Bachelor Thesis from the year 2015 in the subject Economics - International Economic Relations, Management Center Innsbruck, language: English, abstract: Due to increased globalisation over the last years and enhanced activities of multinational enterprises (MNEs), intra-firm trade has become more and more important. Intra-firm trade is estimated to constitute about one third of the global trade; and about 50% of all exports within the member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are intra-firm exports. In order to determine the expenses and revenues for the associated companies, transfer prices (TP) have to be set for the respective goods of intra-group transfers (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD]). Intra-group transfers can be defined as the transaction of tangible or intangible property from one entity of a MNE to another entity, considered as sale and “may apply to departments, divisions, subsidiaries, or affiliate business units” . A TP therefore is the internal monetary value im-posed on goods, services or unmanufactured material that is transferred within a MNE group. According to the OECD (2010) intra-firm transfers are likewise de-fined as controlled transactions (i.e., transactions between two associated enterprises).

Transactions involving intellectual property play an increasingly significant role in economic activity at every level from global to local, with particular challenges for taxation and revenue authorities. Moreover, the manifold complexities associated with identifying, valuing and transferring intangibles make this an issue requiring a creative review of existing transfer pricing methodologies and techniques. In this ground-breaking new study, Michelle Markham offers an in-depth examination of attitudes at the forefront of this rapidly evolving area of taxation law, focusing her work on a comparative analysis of the US, OECD, and Australian perspectives on the transfer pricing of intangible assets. The Transfer Pricing of Intangibles not only highlights the current problems encountered in inter-affiliate transactions of intangible property, but also attempts to offer a variety of solutions to these problems. Among the issues explored are the following: how the tax treatment of intangible in the context of transfer pricing has become a major international tax concern;definitional issues which are vital to an understanding of transfer pricing;application of the arm's length principle to intangible asset transactions;determination of legal and economic ownership of group intangible assets;intangible asset valuation and transfer;transfer pricing methodologies;global formulary apportionment;transfer pricing documentation requirements;penalties for non-compliance;resolution of transfer pricing disputes; and,advance pricing agreements Revenue authorities, multinational enterprise executives, and tax practitioners around the world will greatly appreciate the recommendations and solutions proposed in this knowledgeable and thoughtful book. Its acute sense of the opportunities and pitfalls of an ever-more-complex area of economic activity place it in a category of its own, of inestimable benefit to interested parties.

The OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Tax Administrations provide guidance on the application of the “arm’s length principle”, which is the international consensus on transfer pricing, i.e. on the valuation, for tax purposes, of cross-border transactions between associated enterprises. In a global economy where multinational enterprises (MNEs) play a prominent role, transfer pricing is high on the agenda of tax administrators and taxpayers alike. Governments need to ensure that the taxable profits of MNEs are not artificially shifted out of their jurisdictions and that the tax base reported by MNEs in their respective countries reflect the economic activity undertaken therein. For taxpayers, it is essential to limit the risks of economic double taxation that may result from a dispute between two countries on the determination of an arm’s length remuneration for their cross-border transactions with associated enterprises. Following this original 1979 publication, the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines were approved by the OECD Council in their original version in 1995. A limited update was made in this 2009 edition, primarily to reflect the adoption, in the 2008 update of the Model Tax Convention, of a new paragraph 5 of Article 25 dealing with arbitration, and of changes to the Commentary on Article 25 on mutual agreement procedures to resolve cross-border tax disputes. A subsequent edition was released in 2010, in which, Chapters I-III were substantially revised, with new guidance on: the selection of the most appropriate transfer pricing method to the circumstances of the case; the practical application of transactional profit methods (transactional net margin method and profit split method); and on the performance of comparability analyses. Furthermore, a new Chapter IX, on the transfer pricing aspects of business restructurings, was added. Consistency changes were made to the rest of the Guidelines. Digitised document - Electronic release on 24/11/2011.

OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Tax Administrations provides guidance on the valuation for tax purposes of cross-border transactions between associated enterprises.

The OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines provide guidance on the application of the “arm’s length principle”, which is the international consensus on transfer pricing, the valuation, for tax purposes, of cross-border transactions between associated enterprises.

Transfer pricing treatment of intangibles: Issues und developments In recent decades, intangibles have become one of the most relevant success factors for Multinational Enterprises (MNEs). Along with the increasing importance of intangibles for economies, their tax treatment has also been under scrutiny which includes inter alia respective transfer pricing issues. MNEs are seeking for the best ways to optimize their business arrangements with the related intangibles while, at the same time, getting the most tax-efficient treatment. On the other hand, tax authorities have become increasingly concerned with the ease that intangibles can be used in aggressive planning. These concerns have been noticed and addressed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development which presented its main findings with respect to transfer pricing aspects of intangibles in Action 8 of the BEPS Project in 2015 and in the 2017 OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines. This book is based on the outcomes of the presentations and discussions held during the WU Transfer Pricing Symposium, ‘Transfer Pricing and Intangibles: Current Developments, Relevant Issues and Possible Solutions’, that took place in October 2018 at the WU Vienna University of Economics and Business. The publication discusses the most important issues and recent developments related to transfer pricing treatment of intangibles. Starting with the definition of intangibles, it further deals with topics such as appropriate attribution of intangible-related profits, structuring of intangibles in MNEs, and proper valuation of intangibles. The authors, apart from providing a theoretical background to the discussed issues, also present case studies that show how certain issues can be approached in practice. Every chapter ends with a summary of the discussions held during the panels of the Transfer Pricing Symposium in which representatives of tax administrations, multinationals, and tax advisories presented their opinions on the issues at stake.

This document contains revisions to the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines to align transfer pricing outcomes with value creation in the area of intangibles.

This supplement updates the core volumes, Feinschreiber/Transfer Pricing Handbook, Third Edition (ISBN 0471-406619) and Transfer Pricing International: A Country by Country Guide (ISBN 0471-385239).