natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Den første tvivl, som Kommissionen gav udtryk for i indledningsafgørelsen, vedrørte det forhold, at FFT's beskatningsgrundlag som godkendt i den anfægtede skatteafgørelse tilsyneladende lå inden for et fast interval.
Admittedly, in the case of FFT, the determination of the taxable base is more complicated, as it involves the application of transfer pricing rules and the arm's length principle, whereas in the case of a stand-alone company, the taxable income would in principle be equivalent to the accounting income, subject to possible adjustments based on tax law.
De dokumenter, der blev forelagt i løbet af undersøgelsen, viser desuden, at FFT's beskatningsgrundlag var blevet fastsat til 2 mio. EUR, før skatteafgørelsen blev truffet.
However, the objective of the corporate income tax law as well as of the tax ruling is to tax all profits of companies subject to tax in Luxembourg, which applies irrespective of whether a corporate taxpayer is part of a group or not.
Selv om FFT i henhold til cirkulæret skal genindsende sin tidligere anmodning om en skatteafgørelse på grundlag af en rapport om koncerninterne afregningspriser, har den rapport om koncerninterne afregningspriser, der blev udarbejdet i forbindelse med den anfægtede afgørelse, ført til et resultat, der er næsten identisk med det tidligere godkendte beløb.
The Commission therefore concludes that the reference system against which the contested ruling should be examined is the general Luxembourg corporate tax system in the form of the Luxembourg corporate income tax rules (IRC) as set out in recitals 193 to 208.
I lyset af afklaringerne under den administrative procedure fra Luxembourg, der har forklaret, at den anfægtede afgørelse godkendte en metode og ikke et fast interval [116], og oplysninger, der viser, at FFT's beskatningsgrundlag i 2012 og 2013 lå under end det nedre interval, der tilsyneladende var blevet godkendt i denne skatteafgørelse [117], mener Kommissionen, at dette tvivlsspørgsmål er ryddet af vejen.
In particular, that reference system is composed of a consistent set of rules that apply on the basis of objective criteria for the taxation of profits of stand-alone companies, where the determination of the taxable profit usually coincides with the accounting profit (subject to certain adjustments based on tax law) and group companies, which resort to transfer prices to allocate profits, alike.
Valg af de metoder, parametre og justeringer, der ligger til grund for den anfægtede afgørelse
In light of the intrinsic objective of that system, both types of companies — non-integrated and integrated companies — should be considered to be in a similar factual and legal situation.
I den anfægtede skatteafgørelse godkendes en metode til fastsættelse af FFT's fortjeneste baseret på en analyse af koncerninterne afregningspriser foretaget af selskabets skatterådgiver, der har beregnet en betaling for FFT's koncerninterne finansierings- og likviditetsaktiviteter og risici.
Article 164(3) L.I.R., the Circular and/or the relevant administrative practice do not constitute the appropriate reference system
Denne analyse af de koncerninterne afregningspriser er baseret på flere metodologiske valg: i) beslutningen om at anvende TNMM til fastsættelse af FFT's skattepligtige fortjeneste i Luxembourg, ii) valget af egenkapital som indikator for fortjeneste med henblik på anvendelsen af TNMM, iii) valget af Basel II-regelsættet som grundlag for beregningen af denne egenkapital, og iv) beslutningen om at anvende CAPM baseret på aktiepriserne ved beregningen af afkastkravet til egenkapitalen.
Luxembourg considers that the reference system should only comprise group companies that fall under Article 164(3) L.I.R. [101], whereas FFT seems to go further and considers that the reference system should be based on the Circular and only include group companies engaged in financing activities [102].
Som forklaret i de følgende afsnit i betragtning 241-301 foretages valg i) mellem de fem metoder, der er nærmere beskrevet og gennemgået i OECD's retningslinjer.
According to those views, the existence of selectivity would require evidence that FFT received a different treatment as compared to other group entities engaged in financing activities, which are in a similar factual and legal situation to FFT in light of the objectives of Article 164(3) L.I.R. and/or the Circular.
OECD's retningslinjer vedrører ligeledes valg ii) af en indikator for fortjeneste med henblik på anvendelsen af TNMM.
