natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
I sin afgørelse finder Audiencia Nacional, at goodwill og derfor også finansiel goodwill kun kan skabes i en erhvervsvirksomhed, hvor der udøves en økonomisk aktivitet.
Fourth, the DGT also acknowledges that this interpretation is done in spite of the obligation to provide information contained in Article 15 of the Implementing Regulation of the Corporate Tax Law.
Holdingselskaber er selskaber, hvis primære forretningsformål er at eje andele i andre selskaber, som driver erhvervsvirksomhed.
Article 15 of the Regulation exclusively requires providing information on the acquisition of the directly acquired company in order to be able to apply Article 12(5) TRLIS.
Da holdingselskaber ikke udøver en økonomisk aktivitet, kan de derfor ikke skabe goodwill (og dermed heller ikke finansiel goodwill).
If this deduction were also applicable to indirect acquisitions, it would have been logical to include indirect acquisitions as well, for the sake of a better transparency.
GRUNDE TIL AT INDLEDE PROCEDUREN
However, this should not be deterrent for a wide interpretation of Article 12(5) TRLIS.
Ved brev af 17. juli 2013 oplyste Kommissionen de spanske myndigheder om, at den havde besluttet at indlede proceduren efter artikel 108, stk. 2, i TEUF vedrørende virkningerne af den nye administrative fortolkning af artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS, som de spanske myndigheder indførte efter vedtagelsen af første og anden afgørelse.
Finally, in order to apply the deduction to indirect acquisitions it is necessary to turn the indirect shareholding into a direct shareholding via a previous merger operation.
Da Kommissionen besluttede at indlede den formelle undersøgelsesprocedure, var det dens holdning, at denne nye administrative fortolkning forekommer at udvide anvendelsesområdet for den foranstaltning, som var genstand for første og anden afgørelse, eftersom foranstaltningen nu ville kunne anvendes på finansiel goodwill, som ikke blot hidrørte fra direkte erhvervelser af kapitalandele i udenlandske selskaber, men også fra indirekte erhvervelser.
It would be against the principle of fiscal neutrality to treat differently from a fiscal point of view an acquisition that leads to a business combination and an acquisition of shareholdings that does not result into a business combination.
Kommissionens foreløbige konklusion var, at den nye administrative fortolkning havde udvidet anvendelsesområdet for en ordning, som allerede var erklæret som værende ulovlig og uforenelig støtte, uden at dette var anmeldt til Kommissionen, hvorfor der var tale om ulovlig støtte.
The DGT and TEAC conclude that the deduction should also be possible in different shareholding levels.
Kommissionen udtrykte tvivl om, hvorvidt støtten kunne anses for at være forenelig med det indre marked.
For that matter, it is necessary to prove by means of a consolidated balance sheet or any other legal means that a part of the purchase price of the shareholding corresponds to the financial goodwill existing in an ‘indirectly’ acquired shareholding of an operating company.
Kommissionen mente på daværende tidspunkt, at støtten skulle tilbagesøges, og at de berettigede forventninger, der blev anerkendt i første og anden afgørelse, ikke kunne udvides (med tilbagevirkende kraft) til at omfatte situationer (indirekte erhvervelser), som ifølge de spanske myndigheders faste administrative praksis ikke var omfattet af foranstaltningens anvendelsesområde på tidspunktet for vedtagelsen af første og anden afgørelse.
The two TEAC Resolutions 00/2842/2009 and 00/4871/2009 were appealed before the Audiencia Nacional, a Spanish specialised High Court.
Kommissionen besluttede i overensstemmelse med artikel 11, stk. 1, i Rådets forordning (EF) nr. 659/1999 [24] at udstede et påbud til de spanske myndigheder om at indstille enhver støtte, indtil Kommissionen havde truffet en endelig afgørelse.
The Audiencia Nacional in its judgement of 6 February 2014 [23] did not uphold the new administrative interpretation and confirmed the initial criteria used by the DGT and TEAC, whereby indirect shareholding acquisitions that result from a direct shareholding acquisition of a holding company are excluded from the application of Article 12(5) TRLIS.
Afgørelsen om indledning af proceduren blev offentliggjort i Den Europæiske Unions Tidende [25].
In its judgment, the Audiencia Nacional considers that goodwill, and therefore financial goodwill, can only generate in operating companies that carry out an economic activity.
Kommissionen opfordrede de spanske myndigheder og interesserede parter til at fremsende deres bemærkninger.
