Third countries are not bound by European law; however, saying that EU Member States are not bound by European law in their relations with third countries would be incorrect. The judicial developments of European tax law based on the application of fundamental freedoms by the European Court of Justice has turned relations with third countries into one of the most controversial areas of European tax law, giving rise to a significant degree of legal uncertainty. The first waves of direct tax cases decided by the ECJ on the relations with third countries have not entirely solved the main critical issues arising in such context, including the ones involving the external scope of fundamental freedoms. Consequently, the expert analysis contained in this book will be of significant interest to many international tax practitioners and academics throughout the world.
Among the vitally important areas this book addresses...
- The external scope of Article 56 EC Treaty and its impact on the relations with third countries
- The indirect impact of other fundamental freedoms on the relations with third countries
- The scope of fundamental freedoms in relations to EEA States under the EEA Agreement
- The relations with other third countries in the field of direct taxes (including, among other, EPAs countries)
- The impact of the EU agreements on the direct tax relations between Switzerland and the EU Member States
- The impact of secondary EC law on the relations with third countries in the field of direct taxes
- The scope of Article 307 EC Treaty and its application in the field of direct taxes
- The external treaty making powers of the European Union in the field ofdirect taxes.

This text evolved out of a series of fiscal studies prepared by a team from Harvard University of which the author was the director. It analyses the many constraints and economic characteristics found in low-income countries that affect the type of modern tax system that can work in these countries. It specifically looks at Nepal and reengineering the tax system there in terms of policy and administration.

The impact of the European Community and European Community law on taxation is becoming increasingly important. EC law influences not only national tax law but also tax treaties. This book focuses on the question of whether anti-abuse provisions in tax treaties may be in conflict with EC law, especially the fundamental freedoms contained in the EC Treaty. This issue is dealt with from the perspective of Austria, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Though most problems arise with regard to the limitation on benefits clauses contained in the tax treaties concluded between EC Member States and the United States, the book also addresses the compatibility with EC law of other anti-abuse clauses and assesses the consequences of a possible conflict. EUCOTAX (European Universities Cooperating on Taxes) is a network of fiscal institutes of European universities - nine in 1998. This network aims at initiating and co-ordinating both comparative education and comparative research on taxation. The comparative education is structured by various means, e.g. organizing winter courses and guest lectures. Comparative research is realised by means of joint research projects, international conferences and exchange of researchers from various countries.

This volume describes how various types of taxes such as VATs, corporate income taxes, retail sales taxes, and excise taxes are being modified to achieve environmental goals. The author gives particular focus to situations in which taxes are imposed on imports and where rebates are granted when domestic products are exported. These taxes are evaluated with respect to exceptions to GATT and how these exceptions can be used to create powerful tax initiatives even though they might be considered "GATT-illegal". The book shows how to integrate economically effective environmental taxes and tax subsidies with the major international trade treaties. Tax initiatives can be an important tool to improve the free trade system while at the same time combating environmental depredation. Manufacturers, exporters, tax and environmental policy makers, international trade and tax attorneys, and academics working in the fields of environmental regulation, trade policy, and taxation should find this work a provocative treatise on this topic.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world s leading scholars.Providing a concise overview of the basic doctrines underlying the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), Clayton Gillette explores their ambiguities and thus considers the extent to which uniform international commercial law is possible, as well as appraising the extent to which the doctrines in the UN Convention reflect those that commercial parties would prefer. With its compelling combination of doctrine and theory, this book makes an ideal companion for students and legal scholars alike. Key features include: Concise and compact overview of the CISG Includes contemporary developments Provides a theoretical basis for evaluating international sales law Considers perspectives of economic analysis of law.

An authoritative but accessible reference, this book enables anyone to truly understand both the background and operation of the U.S. tax system and current tax reform proposals. Dissatisfaction with high taxes is literally an American tradition; indeed, the American Revolution that led to the founding of the United States started as a tax revolt. Today, widespread displeasure with our tax system continues, as demonstrated by the strong anti-tax position of the recent Tea Party movement. Tax Reform: A Reference Handbook, Second Edition introduces lay readers to taxes in general, the U.S. tax system in particular, and the issues involved in reforming the system. Details regarding past tax reform measures are provided to lend relevance and perspective to recent tax reform proposals, such as replacing the income tax (and the IRS) with a federal sales tax. The author stresses political rather than technical issues, and presents all viewpoints on this hotly debated topic fairly. Includes government source documents discussing tax reform proposals Provides an insightful historical overview of tax revolts and tax reform proposals A bibliography provides numerous references to text, web-based, and other types of sources A glossary explains technical terms in easy-to-understand language

In this comprehensive two volume set Patricia White draws together a myriad of important articles concerning current tax laws. The articles examine how these laws affect the individual, as well as the society as a whole.

