The Council of the EU reaches a political agreement on an amended proposal for a Council Regulation that will also implement a temporary solidarity contribution
- Details
On September 30, 2022 the Council of the European Union issued a press release announcing that on September 30, 2022 the EU energy ministers reached a political agreement on a proposal for a Council Regulation to address high energy prices. The regulation introduces common measures to reduce electricity demand and to collect and redistribute the energy sector's surplus revenues to final customers (the temporary solidarity contribution). Like we did in our Article “A critical remark regarding the temporary solidarity contribution that the European Commission intends to have implemented” from September 14, 2022, in this article we will also focus on the temporary solidarity contribution.
The German Finanzgericht Münster referred a question regarding the right to claim reimbursement overpaid VAT for a preliminary ruling to the CJEU
- Details
In the Official Journal of the European Union of September 26, 2022 the truly interesting question that the Finanzgericht Münster (Germany) referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a preliminary ruling was published. The question was lodged on July 6, 2022 and regards the case C-453/22, Michael Schütte versus Finanzamt Brilon.
The Dutch Minister of Finance: “To date Hungary is still blocking a Council agreement on the proposal for an EU Directive to implement Pillar 2”
- Details
On September 23, 2022 the Dutch Minister of Finance sent a summary of discussions of the informal EUROGROUP meeting of September 9, 2022 and the informal Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Council of September 9-10, 2022 to the Dutch House of Representatives. In this article we will focus on some matters of the ECOFIN Council that the Minister discusses in her summary, because these give an interesting insight on the discussions regarding corporate income taxation in the EU.
The UK cancels its intentions to increase its Corporation Tax rate to 25%
- Details
On September 23, 2022 the UK Treasury announced that it decided to cancel the plans to increase the UK Corporation Tax rate. Under the previous government’s plans, the rate of Corporation Tax was to increase from 19% to 25% from April 2023 for firms making more than £250,000 profit, around 10% of actively trading companies.
Judgment of the CJEU in Case C-538/20, W (Déductibilité des pertes définitives d’un établissement stable non-résident) (Deductibility of permanent losses of a non-resident PE)
- Details
On September 22, 2022 on the website of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (the CJEU) in Case C-538/20, Finanzamt B versus W AG with the as intervener the Bundesministerium der Finanzen, ECLI:EU:C:2022:717, was published.
Arrest van het CJEU in zaak C-330/21, The Escape Center (Btw – Interpretatie van Artikel 98 van Richtlijn 2006/112/EG – Bijlage III, punt 14 – Begrip ‘het recht gebruik te maken van sportaccommodaties’)
- Details
Op 22 september 2022 is op de website van het Europese Hof van Justitie het arrest in zaak C-330/21, The Escape Center BVBA tegen de Belgische Staat, ECLI:EU:C:2022:719 gepubliceerd.
The Portuguese Tribunal Arbitral Tributário referred questions regarding the Portuguese additional solidarity tax for financial institutions for a preliminary ruling to the CJEU
- Details
In the Official Journal of the European Union of September 19, 2022 the questions that the Tribunal Arbitral Tributário (Centro de Arbitragem Administrativa — CAAD) (Portugal) referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a preliminary ruling were published. The questions were lodged on May 24, 2022 and regard the case Cofidis versus Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira.
What would be a suitable period for determining the normal profit when introducing a windfall tax?
- Details
As a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war oil and gas prices have risen, resulting in inflation and rising energy prices for citizens and businesses in many countries. However there are not only economic losers. Enterprises that have activities in the field of oil, gas, coal and refinery sectors benefit from the rising oil and gas prices.
Bulgaria deposited an instrument for the ratification of the Multilateral BEPS Convention
- Details
On September 16, 2022 the Republic of Bulgaria has deposited its instrument of ratification for the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (The BEPS Convention). The BEPS Convention will enter into force on January 1, 2023 for Bulgaria.
