Wolfgang Schön – författare

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence. It is offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. This book undertakes a fundamental review of the existing international system of taxing business profit. It steps back from the current political debates on how to combat profit shifting and how taxing rights over the profits of the digitalized economy should be allocated. Instead, it starts from first principles to ask how we should evaluate a tax on business profit—and whether there is any good rationale for such a tax in the first place. It then goes on to evaluate the existing system and a number of alternatives that have been proposed. It argues that the existing system is fundamentally flawed, and that there is a need for radical reform. The key conclusion from the analysis is that there would be significant gains from a reform that moved the system towards taxing profit in the country in which a business made its sales to third parties. That conclusion informs two proposals that are put forward in detail and evaluated: the Residual Profit Allocation by Income (RPAI) and the Destination-based Cash Flow Tax (DBCFT).The book is authored by group of economists and lawyers—the Oxford International Tax Group, chaired by Michael P. Devereux. It draws insights from both economics and law—including economic theory, empirical evidence on the impact of taxes, and an examination of practical issues of implementation—to assess the existing system and to consider fundamental reforms. This book will be useful to tax policy makers, tax professionals, academics, and anyone interested in tax policy.

This book explores the meaning and the impact of the concept of abuse of law in European taxation. Fighting abusive arrangements has gained prominence along three different dimensions: as a methodological tool to constrain access to tax benefits under EU law, as a ground of justification for disadvantageous treatment of cross-border activities and investment, and as a policy goal underlying recent EU tax legislation. The contributors to this book—leading academics and practitioners from different European countries—discuss the most burning issues concerning the prohibition of abuse in tax matters. Starting from a general clarification of notions like ‘tax avoidance’ and ‘aggressive tax planning’ and informed by a deep-diving comparative analysis of the concept of ‘abuse’, the authors examine special anti-avoidance rules both in EU legislation on indirect taxes and under the existing EU corporate tax directives. Furthermore, the authors shed a critical light on the effect of European fundamental freedoms on national anti-abuse provisions. Last but not least the impact of the recently introduced Global Minimum Tax (GloBE) on the operation of anti-abuse rules receives scrutiny. In the end, the book tries to answer whether these different fields of application are informed by a unified notion of fiscal abuse. Given the world-wide momentum behind the fight against fiscal fraud and tax avoidance, the analytical approach of this book, bringing together different strands of legislature and jurisprudence, will be of substantial value for the work of both practitioners and scholars in the field of EU taxation.

This book explores the meaning and the impact of the concept of abuse of law in European taxation. Fighting abusive arrangements has gained prominence along three different dimensions: as a methodological tool to constrain access to tax benefits under EU law, as a ground of justification for disadvantageous treatment of cross-border activities and investment, and as a policy goal underlying recent EU tax legislation. The contributors to this book—leading academics and practitioners from different European countries—discuss the most burning issues concerning the prohibition of abuse in tax matters. Starting from a general clarification of notions like ‘tax avoidance’ and ‘aggressive tax planning’ and informed by a deep-diving comparative analysis of the concept of ‘abuse’, the authors examine special anti-avoidance rules both in EU legislation on indirect taxes and under the existing EU corporate tax directives. Furthermore, the authors shed a critical light on the effect of European fundamental freedoms on national anti-abuse provisions. Last but not least the impact of the recently introduced Global Minimum Tax (GloBE) on the operation of anti-abuse rules receives scrutiny. In the end, the book tries to answer whether these different fields of application are informed by a unified notion of fiscal abuse. Given the world-wide momentum behind the fight against fiscal fraud and tax avoidance, the analytical approach of this book, bringing together different strands of legislature and jurisprudence, will be of substantial value for the work of both practitioners and scholars in the field of EU taxation.

The renowned authors of this ECFR special volume systematically develop legal standards and regulatory frameworks for closed corporations in Europe (including of course the Societas Privata Europaea), putting a strong focus on the economic practice and efficiency. The profound, in-depth analysis of the objectives and strategies comes to groundbreaking insights and also offers specific solutions for a multitude of practical aspects.

The interaction of taxation and corporate governance is a classical topic and a sta- up theme at the same time. Much has been written in the past on the influence of the tax framework on the choice of legal form for businesses and the structuring of c- pany groups and their contractual obligations. But in recent years, many other features of this relationship between two different fields of law have emerged. First of all, tax authorities around the world have become aware of the potential influence of corporate governance rules on the tax strategy of an enterprise. “Tax in the Boa- room” is a keyword for a movement which tries to employ company law and se- rities law as a tool for governments to fight corporate tax avoidance. The concept of corporate social responsibility and its repercussions in the tax arena, the allocation of tax competences within a company, the requirement to disclose relevant tax inf- mation to investors or the necessity to establish a management system for tax risks have given rise to an emerging strand of literature both from an economic and a legal background. This situation has led the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Com- tition and Tax Law (Department of Accounting and Taxation) in Munich to organize a conference on this topic – jointly with the International Network for Tax Research and the International Fiscal Association (German Branch) – in December 2006.