The Commission should therefore have compared the contested tax ruling with the 21 other taxpayers whose advance pricing agreements were submitted to the Commission (see recital 8) [103].
De metodologiske valg iii) og iv) er imidlertid ikke omfattet af disse retningslinjer.
Given that, according to Luxembourg and FFT, the treatment of FFT is in line with Article 164(3) L.I.R., the Circular and the relevant administrative practice, there is no selective advantage granted through the tax ruling.
Med hensyn til størrelsen af den egenkapital, der skal forrentes, udvælger skatterådgiveren parametre for risikovægtningen og for minimumskapitalkravene med henblik på fastsættelse af FFT's hypotetiske lovbestemte egenkapital.
The Commission does not accept this line of reasoning.
Med hensyn til afkastkravet til denne kapital udvælger skatterådgiveren en række parametre for en risikofri rente, en beta og en markedspræmie med henblik på anvendelse af CAPM [118].
As explained in recital 198, the objective of the Luxembourg corporate income tax system is to tax the profits of all companies that fall under its tax jurisdiction, irrespective of whether those companies are integrated or non-integrated companies.
Endelig vælger skatterådgiveren ikke at anvende FFT's samlede egenkapital ved beregningen af betalingen på armslængdevilkår.
As explained in recital 194, Luxembourg corporate income tax is levied on the worldwide profits of domestic companies and foreign companies resident in Luxembourg (unless a tax treaty applies), including Luxembourg branches of foreign companies, while non-resident companies are only taxed on specific Luxembourg-sourced income.
Skatterådgiveren trækker rent faktisk FFT's kapitalandele i FFNA og FFC fra denne kapital og beregner betalingen for de udøvede funktioner på grundlag af det resterende beløb [119].
By considering, as Luxembourg and FFT do, that the reference system only includes group companies, since only those companies need to revert to the arm's length pricing to determine their tax base, an artificial distinction is introduced between companies based on their company structure for the purposes of determining their taxable profits that the general Luxembourg corporate income tax system does not recognise when taxing the profits of companies falling within its tax jurisdiction.
Disse valg vedrører imidlertid tilsyneladende ikke parametre.
Similarly, FFT's distinction between groups and stand-alone companies based on the activities that the group entity carries out, by arguing that the reference system only includes those companies that apply the Circular, cannot be reconciled with the objective of the Luxembourg corporate income tax system.
De synes tværtimod at føre til justeringer af metoden til fastsættelse af FFT's fortjeneste, der ikke ligner en almindelig anvendt metode.
While it is true that FFT's activities relate almost exclusively to intra-group transactions [104], the financial transactions it carries out could equally be carried out outside a group context by independent financial institutions, as noted in the Circular.
På grundlag af disse valg af metoder og valg af parametre for anvendelse af disse metoder og justeringer […] har skatterådgiveren beregnet en betaling for FFT's koncerninterne finansierings- og likviditetsaktiviteter, der er godkendt i den anfægtede skatteafgørelse som værende i overensstemmelse med cirkulæret og armslængdeprincippet.
For the purposes of levying Luxembourg corporate income tax, FFT should therefore be compared to any other type of company, integrated or non-integrated, carrying out economic activities, since under Luxembourg corporate tax law the profits of independent financial institutions is subject to the same corporate income tax rules as the profits arising out of intra-group transactions, determined on the basis of the arm's length principle.
Kommissionen redegør i nedestående afsnit, betragtning 241-301, for, hvorfor den mener, at flere af disse valg af metoder, valg af parametre og justeringer […] fører til en nedsættelse af den skat, som FFT skal betale ifølge de almindelige selskabsskatteregler i Luxembourg, i forhold til ikke-integrerede selskaber, hvis skattepligtige fortjeneste bestemmes på grundlag af selskabets transaktioner gennemført på markedsvilkår, og dermed hvorfor den anfægtede skatteafgørelse ved at godkende disse valg og justeringer giver FFT en selektiv fordel efter artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF, idet den ikke er i overensstemmelse med armslængdeprincippet.
The Commission therefore rejects FFT's argument that the reference system should only comprise group companies carrying out group-financing transactions.