Holdings are companies whose main aim is to own shares of other operating companies.
DE SPANSKE MYNDIGHEDERS OG DE INTERESSEREDE PARTERS HOLDNING
Given that holdings do not carry out an economic activity, they cannot generate goodwill (and therefore, financial goodwill).
Kommissionen modtog bemærkninger fra de spanske myndigheder og fem interesserede tredjeparter, nemlig Telefónica, Iberdrola, Santander, Abertis og Axa.
REASONS FOR OPENING THE PROCEDURE
Alle interesserede parter støttede de spanske myndigheders holdning.
By letter dated 17 July 2013 the Commission informed the Spanish authorities that it had decided to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 108(2) TFEU with regard to the effects of the new administrative interpretation of Article 12(5) TRLIS which was introduced by the Spanish authorities after the adoption of the First and Second Decision.
Hverken de spanske myndigheder eller de interesserede parter deler Kommissionens synspunkt om, at den nye administrative fortolkning udgør ny støtte, og de mener, at der også ville være berettigede forventninger til indirekte erhvervelser af kapitalandele, som hidrører fra en direkte erhvervelse af en kapitalandel i et holdingselskab.
In its decision to open the formal procedure the Commission considered that this new administrative interpretation appears to enlarge the scope of the application of the measure which was the subject of the Commission's investigation in the First and Second decision, since the measure would now be applicable not only to financial goodwill arising from direct acquisitions of shareholdings in foreign companies but also to financial goodwill arising from indirect acquisitions.
A. FORANSTALTNINGENS KARAKTER AF NY STØTTE
The Commission concluded on a preliminary basis that the new administrative interpretation had enlarged the scope of application of a scheme already declared illegal and incompatible aid, without being notified to the Commission, and thus constituted unlawful aid.
De spanske myndigheder og de fem interesserede parter anfører følgende grunde til, at den administrative fortolkning ikke udgør ny støtte:
The Commission expressed doubts as to whether the aid could be considered compatible with the internal market.
Den oprindelige administrative fortolkning er ikke endelig og ikke en relevant og systematisk administrativ praksis
The Commission considered on a preliminary basis that the aid should be recovered and that the legitimate expectations recognised in the First and Second Decision cannot be extended (retroactively) to situations (indirect acquisitions) which were, following the consistent administrative practice by the Spanish authorities, not covered by the scope of application of the contested measure at the time of the First and Second Decision.
De spanske myndigheder henviste til DGT's oprindelige administrative fortolkning ifølge consulta 1490-02 af 4. oktober 2002 og V0391-05 af 10. marts 2005, som muliggjorde afskrivning af finansiel goodwill i forbindelse med direkte erhvervelser af kapitalandele i ikke-hjemmehørende erhvervsvirksomheder, forudsat at den indtægt, som det ikke-hjemmehørende selskab genererede, opfyldte betingelserne i artikel 21 i TRLIS.
The Commission decided to issue a suspension injunction in accordance with Article 11(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 659/1999 [24] requiring the Spanish authorities to suspend any aid pending a final decision by the Commission.
De spanske myndigheder forklarede, at begrundelsen for den oprindelige administrative fortolkning af artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS som afspejlet i de to omhandlede consultas er, at holdingselskabet som ejer af andele i erhvervsvirksomheder ikke selv kan skabe goodwill for hver af disse.
The decision to initiate proceedings was published in the Official Journal of the European Union [25].
De spanske myndigheder og de interesserede parter hævder, at den administrative fortolkning ikke er en relevant administrativ praksis.
The Commission invited the Spanish authorities and interested parties to comment.
DGT's administrative fortolkninger er ikke en retskilde og hverken bindende for domstolene eller borgerne; de er kun bindende for skattemyndighederne.
POSITION OF THE SPANISH AUTHORITIES AND INTERESTED PARTIES
Denne bindende karakter betyder, at skattemyndighederne er forpligtet til at anvende de samme kriterier, hvis der er tale om identiske fakta og omstændigheder vedrørende skatteyderne i to eller flere tilfælde.
The Commission received comments from the Spanish authorities and five interested third parties, namely Telefónica, Iberdrola, Santander, Abertis and Axa.
Desuden forklarede de spanske myndigheder, at consulta 1490-02 ikke er bindende for skattemyndighederne og blot har karakter af oplysning til tredjeparter.
All interested parties supported the Spanish authorities' position.
Consulta V0391-05 er bindende for skattemyndighederne.
