natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Når risikofordelingen som anført i den kontraktlige koncerninterne aftale ikke afspejler den underliggende økonomiske realitet, er det parternes faktiske adfærd og ikke de kontraktlige aftaler, der bør tages i betragtning i forbindelse med transfer pricing .
According to settled case-law, in the case of an individual aid measure, like the contested tax ruling, ‘the identification of the economic advantage is, in principle, sufficient to support the presumption that it is selective’ without it being necessary to analyse the selectivity of the measure according to the three-step selectivity analysis devised by the Court of Justice for State aid schemes.
Amazon anfører, at LuxSCS påtager sig risiciene i forbindelse med udviklingen, forbedringen, forvaltningen og udnyttelsen af de immaterielle aktiver på grundlag af de indgåede aftaler med koncernforbundne selskaber, nemlig buy-in-aftalen, CSA-aftalen og licensaftalen, og dets ejendomsret til de immaterielle aktiver.
Nevertheless, for the sake of completeness, the Commission will also examine the contested tax ruling against that three-step selectivity analysis to demonstrate that it is also selective under that analysis.
Denne påstand må af flere årsager afvises.
In Section 9.3.2.1 it will demonstrate that the advantage granted by the contested tax ruling is selective in nature because it favours Amazon as compared to other corporate taxpayers subject to corporate income tax in Luxembourg whose taxable profit reflects prices negotiated at arm's length on the market.
For det første overførte LuxSCS risikoen i forbindelse med de førnævnte funktioner til LuxOpCo.
In Section 9.3.2.2 it will further demonstrate that the advantage granted by the contested tax ruling is selective in nature because it favours Amazon as compared to other corporate taxpayers belonging to a multinational corporate group that engage in intra-group transactions and that, by virtue of Article 164(3) LIR, must estimate the prices for their intra-group transactions in a manner that reflects prices negotiated by independent parties at arm's length on the market.
I henhold til licensaftalen udstedte LuxSCS ikke kun en eksklusiv og uigenkaldelig licens til LuxOpCo til økonomisk udnyttelse af de immaterielle aktiver i Europa og retten til at videreudvikle, forvalte og beskytte de immaterielle aktiver i hele deres levetid med det formål at drive Amazons europæiske detail- og servicevirksomhed, LuxOpCo påtog sig også kontraktligt alle de risici, som blev tildelt LuxSCS i henhold til CSA-aftalen.
ADVANTAGE
For det andet er der i bilag B til CSA-aftalen opført flere risici, der er overdraget til LuxSCS (tabel 13), og de pågældende risici er forbundet med udførelsen af de funktioner, det har fået overdraget, som er registreret i det selvsamme bilag.
Whenever a measure adopted by the State improves the net financial position of an undertaking, an advantage is present for the purposes of Article 107(1) of the Treaty.
Eftersom LuxSCS i virkeligheden ikke udfører nogen af de funktioner, det har fået overdraget i henhold til CSA-aftalen, som forklaret i betragtning 424-427, kan det reelt set heller ikke siges at have påtaget sig nogen risici i forbindelse med de pågældende funktioner.
In establishing the existence of an advantage, reference is to be made to the effect of the measure itself.
Der er heller intet bevis for nogen form for forretningsmæssig begrundelse for en sådan risikofordeling.
As regards fiscal measures, an advantage may be granted through different types of reduction of an undertaking's tax burden and, in particular, through a reduction in the taxable base or in the amount of tax due.
Eftersom LuxOpCo overtog alle funktioner i forbindelse med udviklingen, forbedringen, forvaltningen og udnyttelsen af de immaterielle aktiver på det europæiske territorium i form af sin eksklusive licens, ville LuxSCS ikke være i stand til at forvalte og kontrollere de risici, der er forbundet med de pågældende aktiviteter.
The contested tax ruling endorses a transfer pricing arrangement that enabled LuxOpCo to assess its taxable profit for corporate income tax purposes on an annual basis, which in turn determined its corporate income tax liability in Luxembourg during the relevant period.
Som forklaret i betragtning 426 og 427 optræder de andre parter i CSA-aftalen ikke som agenter for LuxSCS, men på egne vegne for at opnå de forventede fordele af CSA-aftalen.
The Court of Justice has previously held that ‘[i]n order to decide whether a method of assessment of taxable income […] confers an advantage on [its beneficiary], it is necessary […] to compare that [method] 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’.
De pågældende risici bør betragtes som bidrag af de pågældende parter i CSA-aftalen, og de kan ikke påvirke LuxOpCos betaling til LuxSCS i henhold til licensaftalen.
