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Full-Text Articles in Law

International Tax Reform: Who Gets A Seat At The Table?, Assaf Harpaz Jan 2023

International Tax Reform: Who Gets A Seat At The Table?, Assaf Harpaz

Scholarly Works

The international tax framework relies on early-twentieth-century principles and favors the interests of the Global North, which created it. It bases taxing rights on a corporation’s physical presence and mostly allocates profits to the country of residence. Moreover, it has been slow to adapt to modern business practices. In the digital economy, companies shift profits with relative ease and often do not require a physical presence in the location of their consumers. International taxation needs reform, but leading proposals do not reflect meaningful input from the Global South and are unlikely to serve the needs of developing countries.

In 2021, …


The Rapidly Evolving Universe Of Us State Taxation Of Cross-Border Online Sales After South Dakota V Wayfair, Inc., And Its Implications For Australian Businesses, Walter Hellerstein Jan 2020

The Rapidly Evolving Universe Of Us State Taxation Of Cross-Border Online Sales After South Dakota V Wayfair, Inc., And Its Implications For Australian Businesses, Walter Hellerstein

Scholarly Works

The US Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. dramatically expanded the subnational states’ power to require remote suppliers to collect taxes on in-bound sales to local consumers by repudiating the pre-existing, judicially created constitutional rule limiting the states’ authority to enforce such collection obligations to those suppliers with an in-state physical presence and replacing it with a ‘nexus’ rule based on ‘economic and virtual contacts’. The state legislatures reacted quickly and almost unanimously to the Wayfair decision by adopting rules imposing sales tax collection obligations on remote suppliers whose sales exceeded specified dollar or transaction thresholds. …


The Oecd Unified Approach: Nexus, Scope, And Coexisting With Dsts, Assaf Harpaz Jan 2019

The Oecd Unified Approach: Nexus, Scope, And Coexisting With Dsts, Assaf Harpaz

Scholarly Works

This article comments on the OECD Secretariat Proposal for a “Unified Approach” under Pillar One, released October 9, 2019. The article focuses on the proposal’s scope, nexus, administration and compliance, proposed “Amount C” and compatibility with unilateral digital service taxes. The article suggests a nexus that does not consider size-limiting worldwide revenue thresholds and offers an alternative de minimis country-specific sale-based proposal. Comments on the OECD proposal were submitted by the author as part of the OECD’s public consultation process in November 2019.


Digital Taxation Lessons From Wayfair And The U.S. States’ Responses, Walter Hellerstein, Jeffrey Owens, Christina Dimitropoulou Jan 2019

Digital Taxation Lessons From Wayfair And The U.S. States’ Responses, Walter Hellerstein, Jeffrey Owens, Christina Dimitropoulou

Scholarly Works

This article provides a detailed and structured synthesis of the discussion that took place in the context of the "fireside chat" event held by the WU Global Tax Policy Center at the Institute of Austrian and International Tax Law on December 17, 2018, at which Hellerstein was the guest speaker. The event was one of the initiatives of the Digital Economy Tax Network, a multi-stakeholder forum, which organized a workshop on the VAT/goods and services tax and the digital economy December 17-18, 2018, in Vienna. In this article, the authors examine the lessons that the U.S. Supreme Court's Wayfair decision …


Reflections On The Cross-Border Tax Challenges Of The Digital Economy, Walter Hellerstein Jan 2019

Reflections On The Cross-Border Tax Challenges Of The Digital Economy, Walter Hellerstein

Scholarly Works

In this article, Hellerstein discusses common problems confronting national and subnational jurisdictions in addressing the cross-border tax challenges of the digital economy. This article is based on the author's November 21 inaugural lecture as a visiting professor at the Vienna University of Economics and Business.


An Introduction To The Oecd’S International Vat/Gst Guidelines, Walter Hellerstein Jan 2016

An Introduction To The Oecd’S International Vat/Gst Guidelines, Walter Hellerstein

Scholarly Works

U.S. tax professionals can bene/it by becoming acquainted with the OECD’s new guidelines for the design and implementation of value added tax (VAT) regimes


A Hitchhiker’S Guide To The Oecd’S International Vat/Gst Guidelines, Walter Hellerstein Jan 2016

A Hitchhiker’S Guide To The Oecd’S International Vat/Gst Guidelines, Walter Hellerstein

Scholarly Works

The OECD’s International VAT/GST Guidelines, which were released in their consolidated form at the OECD’s Global Forum on VAT in Paris in late 2015, are the culmination of nearly two decades of efforts to provide internationally accepted standards for consumption taxation of cross-border trade, particularly trade in services and intangibles. This article provides a roadmap to the Guidelines, especially for readers who may be unfamiliar with consumption tax principles, in general, or VATs in particular. Part II of the article provides the background to the Guidelines, describing the basic features of a VAT, the problems with which the Guidelines are …


