Tag: Royalty

Payments of any kind received as consideration for the use of, or the right to use intellectual property, such as a copyright, patent, trade mark, design or model, plan, secret formula or process.

South Africa vs ABD Limited, February 2024, Tax Court, Case No IT 14302

South Africa vs ABD Limited, February 2024, Tax Court, Case No IT 14302

ABD Limited is a South African telecommunications company with subsidiaries worldwide. These subsidiaries are operating companies, with local shareholders, but having ABD as a significant shareholder. ABD licences its intellectual property to these operating companies (referred to as Opcos) in return for which they pay ABD a royalty. The present case involves the royalty payments made by fourteen of the Opcos to ABD during the periods 2009 to 2012. ABD charged all of them the same royalty rate of 1% for the right to use its intellectual property. In 2011 ABD retained the services of a consultancy to advise it on what royalty it should charge its various Opcos.The consultancy procured research on the subject and then, informed by that, came up with the recommendation that a royalty of 1% could be justified. The tax authorities (SARS) found that a 1% royalty rate was not at arms-length and issued an assessment where the royalty rate had instead been determined to ... Read more
France vs SA Compagnie Gervais Danone, December 2023, Conseil d'État, Case No. 455810

France vs SA Compagnie Gervais Danone, December 2023, Conseil d’État, Case No. 455810

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 considered that the payment constituted an indirect transfer of profits abroad within the meaning of Article 57 of the General Tax Code and should be considered as distributed income within the meaning of Article 109(1) of the Code, subject to the withholding tax provided for in Article 119a of the Code, at the conventional rate of 15%. SA Compagnie Gervais Danone brought the tax assessment to the Administrative Court and in a decision issued 9 July 2019 the Court discharged SA Compagnie Gervais Danone from the taxes in dispute. This decision was appealed by the tax authorities and in June 2021 the Administrative Court of ... Read more
India vs Hyatt International-Southwest Asia Ltd., December 2023, High Court of Delhi, Case No ITA 216/2020 & CM Nos. 32643/2020 & 56179/2022

India vs Hyatt International-Southwest Asia Ltd., December 2023, High Court of Delhi, Case No ITA 216/2020 & CM Nos. 32643/2020 & 56179/2022

A sales, marketing and management service agreement entered into in 1993 between Asian Hotels Limited and Hyatt International-Southwest Asia Limited had been replaced by various separate agreements – a Strategic Oversight Services Agreements, a Technical Services Agreement, a Hotel Operation Agreement with Hyatt India, and trademark license agreements pursuant to which Asian Hotels Limited was permitted to use Hyatt’s trademark in connection with the hotel’s operation. In 2012, the tax authorities issued assessment orders for FY 2009-2010 to FY 2017-2018, qualifying a portion of the service payments received by Hyatt as royalty and finding that Hyatt had a PE in India. Hyatt appealed the assessment orders to the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, which later upheld the order of the tax authorities. Aggrieved with the decision, Hyatt filed appeals before the High Court. Judgement of the High Court The High Court set aside in part and upheld in part the decision of the Tribunal. The court set aside the decision of ... Read more
Netherlands vs "Tobacco B.V.", December 2023, North Holland District Court, Case No AWB - 20_4350 (ECLI:NL:RBNHO: 2023:12635)

Netherlands vs “Tobacco B.V.”, December 2023, North Holland District Court, Case No AWB – 20_4350 (ECLI:NL:RBNHO: 2023:12635)

A Dutch company “Tobacco B.V.” belonging to an internationally operating tobacco group was subjected to (additional assessment) corporate income tax assessments according to taxable amounts of €2,850,670,712 (2013), €2,849,204,122 (2014), €2,933,077,258 (2015) and €3,067,630,743 (2016), and to penalty fines for the year 2014 of €1,614,709, for the year 2015 of €363,205 and for the year 2016 of €125,175,082. In each case, the dispute focuses on whether the fees charged by various group companies for supplies and services can be regarded as business-related. Also in dispute is whether transfer profit should have been recognised in connection with a cessation of business activities. One of the group companies provided factoring services to “Tobacco B.V.”. The factoring fee charged annually for this includes a risk fee to cover the default risk and an annual fee for other services. The court concluded that the risk was actually significantly lower than the risk assumed in determining the risk fee, that the other services were routine ... Read more
European Commission vs Amazon and Luxembourg, December 2023, European Court of Justice, Case No  C‑457/21 P

European Commission vs Amazon and Luxembourg, December 2023, European Court of Justice, Case No C‑457/21 P

In 2017 the European Commission concluded that Luxembourg had granted undue tax benefits to Amazon of around €250 million. According to the Commission, a tax ruling issued by Luxembourg in 2003 – and prolonged in 2011 – lowered the tax paid by Amazon in Luxembourg without any valid justification. The tax ruling enabled Amazon to shift the vast majority of its profits from an Amazon group company that is subject to tax in Luxembourg (Amazon EU) to a company which is not subject to tax (Amazon Europe Holding Technologies). In particular, the tax ruling endorsed the payment of a royalty from Amazon EU to Amazon Europe Holding Technologies, which significantly reduced Amazon EU’s taxable profits. This decision was brought before the European Courts by Luxembourg and Amazon, and in May 2021 the General Court found that Luxembourg’s tax treatment of Amazon was not illegal under EU State aid rules. An appeal was then filed by the European Commission with the ... Read more
Poland vs S. spółka z o.o., December 2023, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No I FSK 925/22

Poland vs S. spółka z o.o., December 2023, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No I FSK 925/22

S. spółka z o.o. had deducted licence fees paid for the use of a trademark owned by a related party. Following an audit, the tax authority issued an assessment where these deductions had been disallowed. An appeal was filed with the Administrative Court which later upheld the tax assessment, and S. spółka z o.o. then filed an appeal with the Supreme Administrative Court. Judgment of the Supreme Administrative Court The Court ruled in favour of S. spółka z o.o. and set aside the decision of the Administrative Court and the tax assessment. Excerpt “In the present case, it should have been considered that the tax authorities created their own clause, assessing the case on the basis of the entirety of the acts performed between the applicant and its controlled companies – going beyond the scope of Article 11(1)-(4) of the u.p.d.o.p. Indeed, in the legal state of affairs in 2015, there was no legal basis for assessing legal acts and ... Read more
Poland vs P.B., December 2023, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No II FSK 456/22

