natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
In its letter of 23 October 2003 to the Luxembourg tax administration (‘Amazon's letter of 23 October 2003’), Amazon requested a tax ruling confirming the treatment of LuxOpCo for Luxembourg corporate income tax purposes.
Tako poiskane transakcije se niso štele za dovolj primerljive, zato je bila zavrnjena njihova uporaba pri analizi primerljivih prostih cen.
That letter explains Amazon's envisaged business structure in Europe and seeks confirmation that the transfer pricing arrangement for the License Agreement described therein results in ‘an appropriate and acceptable profit’ for LuxOpCo ‘with respect to the transfer pricing policy and Articles 56 and 164(3) of the LITL’.
Skupina Amazon poimenuje te pogodbe z izrazom „pogodbe M.com“.Avtorji poročila o transfernih cenah so po preučitvi teh pogodb ugotovili, da je pogodba [A] primerljiva pogodba, ker ostale pogodbe „ne vključujejo dajanja na razpolago tehnološke platforme za spletno trgovanje“.
That letter refers to an ‘economic analysis’ attached thereto, which sets out ‘the functions and risks that LuxOpCo was anticipated to undertake, as well as the nature and extent of the Intangibles that are anticipated to be the subject of the Intangibles License’ concluded between LuxSCS and LuxOpCo.
Skupina Amazon se je v pogodbi [A] strinjala, da bo oblikovala, razvila, gostila in zagotovila delovanje novega spletišča [A] in trgovine [A] na svojih spletiščih, ki naj bi nadomestila obstoječe spletišče za spletno trgovanje [A].
On the basis of that analysis, a transfer pricing arrangement was proposed under which the level of the annual royalty (referred to in the letter as the ‘License Fee’) that LuxOpCo would be required to pay to LuxSCS for the use of the Intangibles was established.
Funkcionalnosti, ki naj bi jih vključevalo spletišče [A], naj bi bile večinoma enakovredne tistim, ki jih običajno vključujejo spletišča skupine Amazon.
Pursuant to that arrangement, the annual royalty would be equal to a percentage of all revenue (the ‘Royalty Rate’) received by LuxOpCo in connection with its operation of the EU websites.
V zameno naj bi [A] skupini Amazon plačeval nadomestilo, ki naj bi med drugim vključevalo stroške zasnove, osnovne stroške in prodajne provizije.
As further set out in that letter, the License Fee and the Royalty Rate would be calculated by use of the following method:
Da bi bilo mogoče to plačilo primerjati z licenčnino (v poročilu o transfernih cenah imenovano „Royalty Rate“ oziroma „stopnja licenčnine“), so bili stroški zasnove amortizirani in pripisani vsakemu od štirih obdobij, navedenih v pogodbi, ter tako kot letni osnovni stroški pretvorjeni v delež prodaje (v razponu od 3,4 % do 7,2 %).
Compute and allocate to LuxOpCo the ‘LuxOpCo Return’, which is equal to the lesser of (a) [4-6] % of LuxOpCo's total EU Operating Expenses for the year and (b) total EU Operating Profit attributable to the European Web Sites for such year;
Ker so stroški provizije, predvideni v pogodbi [A], znašali med 4 % in 5 % prodaje, so avtorji poročila o transfernih cenah najprej ugotovili, da znaša implicitna stopnja licenčnine, predvidena v pogodbi [A], med 8,4 % in 11,7 % prodaje.
The License Fee shall be equal to EU Operating Profit minus the LuxOpCo Return, provided that the License Fee shall not be less than zero;
Vendar se je [A] zavezal tudi, da bo družbi Amazon plačal nekatere stroške kot nadomestilo za presežno zmogljivost naročanja in presežne zaloge.
The Royalty Rate for the year shall be equal to the License Fee divided by total EU Revenue for the year;
Tudi ti stroški, navedeni v pogodbi, so bili pretvorjeni v delež prodaje, ki je znašal od 1,2 % do 0,7 %.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the amount of the LuxOpCo Return for any year shall not be less than 0,45 % of EU Revenue, nor greater than 0,55 % of EU Revenue;
Zato je razpon primerljivih tržnih cen za prvotno izračunano stopnjo licenčnine znašal od 9,6 % do 12,6 % prodaje.
