The presented work deals with the question of achieving financial literacy in pupils with hearing impairment, as one of the important areas of development of civic competencies for life in today's society. The main part of the work is the presentation of the results of a research survey aimed at determining the level of financial literacy in the target group of 15-18-year-old students with hearing impairments who study at secondary schools established for students with hearing impairments in the Czech Republic and their comparison with the results of non-disabled students who were included in PISA financial literacy testing. The research was conducted on three levels. Proven tools from international testing for the quantitative part of the survey and standardized psychological tests were selected, along with school registry data for the part that addresses the qualitative characteristics of pupils. Subsequent analysis of the obtained data served to verify the hypotheses what affects the achieving financial literacy in pupils with hearing impairment. Furthermore, data obtained through the ICT saturation questionnaire, which monitors safety techniques and pupils' relationships and attitudes towards ICT and compares them with participants in PISA testing, were processed and commented on. The aim of...

In 2017 an amended version of the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines was published which included new provisions to prevent BEPS through the shifting of risks. Through the amendment of the Guidelines, it was clarified that for an entity in an MNE to contractually assume a risk, for transfer pricing purposes, it needs to control the risk and have the financial capacity to assume it. Since the proposal of an updated framework regarding risk it has been discussed whether the framework on risk was the right way to go to come to terms with the problem with the shifting of risks and whether the concept of control over risk is in line with the arm’s length principle which constitutes the foundation for the Guidelines. The objectives of the thesis include providing an overview of the OECD framework related to risk, analysing, and evaluating the definition of control over risk, and assessing its application and interpretation in Swedish courts. On the basis of this the objectives are to examine the consequences of the concept and its application in relation to the arm’s length principle and Swedish law and with this discussing the future of the Guidelines in Swedish law. To assess whether an entity in a MNE has control over risk multiple sub-concepts needs to be assessed out of which few have a clear meaning. Of main importance when assessing the concept is to determine the performance of decision-making functions. The interpretation of control over risk has in some cases, in Swedish courts, led to results which are not in line with the principle of legality and the principle of the actual substance of the transaction. Similarly, to the Guidelines, the Swedish courts put emphasis on the performance of decision-making functions in order to have control over risk. Parts of the control over risk concept can be seen as not being in line with the arm’s length principle by imposing higher control and financial capacity requirements on entities in MNEs than what independent enterprises actually have. Because of the inherent problems in defining control over risk, the effects of the interpretation of the concept in Swedish courts, and the non-arm’s length character of the risk assessment it can be questioned which role the Guidelines should have in Swedish law.

This thesis examines the impact of environmental regulations on trade competitiveness for South Asian countries. The study further investigates whether South Asian countries have become a pollutive haven of industrial exports to OECD countries during 1984-2004. The thesis also analyses whether tariff walls created by the governments to offsets stringent environmental regulations negatively affect pollutive industrial trade flows. This study has identified gaps in the literature after critically reviewing both competing trade theories and empirical literature surrounding the subject. Firstly, most of the empirical literature on the subject has focused on developed countries while ignoring less developed regions like South Asia. Second, several studies concluded trade competitiveness impact of environmental policy following a single estimation method when results are sensitive to the choice of the method used. Hence, for robust results, cross-methods analysis was imperative. Thirdly, the empirical literature on the subject focused on most pollutive industries and ignored the research on somewhat pollutive and least pollutive sectors as well as comparative analysis between those industries. This study has contributed to the literature by filling these gaps. Following the neo-classical theory, the central hypothesis of this thesis is that environmental regulations negatively affect different categories of pollutive industrial export competitiveness. By using the highest dis-aggregated ISIC level trade data and incorporating other socio-economic variables, this study has deployed comparative advantage trade models by Balassa (1965), competitiveness indicator by XU (1999), and bilateral RCA model by Grether and de Melo (2004). The study used the gravity model to control for un-observed effects over time on trade flows while capturing environmental regulations impact on pollutive industrial trade competitiveness. Accordingly, to avert endogeneity/data sensitivity issues and to ascertain robust estimates, the present research has among others computed Random Effect and Newey-West standard error models. The statistical modeling results show that while India gained trade competitiveness in most pollutive industrial trade, Pakistan and Bangladesh lost their trade competitiveness in the same category. The research finds evidence of most pollutive industries of South Asian countries increasing their bilateral RCAs and exports with OECD countries and reset of the world. A comparative analysis between most pollutive to less pollutive industries showed a lack of support for any systematic specialization patterns of trade for South Asia during 1984-2004. Nonetheless, this study findings based on gravity modeling clearly depicted a statistically significant negative impact of environmental regulations on total exports, most pollutive exports, and less pollutive industrial exports for South Asia and OECD countries. This study rejected the pollution haven hypothesis between South Asian pollutive industrial exports with OECD. It further concluded that tariff barriers created by countries to offsets environmental regulation costs would prove counterproductive to competitiveness. At the policy level, instead of lobbing for protectionism to balance out environmental regulatory costs, the governments in both developed and developing countries need to focus on forming better environmental policies fostering both competitiveness and environmental quality. Also, trade-offs between environmental regulations and competitiveness are challenging situations for South Asia and OECD countries. Therefore, sustainable production and trade policies combined with innovative and cost-effective environmental policies are needed to accomplish environmental gains and competitiveness.