Taxing Remote Sales In The Digital Age: A Global Perspective, Walter Hellerstein Jan 2016

Taxing Remote Sales In The Digital Age: A Global Perspective, Walter Hellerstein

Scholarly Works

This Article addresses three fundamental questions raised by the taxation of remote sales in the digital age from a global perspective, but focuses on the implications, if any, of the answers to these questions in the global context for the U.S. subnational retail sales tax. First, should remote sales be taxed under a consumption tax? Second, if the answer to the first question is “yes,” where should such sales be taxed? Third, how can remote sales be taxed effectively under a consumption tax in the digital age?4


Fiscal Federalism In The United States, Walter Hellerstein Nov 2011

Fiscal Federalism In The United States, Walter Hellerstein

Presentations and Speeches

This presentation explores the fiscal powers of U.S. Federal and State governments with respect to taxation and spending.


International Income Allocation In The Twenty-First Century: The Case For Formulary Apportionment, Walter Hellerstein May 2005

International Income Allocation In The Twenty-First Century: The Case For Formulary Apportionment, Walter Hellerstein

Scholarly Works

From an international perspective, formulary apportionment has traditionally been viewed as little more than transfer pricing’s “poor relation” as a division-of-income methodology. It receives only grudging recognition as a method of attributing the profits to a permanent establishment under Article 7 of the OECD Model Tax Convention; it receives no mention at all in Article 9 as a method for distributing the profits of associated enterprises among the contracting states in which they conduct their activities; and it was assailed by the international business community and by the EU Member States as out of step with internationally excepted norms in …


The Challenges Of Tax Collection In Developing Economies (With Special Reference To India), Pramod K. Rai Aug 2004

The Challenges Of Tax Collection In Developing Economies (With Special Reference To India), Pramod K. Rai

LLM Theses and Essays

This paper gives an overview of the Indian tax system and discusses the challenges in tax collection faced by developing economies using India as a model. The paper discusses the ways and means to reduce the black economy and to improve tax compliance for better collection of revenue. The paper further proposes the establishment of a dispute resolution system in developing economies similar to that of the United States for speedy and fair settlement of taxation disputes.


The European Commission’S Report On Company Income Taxation: What The Eu Can Learn From The Experience Of The Us States, Walter Hellerstein Mar 2004

The European Commission’S Report On Company Income Taxation: What The Eu Can Learn From The Experience Of The Us States, Walter Hellerstein

Scholarly Works

The European Union Commission has proposed using consolidated base taxation and formulary apportionment to tax the EU-source income of multinational companies. This paper examines US state experience with a similar approach. Despite some positive lessons, especially the need to consolidate income of affiliated companies, lessons are mostly negative, especially regarding the choice of apportionment formula, the use of economic criteria to define the group whose income is to be consolidated, and complexity caused by lack of uniformity. US experience says nothing about using value added to apportion income—an approach that is conceptually attractive, but subject to transfer pricing problems.


Transfer Pricing, Anders Leif Allvin Jan 1999

Transfer Pricing, Anders Leif Allvin

LLM Theses and Essays

Transfer pricing is one of the principal international taxation issues of the 1990s and potentially of future decades as well. For corporate enterprises, it can be difficult enough to do business in just one country, but it gets even more complex when they go international. The growth of multinational enterprises (MNEs) creates complex taxation issues for both the tax administrations as well for the MNE. Transfer pricing concerns allocation of income earned within affiliated corporate groups in different countries, which must satisfy tax authorities that they are not evading taxes through the use of transfer pricing. The main problem with …


Debt Instruments' Tax Treatment In Corporate Mergers And Acquisitions, Tae Oon Jang Jan 1998

Debt Instruments' Tax Treatment In Corporate Mergers And Acquisitions, Tae Oon Jang

LLM Theses and Essays

The increase of merger and acquisition(M&A) activity since 1992 has resulted mainly from a domestic economic recovery. The current M&A trend shows that M&A is still an important means of enhancing many corporations' competitive power and of stimulating growth in such areas as computer software and services, wholesale and distribution, miscellaneous services, banking and finance, and leisure and entertainment. Fundraising for mezzanine-fund financing, which reflects investors' foresight about current and future M&A trends, has also seen rapid growth. After the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and the repeal of the General Utilities doctrine, the elimination of the capital gain preference …


Dumping And Anti-Dumping In International Trade Origins, Legal Nature, And Evolution Developments In Brazil And In The United States, Luiz Claudio Duarte Jan 1997

