- International double taxation The purpose of this thesis is to describe basic terms, history and importance of double taxation agreements and it also describes European law of double taxation. This thesis is composed of five chapters. Chapter one is an introductory part and describes importance of elimination of international double taxation. Following parts describes structure of this thesis, aim of this thesis and used methods. The second chapter deals with basic terms of double taxation, general meaning of double taxation, tax legislation in Czech Republic and EU law concerning taxation. In following parts, it defines the term of double taxation, both intra national and international and its types. The third part describes the methods of elimination of double taxation, exemption and credit. The fourth part of describes limited and unlimited tax liability. The fifth part deals with tax residents and non-residents, the sixth part deals with transfer pricing. The seventh part discusses tax havens. The last, eight, part is concerned with transparent entities. The third chapter analyzes the international double taxation treaties, their history, importance and basic principles. In following parts, it describes types of these agreements, and in the last part, it describes the provisions of model...

M.Com. (South African and International Taxation) / The term “beneficial ownership” was first included in Articles 10, 11 and 12 of the OECD’s Model Tax Convention in 1977 but it is not defined in the OECD’s Model Tax Convention and most countries do not have a definition in their domestic tax laws. There is a need for South African revenue authorities to consider how the concept of beneficial ownership will be applied in an international tax context especially with the introduction of withholding tax on dividends and the pending implementation of withholding tax on interest. A review and analysis of interpretation principles from the Vienna Convention, the OECD, selected countries and experts revealed that there are common interpretation principles which are being applied consistently when determining beneficial ownership for international tax purposes. When applied against relevant, recent international tax case law, it was interesting to note that these common interpretation principles did not consistently yield results which were in line with the courts’ judgements. The common interpretation principles represent attributes which can be used to determine beneficial ownership in international tax and could prove useful to South African revenue authorities in constructing a domestic definition for “beneficial ownership.”

1 Summary This thesis deals with the issue of international double taxation of income and capital and methods for its solution. International double taxation is an issue which states began to deal with in the late 19th century. This interest intensified after the First World War when also the League of Nations (predecessor of the United Nations) began to deal with international double taxation. Most attention the phenomenon of double taxation of income and capital with an international element, however, started to receive after World War II as a result of post-war development of international relations, trade, communication technologies and increasing globalization. In today's globalized world where the economies of nations are highly interconnected through economic activities of their members and activities of economic entities often extends beyond the boundaries of the states of their residence the issue of double taxation is very frequent and constantly becoming increasingly important. When the economic activity of the taxpayer exceeds the boundaries of the state of his residency, which is already quite common, such entity will be subject to the tax jurisdiction of several states whose tax laws are generally not compatible and vice versa conflict with each other. The collision without the intervention of...

This diploma thesis entitled "The tax system and agreements on the avoidance of double taxation" analyses the Czech tax system and international double taxation, both generally and within individual contract models on the avoidance of double taxation. The diploma thesis is divided into three parts on this basis - the parts are dealing with tax system, international double taxation and agreements on the avoidance of double taxation. The beginning of the first part of this thesis is more theoretical. It contains a brief description of tax and tax system, analyses their basic elements (tax subject, tax object, tax base, tax rate and maturity of taxes) and divides taxes - the main partition is on direct and indirect taxes. This thesis, however, does not omit basic tax functions (fiscal function, allocation, redistribution, stimulation and stabilization) and the basic principles of taxes (legal perfection principle, the principle of tax fairness, tax efficiency principle, the principle of right effect on the behaviour of economic subjects and the principle of clarity of the tax system). The thesis also focuses on budgetary allocation of taxes. Subsequently, the thesis describes the Czech tax system. The description is based on individual taxes imposed in Czech Republic. These taxes are analysed on the...