Accordingly, a tax ruling that enables a taxpayer to employ transfer prices in its intra-group transactions that do not resemble prices which would be charged in conditions of free competition between independent undertakings negotiating under comparable circumstances at arm's length confers an advantage on that taxpayer, in so far as it results in a reduction of the company's taxable income and thus its taxable base under the ordinary corporate income tax system.
For det fjerde, at LuxSCS ikke påtog sig nogen risici i forbindelse med de immaterielle aktiver, understøttes endvidere af den kendsgerning, at hverken LuxSCS« enedirektørs beslutninger eller referaterne fra dets generalforsamlinger afspejler nogen afgørende beslutninger om risikostyring udført af LuxSCS i forbindelse med de risici, der er forbundet med udviklingen, forbedringen, forvaltningen og udnyttelsen af de immaterielle aktiver.
The principle that intra-group transactions should be remunerated as if they were agreed to by independent companies negotiating under comparable circumstances is referred to as the ‘arm's length principle’.
Under alle omstændigheder havde LuxSCS ingen ansatte, der kunne have udført sådanne risikostyringsfunktioner i den pågældende periode.
The essence of the arm's length principle is to ensure that transactions concluded between associated companies (controlled transactions) are priced for tax purposes under the same conditions as comparable transactions concluded at arm's length between independent companies (uncontrolled transactions).
LuxSCS manglede derfor driftskapacitet til at påtage sig risici, som det havde fået tildelt i henhold til aftalen.
When there are conditions made or imposed between two associated companies in their intra-group transactions which differ from those which would be made between independent companies in uncontrolled comparable transactions, the arm's length principle requires appropriate transfer pricing adjustments to be performed to neutralise such differences and thereby ensure that the integrated (group) companies are not treated more favourably than non-integrated (stand-alone) companies for tax purposes.
Amazon anfører endvidere, at LuxSCS bar alle forretningsrisici i forbindelse med Amazons europæiske detailaktiviteter, fordi onlinedetailvirksomhed er baseret på og meget afhængig af den teknologi (dvs. et element af de immaterielle aktiver), som LuxSCS stiller til rådighed for LuxOpCo i henhold til licensaftalen.
In this way, the profit that the associated companies derive from their intra-group transactions is determined and ultimately treated no more favourably than the profit derived from transactions concluded by independent companies at arm's length on the market.
Denne påstand understøttes ikke af den kontraktlige fordeling af risici i henhold til licensaftalen, i henhold til hvilken LuxSCS ikke påtager sig nogen risici i forbindelse med udnyttelsen af de immaterielle aktiver.
Indeed, it is the prices charged by independent companies on the market or, as stated by the Court of Justice, ‘the difference between profits and outgoings of an undertaking carrying on its activities in conditions of free competition’, that determine their taxable income.
I stedet er det LuxOpCo, som har eksklusiv og uigenkaldelig licens til de immaterielle aktiver, der er ansvarlig for den strategiske beslutningstagning i forbindelse med Amazons europæiske detailaktiviteter, og som i overensstemmelse med den kontraktlige fordeling faktisk tager disse beslutninger.
If a tax administration allows associated group companies to charge prices for their intra-group transactions that are below market prices, an economic advantage is conferred upon those companies in the form a tax base reduction.
LuxSCS kan ikke siges at have påtaget sig nogle betydelige driftsrisici i forbindelse med brugen af de immaterielle aktiver med det formål at drive den pågældende virksomhed.
In response to the argument of Luxembourg and Amazon that, because transfer pricing is not an exact science, the assessment by the Commission of the transfer pricing arrangement endorsed by the contested tax ruling should necessarily be limited, the Commission recalls that the approximate nature of transfer pricing has to be viewed in the light of its objective.
LuxSCS bar f.eks. ikke risici i forbindelse med forbrugerkredit, eftersom det ikke direkte tog sig af kundernes betalinger; det bar ingen oplagringsrisici, eftersom det ikke havde nogen lagerbeholdning; og det bar ingen garantirisiko eller produktansvarsrisiko for solgte produkter, eftersom det ikke solgte produkter.
The objective of transfer pricing is to find a reasonable estimate of an arm's length outcome on the basis of reliable information.
Kort sagt udførte LuxSCS ingen funktioner vedrørende de pågældende risici og havde heller ingen kontrol over disse funktioner i den pågældende periode.
