Every human is born with multifarious potential. Why, then, do parents, schools and employers insist that we restrict our many talents and interests; that we 'specialise' in just one? We've been sold a myth, that to 'specialise' is the only way to pursue truth, identity, or even a livelihood. Yet specialisation is nothing but an outdated system that fosters ignorance, exploitation and disillusionment and thwarts creativity, opportunity and progress. Following a series of exchanges with the world’s greatest historians, futurists, philosophers and scientists, Waqas Ahmed has weaved together a narrative of history and a vision for the future that seeks to disrupt this prevailing system of unwarranted ‘hyper-specialisation.’ In The Polymath, Waqas shows us that there is another way of thinking and being. Through an approach that is both philosophical and practical, he sets out a cognitive journey towards reclaiming your innate polymathic state. Going further, he proposes nothing less than a cultural revolution in our education and professional structures, whereby everyone is encouraged to express themselves in multiple ways and fulfil their many-sided potential. Not only does this enhance individual fulfilment, but in doing so, facilitates a conscious and creative society that is both highly motivated and well equipped to address the complexity of 21st century challenges.
The Law of Double Taxation Conventions Cross-border activities or transactions may trigger tax liability in two or more jurisdictions. In order to mitigate the financial burden resulting from these situations, States have entered into numerous double taxation conventions, which provide for rules that allocate the taxing rights between the contracting states. This handbook aims at providing an introduction to the law of double taxation conventions. It is designed for students – irrespective of their national background, but the author believes that it will also be of great help for tax experts who wish to know more about double taxation conventions, as well as for international law experts who wish to understand more about tax law. The handbook does not consider one jurisdiction in particular but rather takes examples from a wide range of different countries and their jurisdictions. It includes an overview of the problem of double taxation, the state practice in the conclusion of double tax conventions and their effects, the interpretation of double taxation conventions and treaty abuse. Furthermore, this updated handbook takes new developments into account occurred since the last edition of the book from 2013, in particular also the changes through OECD’s BEPS project and the Multilateral Instrument. It deals with the latest versions of the OECD Model Tax Conventions on Income and on Capital and the UN Model Double Taxation Convention between Developed and Developing Countries, both published in 2017, as well as the latest version of the OECD Model Double Taxation Convention on Estates and Inheritances and on Gifts.
Judicial Interpretation of Tax Treaties is a detailed analytical guide to the interpretation of tax treaties at the national level. The book focuses on how domestic courts interpret and apply the OECD Commentary to OECD Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital. Adopting a global perspective, the book gives a systematic presentation of the main interpretive proposals put forward by the OECD Commentary, and analyses selected cases decided in domestic tax systems in order to assess whether and how such solutions are adopted through national judicial process, and indeed which of these are of most practical value. The book operates on two levels: firstly it sets out a clear and comprehensive framework of tax treaty law, which will be an important tool for any tax practitioner. Secondly, the book provides crucial guidance on issues of tax treaty law as applied at domestic level, such as investment or business income, dispute resolution and administrative cooperation.
An in-depth analysis of the specific aspects of justice, equality and tax law "Justice, Equality and Tax Law" is a topic that is both old and new at the same time. Even if the society changes, the demands that tax needs to be just and equal seem to be immutable. What changes, of course, is the perception of the content of those demands. International taxation post-BEPS has been fraught with new challenges that warranted urgent responses. These challenges were mainly provoked by the unprecedented rise of the digital economy which truly marked a change in the way business is conducted, how value is created, and how goods and services are produced and consumed. Digitalization, in turn, had repercussions on all aspects of taxation - direct taxation, indirect taxation, and even tax procedures. For instance, the quest for more justice and equality in profit taxes was the reason why, in October 2021, a historical deal based on a two-pillar solution to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalization of the economy was negotiated within the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting and agreed upon by 137 member countries. It was also the motive behind the shift from a typical vendor collection model to an intermediary collection model supported by centralized registration points in indirect taxes, notably the VAT/GST. Abundant data from the European Union or the OECD signalized an ever-increasing gap between expected VAT revenues and VAT actually collected, making it obvious that the classical system of VAT/GST collection was unable to respond to challenges posed by the digital economy. Therefore, new solutions based on the participation of digital platforms as intermediaries had been introduced. Finally, new technologies, such as blockchain, paved new avenues in enhancing tax compliance. In this context, this volume entitled "Justice, Equality, and Tax Law" contains not only a selection of the best master ́s theses of the full-time LL.M. programme in 2021/2022 but also represents an in-depth analysis of various aspects of this evergreen topic.