Judgment of the CJEU in case HA.EN.: “Denying the purchaser of immovable property the right to the deduct input VAT merely on the basis that he it aware that a vendor of is subject to insolvency proceedings is contrary to EU Law”
- Details
On September 15, 2022 on the website of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) the the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (the CJEU) in Case C-227/21, UAB ‘HA.EN.’ versus Valstybinė mokesčių inspekcija prie Lietuvos Respublikos finansų ministerijos, ECLI:EU:C:2022:687, was published.
The AG to the CJEU: “the provision of the regulation implementing the VAT Directive providing that an online intermediary platform is, in principle, liable to pay VAT is valid”
- Details
On September 15, 2022 on the website of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) the opinion of Advocate General Rantos in Case C-695/20, Fenix International Limited versus Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (ECLI:EU:C:2022:685), was published.
A critical remark regarding the temporary solidarity contribution that the European Commission intends to have implemented
- Details
On September 14, 2022 as follow-up to the State of the Union Address form the President of the European Commission, Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission released a Proposal for a Council Regulation on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices. The purpose of this Regulation is to establish an emergency intervention to mitigate the effects of high energy prices via exceptional, targeted and time-limited measures. These measures aim to reduce electricity consumption, to cap the market revenues that certain producers receive from the generation of electricity and redistribute them to final customers in a targeted manner, to enable Member States to apply public interventions in the price setting for the supply of electricity for households and small and medium-sized enterprises, and to establish rules for a temporary solidarity contribution for EU companies and permanent establishments with activities predominantly in the oil, gas, coal and refinery sectors to contribute to the affordability of energy for households and companies.
Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union
- Details
On September 14, 2022 the President of the European Union, Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, delivered her third State of the Union Address to the European Parliament. This State of the Union’s main themes were the Russian-Ukrainian war, the rebuilding of Ukraine and the impact the war has had on the European economy and energy markets and prices. Below we will provide some remarks Mrs. von der Leyen made in her State of the Union, that might be of special interest to tax specialists.
The OECD released 13 new stage 2 peer review monitoring reports
- Details
On September 13, 2022 the OECD published the stage 2 peer review monitoring reports of the following 13 jurisdictions:
France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands issue a Joined Statement on Pillar 2
- Details
On September 9, 2022 the Dutch Minister of Finance informed the Dutch House of Representatives that the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain and Italy issued a Joined Statement on Pillar 2.
The European Commission suggests to introduce a solidarity contribution/windfall tax for fossil fuel companies
- Details
On September 7, 2022 on the website of the European Commission a Statement by Ursula von der Leyen on energy was published. In her statement Mrs. Von der Leyen put forward a set of five different suggested immediate measures to battle the astronomic electricity prices for households and companies, and the enormous energy market volatility. Below we will focus on 2 of the suggested measures.
Opinion of the AG in Case C-707/20, Gallaher (Free movement of capital)
- Details
On September 8, 2022 on the website of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) the opinion of Advocate General Rantos in Case C-707/20, Gallaher Limited versus the Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (ECLI:EU:C:2022:654), was published.
ECOFIN meeting - Presidency Issues Note: “Harmonisation in the area of direct taxation within the EU: where do we stand and what is the most efficient way forward?”
- Details
On September 9 and September 10 an informal meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Ministers of the European Union (ECOFIN) will be held. The meeting will be chaired by the Czech Presidency. On September 6, 2019 the Dutch Minister of Finance sent some documents in this respect to the Dutch House of Representatives. One of this documents is a so-called Presidency Issues Note titled: “Harmonisation in the area of direct taxation within the EU: where do we stand and what is the most efficient way forward?”
De invoering van belastingheffing over het werkelijk behaalde rendement met vermogen wordt uitgesteld tot 2026
- Details
Bij het sluiten van de markt op 5 september 2022 heeft het Ministerie van Financiën een persbericht doen uitgaan waarin zij aangeeft dat anders dan afgesproken in het coalitieakkoord de invoering van de heffing in Box 3 van de inkomstenbelasting niet in 2025 maar pas in 2026 zal worden ingevoerd.