Neither the Spanish authorities nor the interested parties share the Commission's view that the new administrative interpretation amounts to new aid and they consider that legitimate expectations would be applicable also with regard to indirect shareholding acquisitions that result from a direct shareholding acquisition of a holding company.
Såfremt der er en uoverensstemmelse vedrørende kriterierne i den administrative fortolkning, kan skatteyderen indgive en anke til de kompetente domstole.
A. NEW AID CHARACTER OF THE MEASURE
Derfor er de nationale domstole ikke bundet af kriterier, der er fastlagt i den administrative fortolkning.
According to the Spanish authorities and the five interested parties, the new administrative interpretation does not constitute new aid for the following reasons:
Ifølge de spanske myndigheder tager Kommissionen fejl, når den i indledningsafgørelsen fastslår, at finansministeriets nye fortolkning blev bekræftet ved TEAC's afgørelse af 26. juni 2012.
The initial administrative interpretation is not final and is not a relevant and systematic administrative practice
DGT og TEAC er uafhængige institutioner.
The Spanish authorities referred to the initial administrative interpretation of the DGT, contained in consultas 1490-02 of 4 October 2002 and V0391-05 of 10 March 2005, which allowed for the deduction of financial goodwill with regard to direct acquisitions of shareholdings in non-resident operating companies, as long as the income generated by the non-resident company complied with the conditions established in Article 21 TRLIS.
DGT er en del af forvaltningen, og TEAC er blevet defineret som en domstol af Domstolen [26].
The Spanish authorities explained that the reasoning behind their original administrative interpretation of Article 12(5) TRLIS, as reflected in the two consultas concerned, is that no goodwill can arise in the individual accounts of a holding.
TEAC gennemgår anvendelsen af skattelovgivningen og fastlægger doktrin og kriterier til brug for resten af forvaltningen.
The Spanish authorities and the interested parties argue that the administrative interpretation is not a relevant administrative practice.
De interesserede tredjeparter hævder, at TEAC ikke er en domstol, men en integreret del af skattemyndighederne, som er underlagt finansministeriet.
The administrative interpretations of the DGT are not a source of Law and are binding for neither the Courts nor the citizens; they exclusively bind the tax administration.
De spanske myndigheder og interesserede tredjeparter hævder, at den administrative fortolkning og de deri indbefattede kriterier ikke er endelige og altid kan gøres til genstand for ændringer, såfremt sådanne ændringer kan begrundes objektivt.
This binding character means that the tax administration is obliged to use the same criteria if there is an identity of facts and circumstances among taxpayers.
I den henseende henviser de spanske myndigheder til artikel 89 i den generelle skattelov nr. 58/2003 af 17. december om retsvirkningerne af skattefortolkninger, som er:
Moreover, the Spanish authorities explained that consulta 1490-02 is not binding for the tax administration and merely has an informative character towards third parties.
Svaret på en anmodning om fortolkning af skattelovens bestemmelser vil have bindende virkning for skattemyndighederne.
Consulta V0391-05 is binding towards the tax administration.
Så længe retspraksis eller gældende lov i det foreliggende tilfælde ikke ændres, vil kriterierne i skattefortolkningen finde anvendelse på det pågældende skattepligtige selskab.
In the event that there is discrepancy with regard to the criteria established in the administrative interpretation, the taxpayer could appeal before the competent courts.
Desuden hævder de interesserede tredjeparter, at den oprindelige administrative fortolkning ikke kan defineres som en konsolideret praksis hos skattemyndighederne.
Therefore, the national courts are not bound by the criteria laid down in the administrative interpretation.
Den spanske højesteret stadfæstede den 24. juni 2013 i en dom Audiencia Nacionals dom af 13. oktober 2011.
The DGT and TEAC are independent institutions: the DGT is part of the Administration and the TEAC has been qualified as a Court by the European Court of Justice [26].
Skatteopkrævningssystemet vedrørende selskabsskat bygger på et selvangivelsessystem (»autoliquidación«), hvor skatteyderen selv skal gennemgå alle trin fra fortolkning af loven over kategorisering af skattetransaktionerne til beregning af den endelige skyldige skat.
The TEAC reviews the application of the tax law and lays down the doctrine and criteria to be applied by the rest of the Administration.
Skattemyndighederne indgår ikke i den proces.
The interested third parties claim that the TEAC is not a Court, but an entity integrated within the tax administration, dependent upon the Ministry of Finance.