Poland vs P.B., December 2023, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No II FSK 456/22

P.B. had deducted licence fees paid for the use of the trademark “B” which was owned by a related party. Following an audit, the tax authority issued an assessment where deductions for the fees had been disallowed. The tax authority stated that the transactions carried out by the P.B. in 2015 concerning the trademark, both in terms of the disposal of this asset and in terms of the subsequent acquisition of the right to use it, escape the notion of rational management and that these activities occurred under conditions that were clearly different from market conditions. According to the authority, their undoubted result was an unjustified transfer of income to the related entity B. sp. z o.o. An appeal was filed with the Administrative Court which later upheld the tax assessment, and P.B. then filed an appeal with the Supreme Administrative Court. Judgment of the Supreme Administrative Court The Court ruled in favour of P.B. by setting aside the decision ... Read more
Australia vs PepsiCo, Inc., November 2023, Federal Court 2023, Case No [2023] FCA 1490

Australia vs PepsiCo, Inc., November 2023, Federal Court 2023, Case No [2023] FCA 1490

At issue was the “royalty-free” use of intangible assets under an agreement whereby PepsiCo’s Singapore affiliate sold concentrate to Schweppes Australia, which then bottled and sold PepsiCo soft drinks for the Australian market. As no royalties were paid under the agreement, no withholding tax was paid in Australia. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) determined that the payments for “concentrate” from Schweppes to PepsiCo had been misclassified and were in part royalty for the use of PepsiCo’s intangibles (trademarks, branding etc.), and an assessment was issued for FY2018 and FY2019 where withholding tax was determined on that basis. The assessment was issued under the Australian diverted profits tax provisions. The assessment was appealed to the Federal Court in February 2022. Judgment of the Court The Federal Court ruled in favor of the tax authorities. Following the decision of the Court, the ATO issued an announcement concerning the case. According to the announcement it welcomes the decision. “This decision confirms PepsiCo, Inc ... Read more
US vs Coca Cola, November 2023, US Tax Court, T.C. Memo. 2023-135

US vs Coca Cola, November 2023, US Tax Court, T.C. Memo. 2023-135

In TC opinion of 18 November 2020 the US Tax Court agreed with the US tax authorities (IRS) that Coca-Cola’s US-based income should be increased by $9 billion in a dispute over royalties from its foreign-based licensees. The principal holding was that the Commissioner did not abuse his discretion in reallocating income to Coca-Cola using a “comparable profits method” (TNMM) that treated independent Coca-Cola bottlers as comparable parties. However, one question remained. Coca-Colas’s Brazilian subsidiary paid no actual royalties to Coca-Cola during 2007–2009. Rather, it compensated Coca-Cola for use of its intangibles by paying dividends of $886,823,232. The court held that the Brazilian subsidiary’s arm’s-length royalty obligation for 2007–2009 was actually about $1.768 billion, as determined by the IRS. But the court held that the dividends remitted in place of royalties should be deducted from that sum. This offset reduces the net transfer pricing adjustment to petitioner from the Brazilian supply point to about $882 million. Thus, the issue to ... Read more
Poland vs "K.P.", October 2023, Provincial Administrative Court, Case No I SA/Po 475/23

Poland vs “K.P.”, October 2023, Provincial Administrative Court, Case No I SA/Po 475/23

K.P. is active in retail sale of computers, peripheral equipment and software. In December 2013 it had transfered valuable trademarks to its subsidiary and in the years following the transfer incurred costs in form of licence fees for using the trademarks. According to the tax authorities the arrangement was commercially irrationel and had therfore been recharacterised. Not satisfied with the assessment an appeal was filed. Judgement of the Provincial Administrative Court. The Court decided in favor of K.P.  According to the Court recharacterization of controlled transactions was not possible under the Polish arm’s length provisions in force until the end of 2018. Click here for English translation Click here for other translation Poland vs KP Po 475_23 October 2023 ... Read more
France vs SAS Arrow Génériques, September 2023, Court of Administrative Appeal, Case No 22LY00087

France vs SAS Arrow Génériques, September 2023, Court of Administrative Appeal, Case No 22LY00087

SAS Arrow Génériques is in the business of distributing generic medicinal products mainly to the pharmacy market, but also to the hospital market in France. It is 82.22% owned by its Danish parent company, Arrow Groupe ApS, which is itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Maltese company Arrow International Limited. In 2010 and 2011, SAS Arrow Génériques paid royalties to its Danish parent, Arrow Group ApS, and to a related party in the UK, Breath Ltd. According to the French tax authorities, the royalties constituted a benefit in kind granted to Arrow Group ApS and Breath Ltd, since SAS Arrow Génériques had not demonstrated the reality and nature of the services rendered and had therefore failed to justify the existence and value of the consideration that it would have received from the payment of these royalties, which constitutes an indirect transfer of profits to related companies. On appeal, the Administrative Court decided in favour of SAS Arrow Génériques. The tax ... Read more
Denmark vs "Consulting A/S", August 2023, Eastern High Court, Case No B-0956-16 and BS-52532/2019-OLR (SKM2023.628.ØLR)

Denmark vs “Consulting A/S”, August 2023, Eastern High Court, Case No B-0956-16 and BS-52532/2019-OLR (SKM2023.628.ØLR)

The cases concerned whether the tax authorities had been entitled to exercise an assessment of two types of intra-group transactions made between H1 A/S and a number of group companies. The cases also concerned whether, if so, the tax authorities’ judgement could be set aside. The two types of controlled transactions were employee loans (IAA) and royalty payments for access to and use of intangible assets. The employee loans (IAA) were temporary intra-group loans of “idle” employees who were not in the process of or were about to perform specific tasks for the operating company in which they were employed. To a large extent, these were cross-border employee loans. In the employee loans, the borrowing operating company provided a consultancy service to a customer, and it was also the borrowing operating company that bore the business risk. The TP documentation stated that the lending operating company did not provide a consultancy service and that the earnings on a consultancy service ... Read more
Germany vs "Cutting Tech GMBH", August 2023, Bundesfinanzhof, Case No I R 54/19 (ECLI:DE:BFH:2023:U.090823.IR54.19.0)

