Taxation Of International Portfolio Investment

This book examines the key policy issues of particular relevance to Canada, but the analysis is relevant to policy issues facing many countries as a result growing financial and economic integration. This study explores key issues in the viability of national tax systems in a world of highly mobile capital.

This book analyses the taxation of cross-border portfolio investments by means of collective investment institutions. Possible tax distortions specific to the area of collective investment institutions are identified for a representative group of OECD countries.

The past decade has witnessed a significant increase in cross-border capital flows and a pronounced shift in their composition towards portfolio investment, with much of the capital under management by mutual funds or "collective investment institution

The book analyses the taxation of investment funds and their investors from the standpoint of domestic tax laws, tax treaties and EC law. It also provides a comprehensive understanding of the tax issues arising in the cross-border transactions of investment funds and private fund investors in the European Union. The viewpoints of the source state of income, residence state of the investment fund as well as the residence state of the investor are all considered. The book takes a comparative approach by covering five EU Member States (the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Luxembourg and Finland). On the basis of the examination at the Member State level, the present tax rules and practices are tested against the fundamental freedoms of the EC Treaty. The conclusion is that there are still various tax measures that are likely to be in conflict with EC law. The book also discusses possibilities of adopting targeted measures of positive integration at the level of the European Union with a view to enhancing the objective of the single investment fund market.

Tax is an expense of investing, in the same way as brokerage commissions or management fees. By paying attention to the tax consequences of their investing decisions, investors can substantially increase the amount of investment income that ends up in their pocket at the end of the day. This book will give Canadian investors the tools they need to maximise the after-tax return on their investments while taking their risk tolerance into account. It is relevant to investors who hold individual stocks and bonds as well as those who invest through mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and similar products.