This paper examines the relevance of tax havens for China by determining which tax havens are important for China and to what extent. Furthermore, the motives for Chinese tax haven activity are analysed and compared to the motives of Western companies that primarily use tax havens for the purpose of tax arbitrage. An analysis of two listed Chinese companies, a private and a state-owned entity (SOE), exemplifies how Chinese businesses incorporate tax havens into their business structure and discusses differences between the motives of private and state-owned companies. The magnitude of tax havens found in the business structures emphasise the importance of tax havens for Chinese companies, irrespective of whether the company is an SOE or private, or conducts its business in China or internationally. While the reasons why the state-influenced company incorporated tax havens into their structure seemed to be related to legitimate business motives, the motives behind the structure of the private company seemed questionable. The assessment furthermore confirms that China’s weak institutional framework and restricting business environment is a major push factor and gives companies plenty of incentive to go offshore. / Die Relevanz von Steueroasen für China

Lewellen ¡]1971¡^ proposed merge and acquisition ¡]M&A¡^ activity will change the tax incentives when one enterprise reorganizes its capital structure. In 1986, the empirical evidences provided by Gilson ¡]1992¡^ proved that the Tax Reform Act in U.S. was not only a critical tax incentive in M&A activities but also a superior synergy to the firms. Besides, in Lewellen¡¦s assumption, the alterations of enterprise¡¦s capital structures are the crucial elements of its tax burden, not the tax law itself. That¡¦s why accounting principle cannot be omitted in the research of capital structure. The Financial Supervisory Commission announced Taiwan will apply International Financial Report Standard ¡]IFRS¡^ in 2013. Thus, the tax issues in M&A activities will be vital for the firms due to the upcoming revolution of accounting principle in Taiwan. This document will list the tax incentives and risks after the implementation of IFRS in M&A activities. The tax incentives will not be the major motives in M&A transactions after the implementation of IFRS. If one enterprise actively manipulates the M&A activity for the tax benefits after the implementation of IFRS, the radical transaction will draw the National Tax Administration¡¦s attention and lose the goal of achieving better synergy after the M&A. Generally speaking, tax risks should be the dominant issues in M&A activities rather than the tax incentives. Due to the complicity of the tax law, identification of tax risks will be the most difficult part in the risk management process. This research will propose the concept of the Tax Risk Matrix as an instrument to identify the tax risk. The matrix is composed with the nationality of enterprise, types of transactions and taxation. For example, once the nationality of enterprise and types of transactions are determined, using this matrix can assist the management concerned to identify what kinds of tax risks they might confront. When the risks are anticipated, this research also comes up with a standard operation process for those enterprises involved in M&A as a tool to control the tax risks. For those complex and extensively different tax issues in the M&A transaction, the systematic methods proposed can decrease the tax risks for the firms. Moreover, the firms and the experts interested in M&A can also develop the best practical solutions with this process and bring up more propositions to the unreasonable and ambiguous articles in the tax law nowadays. In conclusion, the tax law should play a neutral role in the M&A activities not the favorable motives.

Submitted by Lira Rocha da Mota (lrmota@fgvmail.br) on 2014-04-11T16:09:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao.pdf: 1327836 bytes, checksum: d45aace450f509fb8a98c97ff86e3225 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ÁUREA CORRÊA DA FONSECA CORRÊA DA FONSECA (aurea.fonseca@fgv.br) on 2014-04-25T19:49:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao.pdf: 1327836 bytes, checksum: d45aace450f509fb8a98c97ff86e3225 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2014-05-08T13:41:20Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao.pdf: 1327836 bytes, checksum: d45aace450f509fb8a98c97ff86e3225 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-08T13:41:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao.pdf: 1327836 bytes, checksum: d45aace450f509fb8a98c97ff86e3225 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-23 / We report the results of an exploratory data analysis of the Brazilian securities lending market. The analysis is performed over the full historical data set of each individual loan offer and loan contract negotiated between January 2007 and August 2013. We give a quantitative description of volume and loan fee trends and fee dependence on asset characteristics. We also unveil new stylized facts specific to the Brazilian market on market access asymmetries between different types of investors. The emerging picture is that the Brazilian securities lending market is a complex environment with specific frictions and strong asymmetries among players. In particular, we describe a tax arbitrage operation performed by domestic mutual funds which generates a significant distortion in the data. In one such event, we estimate additional aggregate profits of 24.25 million Reais (around 10 million Dollars).

