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The current problems and possible solutions surrounding United States transfer pricing regulations are discussed and studied. The schemes large multinational companies are implementing to legally evade taxes are uncovered as the financial effects to the United States Treasury and government are becoming material. The benefits for these schemes are financially advantageous for corporations as they are able to report larger profits and higher returns for investors. But this is being done at the expense of our government. Corporations are finding ways to escape the high U.S. corporate tax rate and lower their global tax liabilities by allocating income to lower tax jurisdictions. Tax havens like Ireland or Bermuda are popular to have subsidiaries which hold a corporations intangible property. Five United States Tax Court cases concerning transfer pricing are studied and the outcomes are analyzed. The current problems studied from these cases are, shipping intangible property, valuing intangible property, the arm’s length standard. The possible solutions to these currents problems are by no means easy to solve and no one revision can relieve all the problems. The arm’s length standard is the corner stone to the current problems and if the government can find a way to better enforce the standard or replace it, it will be a large step in the right direction.

This thesis is based on the regulations found in the OECD model and the OECD TP guidelines concerning the arm’s length principle. The core of the arm’s length principle is that transactions between associated enterprises should be treated the same as transactions between independent enterprises. This principle can be found in Article 9 of the OECD model. One transaction that may fall within the scope of Article 9 of the OECD model is business restructuring. Business restructuring was previously an unregulated TP area but with the new OECD TP guidelines, from 2010, regulations have been formulated. The aim with thesis is therefore to examine how the arm’s length principle should be applied to the new guidelines for business restructurings of intangibles with an uncertain value at the time of the restructuring. In order to answer the question set out in this thesis some of the factors that affect the application of the arm’s length principle have been examined separately. Firstly the arm’s length principle that is the generally accepted TP method used by both taxpayers and tax administrations in order to find a fair price for transactions between associated enterprises. The principle seeks to identify the controlled transaction and thereafter find a comparable uncontrolled transaction that is similar to the transaction performed between the associated enterprises. The second part examined the meaning of the term business restructuring according to the new guidelines since there is no other legal or general definition. Business restructurings are defined as cross-border redeployments of functions assets and risks, performed by MNEs. As long as a transaction falls within this definition it will be subjected to the arm’s length principle for tax purposes. The third part examined intangibles since that also lack a general definition. The identification and valuation of intangibles is a complex and uncertain thing to do for both taxpayers and tax administrations. When applying the arm’s length principle it is however found that the issue of identification of what constitutes and intangible may be unnecessary. The aspect that should be considered is instead the value of the intangible or more precise, the value that independent enterprises would have agreed upon in a similar situation. The applicability of the arm’s length principle to business restructurings of intangibles with an uncertain value at the time of the restructuring should be found by performing a comparability analysis. In order to perform a comparability analysis, the controlled transaction firstly has to be identified. Thereafter, a comparable uncontrolled transaction needs to be found. An equivalent uncontrolled transaction may not be found in all cases and it should in those cases be examined what independent enterprises would have done if they had been in a comparable situation. The arm’s length principle should be applied to business restructurings of intangibles with an uncertain value in the same manner as for any other uncontrolled transaction. The issues for this type of a transaction become the identification of what constitutes a business restructuring and also how to determine a fair value for the intangibles. The OECD TP guidelines lack some guidance as to the issues that can occur when a comparable uncontrolled transaction cannot be found. This creates an unsatisfactory guesswork for both taxpayers and tax administrations when trying to determine what independent enterprises would have done if they had been in a similar situation. This creates an unnecessary uncertainty when trying to apply the arm’s length principle.

<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> The overall purpose of this thesis is to provide an analysis of the effects of the documentation requirements on transfer pricing and provide a clearer picture of the documentation requirements in transfer pricing. Furthermore, the purpose is to analyze whether the chosen method of Superfos is adequate related to the new regulations.</p><p><strong>Background:</strong> In 2007, new regulations concerning the documentation of transfer pricing was enacted in Swedish law based on OECD guidelines. This change has led to new internal guidelines for companies regarding their transfer pricing work since the requirements apply to both Swedish owned companies and foreign owned companies. Furthermore, with this change, a great uncertainty about the requirements is shared by companies.</p><p><strong>Method:</strong> This thesis has been conducted as a qualitative case study with Superfos as the case company. A deductive approach has been used and the collection of data consists of both primary and secondary data. Primary in the form of an interview with the finance manager at Superfos and secondary through the use of the Swedish tax authority's stated guidelines concerning transfer pricing as well as books, journals and databases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In the conclusion we present a clarifying model of the documentation in transfer pricing based on the data collected for this thesis. In six steps, a clarifying picture of the overview, company structure, transactions identification, functional analysis, comparability analysis and results is provided.</p>