This major new study analyses the case-law of the European Court of Justice on the freedom of establishment and the free movement of capital in matters of direct taxation. The author identifies two areas where cases from the European Court of Justice are especially important: what constitutes discrimination, and which circumstances may justify such discrimination. Among his specific approaches to the complex issues involved may be noted the following: the Court's interpretation of discrimination and restriction; the grounds of justification, according to the rule-of-reason doctrine, accepted by the Court, such as the prevention of tax abuse; the grounds rejected by the Court, such as lack of harmonization and counterbalancing advantages; the characteristics of national legislation on direct taxation that the Court has found to be in breach of the freedom of establishment and the free movement of capital; the neutrality between different forms of establishment, in the form of either a branch or a subsidiary; the degree of convergence between the freedom of establishment and the free movement of capital, especially in cases on direct taxation; and, the territorial extension of the free movement of capital. "Direct Taxation in Relation to the Freedom of Establishment and the Free Movement of Capital" uncovers the present principal standpoints of the Court, how those standpoints have evolved, and how they are likely to develop in the coming years. As all proposals on unified corporate taxation of the European Union must consider the findings of the European Court of Justice on the compatibility of national tax legislation with Community law, and as individual Member States must consider and follow the case-law of the European Court of Justice when revising old tax legislation and adopting new legislation in this area, the significance of this penetrating analysis cannot be underestimated. It will be of immeasurable value not only to European policymakers and tax lawyers, but to tax and business lawyers worldwide engaged in European commerce.

In this comprehensive two volume set Patricia White draws together a myriad of important articles concerning current tax laws. The articles examine how these laws affect the individual, as well as the society as a whole.

This user-friendly book aims to summarize the principal topics of Chinese Taxation and offers readers a general overview of the Chinese Taxation and informative updates on tax changes. The book provides a variety of facts, figures, graphs and data in an easy-to read table format. Firstly, the book proposes an introduction to taxation and to the Chinese tax system, secondly, it focuses on direct taxes, indirect taxes and other taxes and, in the end, it covers international taxation. Moreover, the book offers a quick overview of the Chinese M&A taxation and of the Chinese Free Trade Zones.

Though frequently used interchangeably, the terms tax-exempt organization and nonprofit organization do not carry the same legal definition. Nonprofit enterprises are those that do not distribute earnings in the form of dividends or distributions, so while all tax-exempt organizations are nonprofit, not all nonprofit organizations are necessarily tax-exempt. This work provides a comprehensive look at the federal Internal Revenue code governing tax-exempt status, carefully detailing the criteria specified in the code and related Treasury Regulations. Also outlined are the presribed procedures for filing for tax-exempt status.

Robert N. Sughrue and Michelle L. Kopnski present a thorough discussion of the various types of tax-exempt organizations and the characteristics unique to each. Sections 501(c), 521, 527, and 528 of the Internal Revenue Code are closely analyzed, and the organizational tests of 501(c)(3) institutions are provided. In addition, accounting systems for tax-exempt organizations, internal controls, and reporting requirements are also covered. Among the other topics addressed by Sughrue and Kopnski are unrelated business taxable income, private foundations, financial considerations in tax-exempt and other nonprofit organizations, and financial considerations and practical applications. Students and professionals in the fields of finance, investment, accounting, and law will find this work to be a useful reference tool, and academic, public, and law libraries will consider it a worthwhile addition to their collections.

Double taxation is unquestionably a problem in the European Community and one that must be dealt with urgently. Not only does it create economic distortions and breach the principle of neutrality of taxation but it also constitutes a major obstacle to international trade decreasing the economies of scale for investors wishing to venture beyond their national boundaries. Arguably, it is a problem that challenges the very essence of the common market.This book cogently examines a number of critical issues stemming from double taxation in the European Union: the problem of juridical double taxation and how tax treaties have been used to mitigate it; and, how a federation of fiscally independent states such as the United States has dealt with double taxation and tax location shopping the latter as an analogue to treaty-shopping. The European Union's attitude to juridical double taxation and tax treaties. Whether treaty-shopping practices might in fact enjoy the protection of fundamental freedoms and whether anti-treaty-shopping provisions restrict the application of such freedoms.