Preface This book contains the proceedings of the International Tax Conference on the c- th th mon consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) that was held in Berlin on 15 – 16 may 2007. The conference was jointly organised by the German Federal Ministry of Finance, the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim, and the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law, Munich. More than 250 participants from all over Europe and other regions, scholars, politicians, business people and tax administrators, discussed the Eu- pean Commission’s proposal to establish a CCCTB. Three panels of tax experts evaluated the common tax base with respect to structural elements, consolidation, allocation, international aspects and administration. The conference made clear that the CCCTB has the potential to overcome some of the most intriguing problems of corporate income taxation within the Common Market. Common tax accounting rules substantially reduce compliance and administrative costs. Consolidation of a group’s profits and losses effects cro- border loss compensation which removes a major tax obstacle for European cro- border investment. At the same time, tax planning with respect to financing and transfer pricing is pushed back within the European Union. Moreover, as far as the CCCTB applies, member states are able to remove tax provisions that are targeted at cross border tax evasion and that might be challenged by the jurisdiction of the Eu- pean Court of Justice.

Das Werk widmet sich einem zunehmend fühlbaren Konflikt unseres Unternehmensrechts. Einerseits werden Unternehmen auf der Grundlage europäischen und deutschen Rechts steigenden Publizitätspflichten unterworfen. In der Praxis werden diese Unternehmensdaten andererseits vielfach von Konkurrenten, Zulieferern oder Abnehmern genutzt, um ihre eigene Wettbewerbssituation gegenüber dem offen legenden Unternehmen zu verbessern. Das Buch analysiert die zivilrechtlichen, kartellrechtlichen, verfassungsrechtlichen und europarechtlichen Grundlagen, beschreibt die handels- und gesellschaftsrechtlichen Regelungen und schlägt vor dem Hintergrund einer ökonomischen Analyse von Offenlegungspflichten neue Regelungen vor, z. B. die weitgehende Zurückführung der Publizitätspflicht von nicht-börsennotierten Unternehmen sowie die Nutzung von Schutzklauseln bei börsennotierten Unternehmen.

Das Buch gibt einen Überblick über die Zukunftsfragen des deutschen Steuerrechts und mögliche Entwicklungslinien. Im Einzelnen werden die Zukunft des deutschen Steuerverfahrens, die Wirkung von EG-Grundrechten, Möglichkeiten zur Missbrauchsbekämpfung, Steuerwettbewerbsfragen sowie weitere verfassungs- und europarechtliche Fragen behandelt. Gegenstand ist stets die zukünftige Entwicklung sowie der Gestaltungsspielraum des deutschen Gesetzgebers mit Beispielen aus dem Umsatzsteuerrecht, Erbrecht, Verlustberücksichtigung und Sonderregelungen wie der Zinsschranke.

The interaction of taxation and corporate governance is a classical topic and a sta- up theme at the same time. Much has been written in the past on the influence of the tax framework on the choice of legal form for businesses and the structuring of c- pany groups and their contractual obligations. But in recent years, many other features of this relationship between two different fields of law have emerged. First of all, tax authorities around the world have become aware of the potential influence of corporate governance rules on the tax strategy of an enterprise. “Tax in the Boa- room” is a keyword for a movement which tries to employ company law and se- rities law as a tool for governments to fight corporate tax avoidance. The concept of corporate social responsibility and its repercussions in the tax arena, the allocation of tax competences within a company, the requirement to disclose relevant tax inf- mation to investors or the necessity to establish a management system for tax risks have given rise to an emerging strand of literature both from an economic and a legal background. This situation has led the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Com- tition and Tax Law (Department of Accounting and Taxation) in Munich to organize a conference on this topic – jointly with the International Network for Tax Research and the International Fiscal Association (German Branch) – in December 2006.

