Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Law and Profit'

The purpose of this master’s thesis is to explain and analyze whether today’s existing regulations provide sufficient guidance on how to apply the Profit Split Method (PSM) in practice. Since the enterprises’ profits arising from intra-group transactions increases, the tax base for any government also becomes larger and more important. This issue will likely become even more problematic as the globalization branches out and the majority of the global trade is undertaken between associated enterprises.

In order to satisfy all parts and serve the dual objective of securing an appropriate tax base in each jurisdiction and avoiding double taxation, one ambition of the OECD is to harmonize the transfer pricing rules and make them become more uniform. An area in which this goal can be accomplish is at an international level such as the OECD; an important developer in the field of transfer pricing. Different transfer pricing methods has been developed which can be applied by both taxpayers and tax authorities to determine a correct transfer price. Six of these methods has gained international acceptance, although to a more or less extent among various countries, and one of these methods is the PSM. In the years between 1979 and 1995, the OECD had a reluctant standpoint of accepting the application of any transfer pricing method based on profits, such as the PSM. This hesitant viewpoint changed in the existing TPG which explicitly stipulates that the PSM could provide a transfer pricing estimation in accordance with the ALP, which should be accepted in exceptional cases.

There are certain situations where a PSM possibly will provide the most appropriate arm’s length result. Since the principle of economics can create complex business environments of both vertical and horizontal integration, contributions of valuable intangibles on both sides of the cross-border transaction, the PSM might be the only method which can be employed. A relevant issue which need to be enlightened is whether the existing guidance provided by the OECD and USA is sufficient from a practitioners and tax administration point of view, or is more guidance needed to better understand the issues surrounding the concept of the PSM. The fact that OECD insist of using comparables to the highest extent as possible when employing the PSM entails practical problems, since it is rather a rule than an exception that reliable comparables cannot be found when valuable intangibles are involved.

The Arthur of this master’s thesis has identified three key conclusions which might facilitate how PSM issues can be handled in the future and improve the existing PSM guidance. These conclusions are the need for a uniform PSM interpretation, the need for additional flexibility and acceptance, and the need for additional TPG guidance.

Business restructurings within multinational enterprises (MNEs) are regular occurrences. Such restructurings are often carried out in order to increase the MNE‟s competitiveness on the market by making the supply chain and management more efficient in order to ac-quire benefits due to economies of scale. There is a risk that such cross-border business re-structurings will transfer the profit/loss potential that is associated with the assets, risks and/or functions that are transferred, to low-tax jurisdictions in order to minimize the MNEs tax burden. Germany amended its tax act in order to prevent such profit potential from being transferred out of the country. This amendment came into effect on the 1st of January 2008. The OECD, which is the normative body on the international tax arena, re-leased a Discussion Draft for the public in September 2008 with the purpose to highlight the transfer pricing aspects of business restructurings and to serve as an interpretation of the application of the Transfer Pricing Guidelines on business restructurings. In this thesis, the concepts of profit/loss potential and indemnification, as they are pre-sented in the Discussion Draft, will be analyzed. The interpretation of the OECD will then be contrasted with the German and Swedish regulation of these concepts. The OECD defines a business restructuring as a transfer including a bundle of assets, risks and/or functions which are transferred across borders within a MNE. If this transfer in-volves the shift of profit/loss potential it shall be included in the valuation of the transfer price of the transactions. The profit/loss potential shall only be included if it can be identi-fied as belonging to a specific asset, risk or function of the bundle. In Swedish legislation there is only one rule which tax authorities can use in order to adjust the income of related parties. This regulation is not a specific rule for business restructurings as such but a gener-al rule for all transfer pricing matters. Sweden has traditionally followed the OECD guide-lines and the Swedish courts and tax authorities will most likely apply the guidance set out by the OECD on business restructurings as well.

Germany views a business restructuring as a transfer package which consist of assets, risks and/or functions which are transferred a cross borders within a MNE. The concept of business opportunities, i.e. the profit potential of the combined assets, risks and/or func-tions of the transfer package, shall be included in the valuation of the transfer package. In the valuation of the transfer package synergy effects for the MNE and location savings as a whole shall be included. This concept deviates from the view of the OECD. The OECD states that only local synergy effects and location savings shall be included in the valuation of the transfer package. The German approach leads to an inherent risk of overvaluation of the transfer package. The way of valuing the transfer package in Germany could lead to

taxation without realization, i.e. profits that would never have been or never could be rea-lized in Germany will be taxed. This contradicts the principle of realization. The OECD, in the Discussion Draft, gives an account for the possibilities for an indemni-fication for the transferor. A business restructuring can sometimes be compared with the breach of a contractual relationship. In such a situation, associated parties would be entitled to an indemnity if independent parties would be indemnified. Such an approach will be dif-ficult to apply in practice since indemnification is closely linked to nations national com-mercial legislation. The matter of indemnifying a party shall be decided on the merits of each case, and it can thereby be complicated to formulate a general regulation. The ques-tion regarding which authority shall be competent to govern such a matter must thereby al-so be resolved.

