Expert Analysis

Because tax doesn’t have to be taxing. A less-than-serious look back at some of the quirkier tax stories from the past month.

The individual interests of member states could hamper progress on the European Green Deal and EU Energy Tax Directive amendments, leaving businesses caught in the middle. Karen Möhlenkamp, Sabine Schulte-Beckhausen, and Bertil Kapff from the European Institute of Energy Technology explain.

The challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed the central importance of the tax function in large businesses and the need to maintain internal relationships, says Sandy Markwick, head of the Tax Director Network.

Liliana Piedade and João Filipe Rodrigues of Cuatrecasas argue for a substantive interpretation of Portugal’s stamp duty exemption on guarantees provided by financial institutions, credit institutions, and similar entities to counterparts of an identical nature

Amit Maheshwari and Manish Garg of AKM Global provide a guide to the UAE’s nascent regulatory framework for transfer pricing and offer strategies to ensure compliance and the maintenance of proper documentation

D’Arcy Schieman, partner, indirect tax, Deloitte Canada

Shaun Austin, Darcy Alamuddin, and Ryan McMahon of Deloitte analyse the feedback from the 2024 Deloitte transfer pricing controversy survey, highlighting key trends in the transfer pricing controversy space

Dennitsa Dimitrova of Kambourov & Partners Tax Consulting highlights a significant tax risk in M&A transactions involving telecommunications operators and suggests what steps should be taken during the due diligence process

Vrajesh Dutia and Michael Nixon of Deloitte explain the nuances of amount B as jurisdictions consider its adoption, and outline the uncertainties and challenges involved

Jeklira Tampubolon and Julius Wahyu Daryono of GNV Consulting also summarise regulations concerning customs and excise bookkeeping and an import duty exemption for goods used in government projects financed by foreign loans and/or grants

Rafał Kran and Łukasz Szatkowski of MDDP summarise a substantial revision of Poland’s real estate tax framework, with new definitions for buildings and structures, and a controversial change concerning construction equipment

Tobias Ljunggren and Jessica Silver of KPMG Sweden, who acted as counsel, analyse the implications of a court ruling clarifying that Audi’s winter testing in Sweden does not constitute a permanent establishment