The pursuit of that objective would be impossible if the approximate nature of the transfer pricing analysis could be invoked to justify a transfer pricing arrangement producing an outcome that departs from a reliable approximation of a market-based outcome.
Amazon anfører ligeledes, at LuxSCS påtog sig økonomiske risici i forbindelse med udviklingen af de immaterielle aktiver, navnlig som følge af dets forpligtelse i henhold til CSA-aftalen om at betale sin andel af udviklingsomkostningerne, som er beregnet som andelen af de salgsindtægter, der genereres af Amazon i Europa, sammenlignet med Amazons globale omsætning.
Similarly, Luxembourg's argument that the Commission, in undertaking such an assessment, improperly replaces the Luxembourg tax administration in the interpretation of national tax law, if accepted, would remove fiscal measures in general and transfer pricing rulings in particular from the scrutiny of the State aid rules.
Det afspejler ikke den økonomiske virkelighed.
That certainly applies to transfer pricing rulings in the form of advanced pricing arrangements, since they endorse methods of assessment of the taxable base, and thereby the taxable income, for individual undertakings.
Hvis LuxOpCo var gået konkurs eller på anden måde blevet ude af stand til at betale royalty til LuxSCS i henhold til licensaftalen, kunne LuxSCS under alle omstændigheder i dette specifikke tilfælde have opsagt licensaftalen og licenseret de immaterielle aktiver til en anden forbunden eller uafhængig part og derved begrænse sin kontraktlige risiko.
Any reduction of the taxable base resulting from the application of such a method gives rise to an economic advantage.
Det vigtigste er, at LuxSCS i den pågældende periode ikke udførte nogen funktioner og heller ikke havde kontrol over eller kapacitet til at udføre kontrol i forbindelse med de to vigtigste input-parametre for beregning af buy-in- og CSA-omkostninger.
Consequently, to establish that the contested tax ruling confers an economic advantage, the Commission must demonstrate that the transfer pricing arrangement it endorses produces an outcome that departs from a reliable approximation of a market-based outcome resulting in a reduction of LuxOpCo's taxable basis for corporate income tax purposes.
På den ene side fastsættes niveauet for de pågældende betalinger af niveauet af omkostninger i forbindelse med buy-in og udviklingen af de immaterielle aktiver (udviklingsomkostningerne) og på den anden side af niveauet for omsætningen i Europa.
The Commission considers the contested tax ruling to produce such an outcome.
Det var ATI og A9, der fastsatte og kontrollerede udviklingsomkostningerne, og LuxOpCo der kontrollerede omsætningsniveauet i Europa.
First and foremost, the Commission considers the transfer pricing arrangement to be based on the inaccurate and unsubstantiated assumption that LuxSCS would perform unique and valuable functions in relation to the Intangibles, whereas LuxOpCo would perform solely ‘routine’ management functions.
Hvad sidstnævnte angår, er det LuxOpCo, der traf alle strategiske beslutninger vedrørende Amazons europæiske detailvirksomhed , hvilket påvirkede niveauet af de genererede salgsindtægter i Europa.
According to the information provided to the Commission, LuxOpCo performed the unique and valuable functions, used the assets and assumed substantially all the risks that contributed to the development, enhancement, management and exploitation of the Intangibles.
Det var således kun LuxOpCo, der havde indflydelse på, om det var i stand til at betale en royalty til LuxSCS, som blev fastsat af overskudsniveauet genereret af driften af Amazons europæiske onlinedetailvirksomhed.
LuxOpCo also performed the functions, used the assets and assumed substantially all the risks that are of strategic and vital importance to the generation of profits from Amazon's European online retail and service business.
LuxSCS havde desuden ikke økonomisk kapacitet til at finansiere buy-in- og CSA-omkostningerne for egen regning, eftersom det kun var i stand til at finansiere de pågældende omkostninger takket være de midler, det modtog i form af royaltybetalinger fra LuxOpCo.
By contrast, LuxSCS did not perform any unique and valuable functions in relation to the Intangibles, nor in relation to Amazon's European operations, but at most carried out certain limited general administrative functions to maintain its legal ownership of the Intangibles.
De faktiske kontantudbetalinger fra LuxOpCo til LuxSCS i denne henseende synes lige netop at have været tilstrækkelige til at dække LuxSCS' nødvendige betalinger, herunder buy-in- og CSA-omkostninger, mens likvider vedrørende LuxSCS' indtægter ud over buy-in og CSA-omkostninger blev indsat på konti og administreret af LuxOpCo.