Germany vs “Cutting Tech GMBH”, August 2023, Bundesfinanzhof, Case No I R 54/19 (ECLI:DE:BFH:2023:U.090823.IR54.19.0)

Due to the economic situation of automotive suppliers in Germany in 2006, “Cutting Tech GMBH” established a subsidiary (CB) in Bosnien-Herzegovina which going forward functioned as a contract manufacturer. CB did not develop the products itself, but manufactured them according to specifications provided by “Cutting Tech GMBH”. The majority of “Cutting Tech GMBH”‘s sales articles were subject to multi-stage production, which could include various combinations of production processes. In particular, “Cutting Tech GMBH” was no longer competitive in the labour-intensive manufacturing processes (cut-off grinding, turning, milling) due to the high wage level in Germany. Good contribution margins from the high-tech processes (adiabatic cutting, double face grinding) increasingly had to subsidise the losses of the labour-intensive processes. Individual production stages, however, could not be outsourced to external producers for reasons of certification and secrecy. In addition, if the production had been outsourced, there would have been a great danger that a third company would have siphoned off “Cutting Tech GMBH”‘s know-how ... Read more
Italy vs Otis Servizi s.r.l., August 2023, Supreme Court, Sez. 5 Num. 23587 Anno 2023

Italy vs Otis Servizi s.r.l., August 2023, Supreme Court, Sez. 5 Num. 23587 Anno 2023

Following an audit of Otis Servizi s.r.l. for FY 2007, 2008 and 2009 an assessment of additional taxable income was issued by the Italian tax authorities. The first part of the assessment related to interest received by OTIS in relation to the contract called “Cash management service for Group Treasury” (hereinafter “Cash Pooling Contract”) signed on 20 March 2001 between OTIS and the company United Technologies Intercompany Lending Ireland Limited (hereinafter “UTILI”) based in Ireland (hereinafter “Cash Pooling Relief”). In particular, the tax authorities reclassified the Cash Pooling Agreement as a financing contract and recalculated the rate of the interest income received by OTIS to be between 5.1 and 6.5 per cent (instead of the rate applied by the Company, which ranged between 3.5 and 4.8 per cent); The second part of the assessment related to of the royalty paid by OTIS to the American company Otis Elevator Company in relation to the “Licence Agreement relating to trademarks and company ... Read more
Poland vs "K. S.A.", July 2023, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No II FSK 1352/22 - Wyrok

Poland vs “K. S.A.”, July 2023, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No II FSK 1352/22 – Wyrok

K. S.A. had made an in-kind contribution to a subsidiary (a partnership) in the form of previously created or acquired and depreciated trademark protection rights for individual beer brands. The partnership in return granted K. S.A. a licence to use these trademarks (K. S.A. was the only user of the trademarks). The partnership made depreciations on these intangible assets, which – due to the lack of legal personality of the partnership – were recognised as tax deductible costs directly by K. S.A. According to the tax authorities the role of the partnership was limited to the administration of trademark rights, it was not capable of exercising any rights and obligations arising from the licence agreements. Therefore the prerequisites listed in Article 11(1) of the u.p.d.o.p. were met, allowing K. S.A.’s income to be determined without regard to the conditions arising from those agreements. The assessment issued by the tax authorities was later set aside by the Provincial Administrative Court. An ... Read more
France vs SA SACLA, July 2023, CAA of LYON, Case No. 22LY03210

France vs SA SACLA, July 2023, CAA of LYON, Case No. 22LY03210

SA SACLA, which trades in protective clothing, footwear and small equipment, was the subject of a tax audit covering the financial years 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2008, Sacla had sold a portfolio of trademarks to a related party, Involvex SA, a company incorporated under Luxembourg law, for the sum of 90,000 euros. In a proposed assessment issued in 2011, the tax authorities increased Sacla’s taxable income on the basis of Article 57 of the General Tax Code, taking the view that Sacla had made an indirect transfer of profits in the form of a reduction in the selling price by selling a set of brands/trademarks held by it for EUR 90,000 to a Luxembourg company, Involvex, which benefited from a preferential tax regime. The tax authorities had estimated the value of the trademarks at €20,919,790, a value that was reduced to €11,288,000 following interdepartmental discussions. In a February 2020, the Lyon Administrative Court of Appeal, after rejecting the objection of ... Read more
Portugal vs R... Cash & C..., S.A., June 2023, Tribunal Central Administrativo Sul, Case 2579/16.6 BELRS

Portugal vs R… Cash & C…, S.A., June 2023, Tribunal Central Administrativo Sul, Case 2579/16.6 BELRS

The tax authorities had issued a notice of assessment which disallowed tax deductions for royalties paid by R…Cash & C…, S.A. to its Polish parent company, O…Mark Sp. Z.o.o. R… Cash & C…, S.A. appealed to the Administrative Court, which later annulled the assessment. The tax authorities then filed an appeal with the Administrative Court of Appeal. Judgement of the Court The Court of Appeal revoked the judgement issued by the administrative court and decided in favour of the tax authorities. Extracts “It is clear from the evidence in the case file that the applicant has succeeded in demonstrating that the agreement to transfer rights is not based on effective competition, in the context of identical operations carried out by independent entities. The studies presented by the challenger do not succeed in overturning this assertion, since, as is clear from the evidence (12), they relate to operations and market segments other than the one at issue in the case. The ... Read more
Spain vs Institute of International Research España S.L., June 2023, Audiencia Nacional, Case No SAN 3426/2023 - ECLI:EN:AN:2023:3426

Spain vs Institute of International Research España S.L., June 2023, Audiencia Nacional, Case No SAN 3426/2023 – ECLI:EN:AN:2023:3426