Preface This book contains the proceedings of the International Tax Conference on the c- th th mon consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) that was held in Berlin on 15 – 16 may 2007. The conference was jointly organised by the German Federal Ministry of Finance, the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim, and the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law, Munich. More than 250 participants from all over Europe and other regions, scholars, politicians, business people and tax administrators, discussed the Eu- pean Commission’s proposal to establish a CCCTB. Three panels of tax experts evaluated the common tax base with respect to structural elements, consolidation, allocation, international aspects and administration. The conference made clear that the CCCTB has the potential to overcome some of the most intriguing problems of corporate income taxation within the Common Market. Common tax accounting rules substantially reduce compliance and administrative costs. Consolidation of a group’s profits and losses effects cro- border loss compensation which removes a major tax obstacle for European cro- border investment. At the same time, tax planning with respect to financing and transfer pricing is pushed back within the European Union. Moreover, as far as the CCCTB applies, member states are able to remove tax provisions that are targeted at cross border tax evasion and that might be challenged by the jurisdiction of the Eu- pean Court of Justice.

Die inneren Konflikte der Ertragsbesteuerung finden im Unternehmenssteuerrecht ihren deutlichsten Ausdruck: das Spannungsverhältnis zwischen dem subjektiven Einkommen des Individuums und der objektiven Ertragskraft des Betriebes, der Widerspruch zwischen der zivilrechtlichen Trennung von Rechtssphären und der wirtschaftlichen Realität der Konzerne, die Bruchstellen im traditionellen Gefüge der Einkunftsarten. Im Jahre 2009 haben führende Vertreter der deutschen Steuerwissenschaft auf Einladung des Max-Planck-Instituts für Geistiges Eigentum, Wettbewerbs- und Steuerrecht in einer Vortragsreihe grundlegende Themen des Unternehmenssteuerrechts präsentiert; ihre Beiträge sind in diesem Band zusammenfasst. Sie behandeln sowohl Fragen der Rechtsformneutralität, der Ausgestaltung der Konzernbesteuerung und der unterschiedlichen Besteuerung von Kapital und Arbeit als auch die Kompatibilität der gegenwärtigen Unternehmensbesteuerung mit Grundprinzipien der Steuerordnung und ihre internationale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit.

The taxation of multinational corporate groups has become a major concern in the academic and political debate on the future of international taxation. In particular the arm’s length standard for the determination of transfer prices is under increasing pressure. Many countries and international bodies are now taking a closer look at the use of transfer prices for profit shifting and are exploring alternative mechanisms such as formulary apportionment for the allocation of taxing rights. With regard to this topic, this volume is the first to offer a concise analysis of transfer pricing in the international tax arena from an interdisciplinary legal and economic point of view. Fundamentals such as the efficient allocation of resources within multi-unit firms and distortions between different goals of transfer pricing as well as different aspects of it in tax and corporate law, the traditional OECD approach and practical aspects concerning intangibles, capital and risk allocation are covered by outstanding authors.

The contributions to this volume try to overcome the traditional approach of the judicature of the European Court of Justice regarding the application of the fundamental freedoms in direct taxation that is largely built on a non-discrimination test. In this volume, outstanding authors cover various aspects of the national and international tax order when European law meets domestic taxation. This includes testing traditional pillars of income taxation – ability-to-pay, source and residence, abuse of law, arm’s length standard – with respect to their place in the emerging European tax order as well as substantial matters of co-existence between different tax systems that are not covered by the non-discrimination approach such as mutual recognition, cross-border loss compensation or avoidance of double taxation. The overarching goal is to flesh out the extent to which a substantive “allocation of taxing powers” within the European Union is on its way to a convincing overall framework and to stretch the discussion “beyond discrimination”.

Das Werk befasst sich mit Eigenkapital und Fremdkapital in rechtsvergleichender, rechtspolitischer und interdisziplinärer Perspektive. Die Grenzziehung zwischen Gesellschaftsbeteiligung und Schuldvertrag  hat erhebliche Bedeutung für die Mitwirkungsrechte und Vermögenslage eines Investors; vor allem aber knüpft das Steuerrecht erhebliche Rechtsfolgen an die Grenzziehung zwischen Eigen- und Fremdkapital bei der Besteuerung von Personenunternehmen und Kapitalgesellschaften, aber auch bei der internationalen Zuordnung von Steuergütern. Zu diesen Themen werden umfangreiche Länderberichte präsentiert (Brasilien, Deutschland, Frankreich, Griechenland, Niederlande, Österreich, Schweiz, Vereinigtes Königreich, Vereinigte Staaten), einzelne Sachthemen behandelt (Doppelbesteuerungsrecht, Quellensteuern, Zinsschranke und Gesellschafterfremdfinanzierung) und der ökonomische Hintergrund analysiert. In einem systematischen Eingangskapitel werden rechtspolitische Grundzüge und Handlungsoptionen für den Gesetzgeber aufgezeigt.