No description available.

Deviations from arm’s length prices (prices charged between independent persons) charged between connected cross-border companies are corrected by primary transfer pricing adjustments, effected by the tax authorities of a country, resulting in secondary transactions classified as constructive loans, constructive dividends or constructive equity contributions. Tax could be imposed on the secondary transaction, giving rise to a secondary adjustment. For years of assessment commencing on 1 April 2012 secondary transactions, previously regarded as constructive dividends with Secondary Tax on Companies, were amended to be treated as constructive loans with interest adjustments. The primary research problem addressed by this literature study was to establish whether the constructive loan is the appropriate treatment of secondary transfer pricing transactions in the South African context and if not, whether the other alternatives suggested by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) guidelines should be considered. The OECD suggests that a transaction should be characterised in accordance with its substance. Determination of the subjective economic substance may be established by the motives of multinational groups for setting transfer prices. Multinational groups could have various motives for setting transfer prices that deviate from the arm’s length principle, influencing the economic substance of secondary transactions. In order to determine if the treatment of a secondary transaction, as a constructive loan, would be appropriate and reflect the economic substance of adjustments arising as a result of these motives, the characteristics of each alternative were analysed. The characteristics determined for each of the alternatives were then applied to the economic substance arising from a motive, to determine the appropriateness of each of the alternatives as a secondary transaction. Based on the motives for entering into these transactions, an analysis was performed. The findings led to the conclusion that in the case of the economic substance of transactions, which give rise to transfer pricing adjustments, a constructive dividend appears to be the appropriate treatment for a secondary transaction in most circumstances, as opposed to the constructive loan currently applied by South Africa. Constructive loans or constructive equity contributions may be reflective of the economic substance in exceptional circumstances. The study makes recommendations that South Africa should consider amending the current treatment of a secondary transaction as a constructive loan, to a constructive dividend. It was also recommended that overlapping criteria in the dividend definition be eliminated and that further research should be undertaken in order to determine how the exceptional circumstances for characterisation as a constructive loan or constructive equity contribution, should be provided for in the Income Tax Act (58 of 1962). / MCom (South African and International Taxation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

