China’s State Administration of Taxation (SAT) has issued its 2016 Advance Pricing Agreement (APA) update, noting that 14 APA’s were entered into for 2016.
Value chain quality and location specific advantages are positive factors leading to an efficient APA process.
It is noteworthy that China has increased scrutiny re: intercompany service agreements, and formal documentation thereto, thus an APA may prove to be advantageous provided that the relevant documentation can be timely provided.
The report, which is referenced herein as well as EY’s analysis, commences with the following summary: “This is the eighth APA annual report released by the State Administration of Taxation (“SAT”) to describe the latest mechanisms, procedures, and implementation of the APA program in China. This report is intended to provide guidance to enterprises interested in entering into APAs with the Chinese tax authority, and to serve as a reference for competent authorities of other countries (regions) and the general public to better understand China’s APA program. It does not have legal validity, and therefore should not be regarded as a legal basis for enterprises or the Chinese tax authority to negotiate or conclude an APA.”
With the ongoing BEPS complexity, and country dissimilarities / double taxation issues being compounded, the attached documents are a valuable reference in deciding on an APA decision (unilateral or bilateral) with China.
Click to access 2017G_06540-171Gbl_TP_China%20issues%202016%20APA%20Annual%20Report.pdf
Strategizing Multinational Tax Risks 
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