In the event that the LuxOpCo Return determined under step (1) would be less than 0,45 % of EU Revenues, the LuxOpCo Return shall be adjusted to equal the lesser of (i) 0,45 % of Revenue or EU Operating Profit or (ii) EU Operating Profit;
Nazadnje, ker pogodba [A] [A] ni omogočala dostopa do podatkov o strankah skupine Amazon, so avtorji poročila o transfernih cenah primerljivo prosto ceno prilagodili, da bi se upoštevalo, da je družba LuxSCS družbi LuxOpCo omogočala dostop do podatkov o strankah skupine Amazon.
In the event that the LuxOpCo Return determined under step (1) would be greater than 0,55 % of EU Revenues, the LuxOpCo Return shall be adjusted to equal the lesser of (i) 0,55 % of EU Revenues or (ii) EU Operating Profit.’
Zato je bilo glede na informacije iz pogodbe [B] predlagano povišanje za 1 %, tako da je razpon primerljivih tržnih cen za stopnjo licenčnine znašal od 10,6 % do 13,6 % prodaje družbe LuxOpCo.
For the purpose of the Royalty Rate Computation the following definitions apply:
Analiza transfernih cen po metodi porazdelitve preostalega dobička
‘EU COGS’ means Costs of Goods Sold, computed using US GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles), attributable to LuxOpCo's operation of the European Web Sites.
V oddelku 6.2 poročila o transfernih cenah je izračunan razpon primerljivih tržnih cen za licenčnino (v poročilu o transfernih cenah imenovano „stopnja licenčnine“) po metodi porazdelitve preostalega dobička.
‘EU Operating Expense’ means LuxOpCo's total costs, including intercompany expenses, but excluding: EU COGS, the License Fee, currency gains and losses and interest expense, calculated under U.S. GAAP.
Avtorji poročila o transfernih cenah so z uporabo te metode ocenili donos, povezan z „rednimi funkcijami [družbe LuxOpCo] kot evropske delujoče družbe“, na podlagi dodatka na stroške družbe LuxOpCo.
‘EU Revenues’ means total net sales revenue earned by LuxOpCo through the EU Web Sites, which shall be equal to the sum of (a) the total sales prices of products sold by LuxOpCo, stated on the invoices which are issued to customers, including revenue attributable to gift wrapping and shipping and handling, less: value added taxes, returns and other allowances, and (b) total services revenue earned by LuxOpCo in connection with the sale of products or services by unrelated parties through the EU Web Sites, less value added taxes.
Da bi določili razpon primerljivih tržnih cen za ta dodatek, so avtorji poročila o transfernih cenah opravili raziskave, da bi našli primerljive družbe, ki na splošno veljajo za družbe, ki se ukvarjajo z upravljanjem in delovanjem dejavnosti na podlagi programske opreme.
‘EU Operating Profit’ means EU Revenue minus: EU COGS and EU Operating Expenses.
Z iskanjem primerljivih družb v podatkovni zbirki Amadeus na podlagi izbirnih meril, povezanih z geografskim območjem, ter iskanja na podlagi ključnih besed v opisih dejavnosti in nomenklature gospodarskih dejavnosti, kombiniranim z ročnim pregledovanjem, je bilo kot primerljivih s skupino Amazon opredeljenih sedem družb.
THE TRANSFER PRICING REPORT
Na podlagi tega je izraz „čisti dodatek na stroške“ („net cost plus mark-up“) v poročilu o transfernih cenah opredeljen kot kazalnik dobička, ki omogoča določitev tržno naravnanega plačila za predvidene funkcije družbe LuxOpCo, ki je bilo opredeljeno kot enakovredno količniku dobička iz poslovanja ter vsote stroškov blaga in operativnih stroškov.
In response to the Opening Decision, Luxembourg submitted the TP Report.
Na podlagi podatkov o sedmih primerljivih transakcijah je bil izračunan povprečni interkvartilni razpon za tri leta (od 1999 do 2001): spodnji kvartil je znašal 2,3 %, mediana 4,2 % in zgornji kvartil 6,7 %.