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 of the Licensor for the sale of Research and Dissemination Services”) under which it paid 6.5% of its gross turnover to a related party in the Netherlands – Institute of International Research BV. Furthermore, in 2007 it also entered into a “Central Support Services Agreement” with its parent Informa PLC according to which it paid cost + 5% for centralised support services: management, finance, accounting, legal, financial, fiscal, audit, human resources, IT, insurance, consultancy and special services. Following an audit, the tax authorities issued assessments of additional income for the FY 2007 and 2008 in which deductions of the licence payments and cost of intra-group ... Read more
Denmark vs "IP ApS", March 2023, Tax Tribunal, Case No. SKM2023.135.LSR

Denmark vs “IP ApS”, March 2023, Tax Tribunal, Case No. SKM2023.135.LSR

The case concerned the valuation of intangible assets transferred from a Danish company to an affiliated foreign company. The Tax Tribunal basically agreed with the valuation of the expert appraisers according to the DCF model, but corrected the assumptions with regard to revenue growth in the budget period and the value of the tax advantage. Finally, the Tax Tribunal found that the value of product Y should be included in the valuation, as all rights to product Y were covered by the intra-group transfer. Excerpts “It was the judges’ view that the turnover growth for the budget period should be set in accordance with Company H’s own budgets prepared prior to the transfer. This was in accordance with TPG 2017 paragraphs 6.163 and 6.164 and SKM2020.30.LSR.” “With reference to OECD TPG section 6.178 on adjustment for tax consequences for the buyer and seller and SKM2020.30.LSR, the National Tax Tribunal ruled that the full value of the buyer’s tax asset should ... Read more
Poland vs "Cosmetics sp. z o.o.", March 2023, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No II FSK 2034/20

Poland vs “Cosmetics sp. z o.o.”, March 2023, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No II FSK 2034/20

“Cosmetics sp. z o.o.” is a Polish distributor of cosmetics. It purchases the goods from a related foreign company. The contract concluded between “Cosmetics sp. z o.o.” and the foreign company contained a provision according to which 3% of the price of the goods purchased was to be paid (in the form of royalties) for the right to use the trademarks for the promotion, advertising and sale of the products. However, the invoices issued by the foreign company for the sale of the goods in question did not show the amount paid for the right to use the trademarks as a separate item. The invoices simply stated the price of the goods purchased. “Cosmetics sp. z o.o. requested an “individual interpretation” from the tax authorities as to whether the royalty payments included in the price of the goods were subject to withholding tax in Poland. According to Cosmetics sp. z o.o., the answer should be no, as the “royalty” element ... Read more
Portugal vs "N...S.A.", March 2023, Tribunal Central Administrativo Sul, Case 762/09.0BESNT

Portugal vs “N…S.A.”, March 2023, Tribunal Central Administrativo Sul, Case 762/09.0BESNT

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 erred in annulling the correction in question since the defendant calculated the royalty payable to ... Read more
US vs Skechers USA Inc., February 2023, Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission, Nos. 10-I-171 AND 10-I-172

US vs Skechers USA Inc., February 2023, Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission, Nos. 10-I-171 AND 10-I-172

Skechers US Inc. had formed a related party entity, SKII, in 1999 and transferred IP and $18 million in cash to the entity in exchange for 100 percent of the stock. Skechers then licensed the IP back from SKII and claimed a franchise tax deduction for the royalties and also deductions for management fees and interest expenses on the unpaid balance of royalty fees. The Wisconsin tax authorities held that these were sham transaction lacking business purpose and disallowed the deductions. Judgement of the Tax Appeals Commission The Tax Appeals Commission ruled in favor of the tax authorities. Excerpt “(…) The burden of proof is on Petitioner to prove that the Department’s assessment is incorrect by clear and satisfactory evidence. In this case, Petitioner must prove that it had a valid nontax business purpose for entering into the licensing transaction that generated the royalty deductions claimed on its Wisconsin tax returns and that the licensing transaction had economic substance. Both ... Read more
Argentina vs BASF Argentina S.A., February 2023, Tax Court, Case No TFN 39.933-A

Argentina vs BASF Argentina S.A., February 2023, Tax Court, Case No TFN 39.933-A

A local manufacturer – BASF Argentina S.A. – belonging to the German multinational group – BASF – specialized in chemical products which it produced and sold. For these activities it used imported and national inputs that it transformed through licensed industrial procedures owned by companies of the same group. It had signed 6 technology transfer and trademark use license agreements (CTT) with three related companies, under which it paid a fee for the sale of products manufactured in the country with the licensed technologies and trademarks. BASF Argentina S.A. also imported finished products with the same brands, but only for resale in the country. It claimed that no royalties were paid for these products. The customs authority objected to the non-inclusion of royalties in the import value. Judgement of the Tax Court The Court found that the royalties paid were also part of the value of the imported goods. Excerpt “…In this state of affairs, it is clear that the ... Read more
US vs 3M Company And Subsidiaries, February 2023, US Tax Court, 160 T.C. No. 3 (Docket No. 5816-13)

US vs 3M Company And Subsidiaries, February 2023, US Tax Court, 160 T.C. No. 3 (Docket No. 5816-13)

“3M Parent” is the parent company of the 3M Group and owns the Group’s trademarks. Other intellectual property, including patents and unpatented technology, is owned by “3M Sub-parent”, a second-tier wholly owned US subsidiary of 3M Parent. “3M Brazil” has used trademarks owned by 3M US in its business operations. 3M Brazil’s use of these trademarks was governed by three trademark licences entered into by 3M Parent and 3M Brazil in 1998. Each licence covered a separate set of trademarks. Under the terms of the licences, 3M Brazil paid 3M Parent a royalty equal to 1% of its sales of the trademarked products. Some products sold by 3M Brazil were covered by trademarks covered by more than one of the three trademark licences. For such products, 3M Brazil and 3M Parent calculated the trademark royalties using a stacking principle whereby, for example, if a particular product used trademarks covered by all three trademark licences, the royalties would be 3% of ... Read more
Czech Republic vs Surprise Drinks a. s., January 2023, Regional Court , Case No 25-Af-17/2021

