FS Tax Newsletter | August 2020
In this edition of the FS Tax newsletter we discuss two important judgments by the Court of Justice of the European Union in VAT cases: firstly, in the A Oy case, the Court established that co-location services do not constitute the leasing of or service attributable to immovable property. Secondly, in the BlackRock case, the Court confirmed that the provision of a single management service is not partially VAT-exempt.
Postponement of the e-commerce EU VAT package to 1 July 2021 confirmed.
The postponement of the effective date of the e-commerce EU VAT package to 1 July 2021 has been confirmed by the Council of the EU on 22 July 2020. E-commerce businesses will need to get their data, systems and processes ready for these major changes on time.
The new EU Tax Package: an (over)ambitious plan?
Last week the European Commission announced its first steps towards a new EU Tax Package, with already quite some attention towards tax compliance formalities.
“It was great to see that the emphasis on tax compliance is an integral part of this package. The EU seems to acknowledge the impact on the EU compliance position of European multinationals from the start” states Frank Metsemakers, Senior Tax Manager Global Compliance, in his blog.
Private member’s bill on conditional final settlement of dividend withholding tax presented to Lower House
The private member’s bill concerns cross-border reorganizations by companies (head offices) resident in the Netherlands that are members of a group as referred to in Section 24b of the Dutch Civil Code or similar foreign rules with a consolidated net turnover of at least EUR 750 million.
CJEU in A Oy case: co-location services do not constitute the leasing of immovable property, nor any other immovable property service
On July 2, 2020 the Court of Justice of the European Union (‘CJEU’) rendered judgment in the A Oy case (C-215/19). The case concerned whether co-location services must be regarded as the leasing of immovable property or as another immovable property service. In many EU Member States the VAT treatment of co-location services is not uniform and this judgment thus provides practical guidance.
Confirmation by CJEU in BlackRock case: a single management service is not partly VAT-exempt
On July 2, 2020 the Court of Justice of the European Union (‘CJEU’) rendered judgment in the BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited case (C-231/19). The CJEU concluded that a single fund management service cannot be partly VAT-exempt. The outcome of this judgment is not only important for taxpayers that are involved with investment funds, but also for providers and purchasers of other types of composite services.
The Netherlands: gradual lifting of travel ban for non-EU citizens as of July 1, 2020 (COVID-19)
As of July 1, 2020 the Netherlands will no longer maintain the travel ban for citizens of the following 14 countries: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. The travel ban for Chinese citizens will be lifted as soon as China again allows EU citizens to enter the country.
Operational Transfer Pricing: automation can bring you closer
OTP is the management of transfer pricing data, processes and governance using technology. An effective OTP program aligns transfer pricing requirements with commercial goals.
This article explores why OTP is now attracting renewed attention, it dispels common misconceptions about OTP and highlights its potential benefits.