On 8 June 2012, National Treasury amended Regulation 10(1) (c) of the Exchange Control Regulations to specifically include intellectual property. In so doing, all companies wishing to dispace intellectual property to an offshore destination had to obtain prior approval from National Treasury. However, National Treasury is reticent to grant permission to reassign these assets, as revenue from intellectual property is perceived to contribute vastly to the South African tax revenue. This amendment came into being shortly after the dismissal in the Oilwell case. This case, in essence, held that intellectual property is not capital for the purposes intended by National Treasury, and therefore no prior approval to assign it offshore is required from National Treasury. This dismissal led to a large outflow of intellectual property to tax favourable foreign locations. At the same time, it exposed transfer pricing risks that had previously gone unnoticed. Although these risks have once again been mitigated by the amendment to Regulation 10(1) (c), it does not mean that it is now a thing of the past, best left forgotten. The South African government intends to relax or abolish all exchange control regulations in the future. At present the exact date when this is to take place is not known. Once the exchange control regulations are abolished, the transfer pricing risks associated with intellectual property will once again come to the forefront and will lead to significant loss to South African tax revenue. The three main risks that became apparent during the period before the amendment to Regulation 10(1) (c) are the following: * Transfer pricing risk consisting of mainly: - A lack of a comparables database to enable tax administrators to determine an appropriate arm’s length price for intellectual property. - A lack of the relevant skills, experience and knowledge required to accurately assess transfer prices of intellectual property. * Challenges in obtaining relevant, comprehensive and timely information to accurately determine arm’s length prices for intellectual property transactions. * A lack of understanding the principle of economic substance and legislation in South Africa to define economic substance parameters. * In this mini-dissertation, these weaknesses are discussed in more detail to highlight to SARS the trials it faces when the exchange controls regulations are expelled. Various ways in which these flaws can be challenged head-on are also presented. / MCom (South African and International Tax), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Deviations from arm’s length prices (prices charged between independent persons) charged between connected cross-border companies are corrected by primary transfer pricing adjustments, effected by the tax authorities of a country, resulting in secondary transactions classified as constructive loans, constructive dividends or constructive equity contributions. Tax could be imposed on the secondary transaction, giving rise to a secondary adjustment. For years of assessment commencing on 1 April 2012 secondary transactions, previously regarded as constructive dividends with Secondary Tax on Companies, were amended to be treated as constructive loans with interest adjustments. The primary research problem addressed by this literature study was to establish whether the constructive loan is the appropriate treatment of secondary transfer pricing transactions in the South African context and if not, whether the other alternatives suggested by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) guidelines should be considered. The OECD suggests that a transaction should be characterised in accordance with its substance. Determination of the subjective economic substance may be established by the motives of multinational groups for setting transfer prices. Multinational groups could have various motives for setting transfer prices that deviate from the arm’s length principle, influencing the economic substance of secondary transactions. In order to determine if the treatment of a secondary transaction, as a constructive loan, would be appropriate and reflect the economic substance of adjustments arising as a result of these motives, the characteristics of each alternative were analysed. The characteristics determined for each of the alternatives were then applied to the economic substance arising from a motive, to determine the appropriateness of each of the alternatives as a secondary transaction. Based on the motives for entering into these transactions, an analysis was performed. The findings led to the conclusion that in the case of the economic substance of transactions, which give rise to transfer pricing adjustments, a constructive dividend appears to be the appropriate treatment for a secondary transaction in most circumstances, as opposed to the constructive loan currently applied by South Africa. Constructive loans or constructive equity contributions may be reflective of the economic substance in exceptional circumstances. The study makes recommendations that South Africa should consider amending the current treatment of a secondary transaction as a constructive loan, to a constructive dividend. It was also recommended that overlapping criteria in the dividend definition be eliminated and that further research should be undertaken in order to determine how the exceptional circumstances for characterisation as a constructive loan or constructive equity contribution, should be provided for in the Income Tax Act (58 of 1962). / MCom (South African and International Taxation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

On 8 June 2012, National Treasury amended Regulation 10(1) (c) of the Exchange Control Regulations to specifically include intellectual property. In so doing, all companies wishing to dispace intellectual property to an offshore destination had to obtain prior approval from National Treasury. However, National Treasury is reticent to grant permission to reassign these assets, as revenue from intellectual property is perceived to contribute vastly to the South African tax revenue. This amendment came into being shortly after the dismissal in the Oilwell case. This case, in essence, held that intellectual property is not capital for the purposes intended by National Treasury, and therefore no prior approval to assign it offshore is required from National Treasury. This dismissal led to a large outflow of intellectual property to tax favourable foreign locations. At the same time, it exposed transfer pricing risks that had previously gone unnoticed. Although these risks have once again been mitigated by the amendment to Regulation 10(1) (c), it does not mean that it is now a thing of the past, best left forgotten. The South African government intends to relax or abolish all exchange control regulations in the future. At present the exact date when this is to take place is not known. Once the exchange control regulations are abolished, the transfer pricing risks associated with intellectual property will once again come to the forefront and will lead to significant loss to South African tax revenue. The three main risks that became apparent during the period before the amendment to Regulation 10(1) (c) are the following: * Transfer pricing risk consisting of mainly: - A lack of a comparables database to enable tax administrators to determine an appropriate arm’s length price for intellectual property. - A lack of the relevant skills, experience and knowledge required to accurately assess transfer prices of intellectual property. * Challenges in obtaining relevant, comprehensive and timely information to accurately determine arm’s length prices for intellectual property transactions. * A lack of understanding the principle of economic substance and legislation in South Africa to define economic substance parameters. * In this mini-dissertation, these weaknesses are discussed in more detail to highlight to SARS the trials it faces when the exchange controls regulations are expelled. Various ways in which these flaws can be challenged head-on are also presented. / MCom (South African and International Tax), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIA) are carried out in order to determine how a project or regulation affects the economy, society and environment. Traditionally, RIAs are carried out through cost benefit assessments and by monetizing different variables in order to assist policymakers with their decision. The main disadvantage of it, is that highly relevant social and environmental factors are difficult to quantify, thus providing weak or "incomplete" support to policy-makers in their final decision and enabling long-term consequences. An option to improving RIAs, is by taking into account such factors with the introduction of Sustainable Development (SD) concerns early in the decision making process. This is a trend that has been gaining more momentum and support, especially in OECD and EU members. The shift towards the inclusion of such concerns at a regulatory and legislative level nonetheless still presents itself to be a challenge and has wide room for improvements. On this research, four different countries and the European Union are analyzed and compared, presenting their current RIA practices and how much they take into account sustainability concerns with the intent on showing where can they be improved and better included.