By endorsing a transfer pricing arrangement that attributes a remuneration to LuxOpCo solely for the allegedly routine functions performed by it and that attributes the entire profit generated by LuxOpCo in excess of that remuneration to LuxSCS in the form of a royalty payment, the contested tax ruling produces an outcome that departs from a reliable approximation of a market-based outcome, which confers an economic advantage on LuxOpCo in the form of a reduction of its taxable base for corporate income tax purposes.
LuxSCS' startkapital på ca. [400-500] mio. EUR er i denne forbindelse irrelevant.
This reasoning is developed in Section 9.2.1.
Som forklaret i betragtning 443 behøvede LuxSCS ikke at dække tab i en aftale på armslængdevilkår, og dets kapital ville således ikke være risikobehæftet.
In addition, by a subsidiary line of reasoning and without prejudice to the conclusion in the previous Recital, the Commission concludes that even if the Luxembourg tax administration were right to have accepted the inaccurate and unsubstantiated claim that LuxSCS would perform unique and valuable functions in relation to the Intangibles, which the Commission contests, the transfer pricing arrangement endorsed by the contested tax ruling is nevertheless based on improper methodological choices that produce an outcome departing from a reliable approximation of a market-based outcome, which also confer an economic advantage on LuxOpCo in the form of a reduction of its taxable base for corporate income tax purposes.
Dets startkapital var ikke kun utilstrækkelig til at dække buy-in- og CSA-omkostningerne, eftersom CSA-betalinger alene beløb sig til [1000-1500] mio. EUR i perioden 2006-2013, den pågældende kapital blev tilført LuxSCS af dets aktionærer i 2005, hvilket var før, LuxOpCo begyndte at operere og foretage royaltybetalinger til LuxSCS, og før anvendelsesperioden for den anfægtede skatteafgørelse og denne afgørelse.
The subsidiary line of reasoning is developed in Section 9.2.2.
Under alle omstændigheder udførte LuxSCS ikke effektivt nogen væsentlige funktioner og påtog sig heller ingen væsentlige risici i forbindelse med udviklingen, forbedringen, forvaltningen eller udnyttelsen af de immaterielle aktiver, heller ikke med hensyn til de aktiviteter, der blev udført af ATI og A9 i henhold til CSA-aftalen, og ej heller hvad angår udviklingsaktiviteter udført af LuxOpCo.
PRIMARY FINDING OF AN ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE
LuxSCS kan derfor ikke siges effektivt at have påtaget sig risiciene i forbindelse med udvikling, forbedring, forvaltning og udnyttelse af de immaterielle aktiver, og det havde heller ikke økonomisk kapacitet til at påtage sig sådanne risici.
Since the essence of the arm's length principle is to reflect the economic realities of the controlled taxpayer's particular conditions and apply as a benchmark the conditions applied in comparable transactions between independent parties, the first step of a transfer pricing analysis is to identify the commercial and financial conditions between the taxpayer requesting a transfer pricing ruling and its associated companies in the transaction (or transactions) under analysis.
Konklusion vedrørende den funktionelle analyse af LuxSCS
As acknowledged by the TP Report, the intra-group transaction being priced by the contested tax ruling is the License Agreement concluded between LuxSCS and LuxOpCo.
En funktionel analyse af LuxSCS viser, at det i den pågældende periode ikke havde ret til at udføre, udførte eller outsourcede ikke og havde heller ikke kapacitet til at udføre eller outsource nogen unikke og værdifulde funktioner i forbindelse med udviklingen, forbedringen, forvaltningen og udnyttelsen af de immaterielle aktiver.
After the identification of the relevant intra-group transaction, the second step of a transfer pricing analysis is the comparison of the conditions of those transactions with the conditions of comparable transactions between independent companies (i.e. the comparability analysis) so that the intra-group transaction can be priced.
Den viser ydermere, at LuxSCS i den pågældende periode ikke anvendte aktiverne i forbindelse med de pågældende aktiviteter, men blot havde ejendomsret og licens til de immaterielle aktiver under henvisning til CSA-aftalen.
In transactions between two independent companies, that price will reflect the functions that each company performs (taking into account assets used and risks assumed).
Det påtog sig heller ikke aktivt kontrol eller havde driftsmæssig og økonomisk kapacitet til at påtage sig eller kontrollere de risici, der var forbundet med de pågældende aktiviteter.
Therefore, in determining whether controlled and uncontrolled transactions or companies are comparable, a functional analysis is necessary.
