Shortcomings In The Eu Merger Directive

The European Union (EU) Merger Directive removes certain tax disadvantages encountered by companies and their shareholders in the course of a restructuring operation. However, in spite of amendments and European Court of Justice's (ECJ) interpretations of its provisions, various shortcomings remain. This thoroughgoing analysis, broader and deeper than any prior work on the subject, addresses all the Directive's subtopics methodically, following the paragraphs of Articles 1-15 in their logical succession. The author analyses the points in which the Merger Directive falls short of attaining its stated objective, and he also examines how these shortcomings could be scaled. To do so, he tests the Merger Directive against its own objective, primary EU law (the fundamental freedoms and the unwritten general principles of EU law) and non-discrimination provisions in relevant treaties. Each of the following questions is addressed and responded to in depth: – Which entities have access to the Merger Directive and which entities should have access to it? – Which operations are covered by the Merger Directive and which operations should be covered? – Which tax disadvantages to cross-border restructuring operations does the Merger Directive aim to remove, which tax disadvantages have been actually removed, which tax disadvantages remain, and how should the Merger Directive be amended to remove the remaining tax disadvantages? – How tax avoidance should be combated under Article 15(1)(a) of the Merger Directive, which possible types of tax avoidance can be identi¬fied, and how the Merger Directive should be amended? – Which cases of double taxation does a taxpayer engaging in cross-border restructuring operations potentially encounter, and how they can be taken away by the Merger Directive? The key shortcomings that are identifi¬ed are: the Merger Directive’s objective is not stated precisely; minimum harmonisation does not lead to a common tax system; exhaustive lists are used as legislative technique; the Merger Directive does not add much to the outcomes reached through negative harmonisation; and the de¬finitions of qualifying operations are not fully aligned with corporate law. Chapter 6 contains a deeply informed and viable proposal for the amendment of the Merger Directive. This is the fi¬rst treatment not only to evaluate the Directive's effi¬cacy in detail but also to offer real solutions to its shortcomings. It will be welcomed by policymakers, judges, practitioners and academics, and the recommendations it contains are sure to affect ongoing amendments and jurisprudence on the Merger Directive.

This is the 4th edition of The EC Merger Regulation - a detailed guide to the method of merger control in the European Union. Fully revised for 2012, this comprehensive text describes how the European Commission determines approval of a notified merger, thereby providing information and techniques to complete merger deals successfully for companies operating in the European Union

This edited volume focuses on specific, crucially important structural measures that foster corporate change, namely cross-border mergers. Such cross-border transactions play a key role in business reality, economic theory and corporate, financial and capital markets law. Since the adoption of the Cross-border Mergers Directive, these mergers have been regulated by specific legal provisions in EU member states. This book analyzes various aspects of the directive, closely examining this harmonized area of EU company law and critically evaluating cross-border mergers as a method of corporate restructuring in order to gain insights into their fundamental mechanisms. It comprehensively discusses the practicalities of EU harmonization of cross-border mergers, linking it to corporate restructuring in general, while also taking the transposition of the directive into account. Exploring specific angles of the Cross-border Mergers Directive in the light of European and national company law, the book is divided into three sections: the first section focuses on EU and comparative aspects of the Cross-border Mergers Directive, while the second examines the interaction of the directive with other areas of law (capital markets law, competition law, employment law, tax law, civil procedure). Lastly, the third section describes the various member states’ experiences of implementing the Cross-border Mergers Directive.

Basic knowledge of European Tax Law This concise handbook has become a traditional instrument for gaining basic knowledge of European tax law with emphasis on direct taxes. It is directed at students, experienced international tax specialists with little knowledge of European law, European law specialists and non-Europeans who deal with Europe for business or academic reasons and need to understand the foundations of European tax law. Moreover, this book can be useful to academics without a legal background in approaching technical issues raised by European Union tax law, as well as give inspiration to the most experienced European direct tax law experts. This seventh edition further refines and updates the content, but also enhances the coordination across the chapter and the selection of case law in line with the weight that it carries for the development of European tax law. An indispensable consultation tool - Introduction to European Tax Law on Direct Taxation.

This handbook is a concise guide for all those who aim at obtaining a basic knowledge of European tax law. Designed for students, it should also be useful for experienced international tax specialists with little knowledge of European law, European law specialists who are reluctant to approach the technicalities of direct taxation and non-Europeans who deal with Europe for business or academic reasons and need to understand the foundations of European tax law. This book should also help academics without a legal background to approach the technical issues raised by European Union tax law. This edition contains selected relevant information available as of 30 June 2022. It retains all of the features and tools contained in the previous editions (including the final charts, which our readers very much appreciate). In this edition we have also included a list of relevant documents and a selection of reference textbooks on European tax law in five languages, which we found of potential interest to our readers.

