The paper describes in some detail the imputation systems in France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, paying particular attention to the minimum tax. It also briefly addresses a number of economic issues; it examines the likely impact of the minimum tax on the investment and financing decisions of companies, and outlines how the impact of the imputation system depends on the minimum tax; and it also briefly raises the issue of alternative forms of taxation of corporate source income.

This book is the first in-depth study to analyze the circumstances in which the freedom of establishment or free movement of capital may apply to the cross-border distribution of dividends. It covers both the positive integration set forth by the European Commission and the Member States and the negative integration developed by the European Court of Justice. The author discusses such elements of these integration measures as the following: economic double taxation (two different subjects pay tax on the same profit); juridical double taxation (two different states tax one and the same person for the same income); exemption, credit, and other techniques adopted by States to avoid double taxation; division of taxing rights between two States with respect to dividend income; prevention of juridical double taxation by bilateral tax conventions; Member States’ mitigation of economic double taxation; double exemption as an unplanned outcome of double taxation prevention measures; and order of precedence between freedom of establishment and free movement of capital. The analysis treats relevant provisions the OECD Model Tax Convention in detail, as this model is widely used by national tax authorities in connection with international taxation of dividends. It also examines pertinent initiatives launched by the European Commission up to and including its consultation paper of January 28, 2011. In addition to its scrutiny of the disparities in cross-border dividend taxation within the European Union, this book stands out for its detailed coverage of the progress made in resolving these challenging taxation issues. It is sure to be welcomed by investors, corporate counsel, and national revenue authorities.

The distribution of profits between corporations resident in different jurisdictions gives rise to significant tax planning opportunities for multinational enterprises. As cross-border transactions between corporations grow in number and complexity, the question of how a profit distribution is classified for corporate income tax purposes becomes increasingly important, particularly in the context of issues such as double taxation, non-taxation and tax neutrality. This unique and practical work covers the rules determining which transactions may be classified and therefore taxed as dividend income and how classification conflicts may be resolved. The author examines the classification of various inter-corporate transactions, including: and• Payments made under dividend-stripping arrangements. and• Fictitious profit distributions. and• Economic benefits in the context of transfer pricing. and• Returns on debt-equity hybrids. and• Interest payments in thin capitalization situations and distributions following liquidation. The analysis of each transaction refers to international tax law. Most weight is given to tax treaties and EU tax law. The approaches adopted in different statesand’ national tax law are covered by a more general analysis. The comprehensive coverage and practical nature of The International Tax Law Concept of Dividend make it an essential acquisition for tax practitioners, researchers and tax libraries worldwide.

Corporate dividend policy has long been a source of concern in both tax and corporate law. From a tax law perspective, retained earnings potentially escape the high marginal rates imposed on shareholders. From a corporate law perspective, retained earnings increase agency costs for shareholders. With the steady drop in dividends in the last decade, concern over dividend policy has arisen once again. Many commentators attribute the disappearance of the dividend to our corporate income tax system, which quot;trapsquot; retained earnings in the corporation by subjecting dividends to two layers of tax. The assumption is that integrating the corporate and shareholders income taxes - either through a dividend exemption or some other technique - will lead corporations to pay out more money as dividends.Missing from this analysis is any historical perspective on the relationship between taxation and corporate dividend policies. The double taxation of corporate income actually emerged between World War I and II in response to a shift in corporate dividend policies, rather than vice versa. Over that period, managers agreed to a higher rate of tax at the corporate level, and, eventually, to the repeal of the dividend exemption at the shareholder level in exchange for Congress' tacit agreement not to interfere with managerial discretion over undistributed profits. This history not only belies the claim that double taxation is responsible for the disappearance of the dividend, but also suggests that integration of the corporate and shareholder income taxes may not have the effect on corporate dividend policies that its proponents claim.

This is an updated study of a 1998 publication, "Tax competition in the European Union". The introduction covers the recent history of tax policy within the EU, and examines the current situation in corporate taxation, taxation of savings, taxation of labour, and indirect taxation (VAT and excise duty). A comparative analysis provides a detailed survey of how direct taxes - corporate and personal - are levied within the EU. The final section discusses the main issues in the current debate on the alternative approaches of competition and co-operation in the taxation field.