VAT and Other Indirect Taxes

Short Reads - The global debate on alleged aggressive international tax planning initiated by the G20/OECD and the EU, is an important driver of the current developments in the field of international taxation. The following is a high level summary of certain developments relevant for the Netherlands:

Short Reads - On Friday 29 June 2018, the Dutch government made public its intention to abolish article 29a Dutch corporate income tax act ('DCITA'), per 1 January 2019. As a result of the abolishment of this provision, coupon payments on so-called additional-tier 1 ('AT-1') capital instruments made by banks and insurance companies will no longer be tax deductible. The amendment of the DCITA, which is aimed to be included in the tax package for 2019, will apply to coupon payments made after 1 January 2019, irrespective whether it concerns new or already existing AT-1 instruments.  

Articles - We reported before [1] on the consensus of the Belgian Federal Government to introduce an option to make the leasing of immovable property between professionals subject to VAT. This initiative was aborted due to budgetary constraints, but the Government has now agreed to reactivate it: this option to tax will be introduced as of 1 October 2018.

Short Reads - In this Tax Alert we will address the anxiously awaited ruling of the European Court of Justice ("ECJ") on the joined cases C-398/16 and C-399/16. This judgement deals with the question whether EU law obliges the Netherlands to let taxpayers cherry pick benefits from the fiscal unity regime. We also mention the announcement of the Dutch Ministry of Finance to improve the rules for obtaining tax rulings in the Netherlands.

Articles - Er staan nog de nodige wijzigingen in het internationale fiscale landschap op de agenda:

Articles - Het begrip duurzaamheid is al lange tijd niet meer weg te denken uit de board room van menig onderneming. Het begrip fiscaliteit wint daarentegen ook steeds meer terrein.

Short Reads - Further to the policy plans published by the Dutch government in October 2017, the Dutch State Secretary of Finance published on February 23, 2018 a Letter (the "Letter") containing further details on certain aspects of the Dutch government's two way approach of enhancing the investment climate in the Netherlands.

Short Reads - Minister Koolmees van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid en staatssecretaris Snel van Financiën stuurden vrijdag 9 februari jl. de aangekondigde brief aan de Tweede Kamer met daarin een schets hoe het kabinet denkt te komen tot wetgeving die de Wet Deregulering Beoordeling Arbeidsrelaties (Wet DBA) zal vervangen.