The complexity of taxation exceeds all bounds when fastened to a multinational corporation (MNC). In a maze of rules that are always changing, a tax practitioner in the MNC landscape must be extremely well-informed and ready to act with sound strategic judgment. To such a practitioner, this highly informative and expert planning guide, which covers tax planning considerations in depth for U.S. companies doing business in the EU, is of immeasurable value.
Starting from the proposition that holding company regimes are generally favorable in Europe—and poised to become more so as the Societas Europaea (SE) becomes established—Professor Dorfmueller analyzes the design of tax conversion and deferral structures that are advantageous to U.S. multinationals as they pursue the following crucial objectives of tax planning:
satisfying goals, such as minimizing liability, maximizing credits, deducting expenses, and utilizing losses; using appropriate tools, such as routing of income and classification of entities; and overcoming barriers, especially those erected by the controlled foreign corporation (CFC) provisions of the U.S. tax law known as 'Subpart F.' A detailed examination of how these methodologies are best pursued under U.S. federal corporate tax law is complemented by an equally precise analysis of European company taxation, with specific tax planning techniques spelled out for Germany, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. The reader will also find many valuable suggestions on such specialized techniques as onshore pooling in the U.K., gaining access to favorable Argentine taxation via a Spanish holding company, and the potential tax ramifications of EU enlargement.
A timely book that offers sound theoretical underpinnings as well as practical guidance, Tax Planning for U.S. MNCs with EU Holding Companies more than fulfills the promise of its title. Tax and financial planning professionals will find it unmatched for the depth and clarity of its treatment of this important subject.