Peter J. Wattel is Advocate General in the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, State Councillor extraordinary in the Netherlands Council of State and professor of EU tax law at the Amsterdam Centre for Tax Law (ACTL), University of Amsterdam. Otto Marres is professor at the ACTL and tax lawyer at Meijburg & Co., Amsterdam. Hein Vermeulen is professor at the ACTL and Director of PwC’s EU Direct Tax Group. The seventh edition of this two-volume set brings a comprehensive and systematic survey of European Tax Law up to January 2018. It provides a state of the art clarification and analysis of the implications of the EU Treaties and secondary EU law for national and bilateral tax law. From the consequences of the EU free movement rights - to the soft law meant to put a halt to harmful tax competition. The seventh edition of European Tax Law offers a cutting-edge analysis of the field surrounding tax law across Europe. It puts forward a thought-provoking discussion of the current EU tax rules, as well as of the EU Court’s case law in tax matters. Previous editions were highly regarded as a staple overview of EU tax law among EU tax law practitioners, policymakers, the judiciary and academics alike. With its updated legislation and case-law up to January 2018, this new edition maintains its unparalleled depth and clarity as the go-to reference book in the field. This first volume of ‘European Tax Law’ extensively covers: 1. The consequences of the EU free movement rights, the EU State aid prohibition, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the general principles of EU law for national tax law, tax treaties, national (tax) procedure, State liability and relations with third States, as they appear from the case law of the Court of justice of the EU 2. Secondary EU law in force and proposed on direct taxes: the Parent-Subsidiary Directive, the Tax Merger Directive, the Interest and Royalties Directive, cross-border tax dispute settlement instruments, the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive and the C(C)CTB proposal 3. The exchange of information and other administrative assistance in the assessment and recovery of taxes between the EU Member States 4. Soft Law on Harmful Tax Competition 5. Procedural matters and the extent of judicial protection The upcoming second volume of this set will cover harmonization of indirect taxation, energy taxation and capital duty, as well as administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation.

The seventh edition of this two-volume set brings a comprehensive and systematic survey of European Tax Law up to January 2018. It provides a state of the art clarification and analysis of the implications of the EU Treaties and secondary EU law for national and bilateral tax law. From the consequences of the EU free movement rights - to the soft law meant to put a halt to harmful tax competition. The seventh edition of European Tax Law offers a cutting-edge analysis of the field surrounding tax law across Europe. It puts forward a thought-provoking discussion of the current EU tax rules, as well as of the EU Court’s case law in tax matters. Previous editions were highly regarded as a staple overview of EU tax law among EU tax law practitioners, policymakers, the judiciary and academics alike. With its updated legislation and case-law up to January 2018, this new edition maintains its unparalleled depth and clarity as the go-to reference book in the field. This first volume of the abridged student edition of ‘European Tax Law’ covers: 1. The consequences of the EU free movement rights, the EU State aid prohibition, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the general principles of EU law for national tax law, tax treaties, national (tax) procedure, State liability and relations with third States, as they appear from the case law of the Court of justice of the EU 2. Secondary EU law in force and proposed on direct taxes: the Parent-Subsidiary Directive, the Tax Merger Directive, the Interest and Royalties Directive, cross-border tax dispute settlement instruments, the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive and the C(C)CTB proposal 3. The exchange of information and other administrative assistance in the assessment and recovery of taxes between the EU Member States 4. Soft Law on Harmful Tax Competition 5. Procedural matters and the extent of judicial protection The upcoming second volume of this set will cover harmonization of indirect taxation, energy taxation and capital duty, as well as administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation.

International Tax Law is at a turning point. Increased tax transparency, the tackling of Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), the reconstruction of the network of bilateral tax treaties, the renewed discussion about a fair and efficient allocation of taxing rights between States in a global, digitalized economy, and the bold push for minimum corporate taxation are some expressions of this shift. This new era also demonstrates the increased influence of international standard setters such as the OECD, the UN, and the EU. Each of these developments alone has the potential of being disruptive to the traditional world of international tax law, but together they have the potential to reshape the international tax system. The Oxford Handbook of International Tax Law provides a comprehensive exploration of these key issues which will shape the future of tax law. Divided into eight parts, this handbook traces the history of international tax law from its earliest days until the present, including reflections on the developments that have characterized the last one hundred years. The second section places tax law within the broader international context considering how it relates to public and private international law, as well as corporate, trade, and criminal law. Sections three and four consider key legal principles and issues such as regional tax treaty models, OECD dispute resolution, and transfer pricing versus formulary apportionment. Subsequent analysis places these issues within their European and cross-border contexts providing an assessment of the role of the ECJ, state aid, and cross-border VAT. Section seven broadens the scope of this analysis, asking how trends in recent major economies and regions have helped shape the current outlook. The final section considers emerging issues and the future of international tax law. With over sixty authors from 28 different countries, the Oxford Handbook of International Tax Law is an invaluable resource for scholars, academics, and practitioners alike.