För att skydda stater mot treaty shopping och annat missbruk av skatteavtal, har OECD utarbetat förslag till en rad åtgärder som begränsar rätten till skatteavtalets förmåner. De viktigaste åtgärderna som föreslås är en LOB-regel, en PPT-regel samt ändringar i skatteavtalets titel och preambel som anger att skatteavtalets syfte är att hindra skatteflykt. Alla länder är överens om att vidta minst någon eller några av dessa åtgärder dvs. ändringarna i skatteavtalets titel och preambel samt antingen 1) PPT-regeln och LOB-regeln eller 2) bara PPT-regeln eller 3) bara LOB-regeln. I skrivande stund arbetar Finansdepartementet för att avgöra vilka av dessa åtgärder Sverige bör implementera. Av analysen i denna uppsats framgår det att både LOB-regeln och PPT-regeln i sina nuvarande former riskerar att brista i kraven på förutsebarhet och rättssäkerhet. Med andra ord blir det svårt för skattebetalaren att förstå villkoren i dessa regler som berättigar till skatteavtalsförmåner. LOB-regeln innehåller till stor del objektiva kriterier som skulle kunna främja förutsebarheten men regelns komplexitet, omfattning och till viss del brist på riktlinjer vad gäller tolkning och tillämpning av vissa rekvisit påverkar förutsebarheten negativt. Det kan konstateras att vissa kriterier i LOB-regeln är för restriktiva och det uppstår en risk för att skattebetalaren vägras rätten till skatteavtalets förmåner även i de situationer när denne varit i god tro och inte haft för avsikt att bedriva treaty shopping eller på annat sätt missbruka skatteavtalet.Till skillnad från LOB-regeln som innehåller en uppräkning av objektiva kriterier, är PPT-regeln en generalklausul mot skatteflykt. PPT-regeln är därför allmänt utformad och har ett brett tillämpningsområde som avser att täcka alla skatteflyktssituationer som inte kunnat förutses av lagstiftaren. I likhet med många andra generalklausuler har PPT-regeln en mer subjektiv karaktär och är vag i vissa delar vilket drabbar rättssäkerheten och förutsebarheten. Slutsatsen är att, för att motverka treaty shopping, skulle det räcka med att tydligt ange i skatteavtalet ett syfte att motverka skatteflykt och skatteundandragande. PPT-regeln är också en lämplig åtgärd mot treaty shopping under förutsättning att vissa rekvisit förtydligas och mer vägledning ges om vilka situationer som regeln avser att träffa. Detta behövs i syfte att förbättra rättssäkerheten och förutsebarheten och motverka eventuellt godtycke och missbruk. I annat fall kan ett osäkert rättsläge skapa en risk för dubbelbeskattning som kan drabba internationell handel och tillväxt. Det kan däremot vara svårt att precisera de omständigheter som ska beaktas vid en prövning enligt PPT-regeln och samtidigt behålla regelns karaktär av generalklausul.