Internationella företag kan idag utsättas för många olika typer av risker i sin verksamhet.Dessa risker kan bland annat kopplas till valutor, räntor samt råvarupriser. I syfte att reduceradessa risker används finansiella instrument som idag behandlas i den internationellaredovisningsstandarden IAS 39 Finansiella instrument, Redovisning och värdering. När ettfinansiellt instrument används i säkringssyfte benämns det säkringsinstrument, och dess värdeförväntas utvecklas i motsatt riktning i förhållande till den post som säkras. För att uppnåmatchning mellan dessa komponenter i redovisningen används säkringsredovisning. Ävensäkringsredovisning behandlas i IAS 39 och sedan denna standard togs i bruk har den fåttmycket kritik för att vara alltför komplex och svår att tillämpa i praktiken. Komplexiteten kanbland annat härledas till de valmöjligheter som standarden erbjuder. I tillägg till detta ärsäkringsredovisning frivilligt att tillämpa och kan dessutom avbrytas.Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur tillämpningen av dagens redovisningsmässiga ochskattemässiga regler kring säkringsredovisning påverkar företag, staten samt aktieägare.Vidare ämnar vi undersöka vilka konsekvenser som uppkommer till följd av hur regler kringsäkringsredovisning tillämpas i praktiken. Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär och består att tretypfall som konstruerats för att visa på hur utvalda intressenter påverkas av dagens regleringarsamt de redovisningsmässiga och skattemässiga problem som kan uppkomma vid tillämpningav säkringsredovisning.Studien visar att kritiken som riktats mot IAS 39 är berättigad. När beskattning avsäkringsarrangemang tas i beaktning träder en ny dimension av komplexitet in i bilden. Dettakan förklaras genom att svenska beskattningsregler och IFRS standarder inte förespråkarsamma värdering av finansiella instrument. Trots att RFR 2 träder in för att reducera dessaskillnader kvarstår det faktum att säkringsredovisning inte fungerar optimalt för ickefinansiellaföretag. Studien visar också att de valmöjligheter som säkringsredovisninginnefattar mer eller mindre påverkar företags intressenter. Företagens beslut gällande omsäkringsredovisning bör tillämpas i företaget eller inte påverkar dess finansiella rapportervilket i förlängning kan inverka på intressenters investeringsbeslut. Valmöjligheterna influeraräven företags beskattning, då de kan ge upphov till arbitragesituationer samt minskade ellermer ojämna skatteinbetalningar.Vår slutsats är att redovisningen och beskattningen av finansiella instrument är så passkomplex att dagens regleringar bör ses över för att uppnå en bättre matchning mellan dessatvå komponenter. / International companies are today exposed to several risks regarding their operations. Theserisks are related to exchange rates, interests rates and commodity prices. In order to reducethese risks companies use financial instruments. Financial instruments are today treated in theInternational Accounting Standard IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition andMeasurement. When financial instruments are used for hedging purposes they are titledhedging instruments, whose changes in value are expected to develop in the opposite directionin relation to the hedged item. In order to achieve a match between these components in thefinancial statements hedge accounting is used. Hedge accounting is treated in IAS 39 andsince this standard was first introduced it has been criticized for being too complex anddifficult to apply in practise. The complexity can be traced to the options the standard offers.In addition to this, hedge accounting is optional and can also be interrupted.The purpose of this study is to examine in what way the application of current accountingrules and Swedish tax rules regarding hedge accounting affect companies, the Swedishgovernment and shareholders. Furthermore, we intend to examine the consequences that ariseas a result of applying hedge accounting in practice. The study is qualitative in nature andcontains three scenarios designed to show how selected stakeholders are affected by thecurrent regulations. The study will also show the accounting and tax implications that mayarise when hedge accounting is applied.The study shows that the criticism levelled against IAS 39 are eligible. When taxation ofhedging arrangements is taken into consideration a new dimension of complexity arises. Thiscan be explained by the fact that Swedish tax rules and IFRS standards do not advocate thesame valuation of financial instruments. Although RFR 2 is applied in order to reduce thesedifferences, the fact remains that hedge accounting is not functioning optimally for nonfinancialcompanies. This study also shows that the options hedge accounting offers havemore or less impact on the stakeholders of the entity. Corporate decisions on whether hedgeaccounting should be applied or not do affect the financial reports of the company, which inextension may influence stakeholders´ investment decisions. The options regarding hedgeaccounting also influence corporate taxation, as they may give rise to arbitrage situations aswell as reduced or more irregular tax payments.The conclusion of this study is that the accounting and tax treatment of financial instrumentsis too complex and current regulations should therefore be reviewed in order to achieve abetter match between these two components.This paper is hereinafter written in Swedish.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) under Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action 2 indicated that tax arbitrage via hybrid mismatch arrangements "result in a substantial erosion of the taxable bases of the countries concerned" and "have an overall negative impact on competition, efficiency, transparency and fairness." The relevant action allowing for neutralising the effects of hybrid mismatch arrangements is therefore needed and justified. To achieve that purpose, the OECD developed different anti-hybrid rules under BEPS Action 2. In that regard, however, one may ask whether addressing tax arbitrage via hybrid mismatches as proposed by the OECD is of interest and relevance for developing countries. This paper aims to map that unexplored research area by means of a comparative analysis in four developing countries - Uruguay, Colombia, Brazil, and South Africa. / Series: WU International Taxation Research Paper Series