This book offers the analysis of the relationship between the Cape Town Convention and national laws on secured transactions. The first part of the book considers why national implementation is so important in the case of the Cape Town Convention and identifies how innovative the Convention is as a uniform law instrument. The second part includes chapters on those states that are Parties to the Cape Town Convention, which analyse how the Convention is implemented under the domestic law. The third part includes chapters on those states that are not Parties to the Convention, which compare their national laws and the Convention to find unique features of the Cape Town Convention's rules. The fourth part discusses the meaning of Protocols on aircraft, railway rolling stock and space assets from the practitioner's point of view. As a whole, the book offers insights into the new stage of uniform private law and shows the need for further examination of the subject, which will be essential for international and national legislators, academics of comparative and international private law as well as practitioners who are the users of the uniform law regime.

How to plan and implement tax-efficient investment strategies, incorporating all the latest budget amendments

The laws of the Member States of the European Union and the tax treaties concluded by them - being part of their national laws - must be consistent with European Community law. Apart from EC Directives and Regulations, the EC Treaty itself contains rules directly applicable to matters of international taxation. In this context the decisions of the European Court of Justice on the fundamental freedoms laid down in the EC treaty are of primary importance. If a provision of a tax treaty is in conflict with the EC Treaty, it is superseded by the Treaty provisions. The EC Treaty may therefore have the effect of changing the content of tax treaties, a matter of crucial importance to international tax planning techniques. This collection of essays examines the effects of primary European Community law, in particular the fundamental freedom provisions in the EC Treaty, on tax treaties concluded by the Member States. Using the method of examination employed by the European Court of Justice, the contributors to this volume present a systematic analysis of the effects of the interaction of national tax law, tax treaty law and the EC Treaty.

This timely book focuses on achieving a sustainable future through the reform of green fiscal policy. Green fiscal policies help not only provide the needed financing but may also serve the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. In this volume environmental tax experts review the development of fiscal carbon policy, consider the impact of green taxation on trade and competition, analyze the lessons learned from national experiences with fuel and energy pricing, and evaluate a variety of green economic instruments. A comprehensive range of green economic instruments is evaluated, covering emissions trading schemes, energy tax systems, global natural resource consumption taxes and fiscal intervention. The contributions from leading environmental taxation scholars consider thought-provoking innovations in policy and law to deal with climate change and explore a range of fiscal strategies designed to mitigate the negative and maximise the positive effects of a carbon economy. This is a vital reference work for students and academics in environmental law, economics and sustainability, and will serve as an excellent guide for policy makers and those involved in fiscal reform. Contributors include: C. Brandimarte, J. Bruha, H. Bruhova-Foltynova, L. del Federico, A. Gerbeti, S. Giorgi, E. Guglyuvatyy, S.-A. Joseph, C. Kettner, D. Kletzan-Slamanig, D. Leary, Y. Motoki, A. Naito, P. Pearce, V. Pisa, N.P. Stoianoff, S.L. Tan, X. Wang, S. Wright, J. Wu, Z. Yang

In the twentieth century the application of national taxes to income from international business has created complex yet fascinating issues. The co-ordination of national jurisdiction to tax international income has rested formally on a network of bilateral treaties, but its practical administration has relied on a community of specialists; business advisers on the one hand and national officials on the other. The rapid growth of transnational corporations has put great pressure on the international tax system, especially due to the increasing difficulty of ensuring that the internal transfer prices between related firms in different countries reflect a fair and acceptable allocation of costs and profits. Furthermore, the widespread use of intermediary companies formed in tax havens has led to complex counter-measures and a constant process of treaty renegotiation and interaction with national law. The increasingly close administrative co-operation of tax authorities has been criticized as secretive and often arbitrary. Yet proposals for a more comprehensive framework and clearer legitimizing principles and procedures have conflicted with both the vested interests of international firms and with sensitivities about national sovereignity. But major reforms are necessary, even if implemented piecemeal.

Using perspectives from law, economics and social science, this book provides a systematic introduction to the major problems of international taxation of business income. In doing so, it retrieves important policy issues that have become buried in technical intricacies of the international taxation system.