The taxation of multinational corporate groups has become a major concern in the academic and political debate on the future of international taxation. In particular the arm’s length standard for the determination of transfer prices is under increasing pressure. Many countries and international bodies are now taking a closer look at the use of transfer prices for profit shifting and are exploring alternative mechanisms such as formulary apportionment for the allocation of taxing rights. With regard to this topic, this volume is the first to offer a concise analysis of transfer pricing in the international tax arena from an interdisciplinary legal and economic point of view. Fundamentals such as the efficient allocation of resources within multi-unit firms and distortions between different goals of transfer pricing as well as different aspects of it in tax and corporate law, the traditional OECD approach and practical aspects concerning intangibles, capital and risk allocation are covered by outstanding authors.

The contributions to this volume try to overcome the traditional approach of the judicature of the European Court of Justice regarding the application of the fundamental freedoms in direct taxation that is largely built on a non-discrimination test. In this volume, outstanding authors cover various aspects of the national and international tax order when European law meets domestic taxation. This includes testing traditional pillars of income taxation – ability-to-pay, source and residence, abuse of law, arm’s length standard – with respect to their place in the emerging European tax order as well as substantial matters of co-existence between different tax systems that are not covered by the non-discrimination approach such as mutual recognition, cross-border loss compensation or avoidance of double taxation. The overarching goal is to flesh out the extent to which a substantive “allocation of taxing powers” within the European Union is on its way to a convincing overall framework and to stretch the discussion “beyond discrimination”.

​Das deutsche Steuerrecht ist durch beständigen Wandel geprägt. Der Steuerrechtswissenschaft fällt die Aufgabe zu, sich abzeichnende Entwicklungen möglichst frühzeitig zu identifizieren und wissenschaftlich zu durchdringen. Auf Anregung des Max-Planck-Instituts für Steuerrecht und Öffentliche Finanzen haben sich bereits zum zweiten Mal führende Steuerrechtswissenschaftlern der jüngeren Generation mit von ihnen als besonders wichtig erachteten „Zukunftsfragen“ des deutschen Steuerrechts befasst. Die Bandbreite der behandelten Themen reicht von den verfassungsrechtlichen und europarechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen der Steuerrechtsordnung über das Potential der Kodifikationsidee im Steuerrecht bis hin zur Besteuerung des Finanzsektors und zur Vermeidung der Umsatzsteuerdefinitivbelastung bei Körperschaften des öffentlichen Rechts.

Das Buch befasst sich mit aktuellen und grundsätzlichen Entwicklungen zur Einwirkung des Europäischen Rechts auf die Steuerrechtsordnungen der Mitgliedstaaten. Mittels des Anwendungsvorrangs des Unionsrechts überlagert und prägt das Europäische Steuerrecht heute weite Teile der nationalen Steuergesetze. Europäische Grundrechte und Grundfreiheiten stehen dabei ebenso im Mittelpunkt dieses Buches wie die Frage nach Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Rechtsangleichung oder aktuelle Herausforderungen wie der Kampf gegen internationale Steuervermeidung. Die in diesem Buch bearbeiteten Themen reichen von aktuellen Streitfragen in der Rechtsprechung des Europäischen Gerichtshofs bis hin zu Fundamentalthemen europäischer Systembildung im Steuerrecht.

This book is a compilation of contributions exploring the impact of the European Treaty provisions regarding state aid on Member States’ legislation and administrative practice in the area of business taxation. Starting from a detailed analysis of the European Courts’ jurisprudence on Art.107 TFEU the authors lay out fundamental issues – e.g. on legal concepts like “advantage”, “selectivity” and “discrimination” – and explore current problems – in particular policy and practice regarding “harmful” tax competition within the European Union. This includes the Member States’ Code of Conduct on business taxation, the limits to anti-avoidance legislation and the options for legislation on patent boxes. The European Commission’s recent findings on preferential “rulings” are discussed as well as the general relationship between international tax law, transfer pricing standards and the European prohibition on selective fiscal aids.

