ST Dupont is a French luxury manufacturer of lighters, pens and leather goods. It is majority-owned by the Dutch company D&D International, which is wholly-owned by Broad Gain Investments Ltd, based in Hong Kong. ST Dupont is the sole shareholder of distribution subsidiaries located abroad, in particular ST Dupont Marketing, based in Hong Kong. Following an audit, an adjustment was issued where the tax administration considered that the prices at which ST Dupont sold its products to ST Dupont Marketing (Hong Kong) were lower than the arm’s length prices. “The investigation revealed that the administration found that ST Dupont was making significant and persistent losses, with an operating loss of between EUR 7,260,086 and EUR 32,408,032 for the financial years from 2003 to 2009. It also noted that its marketing subsidiary in Hong Kong, ST Dupont Marketing, in which it held the entire capital, was making a profit, with results ranging from EUR 920,739 to EUR 3,828,051 for the same ... Read more

For example, a business restructuring may involve the setting up by an MNE group of a central procurement operation that replaces the procurement activities of several associated enterprises. Similar to the guidance at paragraph 1.180 the MNE group has taken affirmative steps to centralise purchasing in a single group company to take advantage of volume discounts and potential savings in administrative costs. In accordance with the guidance in Chapter I, the benefits due to deliberate concerted group action should be allocated to the associated enterprises whose contributions create the synergies. However, in a business restructuring, the central procurement company may also contractually assume risk associated with buying, holding, and on-selling goods. As stated in the previous section, an analysis of risk under the framework provided in Section D. 1.2.1 of Chapter I will determine the economic significance of the risk and which party or parties assume that risk. Although the central procurement operation is entitled to profit potential arising from ... Read more

As another example, assume a taxpayer sells 1000 tons of a product for $80 per ton to an associated enterprise in its MNE group, and at the same time sells 500 tons of the same product for $100 per ton to an independent enterprise. This case requires an evaluation of whether the different volumes should result in an adjustment of the transfer price. The relevant market should be researched by analysing transactions in similar products to determine typical volume discounts ... Read more

A Portuguese subsidiary – A SA – had received intra group loans in foreign currency and had various other transactions with foreign group companies. The tax authorities claimed that the pricing of the transactions had not been at arm’s length and that the interest payment and exchange losses on the loans were not tax deductible. Decision of CAAD The CAAD set aside the assessment and decided in favour of “Welding Mesh SA” Click here for English translation Portugal - P194_2021-T - 2021-12-07 ... Read more

Transactions had taken place between E.I. S.r.l. and a related Spanish company, S. SA, where the pricing had been determined based on the cost plus method. An assessment was issued by the tax authorities on the basis of a “comparable” transactions (internal CUP) between the E.I. S.r.l. and an independent third company where the price had been higher. An appeal was filed by E.I. S.r.l. with the Provincial Tax Commission where E.I S.r.l. argued that the price difference was due to volume discounts. The Provincial Tax Commission held in favour of E.I S.r.l. An appeal was then filed by the tax authorities with the Regional Tax Commission. Judgement of the Regional Tax Commission The Regional Commission dismissed the appeal of the tax authorities and decided in favour of E.I. S.r.l. Excerpts: “The Commission observes that the judges at first instance correctly and in detail reasoned their decisions, with a wealth of detail and a careful examination of all the circumstances ... Read more

ST Dupont is a French luxury manufacturer of lighters, pens and leather goods. It is majority-owned by the Dutch company, D&D International, which is wholly-owned by Broad Gain Investments Ltd, based in Hong Kong. ST Dupont is the sole shareholder of distribution subsidiaries located abroad, in particular ST Dupont Marketing, based in Hong Kong. Following an audit, an adjustment was issued for FY 2009, 2010 and 2011 where the tax administration considered that the prices at which ST Dupont sold its products to ST Dupont Marketing (Hong Kong) were lower than the arm’s length prices, that royalty rates had not been at arm’s length. Furthermore adjustments had been made to losses carried forward. Not satisfied with the adjustment ST Dupont filed an appeal with the Paris administrative Court. Judgement of the Administrative Court The Court set aside the tax assessment in regards to license payments and resulting adjustments to loss carry forward but upheld in regards of pricing of the ... Read more

