Tag Archive for international

Canada-US Cross-Border Tax Issues When Winding-Up a Subsidiary

Canadian corporations form US Subsidiaries, and US Corporations form Canadian Subsidiaries, all the time.

What are the cross-border tax implications when those subsidiaries are wound-up? This article will provide an overview of those implications.

Winding-up a US Subsidiary (“USco”) of a Canadian Corporation (“Canco”)

For US tax purposes, proceeds received on the wind-up of USco are generally not treated as a dividend, and hence no U.S. withholding tax should apply.

Rather, such amounts would generally represent proceeds from the shares which should Read More

Written by | Posted in Capital Gains • Corporate • International • North America • Real Estate

The Commerce Clause – Due Process and Cross Border Taxation

Introduction

Cross border taxation risks of international enterprise incorporates two basic themes, one of which is the interpretation of the United States Commerce Clause and the Due Process distinction from jurisdictional analysis. It is one of the two basic aspects that govern the authority of a source and resident country or state to tax international commerce.

In the electronic commerce world the courts have embraced an evolution of Due Process requisite of jurisdiction and of commerce. That analysis for both turns upon the judicial case law evolution that focuses on the contact with the state or country that imposes taxation from their border. Read More

Written by | Posted in Corporate • International

Tangible Property – Section 482 and International Financial Centers

Introduction

Corporate structures in global enterprise find the use of conduit offshore corporate entities a requisite to accommodate the anomalies inherent in maximizing efficiencies and cost savings. Common ownership of inter-related corporate structures encounter arms length pricing scrutiny. (See TaxConnections April 24, 2014, Introduction to Section 482 and International Financial Centers.)

Arm’s length standards of Section 482 are applicable to a transfer of tangible property rights in transactions when deemed between controlled entities. When the possession, use or occupancy of tangible property that is owned or leased by one member of a group of Read More

Written by | Posted in Corporate • International

Dividends from Foreign Corporations Part 2 – “Controlled Foreign Corporations”

As detailed in my last blog posting, “qualified dividend income” is taxed at beneficial lower tax rates and can be received from both domestic (US) corporations and certain “qualified” foreign (non-US) corporations. A “qualified foreign corporation” excludes a so-called “Passive Foreign Investment Company” or, PFIC. Subject to this limitation, the term “qualified foreign corporation” means any foreign corporation that is incorporated in a possession of the United States or that is eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive US income tax treaty which the IRS has determined is satisfactory for qualified dividend purposes. In addition, a foreign corporation will be treated as a “qualified’ with respect to any dividend paid by the corporation on stock which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. The Internal Revenue Code does not exclude a so-called “controlled foreign corporation” Read More

Written by | Posted in Corporate • International

Australia’s G20 Presidency To Target Transnational Enterprise Profit Shifting

A spokeswoman for Australia’s Assistant Treasurer Arthur Sinodinos has indicated that tax-base erosion and profit shifting will be a key focus of the G20 during Australia’s Presidency.

In this connection, speaking before he left for this week’s Davos conference, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said “We want to … try to ensure we have less leaky national taxation systems”.

Commentators have variously encouraged the Prime Minister to push for the publication of taxable incomes of transnational companies by local tax authorities, seek a global solution to the perceived problem and to work within the OECD tax treaty framework to Read More

Written by | Posted in Australia/Oceania • OECD

Divisive Foreign Corporate Reorganizations

Introduction

Corporate reorganizations are valued tools to the practitioner. They provide the opportunity to defer taxable events by virtue of non-recognition treatment. They are characterized as acquisitive, reformative, and divisive transactions. Currently they are relevant as timely transactions as publicly traded security prices have soared while revenue growth has slowed. Companies can grow by shrinking, selling off under performing assets and putting the cash to work. (See Jack Hough, Buy the Asset Sellers, Barron’s Magazine, Saturday, December 7, 2013)

In a previous writing (Tax Connections/Foreign Corporate Acquisitive Reorganizations) the Read More

Written by | Posted in Corporate • International

How to Prevent US Taxation on Your Worldwide Income

How to Prevent US Taxation on Your Worldwide IncomeOnce a non-US individual is classified for income tax purposes as a “resident” he is subject to income tax in the same manner as a US citizen: i.e., taxed on his worldwide income (meaning income from all sources whether from within or outside the US) at a maximum rate of 39.%. This worldwide income tax covers the period from commencement of the residency period until its conclusion (determination of which is also tricky under the tax laws). Income that is taxed includes but is not limited to wages, interest, dividends, rents, capital gains, royalties, gambling winnings etc. regardless of whether these items arose from outside the US.

The person also becomes responsible for filing tax returns and various information returns (such as “FBAR”). Often, foreigners do not understand these rules and do not realize they have a duty to file even if they are only earning wages from an employer in a foreign country. Filing is required even if the salary and / or housing allowance is below the foreign earned income (and / or housing) exclusion amount thresholds permitted for US taxpayers working overseas. Failure to file could result in loss of the ability to claim these exclusions. Read More

Written by | Posted in International • North America • United States
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