Imidlertid kan selvangivelsesprocessens trin kontrolleres og overvåges af skattemyndighederne, som slutligner.
They also argue that the TEAC's doctrine is not part of the legal order.
Ifølge de spanske myndigheder anvendte de skatteydere, som mente, at de havde ret til at anvende artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS på indirekte erhvervelser, også dette fradrag.
The Spanish authorities and third interested parties claim that the administrative interpretation, and the criteria contained therein, are not final and can always be subject to modifications, as long as these justifications can be objectively justified.
Det forhold, at DGT havde udstedt en anden fortolkning, var ikke til hinder for, at bestemmelsen blev anvendt.
In that respect, the Spanish authorities refer to Article 89 of the General Tax Law 58/2003 of 17 December, which lays down the legal effects of the tax interpretations:
Den nye administrative fortolkning er ikke en betydelig ændring af anvendelsesområdet for artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS
As long as the jurisprudence or the law applicable to the case is not modified, the criteria contained in the tax interpretation will be applied to the incumbent.
Det forhold, at den administrative fortolkning er blevet ændret af DGT, påvirker ikke anvendelsesområdet for artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS.
Furthermore, the third interested parties claim that the initial administrative interpretation cannot be defined as a consolidated practice of the tax administration.
De spanske myndigheder og interesserede tredjeparter hævder, at anvendelsesområdet ikke er blevet ændret af den nye administrative fortolkning, fordi artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS allerede krydshenviste til artikel 21 i TRLIS, hvor der i stk. 1, litra a), omtales direkte og indirekte erhvervelser af kapitalandele på mindst 5 %.
According to some of the third interested parties, it only consists of four administrative interpretations and one Resolution of the TEAC [27].
Et sådant krav er ikke blevet ændret siden indførelsen af artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS i den spanske selskabsskattelov.
Moreover, according to some of the interested third parties, even before the DGT consulta and the TEAC resolution of 2012, the administrative interpretation was progressively modified by a resolution of the TEAC 1 of June 2010 and a judgment of the Audiencia Nacional of 13 October 2011.
Metode til beregning af finansiel goodwill
The issue analysed in the TEAC resolution and the Audiencia Nacional judgement related to the application of Article 12(5) TRLIS to intra-group acquisition of shareholdings.
En af de interesserede parter bestrider Kommissionens udtalelse i dens indledningsafgørelse om, at en række situationer, som ikke oprindelig var omfattet af foranstaltningen, nu falder ind under anvendelsesområdet for artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS.
The judgement of the Audiencia Nacional of 13 October 2011 was upheld by the Spanish Supreme Court in a judgment of 24 June 2013.
Den interesserede part mener, at erhvervelser af kapitalandele i holdingselskaber altid har opfyldt denne foranstaltnings berettigelseskriterier, og at uenigheden om anvendelsen af artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS kan sammenfattes til uenighed om den beregningsmetode, der bør anvendes.
The Spanish authorities also state that the requests made by the companies about the deduction of financial goodwill for indirect acquisitions of shareholdings were not systematically denied, as indicated by the Commission in the Opening decision of 2013.
Den interesserede tredjepart mener, at forståelsen af dette spørgsmål er afgørende i det foreliggende tilfælde.
There was not a systematic denial because the tax collection system does not require the incumbent to request the application of Article 12(5) TRLIS.
Den interesserede part hævder, at regnskabskonsolideringsreglerne berettigede en radikalt anderledes fortolkning end den, der oprindelig blev valgt af DGT og TEAC.
The tax collection system for corporate tax is based on a ‘self-assessment’ system (autoliquidación), whereby the incumbent has to go through all the tax operations, such as the interpretation of the law, qualification of the tax operations and calculation of the final tax amount due.
Ifølge regnskabskonsolideringsreglerne skal finansiel goodwill beregnes ved at anvende den fulde konsolideringsmetode, som kræver, at aktiver og passiver i alle afhængige selskaber ejet af en given enhed skal behandles, som om de var aktiver og passiver i en enkelt enhed.
The tax authority does not intervene in that process.
Ifølge dette princip fjernes holdingselskabets andel i det erhvervsdrivende datterselskab, og værdien af denne andel erstattes i holdingselskabets balance med markedsværdien af erhvervsvirksomhedens aktiver og passiver.
However, the ‘self-assessment’ tax operations can be checked and monitored by the tax administration, which eventually will determine the final tax assessment.