We have in this master thesis chosen to evaluate limit us to the non-profit fundraising associations. The evaluation is based on what Vedung(1998) the side-effect model, where we have the purposes of the law as the point of departure, to see that these law purposes are fulfilled. With this model we have also seen if there are any side-effects that were not foreseen.

In the analysis we have compared the non-profit associations’ annual reports with each other and with one profit making limited company. The evaluation shows that the annual reports are now more alike than before, both between each other and with the profit making limited company. However there is still room for the associations to use the annual report in a marketing-oriented way, to “sell” themselves to the stakeholders. Before 2001 it was almost impossible to compare the non-profit associations’ annual reports. The profit making limited companies annual reports are much more focused on numbers, this probably has to do with that the stakeholders’ wishes return on investment. A donor to a non-profit association rather wants to know that his/her money have done someone’s life to the better.

Our conclusions in this master thesis are that the new accounting law have affected the non-profit associations’ annual reports, this when they now are obligated to form its accounting according to ÅRL. But in the same time we also believe that the law not only has affected how the annual reports are formed. The expectations from the stakeholders, the accountants etc. also forms how they arrange the annual report, have also been affected. If any side effects that have arisen since the law changed among the non-profit associations’ annual reports are not easy to find. This is because it is still differences between a profit making limited company and a non-profit association, but they are now under the same annual report rules.

Syftet med uppsatsen är att utvärdera om årsredovisningarna hos ideella föreningar har påverkats efter att man 2001 valde att skriva om bokföringslagen så den nu gäller ett större antal företag. Anledningen till att man valde att ändra bokföringslagen var att få normgivningen mer enhetlig och generell. Innan 2001 var normgivningen spridd på flera olika lager, vilket ledde till att allt blev mer komplicerat än vad det behövde vara, menade vissa.

Vi har i denna uppsats valt att utvärdera ideella insamlingsorganisationer för att avgränsa oss. Utvärderingen utgår från vad Vedung (1998) kallar bieffektmodellen, där vi har som utgångspunkt syften med lagen, för att se om dessa syften levdes upp till. Vi har även i och med denna modell sett på om det blev sidoeffekter av lagen, som inte var meningen från början.

I analysen jämför vi de ideella föreningarnas årsredovisning med varandra och med ett vinstdrivande företag. Utvärderingen visar på att årsredovisningarna nu är mer lika varandra, både mellan varandra och med ett vinstdrivande företag. Dock finns det ett utrymme i årsredovisningen som föreningarna använder på ett reklaminriktat sätt, för att sälja in sig till intressenterna. Innan 2001 var det i princip omöjligt att jämföra de ideella föreningarnas årsredovisningar. Det vinstdrivande företagets årsredovisning är mycket mer inriktat på siffror och detta har antagligen att göra med att deras intressenter är vinstintresserade. En bidragsgivare till en ideell förening vill förmodligen istället veta att det man har skänkt pengar till har gjort att någon har det bättre nu.

Våra slutsatser i uppsatsen är att bokföringslagen har påverkat de ideella föreningarnas årsredovisningar, detta då de nu är tvingade till en mall enligt ÅRL. Men samtidigt tror vi att inte bara lagen har påverkat hur årsredovisningarna utformas. Förväntningar från intressenterna, samma revisor eller andra mallar på hur de kan lägga upp årsredovisningar påverkar även det. Sidoeffekter som har uppstått i och med att lagen ändrades är att årsredovisningarna hos ideella föreningar inte är helt enkla att läsa av. Detta då det i grunden ändå är skillnader mellan ett vinstdrivande företag och en ideell förening, men att de nu går under samma redovisningsregler.

The purpose of this thesis is to establish whether the domestic legislation of Sweden is in tune with the OECD December 2006 report on the attribution of profits to permanent es-tablishments (December 2006 report) and if not how Sweden ought to conform. How to attribute business profits to a permanent establishment (PE) is laid down in Article 7 of the OECD Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital. In December 2006 the OECD released a report on how profits (losses) are to be attributed to PEs. The report lays down the current approach on how Contracting States should interpret Article 7 and is referred to as the authorised OECD approach. The purpose of the December 2006 Report is to re-vise Article 7 in order ensure a common interpretation on the Article. The aim is to apply the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines (TP Guidelines), otherwise applicable on transac-tions between a parent company and a subsidiary, by analogy to PE situations.

The profits attributable to a PE are to be decided by using a two-step analysis. Under the first step a PE is to be hypothesised as a distinct and separate enterprise. The functions performed, assets used and risks assumed are to be determined and attributed to the rele-vant parts of the enterprise. In order to do this the economic ownership of assets is to be regarded. According to the OECD the functions performed by the people working within a PE, the significant people functions (SPF), are decisive when attributing assets and risks. To support the use of assets and the assumption of risks a PE is to be provided with a proper amount of “free” capital. Under the second step of the analysis a fair share of the entire enterprise’s profit is to be attributed to the PE. The actual amount of profit is to be established by performing a comparability analysis and by thereafter applying different transaction methods, using the method that best expresses an arm’s length price to the dealing at hand. To calculate a proper profit a PE shall be allowed to deduct interest.