Luxembourg claims that the TP Report is the ‘economic analysis’ to which reference is made in Amazon's letter of 23 October 2003.
Iz preglednice z rezultati je razvidno, da so podatki izraženi v deležih čiste prodaje.
The TP Report was drawn up by reference to the Transfer Pricing Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Tax Administrations prepared by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.(‘OECD TP Guidelines’).
Zato je bil izbran dodatek v višini [4–6] %, ki je bil dodan operativnim stroškom družbe LuxOpCo, da bi se določila „običajna donosnost, ki se lahko pripiše funkcijam družbe LuxOpCo“.
According to that functional analysis, LuxSCS's principal activities will be limited to those of an intangible holding company and a participant in the ongoing development of the Intangibles through the CSA.
Nazadnje, v poročilu o transfernih cenah je bil predvideni preostali dobiček za posamezno leto razdeljen na predvideno čisto prodajo družbe LuxOpCo, da se je dobil kazalnik stopnje licenčnine.
LuxSCS will also license the Intangibles to LuxOpCo, subject to the License Agreement, and will receive royalty payments pursuant to that agreement.
Avtorji poročila o transfernih cenah so na podlagi tega ugotovili, da „bi bila stopnja licenčnine v razponu med 10,1 % in 12,3 % čistega prometa, ki bi jo družba LuxOpCo zaračunala družbi LuxSCS, skladna z neodvisnim tržnim načelom v skladu s smernicami OECD“.
As regards LuxOpCo, the TP Report explains that ‘[t]hrough its staff of full-time management employees, LuxOpCo will manage the strategic decision-making related to the EU Web Sites' Retail and Services Businesses, and will also manage the key physical components of the Retail Business’.
Izračuni iz poročila o transfernih cenah so povzeti in prikazani v preglednici 1.
According to Amazon's letter of 23 October 2003, LuxOpCo was expected to have ‘in total, at least 25 to 30 full-time employees, including certain key pan-European management with responsibility for strategic decision-making in connection with the EU Web sites’, with the remaining full-time employees (approximately 20) to function in areas such as marketing, technology and accounts payable.
Stolpce od 1 do 3 je Komisija dodala za pojasnitev teh izračunov.
The TP Report further explains that ‘[f]ollowing the restructuring, it is anticipated that LuxOpCo's principal activities will be focused on the exploitation of Amazon's software platform in an effort to continually develop and improve the software-based business model underlying the Retail Business and Service Business offered through the EU Websites. […] As part of this effort, LuxOpCo's management will work to identify opportunities to improve and enhance the Retail and Service Businesses through the exploitation of new and improved platform features and functionality as they are developed.
Preglednica 1
As both a retailer and service provider, LuxOpCo will strive to provide the optimal costumer experience in all areas including fulfilment, payment, processing, merchandising decisions and monitoring of third-party seller performance […]’.
Izračuni iz poročila o transfernih cenah, glej str. 32 poročila o transfernih cenah (stolpce od 1 do 3 je dodala Komisija)
In its role as retailer, LuxOpCo was expected to take merchandising and pricing decisions, and to manage all aspects of the order fulfilment process.
(v milijonih EUR)
As the operator of the service business, LuxOpCo would also be ‘responsible for strategic decisions relating to the selection of third-party merchants and product categories, and for marketing to and negotiations with third-party merchants’.
Promet
For the purpose of operating the EU websites, LuxOpCo was to use the Intangibles which it licensed from LuxSCS.
Stroški blaga, surovin in potrošnega materiala
LuxOpCo was expected to hold legal title to all inventory.
Kosmati dobiček
LuxOpCo would assume all risks associated with holding inventory and selling products through the EU websites.
Operativni stroški
According to Amazon's letter of 23 October 2003, LuxOpCo was to own and use the Luxembourg-based transaction processing servers to complete the processing of, and authorise payments for, customer and third-party seller transactions, including payments to third-party merchants.
