Menu
  • Locations
  • About Us
  • Services
  • Experts
  • News
  • Knowledge
  • Culture & Career
  • Locations
  • Search
  • Press
  • Events & Webinars
  • Contact
  • CI Guide
  • Albania
  • Angola
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bangladesh
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Benin
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Greece
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Ivory Coast
  • Japan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Korea
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macao
  • Macedonia
  • Madagascar
  • Malaysia
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Moldova
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Norway
  • Pakistan
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Puerto Rico
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Rwanda
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Togo
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • Uruguay
  • USA
  • Uzbekistan
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Zambia
  • About Us
  • Our CEO
  • Our Board
  • Our Global Executive Team
  • Quality, Process & Risk Management
  • Corporate Tax
  • Customs
  • Financial Services
  • Global Mobility
  • Indirect Tax
  • International Corporate Tax
  • Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
  • Private Clients & Family Office Services
  • Real Estate Services
  • Tax Controversy
  • Tax Technology
  • Transfer Pricing & Valuation Services
  • Latest News
  • Pillar Two - Global Minimum Tax
  • Brochures
  • Newsletters
  • Surveys & Studies
  • The Digital Tax Law Center (DTLC)
  • The European Tax Law Center (ETLC)
  • Climate Protection, Green Tax & Energy
  • Tax Loss Carryback
  • Real Estate Guide
  • Assignments to Europe 2021
  • Tax and Investment Facts CEE
  • Culture and Leadership
  • Diversity
  • WTS Global Academy
  • Career
  • Your Development
  • Jobs
  • Press
  • Events & Webinars
  • Contact
  • CI Guide
WTS worldwide
  • Albania
  • Angola
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bangladesh
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Benin
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Greece
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Ivory Coast
  • Japan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Korea
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macao
  • Macedonia
  • Madagascar
  • Malaysia
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Moldova
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Norway
  • Pakistan
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Puerto Rico
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Rwanda
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Togo
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • Uruguay
  • USA
  • Uzbekistan
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Zambia
  • About Us
    About Us

    Here you will find more information on our organization’s structure, experts and global reach.

    Read more
    About Us Our CEO Our Board Our Global Executive Team Quality, Process & Risk Management
  • Services
    Services
    Read more
    Corporate Tax Customs Financial Services Global Mobility Indirect Tax
    International Corporate Tax Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Private Clients & Family Office Services Real Estate Services Tax Controversy
    Tax Technology Transfer Pricing & Valuation Services
  • Experts
    Experts

    With a representation in over 100 countries, our team offers local expertise on a global scale. Learn more about our experts.

    Read more
  • News
    News

    Find here the latest tax news for our locations worldwide.

    Read more
    Latest News
  • Knowledge
    Knowledge

    Our quick overview with downloads: newsletters, publications, surveys. 

    Read more
    Pillar Two - Global Minimum Tax Brochures Newsletters Surveys & Studies The Digital Tax Law Center (DTLC)
    The European Tax Law Center (ETLC) Climate Protection, Green Tax & Energy Tax Loss Carryback Real Estate Guide Assignments to Europe 2021
    Tax and Investment Facts CEE
  • Culture & Career
    Culture & Career

    The WTS Global Academy - Bringing value to the whole

    Read more
    Culture and Leadership Diversity WTS Global Academy Career Your Development
    Jobs
  • Locations
    Locations

    Our locations worldwide

    Read more
  • Search
26.09.2018

Transfer Pricing for Financial Transactions: WTS Global reply to OECD

WTS Global participates in the public consultation round of the OECD, by providing extensive comments on the non-consensus discussion draft on transfer pricing aspects of financial transactions. The OECD draft issued on 3 July 2018 can be consulted through the following link. Comments had to be delivered by 7 September 2018, and are available for 78 interested parties, of which WTS Global was one.
For your convenience, you can download our comments here in pdf: our main letter + appendix reply to specific boxes.

Notwithstanding we very much appreciate the hard work that went into the draft prepared by the OECD, and the complexity of the topic, we have highlighted some fundamental concerns with certain statements in the discussion draft (next to technical comments on specific topics):

Our top-3 messages to the OECD include:

1. First of all, the arm’s length principle should be confirmed to be and remain the sole standard against which conditions set in transactions between members of a multinational group as a consequence of their commercial and financial relations; Any guidance directly deviating from the arm’s length principle should be eliminated. Any guidance that indirectly may lead to a deviation of the arm’s length principle should be avoided.

2. Secondly, notwithstanding we find it definitely correct that transfer pricing considerations for financial transactions are to be aligned with the general principles as laid down in Chapter I of the OECD TP Guidelines – including the accurate delineation of the controlled transaction – it should be recognized and confirmed that financial assets are of a particular nature with particular characteristics; Most notably, they essentially represent contractual claims on underlying assets – and therefore in the risk allocation process the contractual reality should not be overlooked too easily and therefore in the double-sided functional analysis, substance in view of staffing required to make decisions on the assumption and control of risks should not be exaggerated.

3. Finally, we are of the view that the debate between taxpayer and tax administration is not helped by putting forth extreme / black & white examples and presumptions (e.g. the generalization that a treasury center would have limited functionality). The arm’s length principle deserves the appropriate nuance, further guidance in view of the burden of proof in view of potential re-characterization of transactions (exceptionality should prevail), and a broader scope for solving disputes (article 25 MTC).

We invite you to further discuss related matters, with our specialists.

Main Contact
Andy Neuteleers
Partner Transfer Pricing Belgium & Luxembourg
Belgium
+32 02801 3071
View Profile
Main Contact
Kai-Udo Schwinger
Director
Germany
+49 69 133 84 5656
View Profile
Main Contact
Melanie Appuhn-Schneider
Director
Germany
+ 49 211 200 50 645
View Profile
Articles you might be interested in

Our interdisciplinary team will be happy to help you acquire a detailed understanding of the rules, analyse the impact and develop a customised approach to ensure your company's future compliance to Pillar Two.

Pillar Two - Global Minimum Tax
read more

Tiago Marreiros Moreira and Filipe de Vasconcelos Fernandes of Vieira de Almeida discuss the types of policy objectives aligned with green taxation in Portugal, and predict upcoming changes.

The evolution of green taxation in Portugal
read more

We cordially invite you to the Operational Taxes for Banks conference which will take place in London on 25 May 2022.

Operational Taxes for Banks Conference
read more

Get in contact

If you have any questions about WTS Global or our global services, please get in touch.
We will respond to you as soon as possible.

Contact
About Us
  • About Us
  • Our CEO
  • Our Board
  • Our Global Executive Team
  • Quality, Process & Risk Management
Services
  • Corporate Tax
  • Customs
  • Financial Services
  • Global Mobility
  • Indirect Tax
  • International Corporate Tax
  • Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
  • Private Clients & Family Office Services
  • Real Estate Services
  • Tax Controversy
  • Tax Technology
  • Transfer Pricing & Valuation Services
News
Knowledge
  • Brochures
  • Newsletters
  • Surveys & Studies
  • COVID-19 Global updates
  • The Digital Tax Law Center (DTLC)
  • VAT Update for the Digital Economy
  • The European Tax Law Center (ETLC)
  • Tax Loss Carryback
  • Real Estate Guide
Culture & Career
  • Culture and Leadership
  • Diversity
  • WTS Global Academy
  • Career
  • Your Development
  • Jobs
Exclusive Cooperation With
© 2022 WTS Company Information Data Protection Disclaimer