The master’s thesis deals with the initiative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, namely the Action plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). The aim of this thesis is to quantify impacts of selected BEPS measures on the tax bases of Czech companies. The paper is divided into a literary summary and a practical part. In the literary summary, important concepts of international taxation are defined and the BEPS action plan and the Anti Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) are presented here. In the practical part, selected BEPS measures are applied to model examples, and the impact on the tax base of Czech companies in the situation before and after the implementation of specific measures is quantified. The model examples result in an increase in the tax base and the tax liability of Czech companies in the situation after the implementation of the selected BEPS measures. BEPS measures applied to Czech companies in this thesis pose a negative impact on their tax planning.

本研究探討稅率差異是否會影響台商海外子公司股利匯回。由於台灣目前對於國外稅額扣抵的方法採的是直接扣抵法，與大部分國家所採的國外所得免稅法及間接扣抵法不同，因此對於海外子公司只有在扣繳稅率若高於台灣營利事業所得稅率時，才必須負擔匯回的稅負。本研究將稅率差異的部分，分為海外子公司平均稅率以及扣繳稅率，來觀看在這兩個稅率之下對於股利匯回的影響。研究結果顯示，當國外扣繳稅率高於我國營利事業所得稅率時，其匯回的數目會降低，表示扣繳稅率的確是會阻礙公司股利匯回的一項障礙；但是當海外的平均公司稅率越高，則股利匯回的數目會增加，本研究認為盈餘大部分皆從稅率較高的國家匯回，因此導致這樣的結果。最後本研究將對台灣目前對於股利匯回的稅制進行建議，以健全台灣目前對於企業課稅的稅制。 / This study investigates the relationship between the tax rates and the dividend repatriation among the overseas subsidiaries of Taiwanese companies. Due to the adoption of “the direct method” for foreign tax credit, different from other countries, the Taiwanese companies will afford repatriation tax when they repatriate dividends from the countries whose withholding tax rates are higher than Taiwanese corporate tax rate. The difference of tax rates between countries defined in this study consists of two parts－average tax rate of overseas subsidiaries and withholding tax rates. And the result is the higher withholding tax rates overseas subsidiaries afford, the lower dividends are repatriated, which means the withholding tax is the barrier of the dividend repatriation. Another result shows the higher the overseas subsidiaries average corporate tax rates, the more dividend repatriates, which suggests that the dividends repatriate from the countries with higher corporate tax rate. Finally, this study also gives some recommendations for the Taiwanese tax policy about dividend repatriations in order to reform the corporate tax system.

For some time now, the EU has worked on managing the tax issues that have spawned from companies establishing subsidiaries in various Member States. These tax issues have concerned that of double taxation leading to the conception of the Parent-Subsidiary Directive (2011/96/EU, the PSD). One of the main purposes of the PSD is to prevent double taxation. The PSD aimed to create a mutual taxation system for parent companies, with subsidiaries in other Member States, as it was deemed essential. However, it was a mutual taxation system with regards to dividends paid from subsidiaries to parent companies, which meant there were still discrepancies to be found – and, as it turned out, exploited by companies seeking to gain an illegitimate tax advantage. Consequently, the EU announced the ‘de minimis’ anti-abuse rule in the PSD, whereby adoption was mandatory, for all Member States, so long as a Member State’s current tax legislation does not meet the requirements set forth by the anti-abuse rule. One of the main purposes of the anti-abuse rule was to ensure an improved legal clarity and security as well as preventing the abuse of the provisions as established in the PSD. The idea behind the anti-abuse rule is, thereby, perceived as well meaning although remarks have been made, by various authorities, regarding the prevalent flaws the anti-abuse rule is plagued by. There have been remarks against the anti-abuse rule’s conception to begin with, as it goes against the general principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. Furthermore, there have been remarks regarding the vagueness of the prerequisites and wording in the anti-abuse rule, contrary to the main purposes of the anti-abuse rule as established by the EU.   In this study, the author will examine whether or not the criticism is justified, primarily by focusing on the possibilities of concretising the wording in the anti-abuse rule. This will be achieved by examining six Member States to determine how their respective adoption has fared. Also, the anti-abuse rule’s contribution to legal clarity and security will be determined, to discern whether or not the anti-abuse rule functions in accordance with its main purpose.   