Burdinsky A.V. sold building products to both related and unrelated parties. Following an audit of FY 2012-2014, the tax authorities concluded that Burdinsky had understated the price of goods in transactions with related parties in order to save on taxes and obtain unjustified tax benefits. Price discrepancies were in the range of 11% to 52%. Due to lack of information the tax authorities did not apply the CUP method method. Instead prices ware determined based on the gross markup. The Courts of first and second instances found the assessment of the tax authorities lawful and reasonable. The application of the inspection’s own method of determining whether prices had been at arm’s length (which implies the determination of the minimum trade mark-up at the subsequent sale) was not in conflict with the tax legislation, did not violate the rights of IEs. The Supreme Court cancelled the decision of the lower courts and ruled in favor of Burdinsky A.V. The difference between ... Read more

Recordati Industria Chimica e Farmaceutica S.p.A had been issued an assessment by the tax authorities for FY 2003 on various issues related to transfer pricing. Recordati Industria Chimica e Farmaceutica S.p.A. disagreed with the assessment and brought the case to court. The Regional Tax Commission of Lombardy (Ctr) issued a decision where it partially annulled the assessment. This decision was challenged both by the tax authorities and Recordati Industria Chimica e Farmaceutica S.p.A. Judgement of the Supreme Court Before the Supreme Court there were 29 issues to be resolved. The Supreme Court predominantly ruled in favour of the tax authorities. The court confirms that transfer pricing adjustments are applicable even in the absence of proof by the administration of a concrete tax advantage by the taxpayer. The shift of taxable income following transactions between companies belonging to the same group and subject to different national regulations, does not require the administration to prove the elusive function, but only the existence ... Read more

For example, a business restructuring may involve the setting up by an MNE group of a central procurement operation that replaces the procurement activities of several associated enterprises. Similar to the guidance at paragraph 1.160 the MNE group has taken affirmative steps to centralise purchasing in a single group company to take advantage of volume discounts and potential savings in administrative costs. In accordance with the guidance in Chapter I, the benefits due to deliberate concerted group action should be allocated to the associated enterprises whose contributions create the synergies. However, in a business restructuring, the central procurement company may also contractually assume risk associated with buying, holding, and on-selling goods. As stated in the previous section, an analysis of risk under the framework provided in Section D. 1.2.1 of Chapter I will determine the economic significance of the risk and which party or parties assume that risk. Although the central procurement operation is entitled to profit potential arising from ... Read more

As another example, assume a taxpayer sells 1000 tons of a product for $80 per ton to an associated enterprise in its MNE group, and at the same time sells 500 tons of the same product for $100 per ton to an independent enterprise. This case requires an evaluation of whether the different volumes should result in an adjustment of the transfer price. The relevant market should be researched by analysing transactions in similar products to determine typical volume discounts ... Read more

FISH MARKET a.s. was engaged, among other things, in the sale of live freshwater fish and that the margin on sales to a related party (KOLTER, a.s.) was much lower than on sales to other independent companies. The tax authorities therefore began to examine the reasonableness of the difference in the agreed selling prices of the fish. During the audit, the tax administrator found that the quantity of fish purchased from the selected distributors did not affect the price of the goods (e.g. the customer Human purchased 4.8 tonnes of live scaled carp at CZK 45.23 per 1 kg, the trading company Schultheiss GmbH purchased 27 tonnes in the period in question at CZK 46.1 per 1 kg. The claim that KOLTER had taken surplus fish and was therefore charged a lower price was not substantiated by the applicant and no evidence of discounted sales was produced or appears in the administrative file. The Regional Court agreed with that assessment. An ... Read more

This case concerns allocation of profits resulting from centralizing procurement functions within a group. The tax authorities took the position that the profit claimed by a centralized purchasing office was not aligned with the functions performed and the risks assumed by the office. According to the tax authorities profits derived from the realized discounts should be distributed to the members of the group (including a Dutch member) in proportion to their contribution of purchasing volume. Judgement of the Court The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the tax authorities. Profits in excess of the costs of the centralized purchase office with a markup of 5%, should at arm’s length be distributed to the members of the group in proportion to their contribution of purchasing volume. Excerpts “5.14. Notwithstanding the fact that [A-2 NV]’s profit was not so much caused by its own efforts but by the group’s policy of concentrating the price negotiations in [A-2 NV], and the extremely limited ... Read more