The main topic of this thesis is double taxation - the issue which gets more and more important, because national economies are going to be connected and international business develops, double taxation affects these activities strongly. Double taxation is considered to be negative phenomenon not only by private sector, but even states, so we can detect efforts for elimination or even reduction of this negative phenomenon. Because double taxation is very large topic it is not possible to cover it comprehensively, this diploma thesis is reduced only to some spheres and institutions of double taxation. The thesis is composed of three main parts. Theoretical introduction to the issue of double taxation mentiones the most important terms and principles of the double taxation and constitutes the basic for the following interpretation. Meaned are methodes and means used to eliminate double taxation with the practical example of their use and their comparison. The second chapter deals with internal aspects of double taxation and focuses on the Czech and EU legislation of double taxation. Attention is also paid to the Czech future double taxation elimination legislation of income from shares in profits and from similar profits and to its' consequences. The third chapter is concerned with international...

Thesis (doctoral)--Universiẗat Freiburg (Breisgau), 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-242).

As a result of the different tax systems adopted by countries, foreign-sourced income earned by taxpayers may be subject to double taxation. This may therefore impede cross-border trade and investment. Double taxation relief is provided unilaterally, in terms of a country’s domestic laws or bilaterally in terms of Double Taxation Agreements. South African residents earning income from the Democratic Republic of Congo may be subject to tax in both countries. To eliminate such double taxation the South African Income Tax Act, No 58 of 1962, provides for unilateral relief from double taxation in the form of exemptions, rebates and deductions. The double tax agreement between South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo came into effect recently and double taxation relief for South African residents is now also available in terms of tax treaty law. The objective of the research was to determine whether the combination of the unilateral measures and the double tax agreement provide relief in respect of all types of income earned by South African residents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was concluded that the double tax agreement, together with the unilateral relief provided for in the Income Tax Act will grant relief for all types of income earned by South African residents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Thesis (MComm) -- Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study’s focus is to provide an analysis of the development of the definition of royalties in the context of Model Tax Conventions (‘MTC’). The secondary focus of the study is to analyse the evolution of the concept of beneficial ownership as a limitation to the application of the treaty benefits contained in royalty provisions of the MTC’s. In terms of the focus of the study, it is concluded that the most significant developments with regards to the definition of royalties, since originating in the League of Nations Model Convention’s first Draft Model in 1928, occurred during the final Committee meetings held in Mexico and London (producing the Mexico and London Draft Models respectively) and in terms of the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (‘OEEC’), which set out the founding principles of the definition. It is also concluded that the later MTC’s did not significantly change the Treaty royalty definition but added clarification as to the meaning of the term by way of the Commentaries to the MTC. The secondary focus of the study concludes that the term has not really changed since it was first used in an international context. The most recent case law on the matter confirmed that the attributes of the concept is that of ownership and that the matter is one which needs to be decided from a legalistic perspective and should not be based on the economic interpretation of the term ‘beneficial ownership’, which could effectively turn the concept into a broad anti-avoidance provision. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: geen opsomming

Out of a total of 2,976 double tax agreements (DTAs), some 60% are signed between a developing and a developed economy. As DTAs shift taxing rights from capital importing to capital exporting countries, the prior would incur a loss. We demonstrate in a theoretical model that in a deal one country does not trump the other, but that the deal must be mutually beneficial. In the case of an asymmetric DTA, this requires compensation from the capital exporting country to the capital importing country. We provide empirical evidence that such compensation is indeed paid, for instance in the form of bilateral official development assistance, which increases on average by six million US$ in the year of the signature of a DTA. / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

Diplomová práce: Beneficiární vlastník v daňovém právu Abstrakt v anglickém jazyce BENEFICIAL OWNER IN TAX LAW In many instances, the concept of beneficial owner can be found in tax law, enabling the taxpayers to lower the taxation of their income. Despite the fact that the term beneficial owner is not very commonly used in the Czech law, interpretation of this term is important part of the international tax law. Therefore, the purpose of my Theses is to review relevant laws (including Czech tax law, international tax law, European law, and relevant Czech and international court's decisions) to determine common characteristics of the term beneficial owner as it is used in the above mentioned fields of law. In the European law, the term beneficial owner can be found in two European directives - "Interest and royalty payments directive" and "Income savings directive". Although there are differences between the interpretation on the term beneficial owner in these European directives (based mostly on the fact that one directive is applicable to natural persons whereas the other one to legal entities), we can say that the purpose and aim of the regulation is the same. The OECD and its fiscal committee are concern with the interpretation and appropriate application of the term beneficial owner in the...