Strategizing International Tax Best Practices – by Keith Brockman

Posts tagged ‘intangibles’

WIPO’s 2017 IP report: Intangible capital

The 2017 World Intellectual Property Report was recently issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a biennial report, and provides some interesting findings that are important to understand as US tax reform and other countries are now focusing on the taxation of intangibles and the income resulting therefrom:

First-ever figures reveal that nearly one third of the value of manufactured products sold around the world comes from “intangible capital,” such as branding, design and technology, according to a WIPO study of the global value chains companies use to produce their goods.

Some WIPR 2017 findings

  • Intangible capital accounted, on average, for 30.4 percent of the total value of manufactured goods sold throughout 2000-2014.
  • The intangible capital share rose from 27.8 percent in 2000 to 31.9 percent in 2007, but has remained stable since then.
  • Overall, income from intangibles increased by 75 percent from 2000 to 2014 in real terms, amounting to USD 5.9 trillion in 2014.
  • Three product groups – food products, motor vehicles and textiles – account for close to 50 percent of the total income generated by intangible capital in the manufacturing global value chains.

References to the Report and summaries are provided for reference:

http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2017/article_0012.html

Click to access wipo_pub_944_2017-intro1.pdf

Category:

Tax Risk Management, Transfer Pricing

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Intangibles: OECD’s discussion draft

OECD has issued its latest discussion draft on hard-to-value intangibles; comments are due by June 30, 2017.

OECD’s press release states:  The Final Report on Actions 8-10 of the BEPS Action Plan (“Aligning Transfer Pricing Outcomes with Value Creation”) mandated the development of guidance on the implementation of the approach to pricing hard-to-value intangibles (“HTVI”) contained in Section D.4 of Chapter VI of the Transfer Pricing Guidelines.
This discussion draft, which does not yet represent a consensus position of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs or its subsidiary bodies, presents the principles that should underline the implementation of the approach to HTVI, provides examples illustrating the application of this approach, and addresses the interaction between the approach to HTVI and the mutual agreement procedure under an applicable treaty.

As intangibles are one of the most contested issues in transfer pricing, also fact specific with subjectivity, this discussion draft merits a review by all international tax practitioners to view the current thinking by the OECD, as well as a chance to provide comments in reaction.

EY’s Global Tax Alert and the Discussion Draft references are provided:

Click to access 2017G_03394-171Gbl_OECD%20releases%20implementation%20guidance%20on%20hard-to-value%20intangibles.pdf

Click to access BEPS-implementation-guidance-on-hard-to-value-intangibles-discussion-draft.pdf

Category:

OECD

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BEPS update: Actions 5 & 15

The OECD has updates available with respect to Action 5 (Intangibles), Action 15 (Multilateral instrument) and Action 13 (Country-by-Country reporting – refer to prior post of 6 Feb. 2015).  Links are provided for the OECD’s statement of intent addressing these three actions in particular.

http://www.oecd.org/tax/first-steps-towards-implementation-of-oecd-g20-efforts-against-tax-avoidance-by-multinationals.htm

Click to access beps-action-5-agreement-on-modified-nexus-approach-for-ip-regimes.pdf

Click to access beps-action-15-mandate-for-development-of-multilateral-instrument.pdf

Summary – Action 5 (Intangibles):

  • The Modified Nexus Approach is generally accepted.
  • 30% uplift of qualifying expenses re: outsourcing and acquisition costs in addition to significant R&D activities of taxpayer.
  • Existing regimes will be closed by 30 June 2016 to new entrants; legislation to be effected in 2015.
  • Grandfather rules for existing regimes may extend 5 years (i.e. 30 June 2021).
  • Methodology of tracking / tracing R&D expenditures will be developed.
  • Guidance to be issued re: definitions; patents qualify, whereas trademarks do not qualify.

Summary – Action 15 (Multilateral Instrument):

  • The intent to develop a multilateral instrument to implement specific BEPS Actions is still desirable and feasible.
  • The instrument will be designed to implement treaty-related measures of the BEPS Project.
  • Several BEPS Action items that are known to be inclusive are Action 2 (Hybrid entities), Action 6 (Treaty abuse), Action 7 (PE) and Action 14 (Dispute resolution).  Other Action items may be included after final guidance is developed, including a mechanism to exchange information for country-by-country reporting.
  • Each Action item may be optional, or there may be a minimum number of Actions that a country will have to execute.
  • The instrument is not compulsory and is open to all jurisdictions.
  • Development of the instrument will be accomplished by an ad-hoc group that is under the aegis of the OECD and G20.
  • Outputs are expected Sept. 2015, with final development of the instrument concluded by 31 Dec. 2016.

The timing of 31 Dec. 2016 will be critical to monitor, as many countries may decide to develop unilateral legislation prior to this date.  It is hopeful that tax administrations will not try to (informally) implement BEPS guidelines prior to the time that effective legislation is executed.

Category:

OECD / UN

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