Czech Republic vs Surprise Drinks a. s., January 2023, Regional Court , Case No 25-Af-17/2021

Surprise Drinks a. s. imports plastic toys from China, generally inspired by animated films (‘the imported goods’), which it added as a gift to a drink sold by it (‘the finished product’). In its customs declarations it did not include royalties paid in the value of the imported toys. According to the customs office, the royalty/licence payments should have been included and therefore the customs office decided to impose a duty of CZK 50 541. An appeal was filed with the Regional Court. According to Surprise Drinks a. s., the customs authorities had erred in its interpretation of the Customs Code of the European Union. It follows from the wording of that provision itself that royalties form part of the customs value of goods only in so far as they relate to the goods being valued. However, it is only the final product, i.e. the beverage, that is the subject of the royalty, not the imported toys and labels. Therefore, ... Read more
Italy vs Arditi S.p.A., December 2022, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No 37437/2022

Italy vs Arditi S.p.A., December 2022, Supreme Administrative Court, Case No 37437/2022

Arditi S.p.A. is an Italian group in the lighting industry. It has a subsidiary in Hong Kong which in turn holds the shares in a Chinese subsidiary where products are manufactured. Following an audit the tax authorities held that the entities in Hong Kong and China had used the trademark owned by the Italian parent without paying royalties, and on the basis of the arm’s length principle a 5% royalty was added to the taxable income of Arditi S.p.A. Arditi appealed against this assessment alleging that it had never received any remuneration for the use of its trademark by the subsidiary, and in any case that the tax authorities had not determined the royalty in accordance with the arm’s length principle. The Court of first instance upheld the appeal of Arditi and set aside the assessment. An appeal was then filed by the tax authorities. The Court of Appeal set aside the decision of the Court of first instance finding ... Read more
France vs SA SACLA, October 2022, Conseil d'État, Case No. 457695  (ECLI:FR:CECHS:2022:457695.20221027)

France vs SA SACLA, October 2022, Conseil d’État, Case No. 457695 (ECLI:FR:CECHS:2022:457695.20221027)

SA SACLA, which trades in protective clothing and footwear as well as small equipment, was subject of a tax audit covering the FY 2007, 2008 and 2009. In a proposed assessment issued in December 2011, the tax authorities increased its taxable income on the basis of Article 57 of the General Tax Code, by considering that SACLA, by selling, a set of brands/trademarks held by it for EUR 90,000 to a Luxembourg company, Involvex, which benefited from a preferential tax regime, had carried out an indirect transfer of profits in the form of a reduction in the selling price. In a ruling of February 2020, the Lyon Administrative Court of Appeal, after dismissing the plea of irregularity in the judgment, decided that an expert would carry out an valuation to determine whether the sale price of the trademarks corresponded to their value. The valuation should take into consideration an agreed exemption from payment of royalties for a period of five ... Read more
Spain vs "XZ Insurance SA", October 2022, Tribunal Economic-Administrative Central  (TEAC), Case No Rec. 00/03631/2020/00/00

Spain vs “XZ Insurance SA”, October 2022, Tribunal Economic-Administrative Central (TEAC), Case No Rec. 00/03631/2020/00/00

“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 authorities determined that “XZ Insurance SA” did not receive any royalty income from the use of the XZ trademark by to other entities of the group, both domestic and foreign. In the assessment the tax authorities determined the arm’s length royalty percentage for use of the trademarks to be on average ~0,5%. “In order to estimate the market royalty, the first aspect to be studied is the existence of an internal comparable or comparable trademark assignment contracts. And we have already stated that the absence of valid internal and external comparables has led us to resort to the use of other generally accepted valuation methods and ... Read more
India vs Google India Private Limited, Oct. 2022, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, 1513/Bang/2013, 1514/Bang/2013, 1515/Bang/2013, 1516/Bang/2013

India vs Google India Private Limited, Oct. 2022, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, 1513/Bang/2013, 1514/Bang/2013, 1515/Bang/2013, 1516/Bang/2013

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 to pay USD 224 million. The case was appealed by Google to the High Court, where the case was remanded to the Income Tax Appellate Authority for re-examination. Judgement of the ITAT After re-examining the matter on the orders of the Karnataka High Court, the Income Tax Appellate Authority concluded that the payments made by the Google India to Google Ireland between 2007-08 and 2012-13 was not royalties and therefore not subject to withholding tax. Excerpts “30. On a consideration of all the above agreements and the facts on record, we find that none of the rights as per section 14(a)/(b) and section 30 of ... Read more

§ 1.482-5(e) Example 4.

Transfer of intangible to offshore manufacturer. (i) DevCo is a U.S. developer, producer and marketer of widgets. DevCo develops a new “high tech widget” (htw) that is manufactured by its foreign subsidiary ManuCo located in Country H. ManuCo sells the htw to MarkCo (a U.S. subsidiary of DevCo) for distribution and marketing in the United States. The taxable year 1996 is under audit, and the district director examines whether the royalty rate of 5 percent paid by ManuCo to DevCo is an arm’s length consideration for the htw technology. (ii) Based on all the facts and circumstances, the district director determines that the comparable profits method will provide the most reliable measure of an arm’s length result. ManuCo is selected as the tested party because it engages in relatively routine manufacturing activities, while DevCo engages in a variety of complex activities using unique and valuable intangibles. Finally, because ManuCo engages in manufacturing activities, it is determined that the ratio of ... Read more

§ 1.482-4(f)(4)(ii) Example 6.