Med podjetji (co.uk, .de, .fr)
LuxOpCo was to contract with ASE, which would act as a service commission agent in its own name but for the benefit of LuxOpCo, in connection with Amazon's third-party seller programs in Europe.
Stroški za posrednika v Luksemburgu
ASE's services would primarily consist of certain order processing services associated with the service business.
Operativni stroški (od tega med podjetji)
The EU Local Affiliates located in Germany, France and the UK were to provide various services with respect to the EU websites, including certain customer referral and support, marketing and fulfilment services.
Ocena čistega dobička (čiste izgube) iz poslovanja pred običajnim donosom
According to Amazon's management forecasts submitted for the purpose of the TP Report, LuxOpCo was expected to expand its revenues in the course of its operations from approximately EUR 3,2 billion in 2005 to approximately EUR 8,3 billion in 2010 and incur the following costs: the cost of goods as a percent of revenue was projected on average at approximately 77,5 %, leading to a gross margin of about 22,5 %.
Običajni donos, pripisan družbi LuxASE
Following the 2006 restructuring, LuxOpCo was to assume the on-going costs associated with the management and operation of the Amazon platform in Europe, including payment and collection processing expenses, bad debt expenses, certain system support expenses, as well as the cost of salaries of the management, technology and other personnel working to support the Amazon platform operations in the region.
Običajni donos, pripisan družbi LuxOpCo
The assumptions underlying the management forecast were neither disclosed nor reviewed in the TP Report.
[4 – 6] % * g
Selection of the most appropriate transfer pricing method
Ocena preostalega dobička, ki se plača družbi LuxSCS
Section 5 of the TP Report deals with the selection of the most appropriate transfer pricing method for determining the arm's length nature of the Royalty Rate.
Dejanska stopnja licenčnine (kot % prometa)
To determine the remuneration attributable to LuxOpCo and the arm's length level of the royalty to be paid by LuxOpCo to LuxSCS under the License Agreement, the TP Report proposes alternative transfer pricing arrangements: one based on the comparable uncontrolled price (‘CUP’) method and another based on the residual profit split method.
Uskladitev dveh analiz transfernih cen
Transfer pricing assessment based on the CUP method
Avtorji poročila o transfernih cenah so na podlagi sinteze analiz transfernih cen iz licenčne pogodbe z metodo primerljivih prostih cen in metodo porazdelitve preostalega dobička menili, da se rezultati ujemajo in kažejo, da razpon primerljivih tržnih cen za stopnjo licenčnine, ki jo družba LuxOpCo plača družbi LuxSCS v okviru navedene pogodbe, znaša od 10,1 % do 12,3 % prodaje družbe LuxOpCo.
Section 6.1 of the TP Report calculates an arm's length range for royalty on the basis of the CUP method.
Tako v svojem poročilu o transfernih cenah ugotavljajo, da „je razumno sklepati, da je izbira stopnje licenčnine znotraj razpona stopenj licenčnine, dobljenih s tema metodama, v skladu z neodvisnim tržnim načelom, vendar lahko obstajajo manjše razlike v prihodnjih neopredmetenih sredstvih, dejansko prenesenih v okviru pogodbe [A], ki so vzrok za ugotovljene manjše razlike pri rezultatih, dobljenih z metodama. […] razumno je sklepati […], da je manj verjetno, da analiza porazdelitve preostalega dobička povzroči napačne ocene, in da jo je zato mogoče šteti za zanesljivejše merilo za stopnjo licenčnine po neodvisnem tržnem načelu.“
First of all, searches were performed for comparable transactions in Amazon's own internal database of license agreements and an external agency was commissioned to conduct a search for license agreements involving intangible assets similar to those of Amazon.
POSLEDICE ZADEVNEGA VNAPREJŠNJEGA DAVČNEGA STALIŠČA
The transactions identified as a result of the searches were not considered sufficiently comparable and were therefore rejected for the purpose of the CUP analysis.