Dette valg foretages mellem de fem metoder, der er nærmere beskrevet og gennemgået i OECD's retningslinjer for koncerninterne afregningspriser.
Having determined that the general Luxembourg corporate income tax system constitutes the reference system against which the contested ruling should be assessed, it is necessary to establish whether that ruling constitutes a derogation from that reference system, leading to unequal treatment between companies that are factually and legally in a similar situation.
I henhold til disse retningslinjer skal der generelt søges den mest hensigtsmæssige metode til at fastsætte en armslængdepris i forbindelse med interne afregningspriser [121].
In relation to that second step of the selectivity analysis, whether a tax measure constitutes a derogation from the reference system will generally coincide with the identification of the advantage granted to the beneficiary under that measure.
Anvendelsen af en metode forudsætter desuden anvendelsen af en eller flere parametre, hvis denne metode skal føre til et faktisk resultat.
Indeed, where a tax measure results in an unjustified reduction of the tax liability of a beneficiary who would otherwise be subject to a higher level of tax under the reference system, that reduction constitutes both the advantage granted by the tax measure and the derogation from the system of reference.
Valget af metoden og parametrene må ikke være vilkårlig.
According to the Court, in the case of an individual aid measure, as opposed to a scheme, ‘the identification of the economic advantage is, in principle, sufficient to support the presumption that it is selective’ [105].
Hvis disse valg blev overladt fuldstændigt til skatteyderens skøn, ville grænseoverskridende integrerede koncerner blive begunstiget i forhold til selskaber, der indgår transaktioner på markedet.
In the present case, the individual aid measure from which FFT benefits is the contested tax ruling, which endorses a methodology for determining its taxable profit in Luxembourg for the functions it performs within the Fiat group, which are subsequently taxed under the general Luxembourg corporate income tax system.
Førstnævnte selskaber kunne således selv vælge metoden til og parametrene for fastsættelsen af koncerninterne afregningspriser med henblik på beregning af deres beskatningsgrundlag, hvorimod sidstnævnte selskaber foretager transaktioner på markedsvilkår og ikke har mulighed for at justere deres beskatningsgrundlag.
Selective advantage resulting from a deviation from the arm's length principle
Disse valg bør derfor være baseret på målet om fastsættelse af en armslængdepris for koncerninterne transaktioner.
In principle, the function of a tax ruling is to establish in advance the application of the ordinary tax system to a particular case, given a set of facts and circumstances specific to that case, for a certain period of time and provided that there is no material change over the application of the ruling in that specific set of facts and circumstances.
Ved fastsættelsen af en armslængdepris med henblik på fastsættelsen af de koncerninterne afregningspriser giver anvendelsen af den næstbedste metode imidlertid ikke systematisk grænseoverskridende integrerede koncerner en fordel.
Where a tax ruling is based on a method of assessment that deviates from what would result from a normal application of the ordinary tax system without justification, that ruling will be considered to confer a selective advantage upon its beneficiary, in so far as that selective treatment results in the lowering of that beneficiary's tax liability in the Member State concerned as compared to companies in a similar legal and factual situation.
Hvis denne metode således anvendes sammen med en række overdrevent forsigtige parametre, kan den beregnede betaling imidlertid føre til et resultat, der i denne konkrete sag er det samme som et markedsbaseret resultat, eller til en for høj beskatning, og i så fald indebærer en skatteafgørelse, der godkender denne anden metode, ikke en fordel efter artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF.
An advantage pursuant to Article 107(1) of the TFEU is any economic benefit that an undertaking would not have obtained under normal market conditions, i.e. in the absence of the State intervention [106].
(244) Hvis den mest hensigtsmæssige metode anvendes sammen med overdrevent gunstige parametre, kan betalingen beregnet efter denne metode derimod føre til en undervurdering den skat, som skatteyderen skal betale, og dermed give denne en fordel efter artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF.
Thus, whenever the financial situation of an undertaking is improved as a result of a State intervention, an advantage is present.
I indledningsafgørelsen gav Kommissionen udtryk for tvivl om, hvorvidt TNMM er den mest hensigtsmæssige metode til fastsættelse af en betaling på armslængdevilkår og dermed af FFT's skattepligtige fortjeneste.