(i) Facts. The year 1 facts are the same as in Example 3. In year 2, FP and USSub enter into a separate services agreement that obligates FP to perform incremental marketing activities, not specified in the year 1 license, by advertising AA trademarked athletic gear in selected international sporting events, such as the Olympics and the soccer World Cup. FP’s corporate advertising department develops and coordinates these special promotions. The separate services agreement obligates USSub to pay an amount to FP for the benefit to USSub that may reasonably be anticipated as the result of FP’s incremental activities. The separate services agreement is not a qualified cost sharing arrangement under § 1.482-7T. FP begins to perform the incremental activities in year 2 pursuant to the separate services agreement. (ii) Whether an allocation is warranted with respect to the incremental marketing activities performed by FP under the separate services agreement would be evaluated under § 1.482-9. Under the circumstances, it is reasonable to anticipate that FP’s ... Read more

§ 1.482-4(f)(4)(ii) Example 5.

(i) Facts. The year 1 facts are the same as in Example 3. In year 2, FP and USSub enter into a separate services agreement that obligates USSub to perform certain incremental marketing activities to promote AA trademark athletic gear in the United States, above and beyond the activities specified in the license agreement executed in year 1. In year 2, USSub begins to perform these incremental activities, pursuant to the separate services agreement with FP. (ii) Whether an allocation is warranted with respect to USSub’s incremental marketing activities covered by the separate services agreement would be evaluated under §§ 1.482-1 and 1.482-9, including a comparison of the compensation provided for the services with the results obtained under a method pursuant to § 1.482-9, selected and applied in accordance with the best method rule of § 1.482-1(c). (iii) Whether an allocation is warranted with respect to the royalty under the license agreement is determined under § 1.482-1, and this section through § 1.482-6. The comparability analysis would include consideration ... Read more

§ 1.482-4(f)(4)(ii) Example 4.

(i) Facts. The year 1 facts are the same as in Example 3, with the following exceptions. In year 2, USSub undertakes certain incremental marketing activities in addition to those required by the contractual terms of the license for the AA trademark executed in year 1. The parties do not execute a separate agreement with respect to these incremental marketing activities performed by USSub. The license agreement executed in year 1 is of sufficient duration that it is reasonable to anticipate that USSub will obtain the benefit of its incremental activities, in the form of increased sales or revenues of trademarked products in the U.S. market. (ii) To the extent that it was reasonable to anticipate that USSub’s incremental marketing activities would increase the value only of USSub’s intangible property (that is, USSub’s license to use the AA trademark for a specified term), and not the value of the AA trademark owned by FP, USSub’s incremental activities do not constitute a contribution for ... Read more

§ 1.482-4(f)(4)(ii) Example 3.

(i) Facts. FP, a foreign producer of athletic gear, is the registered holder of the AA trademark in the United States and in other countries. In year 1, FP licenses to a newly organized U.S. subsidiary, USSub, the exclusive rights to use certain manufacturing and marketing intangible property to manufacture and market athletic gear in the United States under the AA trademark. The license agreement obligates USSub to pay a royalty based on sales of trademarked merchandise. The license agreement also obligates FP and USSub to perform without separate compensation specified types and levels of marketing activities. In year 1, USSub manufactures and sells athletic gear under the AA trademark in the United States. (ii) The consideration for FP’s and USSub’s respective marketing activities is embedded in the contractual terms of the license for the AA trademark. Accordingly, pursuant to paragraph (f)(4)(i) of this section, ordinarily no separate allocation would be appropriate with respect to the embedded contributions in year 1. See § 1.482-9(m)(4). (iii) Whether ... Read more

§ 1.482-4(f)(2)(iii) Example 3.

(i) FP, a foreign corporation, licenses to USS, its U.S. subsidiary, a new air-filtering process that permits manufacturing plants to meet new environmental standards. The license runs for a 10-year period, and the profit derived from the new process is projected to be $15 million per year, for an aggregate profit of $150 million. (ii) The royalty rate for the license is based on a comparable uncontrolled transaction involving a comparable intangible under comparable circumstances. The requirements of paragraphs (f)(2)(ii)(B)(1) through (5) of this section have been met. Specifically, FP and USS have entered into a written agreement that provides for a royalty in each year of the license, the royalty rate is considered arm’s length for the first taxable year in which a substantial royalty was required to be paid, the license limited the use of the process to a specified field, consistent with industry practice, and there are no substantial changes in the functions performed by USS after the license was entered ... Read more

§ 1.482-4(f)(2)(iii) Example 2.

(i) The facts are the same as in Example 1, except that Eurodrug’s actual profits earned were much higher than the projected profits, as follows: Profit projections Actual profits Year 1 200 250 Year 2 250 500 Year 3 500 800 Year 4 350 700 Year 5 100 600 Total 1400 2850 (ii) In examining USdrug’s tax return for Year 5, the district director considers the actual profits realized by Eurodrug in Year 5, and all past years. Accordingly, although Years 1 through 4 may be closed under the statute of limitations, for purposes of determining whether an adjustment should be made with respect to the royalty rate in Year 5 with respect to Nosplit, the district director aggregates the actual profits from those years with the profits of Year 5. However, the district director will make an adjustment, if any, only with respect to Year 5 ... Read more

§ 1.482-4(f)(2)(iii) Example 1.

(i) USdrug, a U.S. pharmaceutical company, has developed a new drug, Nosplit, that is useful in treating migraine headaches and produces no significant side effects. A number of other drugs for treating migraine headaches are already on the market, but Nosplit can be expected rapidly to dominate the worldwide market for such treatments and to command a premium price since all other treatments produce side effects. Thus, USdrug projects that extraordinary profits will be derived from Nosplit in the U.S. and European markets. (ii) USdrug licenses its newly established European subsidiary, Eurodrug, the rights to produce and market Nosplit for the European market for 5 years. In setting the royalty rate for this license, USdrug makes projections of the annual sales revenue and the annual profits to be derived from the exploitation of Nosplit by Eurodrug. Based on the projections, a royalty rate of 3.9% is established for the term of the license. (iii) In Year 1, USdrug evaluates the ... Read more

§ 1.482-4(c)(4) Example 3.

