Archive for Marco Rossi

Italy’s Supreme Court Rules That No Transfer Taxes Apply To The Transfer Of Property Into A Trust

With its ruling n. 975 issued on January 18, 2018 Italy’s Supreme Court held that the transfer of an asset (real estate property) to an irrevocable trust falls outside the scope of Italy’s registration, cadastral and mortgage taxes (transfer taxes), charged at the aggregate rate of 10 percent, on the theory that it is a transitory step before the final transfer of the property to the beneficiaries of the trust actually occurs, at which time the transfer taxes should apply.

The ruling is consistent with a previous decision of the Supreme Court on the same issue, that is, ruling n. 21614 of October 26, 2016 (which we also commented upon on this blog). Read More

Written by | Posted in Transfer Tax

Italian Tax Code: Economic Nexus Rule And Changes To Permanent Establishment

With the Budget Law for 2018 (Law n. 205 of December 27, 2017), Italy amended the definition of the term “permanent establishment” set forth in article 162 of the Italian Tax Code.

The term permanent establishment now covers situations in which a foreign enterprise does not have a physical nexus with Italy, but it has a regular and continuous economic presence in the country; engages in ancillary activities that are an essential component of its core business, or operates through commissioners or other agents who do not enter into contracts in the name of the enterprise, but procure the conclusion of contracts that are eventually signed by the principal with no material modifications. Read More

Written by | Posted in Italy Tax • TaxConnections

U.S. Impact Of Federal Tax Reform From Italy’s Perspective: Renewed Attention On Italy’s Anti Inversion Rules

As a result of the significant reduction of U.S. corporate income tax rates pursuant to the tax reform of the TCJA enacted on December 22, 2017, the Unites States now has a lower corporate tax rate than many of its trading partners, meaning that, in many instances, the profits of foreign owned or controlled-U.S. subsidiaries shall be taxed more favorably than the profits of their foreign parent companies or affiliates in their home jurisdictions. That creates an incentive for foreign companies to channel more profits through their U.S. subsidiaries, in order to benefit from lower U.S. income taxation compared to that applicable in the parent company’s home country. Read More

Written by | Posted in Italy Tax • Tax Cuts Jobs Act • Tax Reform • TaxConnections

U.S. Now A Black-Listed Country For Purpose Of Italy’s CFC Rules

Pursuant to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) passed on Dec. 22, 2017, the U.S. will tax U.S. corporations with the following tax rates:

– 21 percent general corporate income tax rate,
– 13.125 effective tax rate on U.S. corporation’s foreign derived intangible income (“FDII”), for taxable years from 2018 through 2025;
– 10.5 percent effective tax rate on the U.S. corporation’s pro rata share of global intangible low taxed income (“GILTI”) of a controlled foreign corporation (“CFC”). Read More

Written by | Posted in CFC • Tax Cuts Jobs Act

Tax Planning Considerations For Privately Held Business Under The “TCJA”

On December 22, 2017 the United States passed a new tax law referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”).

Given certain changes made to the federal income tax laws by the TCJA (the “Act”), privately held businesses should reconsider their tax structure to determine whether it is more advantageous to conduct their businesses as pass through entities or sole proprietorships or, alternatively, as C corporations. Read More

Written by | Posted in Private Business • Tax Cuts Jobs Act

Foreign Real Estate Investments & Taxation in Italy

Italian taxation of foreign investments in Italian real estate is complex.

Transfer taxes charged upon the acquisition of the real estate (alternatively, registration tax or VAT) vary depending on the nature and tax status of the buyer (foreign private individual, foreign company purchasing and owning the real estate directly, or foreign individual or corporate investor purchasing and owning the real estate through an Italian controlled entity), as well as the nature and tax status of the seller (private individual vs. unincorporated business or commercial company registered as a VAT taxpayer).

