning the accounting recognition of A. BV’s income in its records; unlawfulness as regards the adjustment of income in respect of support services. ANAF has made serious errors of calculation by reference to its own reasoning in establishing the adjustments. unlawfulness of the tax decision in relation to the adjustment ... Read more