Når aktiverne først er indarbejdet i holdingselskabets aktiver, bogføres derfor en reserve i holdingselskabets konsoliderede balance med et beløb svarende til differencen mellem markedsværdien af det erhvervsdrivende datterselskabs aktiver og disses bogførte værdi.
The Spanish authorities and the interested third parties state that, despite of the initial administrative interpretation of the DGT, Spanish companies were applying the deduction of the financial goodwill to indirect acquisitions of shareholdings.
Differencen mellem prisen på holdingselskabets kapitalandel og nettoværdien af holdingselskabet efter fuld konsolidering af aktiverne i dets erhvervsdrivende datterselskaber bogføres således som finansiel goodwill, der vedrører holdingselskabet.
According to the Spanish authorities, those taxpayers who believed that they had the right to apply Article 12(5) TRLIS to indirect acquisitions, did apply it.
Ifølge denne beregningsmetode ville aktiverne i holdingselskabet og erhvervsvirksomhederne blive behandlet, som om de var aktiver i et enkelt selskab.
The existence of a different interpretation by the DGT was not an impediment for its application: on the one hand, those taxpayers that were not subject to a tax inspection confirmed de facto their criteria after the deadline of prescription four years; on the other hand, those taxpayers that were subject to a tax inspection were able to appeal the criteria established by the DGT in subsequent instances.
Holdingselskabet ville derfor kunne afskrive den finansielle goodwill i henhold til artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS.
The new administrative interpretation does not constitute a substantial modification of the scope of application of Article 12(5) TRLIS
Begrundelser for afvigelsen fra den tidligere administrative fortolkning
Both the Spanish authorities and the interested third parties allege that Article 12(5) TRLIS has not undergone substantial modifications and that the administrative interpretation of the scope of a provision cannot be considered a modification of the aid.
De spanske myndigheder og de interesserede tredjeparter erkender også, at DGT og TEAC afveg fra deres tidligere praksis, ifølge hvilken det kun var muligt at anvende artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS på direkte erhvervelser af kapitalandele i erhvervsvirksomheder.
The fact that the administrative interpretation has been modified by the DGT does not affect the scope of application of Article 12(5) TRLIS.
De spanske myndigheder forklarede, at DGT og TEAC begrundede deres afvigelser fra deres tidligere administrative fortolkning med følgende forhold:
The Spanish authorities and interested third parties argue that the scope of application has not been modified by the new administrative interpretation because Article 12(5) TRLIS already cross-referred to Article 21 TRLIS, which mentioned in its paragraph 1(a) direct and indirect acquisitions of at least 5 % shareholdings.
For det første blev artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS opfattet som en del af et sæt foranstaltninger, som skulle fremme spanske selskabers økonomiske vækst og internationalisering.
Such a requirement has not been altered since the introduction of Article 12(5) TRLIS to the Spanish Corporate Tax Law.
Denne foranstaltning havde til formål af fremme spanske investeringer i udlandet.
Method of calculation of financial goodwill
Dermed ville det stride mod ånden i bestemmelsen om at udelukke spanske selskabers investeringer i ikke-hjemmehørende holdingselskaber fra anvendelsesområdet for artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS.
One of the interested parties contests the statement made by the Commission in the Opening decision that a number of situations that were not originally covered by the measure have come within the scope of Article 12(5) TRLIS.
For det andet henvises der i artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS til artikel 21 i TRLIS, hvor der igen udtrykkeligt omtales direkte og indirekte erhvervelser af kapitalandele.
The interested party considers that acquisitions of shareholdings of holding companies have always met the eligibility criteria of this measure and that the controversy of the application of Article 12(5) TRLIS boils down to the discrepancy in the calculation method to be applied.
Det skal derfor opfattes sådan, at artikel 12, stk. 5, i TRLIS omfatter indirekte erhvervelser af kapitalandele i ikke-hjemmehørende selskaber gennem en direkte erhvervelse af en kapitalandel i et ikke-hjemmehørende holdingselskab, forudsat at betingelserne i artikel 21 i TRLIS er opfyldt.
The interested third party believes that the understanding of this issue is key to the present case.
For det tredje henvises der i Kommissionens to afgørelser fra 2009 og 2011 vedrørende afskrivning af finansiel goodwill både til direkte og indirekte erhvervelser af kapitalandele.
The interested party claims that the accounting consolidation rules justified a radically different interpretation than the one initially adopted by the DGT and TEAC.