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Written by | Posted in Income Tax • International • Real Estate

Mamma Mia! Italian Tax Court Rules On Inter-Company Loan Interest Withholding Tax, Beneficial Owner Withholding Exemption

Marco Rossi, Tax Advisor

With its Ruling n. 4091 of June 12, 2017, the Eighth Department of Tax Commission (District Tax Court) of Milan, Italy ruled that upon the cancellation of an inter company loan from a Dutch parent company to its Italian subsidiary, the interest accrued on the loan and deducted by the Italian subsidiary on an accrual basis, during the course of the loan, is deemed “constructively received” by the foreign parent, and is potentially subject to the Italian interest withholding tax (at the rate of 20 percent, pursuant to article 26, paragraph 5 of Presidential Decree n. 600 of 1973, recently increased to 26 percent).

However, the Tax Court also ruled that the Dutch parent company qualified as “beneficial owner” of the interest, and was eligible for the withholding tax exemption granted under article 26-quater of Presidential Decree n. 600 of 1973, which implemented the EU Directive n. 2003/49/CE (so called interest and royalties directive).

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Written by | Posted in International

Italy Implemented The IV Anti-Money Laundering Directive

Marco Rossi, Tax Advisor

With the Legislative Decree n. 90 of May 25, 2017, published on June 19, 2017 Italy finally adopted and transposed into its own legal system the EU Directive 2015/849, usually referred to as the “IV Anti Money Laundering Directive”.

One area that attracts particular attention concerns the new reporting rules applicable to trusts.

Article 21, paragraph 3 of Decree n. 90 provides that “trusts producing juridical effects relevant for tax purposes, in accordance with article 73 of the Presidential Decree n. 917 of January 22, 1986, shall be registered with a special section of the Register of Enterprises”.

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Written by | Posted in International

Italy’s Tax Issues Guidance On Taxation Of Neo-Tax Residents

Marco Rossi, Italy, Tax

With Circular 17/E of May 23, 2017, Italy’s Tax Agency provided administrative guidance on the interpretation and application of the provisions on the elective preferential tax regime for Italian new-tax resident individuals.

New article 24-bis of Italy’s Unified Income Tax Code, enacted with Law n. 232 of December 2016, provides that foreign-resident individuals who establish their tax residency in Italy, after having been resident in a foreign country for at least nine of the previous ten tax years, may elect to pay a fixed-amount tax of euro 100,000 on all of their foreign source income, in lieu of the ordinary Italian personal income tax. Domestic source income would remain subject to the ordinary personal income tax, charged at graduated rates on income tax brackets. Read More

Written by | Posted in International

Italy: New Tax Rules For New Resident

The Italian Government designed a new flat tax, under the new Article 24 bis of TUIR (consolidated law on income tax) introduced by the new Italian Budget Law 2017. The aim of this law is to revive the economic fortunes of Italy by making the country competitive with countries such as England and Spain, which have faired better in terms of cost savings and tax benefits. The Flat Tax law is designed to attract foreign persons and wealthy taxpayers that have never resided in Italy to invest in the country by not only giving incentives by way of tax rebates, but also with the splendour of Italian culture and food. Read More

Written by | Posted in Europe

Italy’s New Flat Tax For First-Time Residents

Marco Rossi

With the Budget Law for fiscal year 2017, Italy enacted a new flat tax for Italian first-time residents. The flat tax amounts to euro 100,000 regardless of the amount of taxable income. Foreign source income is completely exempt from tax, while domestic source income is taxed under the normal rules (graduated tax rates on income brackets generally applying to all resident taxpayers).

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Written by | Posted in International

Italian Supreme Court Ruling On Beneficial Ownership

Marco Rossi

With its ruling n. 27113/2016 issued on December 28, 2016, the Italian Supreme Court interpreted and applied the beneficial ownership provision of article 10 of the tax treaty between Italy and France, for the purpose of determining whether a French holding company, wholly owned by a U.S. corporation, was entitled to the imputed credit granted under that treaty in respect of dividends received from an Italian subsidiary.

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Written by | Posted in International
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