(i) FP, is a foreign company that designs, manufactures and sells industrial equipment. FP has developed proprietary components that are incorporated in its products. These components are important in the operation of FP’s equipment and some of them have distinctive features, but other companies produce similar components and none of these components by itself accounts for a substantial part of the value of FP’s products. (ii) FP licenses its U.S. subsidiary, USSub, exclusive North American rights to use the patented technology for producing component X, a heat exchanger used for cooling operating mechanisms in industrial equipment. Component X incorporates proven technology that makes it somewhat more efficient than the heat exchangers commonly used in industrial equipment. FP also agrees to provide technical support to help adapt component X to USSub’s products and to assist with initial production. Under the terms of the license agreement USSub pays FP a royalty equal to 3 percent of sales of USSub equipment incorporating component ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(d)(3)(ii)(C) Example 5.

Non-arm’s length compensation. (i) The facts are the same as in paragraph (i) of Example 4. As in Example 4, assume that, after adjustments are made to improve the reliability of the comparison for any material differences relating to marketing activities, manufacturing or marketing intangible property, and other comparability factors, the royalties paid by independent licensees would provide the most reliable measure of the arm’s length royalty owed by USSub to FP, apart from the additional facts described in paragraph (ii) of this Example 5. (ii) In years 1 through 4, USSub performs certain incremental marketing activities with respect to the AA trademark athletic gear, in addition to the activities required under the terms of the basic license agreement, that are also incremental as compared with those activities observed in the comparables. At the start of year 1, FP enters into a separate services agreement with USSub, which states that FP will compensate USSub quarterly, in an amount equal to specified costs plus X%, for ... Read more

§ 1.482-1(d)(3)(ii)(C) Example 4.

Contractual terms imputed from economic substance. (i) FP, a foreign producer of athletic gear, is the registered holder of the AA trademark in the United States and in other countries worldwide. In year 1, FP enters into a licensing agreement that affords its newly organized United States subsidiary, USSub, exclusive rights to certain manufacturing and marketing intangible property (including the AA trademark) for purposes of manufacturing and marketing athletic gear in the United States under the AA trademark. The contractual terms of this agreement obligate USSub to pay FP a royalty based on sales, and also obligate both FP and USSub to undertake without separate compensation specified types and levels of marketing activities. Unrelated foreign businesses license independent United States businesses to manufacture and market athletic gear in the United States, using trademarks owned by the unrelated foreign businesses. The contractual terms of these uncontrolled transactions require the licensees to pay royalties based on sales of the merchandise, and obligate ... Read more

Australian Treasury issues Consultation Paper on Multinational Tax Integrity and Tax Transparency

As part of a multinational tax integrity package aimed to address the tax avoidance practices of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and improve transparency through better public reporting of MNEs’ tax information, the Australian Treasury issued a Consultation Paper in August 2022. This paper seeks to consult on the implementation of proposals to: amend Australia’s existing thin capitalisation rules to limit interest deductions for MNEs in line with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s recommended approach under Action 4 of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) program (Part 1); introduce a new rule limiting MNEs’ ability to claim tax deductions for payments relating to intangibles and royalties that lead to insufficient tax paid (Part 2); and ensure enhanced tax transparency by MNEs (Part 3), through measures such as public reporting of certain tax information on a country‑by‑country basis; mandatory reporting of material tax risks to shareholders; and requiring tenderers for Australian government contracts to disclose their country of tax ... Read more
2022: ATO Taxpayer Alert on Treaty shopping arrangements to obtain reduced withholding tax rates (TA 2022/2)

2022: ATO Taxpayer Alert on Treaty shopping arrangements to obtain reduced withholding tax rates (TA 2022/2)

The ATO is currently reviewing treaty shopping arrangements designed to obtain the benefit of a reduced withholding tax (WHT) rate under a double-tax agreement (DTA) in relation to royalty or dividend payments from Australia. Typically, this benefit is sought via the interposition of one or more related entities between an Australian resident and the ultimate recipient of the royalty or dividend, where the interposed entity is a resident of a treaty partner jurisdiction. The ultimate recipient is generally located in a jurisdiction that either does not have a DTA with Australia or, where it is a treaty partner of Australia, the DTA provides a less favourable treaty benefit. A key purpose of Australia’s treaty network is to eliminate double taxation without creating opportunities for tax avoidance practices, such as treaty shopping arrangements. We are concerned that some taxpayers have entered into, or are considering implementing, arrangements interposing entities in treaty jurisdictions to obtain a more favourable tax outcome under a DTA ... Read more
Korea vs "IP developer", June 2022, Tax Court, Case No 2022-0014

Korea vs “IP developer”, June 2022, Tax Court, Case No 2022-0014

The issue was whether “technical fees” received after a purported “transfer of patent rights” instead constituted business income – royalties – earned from continuous and recurring activities for profit and therefore subject to a higher income tax and VAT. During an audit, the tax authority found that “IP developer” had entered into a “technology transfer agreement” with a related party to transfer patent rights on four occasions between 2008 and 2020. Upon entering into the agreement, “IP developer” was to receive a “technology fee” of 5% of the annual sales of the subject technology. “IP developer” had registered a total of 78 patents, 8 design rights and 15 trademark rights, and had also entered license agreements with third parties and received income from these agreements in the form of royalty. On that basis the tax authorities considered that “IP developer” was engaged in the continuous and repeated act of licensing patent rights, and therefore the “technical fees” in question constituted ... Read more
France vs Accor (Hotels), June 2022, CAA de Versailles, Case No. 20VE02607

France vs Accor (Hotels), June 2022, CAA de Versailles, Case No. 20VE02607

The French Accor hotel group was the subject of an tax audit related to FY 2010, during which the tax authorities found that Accor had not invoiced a fee for the use of its trademarks by its Brazilian subsidiary, Hotelaria Accor Brasil, in an amount of 8,839,047. The amount not invoiced was considered a deemed distribution of profits and the tax authorities applied a withholding tax rate of 25% to the amount which resulted in withholding taxes in an amount of EUR 2.815.153. An appeal was filed by Accor with the Administrative Court. In a judgment of 7 July 2020, the Administrative Court partially discharged Accor from the withholding tax up to the amount of the application of the conventional reduced rate of 15% (related to dividends), and rejected the remainder of the claim. The Administrative Court considered that income deemed to be distributed did not fall within the definition of dividends under article 10 of the tax treaty with ... Read more
McDonald’s has agreed to pay €1.25bn to settle a dispute with French tax authorities over excessive royalty payments to Luxembourg