Das vorliegende Werk enthält Abhandlungen führender Steuerrechtswissenschaftler der jüngeren Generation zu aktuellen Fragen des deutschen Steuerrechts. Die Aufsätze gehen auf Vorträge zurück, die im Rahmen der dritten Veranstaltungsreihe des Max-Planck-Instituts für Steuerrecht und Öffentliche Finanzen zu „Zukunftsfragen“ des deutschen Steuerrechts präsentiert worden sind. Der Inhaltsreichtum und die methodische Bandbreite der Untersuchungen zeichnen sich durch eine hohe Vielfalt aus. So reichen die behandelten Themen von der Zukunft der Zinsschranke und einer Renaissance der Soll-Ertragsbesteuerung über die Privatisierung der Steuerverwaltung sowie die Zukunft des Steuerstrafrechts bis hin zu Fragen des Insolvenzsteuerrechts und der internationalen Kapitaleinkommensbesteuerung. Bereits die Vorgängerpublikationen haben hohe Beachtung in Wissenschaft und Praxis gefunden.

This book is a compilation of contributions exploring the impact of the European Treaty provisions regarding state aid on Member States’ legislation and administrative practice in the area of business taxation. Starting from a detailed analysis of the European Courts’ jurisprudence on Art.107 TFEU the authors lay out fundamental issues – e.g. on legal concepts like “advantage”, “selectivity” and “discrimination” – and explore current problems – in particular policy and practice regarding “harmful” tax competition within the European Union. This includes the Member States’ Code of Conduct on business taxation, the limits to anti-avoidance legislation and the options for legislation on patent boxes. The European Commission’s recent findings on preferential “rulings” are discussed as well as the general relationship between international tax law, transfer pricing standards and the European prohibition on selective fiscal aids.

In diesem Band stellen führende Vertreter der Finanzgerichtsbarkeit, der Unternehmens- und der Beraterpraxis ihre Vorschläge für die Reform einzelner steuerrechtlicher Sachgebiete vor. Das Themenspektrum reicht von unternehmenssteuerrechtlichen Fragen – nach der Zukunft des Maßgeblichkeitsprinzips, der Rechtsformneutralität zwischen Personen- und Kapitalgesellschaften, den Verlustvortragsmöglichkeiten bei Kapitalgesellschaften und der Hinzurechnungsbesteuerung – über die Abgeltungssteuer bis hin zur Digitalisierung der Finanzverwaltung und der Finanzgerichtsbarkeit. Indem er eine Vielzahl konkreter Gestaltungsideen für die aktuellen Reformdiskussionen vereint, ist dieser Band für Rechtswissenschaft und Steuerpolitik gleichermaßen relevant.

Der vorliegende Band enthält Abhandlungen führender Steuerrechtswissenschaftler der jüngeren Generation zu aktuellen Fragen des deutschen, europäischen und internationalen Steuerrechts. Die Beiträge gehen auf Vorträge zurück, die im Rahmen der vierten Veranstaltungsreihe des Max-Planck-Instituts für Steuerrecht und Öffentliche Finanzen zu „Zukunftsfragen des Steuerrechts“ präsentiert worden sind. Sowohl inhaltlich wie auch methodisch sind die Beiträge vielfältig und spiegeln die große Bandbreite gegenwärtiger steuerwissenschaftlicher Forschung im deutschsprachigen Raum wider. Die behandelten Themen reichen von den Reformentwicklungen im Bereich der Personengesellschaftsbesteuerung und der steuerverfassungsrechtlichen Rechtfertigungsprüfung bei Art. 3 Abs. 1 GG über verschiedene Perspektiven auf das Leistungsfähigkeitsprinzip bis hin zu Zukunftsfragen der Ansässigkeitsbesteuerung und der Rolle von Schiedsverfahren im internationalen Steuerrecht. Bereits die Publikationen zu denbisherigen Vortragsreihen haben große Beachtung in Wissenschaft und Praxis gefunden.

Dieser Band enthält Beiträge führender Steuer-, Verfassungs- und Europarechtswissenschaftler zu aktuellen Fragen des Europäischen Steuerverfassungsrechts. Die Aufsätze beruhen auf Vorträgen, die am 20. Mai 2022 anlässlich eines Festsymposions zur Verabschiedung von Professor Dr. h.c. Rudolf Mellinghoff als Präsident des Bundesfinanzhofs vorgestellt wurden. Das Themenspektrum reicht dabei von den Kompetenzen des Europäischen Steuergesetzgebers und dem Grundrechtsschutz im Bereich des europäischen Steuerrechts bis hin zu Vorschlägen für eine stärkere demokratische Rückanbindung im Fall der Einführung europäischer Steuern sowie zu Ausführungen zum Verhältnis von Persönlichkeitsrechten und öffentlichem Informationsinteresse bei der Offenlegung von Steuerdaten. Die Beiträge nehmen neben dem geltenden Recht stets auch die Zukunft und die Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten des Europäischen Steuerverfassungsrechts in den Blick.