International

Expert Analysis

• 2 Tax Decisions Hold Key Transfer Pricing Takeaways

  

  Richard Slowinski and Stefanie Kavanagh at Alston & Bird discuss two recent decisions in cases against the IRS — Eaton Corp. from the Sixth Circuit and Medtronic from the Tax Court — that may help clarify when the agency can cancel an advance pricing agreement, but leave unanswered questions about which pricing method applies to high-value intercompany licensing transactions.

• Digital Taxation Is Necessary, But Tough To Manage

  

  The U.S. government has started to tackle complex new tax laws as the digital economy continues to grow, but this demands guidelines that will facilitate the growth while protecting investors and the government's finances, say attorneys at Cadwalader.

• Company Considerations For Cash Award Incentives: Part 2

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Cash awards can help companies address some issues associated with equity awards to compensate employees, but due to potential downsides, they should be treated as a tool in a long-term incentive program rather than a panacea, say Denise Glagau and Kela Shang at Baker McKenzie.

• Company Considerations For Cash Award Incentives: Part 1

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Denise Glagau and Kela Shang at Baker McKenzie discuss what companies must consider when offering cash awards outside of U.S. jurisdictions, and explain how some challenges associated with equity awards may be addressed with cash awards.

• What AML Bill Could Mean For Firms, Funds And FinCEN

  

  If passed, an amendment within Congress’ annual defense bill would expand the list of institutions subject to anti-money laundering regulations, from law firms to investment funds, creating potential rulemaking and enforcement challenges for the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

• Unpacking The New Stock Buyback Tax And Its Exceptions

  

  Xenia Garofalo and Kyle Colonna at Eversheds Sutherland discuss provisions of the recently enacted tax on corporate stock repurchases, how its exceptions may be applied and what companies should consider when evaluating the cost of new or existing programs.

• Inside The OECD Transfer Pricing Documentation Guidance

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's recently modified documentation guidelines can assist tax administrations in developing requirements for transfer pricing risk assessments and evaluations, and help multinational entity taxpayers demonstrate satisfaction of the arm's-length principle, says Neil Aragones at Lexis Tax.

• A Close Look At The Decentralized Effort To Tax Digital Assets

  

  Clarity on taxation is one of the biggest hurdles to mass adoption of cryptocurrency, and although digital asset innovation has consistently outpaced worldwide government regulation, recent efforts in the U.S. and elsewhere hint at an emerging standard, says Joshua Smeltzer at Gray Reed.

• Key Takeaways From IRS Reversal On FDII Stance

  

  The Internal Revenue Service's recent memo regarding allocation of deferred compensation expenses for purposes of foreign-derived intangible income is a departure from the agency's previous position and may have implications beyond the context of deferred compensation, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

• New Tax Decree Suggests Expansion In Dutch Transfer Pricing

  

  A July 1 decree from Dutch tax authorities updating transfer pricing guidance heralds a major change in how intercompany financial transactions are considered for transfer pricing purposes and forebodes significant audit activity, say Monique van Herksen and Clive Jie-A-Joen at Simmons and Simmons.

• Is NJ's Voluntary Transfer Pricing Initiative Really Voluntary?

  

  The New Jersey Division of Taxation's voluntary transfer pricing audit initiative promises penalty abatement to taxpayers that elect to participate and agree to the division's proposed adjustments, but the effective penalties associated with nonparticipation raise questions about the program's voluntary nature, say attorneys at McDermott.

• Global Tax Chiefs Should Look To US Whistleblower Programs

  

  As the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement develops its international whistleblower program to address tax evasion and money laundering schemes in new areas like cryptocurrency, it should take lessons from highly successful U.S. programs on which features to include and pitfalls to avoid, say Neil Getnick and Nico Gurian at Getnick & Getnick.

• What Microcaptive Reporting Ruling May Mean For The IRS

  

  In CIC v. Internal Revenue Service, a Tennessee federal court’s decision to set aside an IRS requirement to disclose microcaptive insurance arrangements may be a step toward evidentiary standards to show that the potential for abuse in a lawful transaction is sufficient to support heightened disclosure requirements, says Samuel Lauricia at Weston Hurd.