I realiteten kunne LuxSCS højst siges at have udført visse funktioner, som var nødvendige for opretholdelse af sin juridiske ejendomsret til de immaterielle aktiver som anført i betragtning 428.
The functional analysis seeks to identify and compare the economically significant activities and responsibilities undertaken, assets used and risks assumed by the parties to the transaction(s) being priced.
Funktionel analyse af LuxOpCo
The Commission does not consider the transfer pricing arrangement endorsed by the contested tax ruling to result in a reliable approximation of a market-based outcome because it is based on an improper functional analysis.
I afsnit 9.2.1.2.1 vurderer Kommissionen de funktioner, der er udført af LuxOpCo i forbindelse med de immaterielle aktiver.
The contested tax ruling endorses a transfer pricing arrangement as a result of which the transfer price for the License Agreement – i.e. the annual royalty due by LuxOpCo to LuxSCS for the license to the Intangibles – is determined as the residual profit generated by LuxOpCo in excess of an arm's length remuneration for the allegedly ‘routine functions’ performed by that company.
I afsnit 9.2.1.2.2 vurderer den de funktioner, der er udført af LuxOpCo i forbindelse med driften af Amazons europæiske detail- og servicevirksomhed.
The TP Report on which that transfer pricing arrangement was based did not, however, examine how the functions performed, assets used and risks assumed by LuxSCS justify the attribution of the entire residual profit of LuxOpCo to it in the form of a royalty payment.
I afsnit 9.2.1.2.3 vurderer den de aktiver, LuxOpCo har anvendt til udførelse af begge former for funktioner.
Therefore, the contested tax ruling is based on the inaccurate and unsubstantiated assumption that LuxSCS would perform unique and valuable functions in relation to the Intangibles, whereas LuxOpCo would perform solely ‘routine’ management functions in relation to Amazon's European online retail business.
I afsnit 9.2.1.2.4 vurderer den de risici, LuxOpCo påtager sig i forbindelse med udførelsen af begge former for funktioner.
According to Amazon, LuxSCS owns, maintains and develops unique and difficult-to-value key value drivers in the form of the Intangibles, whose contribution is essential to the European retail business.
Funktioner udført af LuxOpCo i forbindelse med de immaterielle aktiver
By contrast, LuxOpCo does not own, manage or control any IP rights, but has a functional profile comparable to that of a management company with oversight over the procurement, sales, marketing and distribution of products to customers via the EU websites.
Amazon gør gældende, at »LuxOpCo ikke bidrog til udvikling, erhvervelse, administration, udbredelse eller strategisk ledelse i forbindelse med de [immaterielle aktiver] i undersøgelsesperioden«.
Relying on the [Advisor 3] report, Amazon further argued that the online retail business is similar to the physical retail business and that, in the case of retailers be it online or physical, the vast majority of costs are variable.
På baggrund af de oplysninger, Kommissionen har gennemgået, skal den pågældende påstand afvises.
Therefore, the impact of economies of scale on profitability is limited.
Som forklaret i betragtning 419 gav LuxSCS LuxOpCo en eksklusiv og uigenkaldelig licens til økonomisk at udnytte de immaterielle aktiver og al anden IP, som LuxSCS var i besiddelse af i Europa, samt en ret til at videreudvikle og forbedre , vedligeholde og beskytte de immaterielle aktiver i hele deres levetid .
The Commission does not agree with this functional analysis, as will be explained in detail in Sections 9.2.1.1 and 9.2.1.2.
LuxSCS bevarer ejendomsretten til de immaterielle aktiver og afledte værker udviklet af LuxOpCo og dets underlicenshavere .
Had a proper functional analysis been performed for the purposes of obtaining the contested tax ruling, the Luxembourg tax administration should have concluded that LuxSCS does not perform any unique and valuable functions in relation to the Intangibles for which it merely holds the legal title by virtue of the Buy-In Agreement and the CSA.
LuxOpCo fik desuden en eksklusiv og uigenkaldelig ret til at beslutte, om — og til hvem — de immaterielle aktiver måtte gives i underlicens.
In particular, LuxSCS does not conduct or control any of the activities related to the development, management, protection and exploitation of the Intangibles, but passes those functions on to LuxOpCo under the License Agreement, without any reservation of LuxSCS supervising LuxOpCo's activities in that respect.
På denne baggrund administrerede LuxOpCo underlicensforbindelserne, navnlig til AMEU og ASE.
LuxSCS has no employees who would be able to control those functions, nor does LuxSCS incur the cost related to the performance of those functions.