Such improvement is shown by comparing the financial situation of the undertaking as a result of the contested measure with the financial situation of that undertaking had the measure not been granted [108].
I forhold til de andre metoder beskrevet i OECD's retningslinjer for koncerninterne afregningspriser er CUP-metoden mere direkte og ville, hvis den blev anvendt, føre til en mere pålidelig tilnærmelse til et markedsbaseret resultat.
An advantage can consist both in the granting of positive economic advantages as well as in the mitigation of charges normally included in the budget of an undertaking [109].
I lyset af de oplysninger, der er blevet fremlagt under den formelle undersøgelsesprocedure, accepterer Kommissionen imidlertid FFT's argument om, at CUP-metoden ikke er den mest hensigtsmæssige metode i FFT-sagen.
As explained in recitals 52 et seq., by the contested tax ruling, Luxembourg accepted a methodology for determining FFT's taxable profit in Luxembourg, as proposed by the latter's tax advisor in the transfer pricing report, which allows FFT to determine its corporate income tax liability in Luxembourg on a yearly basis for the period during which that ruling is valid.
Det fremgår af disse oplysninger, at FFT indgår transaktioner med forskellige modparter i Fiat-koncernen, og at FFT's bevilligede lån og udstedte obligationer varierer med hensyn til rentesats, form og løbetid, selv om instrumenterne tilsyneladende rangordnes ens.
More specifically, the transfer pricing report endorsed by the contested tax ruling determines, in the absence of transactions dictated by the market as would exist for a non-integrated independent company, the profit to be allocated to that company of the Fiat group and which translates into the pricing of the transactions it concludes with the other group companies of the Fiat group.
FFT's komplekse aktiv- og passivstruktur bekræfter rent faktisk, at selskabet varetager løbetidsændringer og fungerer som finansielt mellemled, idet selskabet rejser kapital fra eksterne investorer for at opfylde koncernens finansieringsbehov [122].
Under that regime, taxable profits were set at a flat-rate amount which represented a percentage of the full amount of operating costs and expenses, from which staff costs and financial charges were excluded.
Kommissionen er derfor af den opfattelse, at anvendelsen af TNMM med henblik på fastsættelse af de koncerninterne afregningspriser i FFT-sagen er et passende valg.
According to the Court, ‘in order to decide whether a method of assessment of taxable income such as that laid down under the regime for coordination centres confers an advantage on them, it is necessary, […], to compare that regime with the ordinary tax system, based on the difference between profits and outgoings of an undertaking carrying on its activities in conditions of free competition.’
Størrelsen af den egenkapital, der skal forrentes
The Court then held that ‘the effect of the exclusion of [staff costs and the financial costs] from the expenditure which serves to determine the taxable income of the centres is that the transfer prices do not resemble those which would be charged in conditions of free competition’, which the Court found to ‘[confer] an advantage on the coordination centres’ [113].
Selv om Kommissionen vurderer, at det er hensigtsmæssigt, at skatterådgiveren anvender TNMM i FFT-sagen, mener den imidlertid, at en række af de valg af de metoder, valg af parametre og justeringer […], som skatterådgiveren har foretaget i forbindelse med anvendelsen af metoden, ikke er egnede til beregning af FFT's beskatningsgrundlag i Luxembourg.
The Court has thus accepted that a tax measure which results in a group company charging transfer prices that do not reflect those which would be charged in conditions of free competition, that is prices negotiated by independent undertakings negotiating under comparable circumstances at arm's length, confers an advantage on that group company, in so far as it results in a reduction of its taxable base and thus its tax liability under the ordinary corporate income tax system.
Anvendelse af FFT's hypotetiske lovbestemte egenkapital som indikator for fortjenestens størrelse
The principle that transactions between intra-group companies should be remunerated as if they were agreed to by independent companies negotiating under comparable circumstances at arm's length is generally referred to as the ‘arm's length principle’.
Kommissionen mener ikke, at den hypotetiske lovbestemte egenkapital, som skatterådgiveren har fastsat, er en passende indikator for fortjenestens størrelse i forbindelse med anvendelsen af TNMM til fastsættelse af en betaling på armslængdevilkår for de funktioner, FFT udøver.