Ta pogodba je povzeta na sliki 2:
Next, the TP Report identified as relevant the following agreements entered into by Amazon since 2000 with third-party retailers under which Amazon made its technology platform available to those retailers: the Strategic Alliance Agreement between Rocket.zeta, Inc., Amazon.com, Inc., target.direct LLC and Target Corporation (the ‘Target Agreement’), the Strategic Alliance Agreement between Rock-Bound, Inc. and ToysRUs.com LLC (the ‘ToysRUs Agreement’); the Product Listing Agreement between Amazon.com Payments, Inc and Circuit City Stores, Inc. (the ‘Circuit City Agreement’); the Mirror Site Hosting Agreement between Frontier.zeta, Inc. and Borders Online LLC (the ‘Borders Agreement’); and the Mirror Site Hosting Agreement between Amazon.com International Sales, Inc. and Waterstone's Bookseller Ltd (the ‘Waterstones Agreement’).
Slika 2
Amazon refers to these agreements as the ‘M.com Agreements’.
Struktura evropskih subjektov skupine Amazon v obdobju 2006–2014, ki vključuje pogodbo o plačevanju licenčnine
Upon review of those agreements, the TP Report concludes that the [A] Agreement provides a comparable arrangement to the extent that the rest of the contracts ‘did not include the provision of the eCommerce technology platform’.
Knjiženi dobiček, ki presega obdavčljivi dobiček, dogovorjen v izpodbijanem vnaprejšnjem davčnem stališču, družba LuxOpCo plačuje družbi LuxSCS v obliki licenčnine
Pursuant to the [A] Agreement, Amazon agreed to create, develop, host and maintain a new [A] website and a [A] store on Amazon websites, which were to replace [A]'s existing e-commerce website.
Licenčnina Obdavčljivi dobiček družbe LuxOpCo, dogovorjen v izpodbijanem vnaprejšnjem davčnem stališču
The functionalities to be included in the [A] website would be substantially equivalent to those generally incorporated in the Amazon websites.
0,45 % na prodajo
In return, [A] was to pay Amazon compensation consisting of, among others, set-up fees, base fees, and sales commissions.
[4-6] % na op. str.
Since the commission fee included in the [A] Agreement ranged from 4 % to 5 % of sales, the TP Report's first conclusion was that the implied royalty rate in the [A] Agreement ranged from 8,4 % to 11,7 % of sales.
Amazon.com, Inc.
However, [A] had also committed to pay Amazon certain fees to compensate for both excess order capacity and excess inventory level.
Prodaja v EU, fakturirana in knjižena v Luksemburgu
Those fees, referred to in the agreement, were also converted into a percentage of sales, ranging from 1,2 % to 0,7 %.
Odvisne družbe v EU
Therefore, the arm's length range for the Royalty Rate was initially calculated to be between 9,6 % and 12,6 % of sales.
Družba LuxOpCo je pri izpolnitvi svojih letnih davčnih napovedi v obravnavanem obdobju uporabila zadevno vnaprejšnje davčno stališče, da je določila dolgovani letni znesek davka od dohodkov pravnih oseb.
Accordingly, using the information available in the [B] Agreement, an upward adjustment of 1 % was proposed, resulting in an arm's length range for the Royalty Rate between 10,6 % and 13,6 % of LuxOpCo's sales.
Preglednica 2 prikazuje posledice zadevnega vnaprejšnjega davčnega stališča za izračun davčne osnove družbe LuxOpCo v Luksemburgu in znesek licenčnine, plačan družbi LuxSCS od leta 2006.
Section 6.2 of the TP Report calculates an arm's length range for the License Fee (referred to in the TP Report as the ‘Royalty Rate’) on the basis of the residual profit split method.
Zato je v preglednici 2 prikazano skupno stanje in v nadaljevanju ni razlikovanja med družbami LuxOpCo, ASE in AMEU.
In its application of that method, the TP Report estimated the return associated with LuxOpCo's ‘routine functions in its role as the European operating company’ based on the mark-up on costs to be incurred by LuxOpCo.
Preglednica 2
To determine an arm's length range for that mark-up, the TP Report conducted a search to identify comparable companies generally identified as engaged in the management and operation of software-based business.
Izračun davčne osnove družbe LuxOpCo in plačil licenčnine za obdobje 2006–2013
A comparable companies search in the Amadeus database using selection criteria related to geographic region, keyword search in business descriptions and industry classification of the search combined with manual screening identified seven companies considered comparable to Amazon.