The author has found that the anti-abuse rule is indeed in accordance with the general principles of subsidiarity and proportionality given the proven inability of the individual Member States to devise a common solution to the aforementioned tax issues, as well as the fact that the extent of the measure is appropriate, considering the issue at hand. Furthermore, six Member States have been examined, to determine how their respective adoption of the anti-abuse rule have fared. Three Member States have chosen to adopt the anti-abuse rule whereas the remaining three have chosen to refrain on the grounds that it has been deemed superfluous, seeing as their current legislation already meets the minimum requirements as established in the provisions of the anti-abuse rule. The Member States that have chosen to implement the anti-abuse rule have done so by adopting the vague wording verbatim, giving credence to the notion that they refrained from interpreting and/or rephrasing the wording as it is perceived as not only vague but also occasionally abstract, thus difficult to concretise. Not only does this mean that the anti-abuse rule should be regarded as that of inferior standard, as far as legal clarity and security go, but also that it lacks transparency and should thereby be regarded as nigh counterproductive. / EU har sedan länge arbetat med att hantera de beskattningsfrågor som uppkommer i takt med att bolag etablerar dotterbolag i en annan medlemsstat. Dessa frågor berör exempelvis dubbelbeskattning varpå EU upprättade Moder- och Dotterbolagsdirektivet (2011/96/EU, nedan benämnt PSD) som avsåg hjälpa bolag undslippa denna problematik. Direktivet tog sikte på att skapa gemensamt beskattningssystem för moderbolag och dotterbolag hemmahörande i olika medlemsstater – då det ansågs viktigt med enhetliga beskattningsregler inom EU. Det ska observeras att denna enhetlighet enbart sträcker sig till vinstutdelning som lämnas från dotterbolag till moderbolag i en annan medlemsstat, vilket innebar att olikheter fortfarande förelåg i övriga beskattningsfrågor. Detta ledde sedermera till att multinationella bolag kunde utnyttja medlemsstaternas olikheter genom att företa arrangemang som resulterade i en otillbörlig skattefördel.   Företagandet av sådana arrangemang ledde till att EU valde att upprätta en de minimis-bestämmelse i PSD som var obligatorisk för samtliga medlemsstater att implementera, givet att deras nationella lagstiftningar inte redan uppfyllde bestämmelsens minimikrav. Denna bestämmelse kom sedermera att benämnas anti-missbruksbestämmelsen och ämnade tillföra en högre grad klarhet och säkerhet för att tydligare belysa de arrangemang som anses godtagbara och som inte ämnade missbruka PSD:s bestämmelser, där syftet bakom missbruket av PSD var att anskaffa skattefördelar. Tanken bakom anti-missbruksbestämmelsen är således godartad men likväl är bestämmelsen inte utan brister, samtidigt som den ifrågasätts från olika instanser. Det har påpekats att bestämmelsen inte bör ha upprättats, till att börja med, då den strider mot subsidiaritets- och proportionalitetsprincipen, som är fördragsstadgade. Vidare har det påpekats att rekvisiten i anti-missbruksbestämmelsen är otydliga och tillför således inte den klarhet och säkerhet enligt EU:s syfte.   Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka huruvida den nya anti-missbruksbestämmelsens ordalydelse kan konkretiseras, vilket görs efter att ha klarlagt hur sex utvalda medlemsstater gått till väga med implementeringen av nämnd bestämmelse. Slutligen utreds huruvida anti-missbruksbestämmelsens bidrag till klarhet och säkerhet görs i enlighet med dess syfte. Författaren har i denna uppsats kommit fram till att anti-missbruksbestämmelsen är förenlig med såväl subsidiaritetsprincipen som proportionalitetsprincipen, då medlemsstaterna, till dags dato, inte förmått hitta en lösning utan EU:s involverande samtidigt som EU:s ingripande står i proportion till målet med åtgärden. Det har funnits att medlemsstaterna som implementerat anti-missbruksbestämmelsen har avstått från att tolka och anpassa anti-missbruksbestämmelsen varför bestämmelsens vaga ordalydelse återfinns i respektive lands lagbestämmelser. Anledningen bakom varför de avstått från att tolka bestämmelsen anser författaren bero på att bestämmelsen är vag, stundtals abstrakt, med anledning av de rekvisit som begagnas. Detta medför att bestämmelsen blir svår att konkretisera, varför det kan anses att en av EU:s målsättningar – att bidra till ökad klarhet och säkerhet – inte kan anses uppfyllt. Vidare har anti-missbruksbestämmelsen lett till en minskad förutsebarhet och rättssäkerhet, varför bestämmelsen inte bara bör anses undermålig utan även nära inpå kontraproduktiv.