O fenômeno da globalização teve o condão de aproximar os diversos povos, cada um com seus interesses e culturas próprios. A existência de um consenso internacional na definição de princípios a serem seguidos quando das relações externas não consegue impedir, contudo, o surgimento de possíveis conflitos e divergências, tendo em vista a pluralidade cultural das diversas nações mundiais, fato que induziu a sociedade internacional a desenvolver meios que pudessem dirimir pacificamente as controvérsias, porventura, surgidas entre elas. A adoção dos meios para solução pacífica dos conflitos internacionais encontra-se incentivada pela Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil (art. 4., incisos VI e VII) e sua utilização não importa qualquer renúncia ao exercício da soberania, nem tampouco à imunidade de jurisdição. Para que se tenha uma eficácia maior da submissão dos conflitos surgidos no âmbito externo aos meios admitidos para resolvê-los, é importante que os países envolvidos no litígio possuam orientação interna no sentido de privilegiar o Direito Internacional frente à sua legislação infraconstitucional doméstica. A eventual primazia do direito interno pode resultar na inocuidade da adoção dos meios pacíficos de solução de controvérsias internacionais, uma vez que as autoridades dos países litigantes poderão se esquivar do cumprimento do acordo ou decisão alegando uma possível contrariedade com os ditames legais domésticos. Nesse contexto, a seara tributária tem despertado constantes divergências internacionais. As diferentes interpretações conferidas pelas diversas nações, dentre elas o Brasil, quando da aplicação dos tratados por elas firmados e que tenham vertente fiscal, em especial aqueles que visam evitar a dupla imposição fiscal da renda, ou garantir o livre trânsito de bens, pessoas e serviços, acaba trazendo grande insegurança àqueles investidores que possuem operações conectadas a dois ou mais sistemas tributários diferentes. Assim, ganham cada vez mais corpo, os debates em torno da extensão dos mecanismos pacíficos para resolução de divergências, também ao âmbito de aplicação de todo e qualquer tratado que verse sobre a matéria tributária. Tal fato propicia a busca de uma possível uniformização dos métodos hermenêuticos aplicáveis àqueles fatos geradores tributáveis que se encontrem vinculados a dois ou mais entes soberanos. É nesse contexto que se apresenta o presente estudo, o qual aborda a possibilidade de a República Federativa do Brasil submeter ao procedimento arbitral aquelas controvérsias de cunho tributário que eventualmente decorram da interpretação divergente das convenções internacionais das quais seja parte e que tratem de matéria fiscal. / The phenomenon of globalization had the power to bring together different peoples, each with their own interests and cultures. However, in view of the cultural diversity of different peoples around the world, the existence of an international consensus in establishing the principles to be followed when external relations are formed cannot prevent the emergence of external conflicts and disagreements. This led the international society to develop mechanisms that could peacefully settle the controversies that may eventually arise. The adoption of such mechanisms is encouraged by the Brazilian Constitution, whose article 4, sections VI and VII, advocates the pursuit of peace and peaceful settlement of disputes. Its use does not lead to the renunciation of the exercise of sovereignty nor to the immunity of jurisdiction. Meanwhile, in order to achieve greater efficacy in the submission of disputes arising outside of the means allowed to solve them, it is important that countries involved in the disputes have consolidated internal orientation towards favouring international law over their domestic infra-constitutional legislation. The primacy of the domestic law may result in the ineffectiveness of adopting peaceful means for solving international controversies since authorities of the countries engaged in the dispute may avoid compliance with the agreement or decision on the grounds of some contradiction with the domestic law procedures. In this context, the taxation arena has been constantly attracting international disagreement. The different interpretations conferred by various nations, including Brazil, in applying taxation-related treaties signed by themselves, particularly those attempting to avoid double income taxation or to guarantee the free flow of goods, people and services, bring a high level of insecurity to investors possessing operations connected to two or more distinct tax systems. As a result, the debates regarding the extension of the peaceful mechanisms to the solution of divergences take shape, including those related to the application of any treaty which speaks to the subject of taxation. This favors the search for the standardization of the hermeneutical methods applicable to those tax events which are linked to two or more sovereign entities. This is the context surrounding the current study, which addresses the possibility of the Federative Republic of Brazil to refer tax-related disputes, caused by divergent interpretation of the international conventions of which it is a member, to the arbitral proceedings.