Davčna enota v Luksemburgu
Based on data concerning the seven comparables, the following three-year average (1999-2001) interquartiles range was presented: lower quartile was 2,3 %, median was 4,2 %, and upper quartile was 6,7 %.
[15000–15500]
As a result, a mark-up of [4-6] % was selected and applied to the operating expenses of LuxOpCo to determine ‘the relevant routine return attributable to LuxOpCo's functions’.
[11500–12000]
That return was subsequently deducted from LuxOpCo's operating profit.
Celotni operativni stroški
The resulting difference between that return and LuxOpCo's recorded profit, the residual profit, was considered by the TP Report to be wholly attributable to the use of the Intangibles licensed from LuxSCS.
[3000–3500]
Finally, the TP Report divided each of the projected annual residual profits by the projected net sales of LuxOpCo to obtain an indication of the Royalty Rate.
od tega
The calculations made in the TP Report, are summarised and illustrated in Table 1.
[2500–3000]
Columns 1 and 3 have been added by the Commission to explain those calculations:
LuxOpCo – operativni stroški
Table 1
[800–900]
Calculation in the TP Report, cf. p. 32 of the TP report (Column 1 and 3 added by the Commission)
LuxOpCo – znotraj skupine
(EUR million)
[1500–2000]
Revenue
Stroški, izključeni iz dodatka (upravljanje in delniške enote z omejenimi pravicami)
COGS
[200–300]
Gross Profit
Dobiček iz poslovanja, ki iz tega izhaja
a – b
[600–700]
LUX Commissionaire expense
Analiza zgornje/spodnje meje
Operating expense (incl.
Zgornja meja dobička (0,55 % prometa)
Intercompany)
[80–90]
d + e + f
Spodnja meja dobička (0,45 % prometa)
Estimated Operating Net Profit (Loss) before Routine Return
[60–70]
c – g
Konsolidirani dobiček v Luksemburgu – glede na zgornjo/spodnjo mejo in donos
Routine Return to LuxASE 0,14
Plačilo licenčnine (davčna enota LuxSCS)
Routine Return to LuxOpCo
[500–600]
[4 – 6] % × g
V skladu z izračunom licenčnine, ki se plača družbi LuxSCS, stroškovna osnova, uporabljena za določitev davčne osnove družbe LuxOpCo za luksemburške davčne namene, ustreza vsoti operativnih stroškov in stroškov evropskih povezanih družb, ki jih nato povrne družba LuxOpCo (v preglednici 2 navedeno z izrazi „LuxOpCo – znotraj skupine“).
Estimated Residual Profit Payable to LuxSCS
Stroški prodanega blaga in nekateri drugi stroški, v preglednici 2 navedeni kot „stroški, izključeni iz dodatka (upravljanje in UAI)“, niso upoštevani pri izračunu obdavčljivega dobička družbe LuxOpCo.
h – i – j
Zadnja kategorija stroškov vključuje naslednje stroške: (i) od leta 2008 stroške ameriških povezanih družb družbe Amazon.com, Inc. za podporne storitve, ki na datum zadevnega vnaprejšnjega davčnega stališča niso bili predvideni; (ii) od leta 2010 stroške, ki jih družba Amazon.com zaračuna družbi LuxOpCo za delnice, dodeljene zaposlenim družbe LuxOpCo ter nekaterim neposrednim in posrednim evropskim odvisnim družbam kot nadomestilo v delnicah.
Effective Royalty Rate (as % of Revenue)
Skupina Amazon trdi, da ti stroški nikakor ne spreminjajo funkcij in tveganj družbe LuxOpCo.
k/a
Z uporabo dodatka v višini [4–6] % na vsoto operativnih stroškov družbe LuxOpCo in stroškov znotraj skupine dobimo celotni ocenjeni donos davčne enote v Luksemburgu.
Reconciliation of the two transfer pricing arrangements
Ta rezultat se nato primerja z zgornjo in spodnjo mejo (0,55 % oziroma 0,45 % prometa).