Dumping And Anti-Dumping In International Trade Origins, Legal Nature, And Evolution Developments In Brazil And In The United States, Luiz Claudio Duarte

LLM Theses and Essays

Dumping is when an exporting country sells their goods in the foreign market for less than the price of the goods in their own domestic market. Dumping has a negative connotation because it threatens domestic industries in the importing country. In response to harmful dumping situations, mechanisms of defense have been developed to protect nations from unfair trade practices. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) recognizes in Article VI anti-dumping tariffs as a legitimate defense to protect domestic industries from foreign predatory pricing practices. This paper focuses on anti-dumping developments in international trade since the beginning of the …


Double Taxation - Treatment Of Corporate Earnings Under American And German Law, Roland Schmidt Jan 1997

Double Taxation - Treatment Of Corporate Earnings Under American And German Law, Roland Schmidt

LLM Theses and Essays

This thesis is going to describe the different ways the United States and Germany deal with the problem of double taxation in the legal context of corporate distributions to its shareholders in the form of dividends. Tax law is particularly one of the areas of laws that are subject to frequent and often substantial changes. This is true for the German as well as for the U.S. tax laws. Since some of the issues being discussed in the United States today in connection with the corporate tax law are similar if not identical to the issues discussed in Germany before …


An Analysis Of The Nature And Impact Of Legal Complexities Facing United States Corporations Considering Investment Into The New South Africa, Philip R. Mcdougall Jan 1996

An Analysis Of The Nature And Impact Of Legal Complexities Facing United States Corporations Considering Investment Into The New South Africa, Philip R. Mcdougall

LLM Theses and Essays

Due to sanctions imposed against South Africa’s Apartheid government, the South African economy suffered as little international investment was made in the country. With these sanctions lifted following the democratic elections of 1994, South Africa is now an alluring country for international investment. Despite this attractiveness, U.S. corporations face many legal concerns before entering the South African economy. An analysis of these issues is made in the context of American and South African law with solutions proposed in an effort to avoid deterring foreign investment. These concerns include political and non-economic risks that often hinder investment in the African continent, …


Fiscal Policy Impacts On Foreign Direct Investments In The United States, Gerd Braunig Jan 1987

Fiscal Policy Impacts On Foreign Direct Investments In The United States, Gerd Braunig

LLM Theses and Essays

Foreign direct investments in the United States have increased significantly over the last several years. Although not a new

phenomenon the acceleration of the growth is noteworthy. In 1980 foreign investors spent $11 billion to acquire or establish businesses

in the United States, which increased the foreign direct investment position at the end of the year to 20% or $65 billion. Though the 1980 increase was less than the $12 billion inflow the foreign investment position remains significant. Moreover, there is an increased rate of reinvested earnings by incorporated affiliates.

This thesis concentrates on the influence of

fiscal policy on …


The Foreign Direct Investment Controls, Ruey-Fen Sung Jan 1986

The Foreign Direct Investment Controls, Ruey-Fen Sung

LLM Theses and Essays

Foreign direct investment is the primary engine of economic development. The factors influencing a country's governmental policy of foreign direct investment at an international level constitute a wide and complex subject. This subject in my country,Taiwan, Republic of China, has been receiving increasing attention, for we now face the problems of balance of payments deficits, how to strengthen the N.T. dollar and improve the functions of foreign direct investment etc. In early 1970, the United States had problems similar to those which my country faces now; therefore, I will examine the "Foreign Direct Investment Regulations" (FDIR) of U.S. enacted in …


The Impact Of The "Foreign Investment In Real Property Tax Act Of 1980" On International Tax Treaties, Karin E. Landmann Jan 1983

The Impact Of The "Foreign Investment In Real Property Tax Act Of 1980" On International Tax Treaties, Karin E. Landmann

LLM Theses and Essays

This thesis will focus on the problem of inconsistency between the new Act and contradictory treaty provisions in treaties with the Tax Haven Countries and Scandinavian Countries and seek possible solutions for such conflicts.


Taxation Aspects Of Foreign Investments In India, Udai V. Singh Jan 1980

Taxation Aspects Of Foreign Investments In India, Udai V. Singh

LLM Theses and Essays

This paper will outline, discuss and suggest changes in various provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961, applying to foreign investments. Chapter II of this paper explores the general underlying principles of the Indian tax system. Chapter III discusses the tax liability of foreign personnel in India and special tax incentives granted to foreign technicians. Chapter IV discusses the system of corporate taxation or “resident” and non-resident” companies and tax liability of foreign collaborators. Special attention is paid to the liability arising out of various trading activities of non-resident companies in India and many problems of judicial determination relating to …