O fenômeno da globalização teve o condão de aproximar os diversos povos, cada um com seus interesses e culturas próprios. A existência de um consenso internacional na definição de princípios a serem seguidos quando das relações externas não consegue impedir, contudo, o surgimento de possíveis conflitos e divergências, tendo em vista a pluralidade cultural das diversas nações mundiais, fato que induziu a sociedade internacional a desenvolver meios que pudessem dirimir pacificamente as controvérsias, porventura, surgidas entre elas. A adoção dos meios para solução pacífica dos conflitos internacionais encontra-se incentivada pela Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil (art. 4., incisos VI e VII) e sua utilização não importa qualquer renúncia ao exercício da soberania, nem tampouco à imunidade de jurisdição. Para que se tenha uma eficácia maior da submissão dos conflitos surgidos no âmbito externo aos meios admitidos para resolvê-los, é importante que os países envolvidos no litígio possuam orientação interna no sentido de privilegiar o Direito Internacional frente à sua legislação infraconstitucional doméstica. A eventual primazia do direito interno pode resultar na inocuidade da adoção dos meios pacíficos de solução de controvérsias internacionais, uma vez que as autoridades dos países litigantes poderão se esquivar do cumprimento do acordo ou decisão alegando uma possível contrariedade com os ditames legais domésticos. Nesse contexto, a seara tributária tem despertado constantes divergências internacionais. As diferentes interpretações conferidas pelas diversas nações, dentre elas o Brasil, quando da aplicação dos tratados por elas firmados e que tenham vertente fiscal, em especial aqueles que visam evitar a dupla imposição fiscal da renda, ou garantir o livre trânsito de bens, pessoas e serviços, acaba trazendo grande insegurança àqueles investidores que possuem operações conectadas a dois ou mais sistemas tributários diferentes. Assim, ganham cada vez mais corpo, os debates em torno da extensão dos mecanismos pacíficos para resolução de divergências, também ao âmbito de aplicação de todo e qualquer tratado que verse sobre a matéria tributária. Tal fato propicia a busca de uma possível uniformização dos métodos hermenêuticos aplicáveis àqueles fatos geradores tributáveis que se encontrem vinculados a dois ou mais entes soberanos. É nesse contexto que se apresenta o presente estudo, o qual aborda a possibilidade de a República Federativa do Brasil submeter ao procedimento arbitral aquelas controvérsias de cunho tributário que eventualmente decorram da interpretação divergente das convenções internacionais das quais seja parte e que tratem de matéria fiscal. / The phenomenon of globalization had the power to bring together different peoples, each with their own interests and cultures. However, in view of the cultural diversity of different peoples around the world, the existence of an international consensus in establishing the principles to be followed when external relations are formed cannot prevent the emergence of external conflicts and disagreements. This led the international society to develop mechanisms that could peacefully settle the controversies that may eventually arise. The adoption of such mechanisms is encouraged by the Brazilian Constitution, whose article 4, sections VI and VII, advocates the pursuit of peace and peaceful settlement of disputes. Its use does not lead to the renunciation of the exercise of sovereignty nor to the immunity of jurisdiction. Meanwhile, in order to achieve greater efficacy in the submission of disputes arising outside of the means allowed to solve them, it is important that countries involved in the disputes have consolidated internal orientation towards favouring international law over their domestic infra-constitutional legislation. The primacy of the domestic law may result in the ineffectiveness of adopting peaceful means for solving international controversies since authorities of the countries engaged in the dispute may avoid compliance with the agreement or decision on the grounds of some contradiction with the domestic law procedures. In this context, the taxation arena has been constantly attracting international disagreement. The different interpretations conferred by various nations, including Brazil, in applying taxation-related treaties signed by themselves, particularly those attempting to avoid double income taxation or to guarantee the free flow of goods, people and services, bring a high level of insecurity to investors possessing operations connected to two or more distinct tax systems. As a result, the debates regarding the extension of the peaceful mechanisms to the solution of divergences take shape, including those related to the application of any treaty which speaks to the subject of taxation. This favors the search for the standardization of the hermeneutical methods applicable to those tax events which are linked to two or more sovereign entities. This is the context surrounding the current study, which addresses the possibility of the Federative Republic of Brazil to refer tax-related disputes, caused by divergent interpretation of the international conventions of which it is a member, to the arbitral proceedings.