McDonald’s has agreed to pay €1.25bn to settle a dispute with French tax authorities over excessive royalty payments to Luxembourg

On 16 June 2022 McDonald’s France entered into an settlement agreement according to which it will pay €1.245 billion in back taxes and fines to the French tax authorities. The settlement agreement resulted from investigations carried out by the French tax authorities in regards to abnormally high royalties transferred from McDonald’s France to McDonald’s Luxembourg following an intra group restructuring in 2009. McDonald’s France doubled its royalty payments from 5% to 10% of restaurant turnover, and instead of paying these royalties to McDonald’s HQ in the United States, going forward they paid them to a Swiss PE of a group company in Luxembourg, which was not taxable of the amounts. During the investigations it was discovered that McDonald’s royalty fees could vary substantially from one McDonald’s branch to the next without any justification other than tax savings for the group. This conclusion was further supported by statements of the managers of the various subsidiaries as well as documentation seized which ... Read more
France vs Société Planet, May 2022, Conseil d'État, Case No 444451

France vs Société Planet, May 2022, Conseil d’État, Case No 444451

In view of its purpose and the comments made on Article 12 of the OECD Model Convention, the Conseil d’État found that Article 12(2) of the Franco-New Zealand tax treaty was applicable to French source royalties whose beneficial owner resided in New Zealand, even if the royalties had been paid to an intermediary company established in a third country. The Supreme Court thus set aside the previous 2020 Judgement of the Administrative Court of Appeal. The question of whether the company in New Zealand actually qualified as the beneficial owner of the royalties for the years in question was referred to the Court of Appeal. Excerpt “1. It is clear from the documents in the file submitted to the judges of the court of first instance that the company Planet, which carries on the business of distributing sports programmes to fitness clubs, was subject to reminders of withholding tax in respect of sums described as royalties paid to the companies ... Read more
Poland vs "X-TM" sp. z o.o., March 2022, Administrative Court, SA/PO 1058/21

Poland vs “X-TM” sp. z o.o., March 2022, Administrative Court, SA/PO 1058/21

On 30 November 2012, X sold its trademarks to subsidiary C which in turn sold the trademarks to subsidiary D. X and D then entered into a trademark license agreement according to which X would pay license fees to D. These license fees were deducted by X in its 2013 tax return. The tax authorities claimed that X had understated its taxabel income as the license fees paid by X to D for the use of trademarks were not related to obtaining or securing a source of revenue. The decision stated that in the light of the principles of logic and experience, the actions taken by the taxpayer made no sense and were not aimed at achieving the revenue in question, but instead at generating costs artificially – only for tax purposes. An appeal was filed by X. Judgement of the Administrative Court The court set aside the assessment of the tax authorities and decided in favor of X. According ... Read more
Korea vs Microsoft, February 2022, Supreme Court, Case no. 2019두50946

Korea vs Microsoft, February 2022, Supreme Court, Case no. 2019두50946

In 2011 Samsung signed the contract with Microsoft for use of software-patent in Android-based smartphone and tablets, and for the years 2012-2015 Samsung paid royalties to a Microsoft subsidiary, MS Licensing GP, while saving 15 percent for withholding tax. The royalties paid by Samsung to Microsoft during these years amounted to 4.35 trillion won, of which 15%, or 653.7 billion won, was paid as withholding tax. In June 2016, Microsoft filed a claim for a tax refund in a amount of 634 billion won with the Tax Office. According to Microsoft royalty paid for patent rights not registered in Korea is not domestic source income, and should not be subject to withholding tax. The request was refused by the tax authorities. Microsoft then filed a lawsuit against the tax authorities in 2017. Microsoft argued that the withholding tax imposed on income from a patent unregistered in Korea resulted in double taxation. The Trail court issued a decision in favour of ... Read more
France vs Rayonnages de France, February 2022, CAA of Douai, No 19DA01682

France vs Rayonnages de France, February 2022, CAA of Douai, No 19DA01682

Rayonnages de France paid royalties and management fees to a related Portuguese company. Following an audit for FY 2010 – 2012 the French tax authorities denied tax deductions for the payments by reference to the the arm’s length principle. The court of first instance decided in favor of the tax authorities and Rayonnages de France then filed an appeal with the CAA of Douai. Judgement of the CAA The Court of appeal upheld the decision of the court of first instance and decided in favor of the tax authorities. Excerpt “However, as the Minister points out, in order to be eligible for deduction, the management services invoiced by VJ Trans.Fer to SARL Rayonnages de France must necessarily cover tasks distinct from those relating to the day-to-day management of the latter company, which were the responsibility of Mr B. as statutory manager of SARL Rayonnages de France, it being for the latter to determine, where appropriate, the remuneration to be paid ... Read more
Czech Republic vs Avon Cosmetics Ltd, February 2022, Municipal Court, Case No 6 Af 36/2020 - 42

Czech Republic vs Avon Cosmetics Ltd, February 2022, Municipal Court, Case No 6 Af 36/2020 – 42

In 2016 the British company Avon Cosmetics Limited (ACL) became the sole licensor of intellectual property rights for Europe, Africa and the Middle East within the Avon Cosmetics Group and was authorised to issue sub-licences to other group companies, including the Czech subsidiary, Avon Cosmetics spol. s r.o.. ACL charged a fee for issuing a sub-licence equal to an agreed-upon percentage of net sales but was then contractually obliged to pay a similar fee to the US companies, Avon Products Inc. and Avon Internetional Operations Inc. ACL applied for relief from WHT on the royalty payments from the Czech subsidiary. The tax authorities concluded that ACL was not the beneficial owner of the royalty income but only an conduit or intermediary. The legal conditions for granting the exemption were not met. ACL did not obtain any real benefit from the royalty fees and was not authorised to freely decide on use of the income as it was contractually obliged to ... Read more