Sweden does not have much legislation concerning transfer pricing and there is hardly any legislation concerning PEs. There are no specific provisions in Swedish law on how to at-tribute profits between a head office and a PE. Furthermore, there are only a few judge-ments and no official guidelines regarding the attribution of profits to PEs. According to the domestic legislation of Sweden the amount of attributed profit shall be determined on the basis of separate accounts. The existing guidance in Swedish case law is not in tune with the authorised OECD approach. Swedish courts have ruled contrary to the authorised OECD approach when it comes to attributing “free” capital to a PE, allowing for deduc-tions of internal royalty payments and for recognising internal interest dealings. Further-more, a transfer of assets from a Swedish head office to a foreign PE has under certain cir-cumstances not been considered a taxable event. Since Sweden has not officially imple-mented any new legislation and the courts have not Stated any new principles regarding the attribution of profits to PEs it is unlikely that new concepts as the authorised OECD ap-proach will be adhered to at present time. In order to comply with the authorised OECD approach Sweden would need to introduce some new legislation.

We suggest that Sweden implement a Section in its domestic legislation based on the authorised OECD approach. If Sweden adopts our proposed Section it would provide for a more unitary and consistent international approach and a needed certainty for enterprises on the treatment of PEs for tax purposes.

Uppsatsens syfte är att utreda huruvida Sveriges lagstiftning är i linje med OECDs decem-ber 2006 rapport och huruvida eventuell anpassning av gällande lagstiftning bör företas. Hur vinster skall fördelas till fasta driftställen bestäms av artikel 7 i OECDs Modellavtal för beskattning av inkomst och kapital. I december 2006 presenterade OECD en rapport om hur vinster (förluster) bör fördelas till fasta driftställen. Rapporten beskriver hur medlems-Staterna bör tolka artikel 7 och är refererad till som den godkända OECDtolkningen. Syftet med december 2006 rapporten är att revidera artikel 7 för att få till stånd en enhetlig tolk-ning av artikeln. Målet är att OECD TP Guidelines, annars tillämpliga på transaktioner mellan moder- och dotterbolag, skulle tillämpas analogt på situationer gällande fasta drift-ställen.

Vinster hänförliga till ett fast driftställe skall bestämmas genom användning av en två stegs analys. Under det första steget i en sådan analys antas det fasta driftstället utgöra ett särskilt och separat bolag. De funktioner som utförs, tillgångar som används och risker som kan tänkas uppkomma i det fasta driftstället bestäms. För att kunna göra detta skall den eko-nomiska äganderätten av tillgången bestämmas. Funktioner som är av speciellt värde och som utförs av personal som arbetar vid det fasta driftstället, så kallade betydelsefulla perso-ners funktioner, är avgörande vid en fördelning av tillgångar och risker. För att stödja an-vändningen av tillgångar och antagandet av risker skall en skälig del av företagets fria kapi-tal tilldelas det fasta driftstället. Det andra steget i analysen skall bestämma hur mycket av bolagets vinst som skall tilldelas det fasta driftstället. Den vinst som skall fördelas bestäms utifrån en jämförbarhetsanalys och genom att tillämpa olika internprissättningsmetoder. Den metod som bäst ger uttryck för ett armslängdspris skall tillämpas på den gällande ”transaktionen”. För att beräkna en skälig vinst skall det fasta driftstället få göra ränteav-drag.

Generellt sett har Sverige inte mycket lagstiftning gällande internprissättning och det finns knappt någon lagstiftning gällande fasta driftställen. Svensk lagstiftning innehåller inga spe-cifika regler om hur vinster skall fördelas mellan ett huvudkontor och dess fasta driftsälle. Vidare finns endast ett fåtal rättsfall och ingen officiell vägledning av vinsters fördelning till fasta driftställen. Enligt gällande svensk lagstiftning skall summan av den vinst som skall fördelas bestämmas genom tillämpning av separata konton. Den vägledning som ges ur svensk rättspraxis är inte i linje med den godkända OECDtolkningen. Svenska domstolar har dömt i motsats till den godkända OECDtolkningen vad gäller fördelning av fritt kapital till ett utländskt fast driftställe och vad gäller tillåtenheten göra avdrag för interna royalty- och räntebetalningar. Vidare har det under vissa omständigheter inte ansetts vara en be-skattningsbar händelse då en tillgång flyttas mellan ett huvudkontor och ett fast driftställe. Då Sverige inte implementerat någon ny lagstiftning och domstolarna inte slagit fast någon ny rättspraxis gällande fördelning av vinster till fasta driftställen är det inte sannolikt att nya koncept som framgår av den godkända OECDtolkningen kommer att bli åhörda i Sverige för närvarande. För att vara i linje med den godkända OECDtolkningen skulle Sverige be-höva introducera ny lagstiftning på området.

Vi rekommenderar att Sverige implementerar ny lagstiftning baserad på den godkända OECDtolkningen. Om Sverige skulle välja att implementera vårt föreslagna tillägg i lag-stiftningen skulle det bidra till en mer konsekvent behandling av fasta driftställen och en nödvändig säkerhet för bolag avseende beskattningen av fasta driftställen.