Transfer pricing between related parties and its issues As the globalization of the world continues, and as the companies are merging into multinational enterprises, the number of transactions between related parties under circumstances that would not be concluded between unrelated parties is rising. The correct application of transfer pricing between related parties ensures that the transactions are concluded as it would have been between unrelated parties. More and more attention is paid to issue of transfer pricing, frequently in connection with tax planning and tax optimization, which is partly misleading. The tax consequences of transfer pricing are nonetheless substantial. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse transfer pricing issues in the Czech Republic in the context of international rules and standards as set by international organizations, mainly Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU), primarily from the tax perspective. The thesis is composed of 11 chapters. In first chapters the thesis describes the basics of transfer pricing, the concept of related parties, arm's length principle, transfer pricing methods and transfer pricing documentation. The next chapters are mainly focused on international transfer pricing...

This paper aims at providing a comprehensive overview of existing literature on the topic of comparability adjustments. Based on existing literature the most commonly used adjustments can be categorized in two broad categories: "accounting and financial risks adjustments" and "strategic/market adjustments". With the exception of working capital adjustments, the lack of guidance and recognized standardized application will quite possibly lead to continued discrepancies in their use. Taxpayers continue to struggle with the immense amount of documentation as well as justification requirements when it comes to adjustments, as there is no clear path to follow and very few practical application examples, which would unify the application of adjustments. As seen, even though the topic of comparability adjustments has been around since before the first version of the OECD TP Guidelines, the topic is yet to be fully explored in both official guidance as well as literature, research and especially practical tools. / Series: WU International Taxation Research Paper Series

The problematics of transfer pricing in Czech and International tax law Constant globalization leads to the boom of business and property-related companies, which we call multinational. Multinational companies carry out so-called intra-company transactions within their group of companies under different conditions than they would in normal business. We call these transactions dependent, because they are carried out between affiliates, in an environment that is not competitive but related. Transfer pricing issues are usually associated with tax optimization because, with the help of these transactions, multinationals are able to achieve a lower tax burden. Aggressive tax optimization prevents proper transfer pricing for intra-company transactions. Transfer pricing of intra-company transactions is set up properly if they are in line with the arm length's principle, which in its own way attempts to simulate a competitive environment. The aim of this work is to outline the regulation of transfer pricing in Czech and International tax law and to analyse the problems of the regulation. In Czech law, the transfer pricing is mainly regulated in the Income Tax Act and in the non-binding instructions of the Ministry of Finance, which rely heavily on international regulation. At international level, the...

Purpose: The overall purpose of this thesis is to provide an analysis of the effects of the documentation requirements on transfer pricing and provide a clearer picture of the documentation requirements in transfer pricing. Furthermore, the purpose is to analyze whether the chosen method of Superfos is adequate related to the new regulations. Background: In 2007, new regulations concerning the documentation of transfer pricing was enacted in Swedish law based on OECD guidelines. This change has led to new internal guidelines for companies regarding their transfer pricing work since the requirements apply to both Swedish owned companies and foreign owned companies. Furthermore, with this change, a great uncertainty about the requirements is shared by companies. Method: This thesis has been conducted as a qualitative case study with Superfos as the case company. A deductive approach has been used and the collection of data consists of both primary and secondary data. Primary in the form of an interview with the finance manager at Superfos and secondary through the use of the Swedish tax authority's stated guidelines concerning transfer pricing as well as books, journals and databases. Conclusion: In the conclusion we present a clarifying model of the documentation in transfer pricing based on the data collected for this thesis. In six steps, a clarifying picture of the overview, company structure, transactions identification, functional analysis, comparability analysis and results is provided.

