The impact of business restructuring on transfer prices and related tax and legal regulation in selected countries

Področje transfernih cen postaja čedalje pomembnejše tako z vidika mednarodnih skupin družb, ki na nivoju skupine poskušajo doseči čim nižjo davčno obremenitev, kot tudi z vidika davčnih uprav, ki stremijo k ohranjanju davčnih prihodkov in s tem k preprečevanju zmanjševanja dobičkov v posamezni državi. Bistvo transfernih cen je, da je z njimi mogoče vplivati na prenos dobička med družbami, ki pripadajo isti skupini povezanih družb v različnih državah. Zaradi navedenega v davčni zakonodaji vsesplošno velja, da morajo vse transakcije med povezanimi osebami potekati na način in skladno s pogoji, kot bi se zanje v primerljivih okoliščinah dogovorile nepovezane osebe, tj. skladno s tržnim načelom. Aktualno problematiko s področja transfernih cen predstavlja prestrukturiranje poslovanja, ki je zajeto v IX. poglavju Smernic OECD za določanje transfernih cen za mednarodna podjetja in davčne uprave. Prestrukturiranje poslovanja v smislu Smernic OCED lahko pomeni spremembo poslovnega modela (primeroma iz tradicionalnega proizvajalca/distributerja v pogodbenega proizvajalca/distributerja), prenos sredstev (predvsem neopredmetenih) ali dejavnosti družbe, prekinitev ali pomembno spremembo obstoječih pogodb. Prestrukturiranje poslovanja privede do sprememb v opravljenih funkcijah, prevzetih tveganjih in vloženih sredstvih in s tem do spremembe potenciala za doseganje dobička, kar posledično privede do vprašanja, ali je prestrukturirana družba upravičena do prejema nadomestila zaradi izpada bodočih dobičkov oziroma do nerealiziranih kapitalskih dobičkov (skrite rezerve) in posledično država rezidentstva prestrukturirane družbe do davka od prejetega nadomestila oziroma nerealiziranih kapitalskih dobičkov. Smernice OECD ne določajo časovnega trenutka plačila davka zaradi prestrukturiranja, zato se družbe in davčne uprave lahko navežejo na obstoječo sodno prakso. Na podlagi sodb Sodišča EU se mora davčnemu zavezancu omogočiti možnost takojšnjega plačila davka zaradi prestrukturiranja ali odlog plačila do dejanske realizacije kapitalskih dobičkov oziroma se davek od nerealiziranih kapitalskih dobičkov zahteva že pred dejansko realizacijo v petletnem oziroma desetletnem časovnem intervalu. Področje prestrukturiranja poslovanja v analiziranih državah, tj. Slovenija, Nemčija, Velika Britanija, Nizozemska in Avstrija, ni enotno urejeno. Največ zakonodajnih določb s tega področja vsebuje nemška zakonodaja, ostale države pa imajo področje prestrukturiranja poslovanja, kot ga obravnavajo Smernice OECD, različno implementirano v nacionalnih zakonodajah. Pričakovati je, da se bo praksa na tem področju še razvijala in davčna obravnava harmonizirala, tudi zaradi izdanih ukrepov v okviru OECD projekta BEPS, katerega namen je omejiti erozijo davčnih osnov in prenosov dobičkov med državami.Transfer pricing is becoming increasingly important from the point of view of multinational companies, which seek to achieve the lowest tax burden at the group level, and tax administrations, which strive to keep the level of taxable revenues and thus, to prevent the profit shifting to another country. Transfer pricing facilitate the transfer of profit between the related companies that are part of the same multinational group of companies. Hence, in general all transactions between related parties has to be performed in a way and under the conditions that would be agreed between non-related companies in comparable circumstances, i.e. in line with the arm’s length principle. Business restructurings represent the current issue in the transfer pricing field, which is covered in chapter IX. of OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Tax Administrations (hereinafter OECD Guidelines). Business restructuring within the meaning of OECD Guidelines means the change of business model (for example from fully-fledged manufacturer/distributor to contract manufacturer/distributor), transfer of assets (especially intangible assets) or activity, termination or substantial renegotiation of existing arrangements. The consequence of business restructuring is reallocation of functions, risks and assets, which all affects the profit potential. From this reason it has to be determined whether the restructured company is or should be entitled to receive the compensation for the restructuring respectively whether the restructured company is entitled to book the unrealized capital gains (hidden reserves). On the other hand, this means that the residence country of restructured company will receive the tax on compensation respectively on unrealized capital gains. OECD Guidelines do not determine the time when the tax due to restructuring has to be paid and thus, the companies and tax administrations may use the existing case law. Following the European Court of Justice’s decisions the taxpayer has to be offered a choice between immediate payment of the tax and deferred taxation at the time of realization of the hidden reserves or it is also allowed that the payment of tax may be spread over a period of five or ten years before the capital gains are actually realized. Business restructuring within the meaning of OECD Guidelines is on different ways implemented between the countries that were part of the analysis, i.e. Slovenia, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Austria. It is expected that this area will be further developed and harmonized, also in light of OECD’s project BEPS, which prevents base erosions and profit shifting, which is currently a hot tax topic