News
International Tax Update: (When) Will transfer pricing in Brazil be more aligned with OECD standards?
On 12 April 2022, the OECD and the Brazilian tax authority (Brazil's Receita Federal (‘RFB’)) met in view of a proposed new transfer pricing system, which would be more aligned…
News
Legal cohabitants: Can your ex-partner claim maintenance?
No maintenance expressly stipulated in the law for legal cohabitants In a judgment of 14 March 2017, the Antwerp Court of Appeal awarded a personal maintenance claim to an ex-partner…
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International Tax Update: The Belgian tax slip obligation – no longer sanctioned as severely as before
Court of Justice decides In a recent judgment, the European Court of Justice addressed the obligation under Belgian law to draw up a summary tax slip for commissions paid and…
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Breaking: Ecofin one member state short of agreement on EU Directive on Pillar Two
In today’s Ecofin meeting an agreement was not reached regarding a new compromise text of an EU Directive on the introduction of Pillar Two in the European Union. Where at…
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International Tax Update: Stay on top of ever-changing local transfer pricing documentation requirements
The Transfer Pricing documentation landscape is continuously evolving, whereby recently, there has been an increasing tendency of various countries updating and strengthening their transfer pricing documentation requirements. Considering these changes,…
News
Interest limitation rules: Tax authorities adopt favorable position for the Private Equity sector
The Belgian Central Tax Authorities have recently taken an important decision on how the ATAD interest limitation rules must apply in the private equity (PE) sector. According to that decision,…
News
CBN guidance on (de)mergers with entities having negative net asset values
On February 15th, the Belgian accounting standards boards (Comissie voor Boekhoudkundige normen – hereafter “CBN”) published additional guidance with respect to mergers and demergers of companies having negative net asset…
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International Tax update: Fixed establishment through an affiliate company in Belgium? The Court of Appeal of Liège affirms.
Recently, the concept ‘fixed establishment’(‘FE’) for VAT purposes is the subject of many discussions and it seems that the saga will continue. In a judgement of 22 October 2021, the…
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Non-compete payment upon the ending of an international career... Taxation in the residence state?
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International Tax Update: Expense allowances granted under the new expat tax regime are exempted from social security contributions
A new special tax regime for incoming executives and researchers entered into force in Belgium on 1 January 2022.
News
Proposal for new European directive: the end of entities with little substance?
On December 22, 2021, the European Commission published a potentially far-reaching proposal for a new directive. The aim of this proposal is to "tackle the misuse of undertakings that do…
News
New Belgian special expat tax regime – who’s in?
A new expat tax regime for incoming executives and researchers entered into force in Belgium on 1 January 2022. Considering the change in the special tax regime’s scope, conditions and…
News
International tax update: UAE introduces corporate income tax
Yesterday, 31 January 2022, the UAE Ministry of Finance announced the introduction of a federal corporate income tax (‘CIT’). For financial years starting on or after 1 July 2023, UAE…
News
The Belgian ELTIF: ready for launch in 2022?
ELTIF introduced mid 2021 By the Belgian Act containing various provisions of 27 June 2021 (Belgian Official Gazette 9 July 2021), the regime of a European Long Term Investment Fund…
News
International Tax Update: 'New' 2022 OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines: Bundling of earlier guidance
The OECD published today the successor of the July 2017 edition of the Transfer Pricing Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Tax Administrations (“OECD TP Guidelines”). This 'January 2022' edition of…
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International Tax Update: Belgian transfer pricing country profile at OECD.org refers to the latest Belgian transfer pricing circular letter, whereas arguably the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines are more relevant as a source of reference
On 13 December 2021, the OECD updated several country profiles and added profiles for three new countries (a second batch further to the first batch that was released in August…
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The ultimate guide to get you through a transfer pricing audit
Did you or your company recently have to deal with a transfer pricing audit? If not, there is a good chance you will be faced with one soon. The number…
Publications
The design of Covid-19 recovery contributions: Taxes or Social Security Contributions?
To cover the large financial spending caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, countries worldwide are forced to take substantial fiscal actions. This contribution takes a closer look at the extent to…
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International Tax Update: Dear tax administration: what you don’t publish can be used against you – but not against the taxpayer
How the MLI enters into effect between Belgium and the Netherlands, but is not opposable to the Belgian taxpayer (yet) In our previous international tax update we already indicated that…
News
International Tax Update: Tax treaties extend withholding tax benefits beyond the scope of European Directives - the example of interest paid to French société par actions simplifiée 'SAS'
Withholding tax exemption under EU law In the event of an allocation or payment of interest from a Belgian company to a company incorporated under foreign law, a withholding tax…
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International Tax Update: MLI to cover the Belgium – Netherlands tax treaty as of 1 January 2022
Somewhat unexpected and until today largely undetected, Belgium and the Netherlands have deposited notifications to the OECD Secretariat, with the intention of bringing their current double tax treaty under the…
News
VAT exemptions for logistics services and (sea)port activities: watch out for the VAT officer!
A recent VAT administrative circular letter, implementing EU VAT case law, has tightened the conditions for applying the VAT exemption for services in connection with the export of goods out…
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International Tax Update: Important changes to the Belgian special taxation regime for foreign executives
The Belgian government agreed in the recent budgetary agreement on important changes for foreign executives falling under the special taxation regime.
News
International Tax Update: Public Country-by-Country Reporting takes last hurdle in legislation process
On 11 November 2021, the European Parliament approved the implementation of what is commonly referred to as the public country-by-country reporting (CbCR) Directive.1 This formal approval of the European Parliament came…
News
Breaking news : Belgium and France signed a new Double Tax Convention
On 9 November 2021, after long discussions and negotiations, France and Belgium signed a new Double Tax Convention (‘DTC’). Once the ratification process will be completed in both countries, this…
News
International Tax Update: Digital Service Tax: Dead and done with?
On 8 October 2021, the already historical agreement about Pillars I and II was reached between 136 member jurisdictions of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework. A part of the overall agreement…
News
International Tax Update: Recent tax developments in Germany
German Real Estate Transfer Tax Rules for share deals As in Belgium, German Real Estate Transfer Tax (“RETT”) is triggered by the notarization of a direct real estate purchase. The…
News
Belgian Annual Tax on Securities Accounts challenged before Constitutional Court: annulment appeal is no suspension
With its Law of February 17, 2021, Belgium introduced a new annual tax on securities accounts (hereafter: “ATSA”), which has replaced the previously annulled tax on securities accounts that the…
News
International Tax update: Excess profit rulings: Victory for the European Commission?
On 16 September 2021, the Court of Justice of the European Union dealt for the first time with the Belgian excess profit rulings. The Court ruled (in contrast to the…
News
International Tax update: Belgian Transfer Pricing Court Case
In a recently published decision dd. 8 June 2021 of the Court of Appeal of Ghent relating to transfer pricing (nr. 2016/AR/455), the Court decided in favor of the taxpayer.…