由於許多公司會利用資本弱化來從事跨國利潤移轉，各國政府因而相繼制定反資本弱化條款，在稅務上限縮公司可減除的利息費用，以防堵企業規避稅負。惟多數探討反資本弱化條款有效性的實證文獻，都是以地主國的觀點看外來投資。 不同於之前文獻偏重探討某一特定國家 (大多數是歐美國家) 的反資本弱化條款是否會改變其境內公司之資本結構，本文則是以居住國的觀點，探討 2008 年至 2012 年台灣電子製造業的上市公司與其國內外關係企業的資本結構，是否會受到其所在國的反資本弱化條款影響。另外，基於內部債務和外部債務間的替代性，本文進一步將負債區分為內部債務與外部債務，以期能更細部了解公司的融資行為。 本文共分為四個模型：以模型一、二分析反資本弱化條款對公司內部債務的影響；以模型三、四分析反資本弱化條款對公司外部債務的影響。實證結果發現，處罰方式若為重分類為股利，會造成公司的內部債務比率下降15.45%，外部債務比率上升 27.66%。而安全港比率中的分子若指所有負債，會造成公司的外部債務比率下降 14%。此外，反資本弱化條款的施行對公司外部債務比率的影響取決於處罰方式和安全港比率中負債的定義。最後，若安全港比率的分子僅指關係人間負債，公司仍可透過增加外部債務的方式，繼續享受利息費用的稅盾效果。 / Because many companies shift their profits through debt financing, governments had imposed anti-thin capitalization rules one after another to limit the tax deductibility of interest expenses. However, most empirical researches on the effectiveness of the anti-thin capitalization rules are from host countries perspectives. Different from previous literature focusing on how the anti-thin capitalization rule of one country affects capital structures of companies in that country, this paper is from a home country perspective to analyze the effects of the anti-thin capitalization rules on capital structures of Taiwanese listed companies (Electronics manufacturing industry) and their affiliates over the period 2008-2012. This paper subdivides debt into internal debt and external debt on account of the substitution between them so that it would help us to understand financing behavior of companies in depth. Model 1 and Model 2 are to investigate how anti-thin capitalization rules affect internal debt of companies. Model 3 and Model 4 are to investigate how anti-thin capitalization rules affect external debt of companies. The findings indicate that reclassifying excess interest as dividends reduces a company’s internal debt ratio by 15.45% and increases its external debt ratio by 27.66%. Defining the numerator of the safe haven ratio as total debt reduces a company’s external debt ratio by 14%. Moreover, how the enforcement of the anti-thin capitalization rule affects a company’s external debt ratio depends on the penalty and the definition of the debt measure in the numerator of the safe haven ratio. Finally, if the numerator of the safe haven ratio refers to related-parties debt, a company may still make good use of the tax shields of interest expenses by increasing external debt.

Jurisdictions around the world currently compete to attract mobile capital of multinational companies by providing them the most favourable tax conditions. Some EU member states actively participate in tax competition. Over the past decade, the European Commission has successfully enacted a number of measures aimed at preventing multinational companies from implementing aggressive tax planning schemes. These measures aim to establish fair conditions for competitors on the internal market and to meet the demand of the public and of the international community for suppression of aggressive tax planning. The theoretical background of the thesis derives from the field of Law and Economics, specifically by using the concept of transaction costs and means of Economic analysis of criminality. This thesis aims to answer the question of whether the new EU legislation leaves room for the member states to continue in allowing multinational companies to optimize taxes in the ways targeted by the EU measures. The thesis consists of two case studies, which evaluate the impact of the rules on known tax optimization schemes. The first one analyses the impact of state aid proceedings on tax rulings and the second one analyses the influence of the controlled foreign company rule on harmful IP boxes. The objective...