In the Belgian coordination centres judgment, the Court of Justice endorsed the arm's length principle as the benchmark for establishing whether a group company receives an advantage for the purposes of Article 107(1) of the TFEU as a result of a tax measure that determines its transfer pricing and thus its taxable base.
Da skatterådgiveren har valgt TNMM og at beregne afkastet af egenkapitalen ved hjælp af CAPM, er Kommissionen af den opfattelse, at det er mest hensigtsmæssigt at anvende den bogførte egenkapital som indikator for fortjenestens størrelse, på hvilken der anvendes et egenkapitalafkast med henblik på beregning af denne fortjeneste, hvis der ønskes en pålidelig tilnærmelse til et markedsbaseret resultat.
The purpose of the arm's length principle is to ensure that transactions between group companies are treated for tax purposes by reference to the amount of profit that would have arisen if the same transactions had been executed by independent companies.
For at sikre, at FFT's beskatningsgrundlag afspejler en pålidelig tilnærmelse til et markedsbaseret resultat i overensstemmelse med armslængdeprincippet, bør der navnlig anvendes en regnskabsmæssigt konsekvent metode til fastsættelse af en betaling på armslængdevilkår for de funktioner, selskabet udøver, hvilket ikke er tilfældet for de valg, som skatterådgiveren har foretaget.
Otherwise, group companies would benefit from a favourable treatment under the ordinary corporate income tax system when it comes to the determination of their taxable profits that is not available to independent companies, leading to unequal treatment between companies that are factually and legally in a similar situation in light of the objective of such a system, which is to tax the profits of all companies falling under its tax jurisdiction.
Det bekræftes i rapporten om koncerninterne afregningspriser, at FFT's anslåede beskatningsgrundlag består af to elementer: et »risikoafkast« og en »betaling for funktioner« [123].
The Commission's assessment of whether Luxembourg granted a selective advantage to FFT must therefore consist in verifying whether the methodology accepted by the Luxembourg tax administration by way of the contested ruling for the determination of FFT's taxable profits in Luxembourg departs from a methodology that leads to a reliable approximation of a market-based outcome and thus from the arm's length principle.
Skatterådgiveren fastsætter det første element, FFT's risikoafkast, ved at multiplicere den egenkapital, der skal forrentes, beregnet ved at beregne FFT's hypotetiske lovbestemte egenkapital ved analog anvendelse af Basel II-regelsættet [124], med afkastkravet til egenkapitalen beregnet ved hjælp af CAPM.
In so far as the methodology Luxembourg accepted by the contested tax ruling results in a lowering of FFT's tax liability under the general Luxembourg corporate income tax system as compared to non-integrated companies whose taxable profit under that system is determined by the market, that ruling will be deemed to confer a selective advantage to FFT for the purposes of Article 107(1) of the TFEU.
CAPM-beregningen vedrører imidlertid et teoretisk afkastkrav til egenkapitalinvesteringerne, og den betaværdi, der anvendes i denne beregning, er baseret på en variation i afkastet af selskabernes aktiepriser (eller i afkastet af egenkapitalen) [125].
The arm's length principle therefore necessarily forms part of the Commission's assessment under Article 107(1) of the TFEU of tax measures granted to group companies, independently of whether a Member State has incorporated this principle into its national legal system.
CAPM-beregningen resulterer derfor i sagens natur i en beregning af afkastet af egenkapitalen snarere end af afkastet af enhver anden type egenkapital såsom den hypotetiske lovbestemte egenkapital, der beregnes ved analog anvendelse af Basel II-regelsættet [126].
It is used to establish whether the taxable profits of a group company for corporate income tax purposes has been determined on the basis of a methodology that approximates market conditions, so that that company is not treated favourably under the general corporate income tax system as compared to non-integrated companies whose taxable profit is determined by the market.
Egenkapitalafkastet er et rentabilitetsnøgletal.
Thus, for any avoidance of doubt, the arm's length principle that the Commission applies in its State aid assessment is not that derived from Article 9 of the OECD Model Tax Convention, which is a non-binding instrument, but is a general principle of equal treatment in taxation falling within the application of Article 107(1) of the TFEU, which binds the Member States and from whose scope the national tax rules are not excluded [114].