This master’s thesis deals with the transfer pricing of intangibles and focuses on the U.S. standard commensurate with income. This standard has been accused of being incompatible with the overriding principle of transfer pricing, the arm’s length standard, and is not endorsed by the OECD. Recent developments on the topic include the introduction of a similar provision in Germany. The purpose is to evaluate the standard’s compatibility with the arm’s length standard and to establish the current position of the concept of commensurate with income. To meet this purpose the thesis first describes the inherent problems surrounding transfer pricing of intangibles as well as provides a background to transfer pricing in the U.S. The focus then shifts towards the history, application and criticism of the commensurate with income standard. The thesis also gives an account of the OECD’s and Germany’s positions on the matter. In the final analysis the compatibility with the arm’s length standard is examined from two angles; the commensurate with income standard’s valuation approach on one hand and its use of hindsight on the other. The commensurate with income standard uses an income approach to valuation of transfers of intangibles instead of the market approach recommended by the OECD. This may lead to overvaluation of intangibles and is not strictly in line with the arm’s length standard. The German commensurate with income provision is more in line with the market approach and is therefore more compatible with the arm’s length standard in this aspect. The commensurate with income standard allows adjustments to transfer prices with the benefit of hindsight. The actual income from a transferred intangible is thus used as evidence as to whether or not the original transfer price was set reasonably. The OECD is of the opinion that only information known at the time of the transfer should be used, but makes an exception for the particular situation when a tax authority can prove that unrelated parties would have adjusted transfer prices retroactively. The point made here is that the commensurate with income standard places the burden of proof on the taxpayer, while the OECD places it on the tax authority. This allows the OECD to stay true to the arm’s length standard, while the U.S. and Germany deviates somewhat from it. However, there is no exact manner in which to define the arm’s length standard, and even the OECD deviates from it more or less. The commensurate with income standard may be one step further away from the purest definition of it but not a complete deviation. The German version of commensurate with income manages to target the same problem while staying closer to the arm’s length standard. Germany has thereby found a middle way and might hold the solution to finding a consensus between the OECD and the U.S.

Transfer pricing (TP) has for a long time been an important tax issue, however it is only within the past decade that it has gotten the attention it deserves. This since more and more corporations becomes globalized. When setting a TP within a multinational enterprise (MNE) it is important to consider the arm’s length principle. The reason for this is that all countries, involved in an internal transaction, are entitled to their fair share of tax revenues. The principle implies that when performing a transaction within a MNE, the price used shall be set on the same circumstances as if the transaction was performed between independent actors. Corporations which do not set their TPs in accordance with the arm’s length principle face the risk of adjustments and future audits. Setting a TP, which is in line with the arm’s length principle is, however, not an easy task, therefore the subject of advance pricing agreement (APA) has emerged. APA has existed since the middle of the 1980’s when it was first implemented in Japan. However, it was as recent as last year, 1st of January 2010, that a legislation concerning APA was implemented in Swedish tax legislation. The legislation implies that corporations which are a part of a MNE can apply for a binding agreement at the Swedish tax authority regarding future TP. This opportunity will provide for a foreseeable tax future. Due to this recent implementation of APA legislation in Sweden, we have chosen to conduct a cross-country analysis concerning regulations of APA, using countries which have had APA legislation for a substantial amount of time. The different countries which legislations we have studied in this thesis are Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the U.S. The purpose with this thesis is to examine if the Swedish legislation concerning APA will provide any advantages for Swedish MNEs. A qualitative research method with the focus on an abductive research approach has been used for this thesis. The abductive approach consists of both deductive and inductive research approaches. The deductive approach is used to answer our research questions and the inductive approach is used to answer the purpose with our thesis. The purpose of this thesis consists of two research questions, what the Swedish APA legislation implies and are there any differences between the Swedish APA legislation and other countries’ APA legislations. After analyzing this new Swedish legislation and performing the cross-country analysis we have come to the conclusion that in general APAs provides substantial benefits for Swedish corporations. With the main advantages being the increased predictability and the reduced administrative burden concerning TP issues. In order for the Swedish legislation to be fully beneficial for the corporations it is, however, in need of some adjustments. If adjustments to the legislation are made we conclude that APAs will only provide benefits for Swedish corporations.