International Tax Law is at a turning point. Increased tax transparency, the tackling of Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), the reconstruction of the network of bilateral tax treaties, the renewed discussion about a fair and efficient allocation of taxing rights between States in a global, digitalized economy, and the bold push for minimum corporate taxation are some expressions of this shift. This new era also demonstrates the increased influence of international standard setters such as the OECD, the UN, and the EU. Each of these developments alone has the potential of being disruptive to the traditional world of international tax law, but together they have the potential to reshape the international tax system. The Oxford Handbook of International Tax Law provides a comprehensive exploration of these key issues which will shape the future of tax law. Divided into eight parts, this handbook traces the history of international tax law from its earliest days until the present, including reflections on the developments that have characterized the last one hundred years. The second section places tax law within the broader international context considering how it relates to public and private international law, as well as corporate, trade, and criminal law. Sections three and four consider key legal principles and issues such as regional tax treaty models, OECD dispute resolution, and transfer pricing versus formulary apportionment. Subsequent analysis places these issues within their European and cross-border contexts providing an assessment of the role of the ECJ, state aid, and cross-border VAT. Section seven broadens the scope of this analysis, asking how trends in recent major economies and regions have helped shape the current outlook. The final section considers emerging issues and the future of international tax law. With over sixty authors from 28 different countries, the Oxford Handbook of International Tax Law is an invaluable resource for scholars, academics, and practitioners alike.
Le site d'IBFD indique : "This thesis reveals a fundamental flaw in the OECD Model, namely that it pays no attention to the person who is liable to tax in respect of the income for which treaty benefits are claimed. This "missing keystone" causes two major problems of interpretation. One problem arises if the contracting states attribute the income to different persons; the myriad ways in which such a conflict can occur is illustrated by an extensive comparison of the domestic law of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom in this respect. This missing keystone also causes a disconnection between the two principal conditions for treaty entitlement. The treaty residence of the claimant is based on a general liability to tax in a contracting state, whereas the distributive articles focus on the ownership of the income. Interpretation problems arise if domestic law imposes a tax liability on a person who is not the owner of the income, for example under anti-avoidance legislation or a corporate group regime. In order to eliminate this fundamental flaw, the thesis proposes a "new approach" in which the criterion for treaty entitlement is liability to tax on the income, backed up by substantial connections between the income and the treaty claimant and between the treaty claimant and the residence state. The new approach is tested in various situations, many of them decided cases, and proves to give appropriate policy results while respecting the tax sovereignty of states. The thesis includes a proposal for a re-draft of the OECD Model on this basis."
Présentation de l'éditeur : "Tax Treaty Case Law around the Globe 2012 comprises the proceedings of a conference held in Tilburg, the Netherlands on 14-16 June 2012. The book provides a unique and comprehensive global overview of international tax disputes on double tax conventions, thereby filling a gap in the area of tax treaty case law. It covers the thirty-five most important tax treaty cases which were decided during the course of 2011 around the world. The systematic structure of each case allows easy and efficient comparison of the varying application and interpretation of tax treaties in different regimes. With the continuously increasing importance of tax treaties, Tax Treaty Case Law around the Globe 2012 is a valuable reference tool for anyone interested in tax treaty case law. This book is of interest to tax practitioners, multinational businesses, policymakers, tax administrators, judges and academics."
Arbitration: the solution to tackle cross-border tax disputes From the increasing integration of the world economy and the lack of rules to govern the taxation of multinational enterprises to cross-border tax disputes: arbitration is one potential solution. Arbitration is not a new development in the international tax arena, but it has not yet been widely implemented in practice. In the last few years, the concept of arbitration in tax matters was revived, mainly following the OECD/G20 BEPS Project, as well as the EU Action Plan on Corporate Taxation. Now arbitration is expected to play a more significant role and enhance the existing framework of cross-border tax dispute resolution. „OECD Arbitration in Tax Treaty Law” constitutes a comprehensive compendium on international tax arbitration and provides in-depth analysis of all relevant aspects of the topic. The introductory chapters provide background information on tax arbitration and comparisons with other areas of law. The book also takes stock of the recent developments in this area within the OECD, the EU, the UN and the United States. It addresses the main concerns that have been raised with regard to arbitration, and compares and contrasts the design of various arbitration clauses. It also considers potential future developments. This compendium on international tax arbitration shows one way how to tackle the rising tide of cross-border tax disputes.
Time is a crucial dimension in the application of any law. In tax law, however, where an environment characterized by rapid change on the national, European, and international levels complicates the provision of accurate legal advice, timing is particularly sensitive. This book is the first to analyse the relationship between time and three key areas of tax: treaties, EU law, and constitutional law issues, such as legal certainty and individual rights. Among the numerous timing issues arising out of applying tax rules, the book addresses the following: – time limits within which relief must be requested; – statutes of limitation for claiming a tax refund; – transitional issues relating to changes in tax treaties; – attribution of profits and expenses to a moving or closed-down business; – effect of tax-related CJEU decisions and EU directives; – compliance of exit tax regimes with free movement; – limits of retroactivity under principles protected by the EU Charter and the ECHR; and – conflict between efficiency of taxation and individual rights. Derived from a recent conference organized by the prestigious ATOZ Chair for European and International Taxation at the University of Luxembourg, the book brings together contributions from leading tax experts from various areas of tax practice, academia, and the judiciary. Among other issues, the book notably expands on how economic theory can inform a constitutional analysis of the timing of taxation. There is no other work that concentrates so usefully on the difficulties associated with applying tax rules – whether arising from treaties, jurisprudence, or policy – to changing circumstances over time. This book will quickly prove itself to be an indispensable resource for European tax lawyers, policymakers, company counsels, and academics.