The ideal value-added tax (VAT) would carry an economic efficiency ratio of 100 as, in theory, VAT should not be susceptible to exemptions and rate variations. However, practical reality tells a different story, and it will come as no surprise to learn that the VAT systems of almost all countries remain far from the benchmark, and that this is particularly the case when VAT is applied to real estate. This book describes and analyses VAT treatment of real estate transactions in six representative countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. As in any jurisdiction, the VAT schemes covered must accommodate complex factual matrices that demand consistent, fair, and equal treatment. Among these VAT determinants the authors, each an expert in the national tax law of one of the six countries, address the following: types of real estate sales; long versus short term leases; commercial versus residential use; newly constructed versus existing property; status of the parties involved as taxable or non-taxable for VAT; taxable and tax-free supplies; special rules for charities, mooring facilities, aircraft, sports facilities, etc.; subdivision of apartments into title units; commercial residential premises; construction work; cross-border supply of construction work and services; and transfer of a 'going concern'. The discussions also include the practical areas of accounting for VAT, administrative compliance, personal tax liability, and VAT refund and overpayment certification processes, as well as thorough consideration of relevant case law and examination of frequently litigated matters. Each author has designed his or her chapter to ensure that the technical nuances of each system are explained. An introductory chapter outlines economic theory and preferred VAT treatment of real estate transactions, and compares the variety of solutions applied in the six countries covered. Although a number of legal works exist on real estate under VAT in single jurisdictions, this is the first book to combine a multi-jurisdictional approach with attention to relevant economic theory, allowing for a very useful assessment of best practices. For this reason it is sure to be welcomed by practitioners and academics not only as an overview of the problem areas encountered when designing VAT policy, but also as a reference in applying VAT to real estate transactions.

The ideal value-added tax (VAT) would carry an economic efficiency ratio of 100 as, in theory, VAT should not be susceptible to exemptions and rate variations. However, practical reality tells a different story, and it will come as no surprise to learn that the VAT systems of almost all countries remain far from the benchmark, and that this is particularly the case when VAT is applied to real estate. This book describes and analyses VAT treatment of real estate transactions in six representative countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. As in any jurisdiction, the VAT schemes covered must accommodate complex factual matrices that demand consistent, fair, and equal treatment. Among these VAT determinants the authors, each an expert in the national tax law of one of the six countries, address the following: types of real estate sales; long versus short term leases; commercial versus residential use; newly constructed versus existing property; status of the parties involved as taxable or non-taxable for VAT; taxable and tax-free supplies; special rules for charities, mooring facilities, aircraft, sports facilities, etc.; subdivision of apartments into title units; commercial residential premises; construction work; cross-border supply of construction work and services; and transfer of a ‘going concern’. The discussions also include the practical areas of accounting for VAT, administrative compliance, personal tax liability, and VAT refund and overpayment certification processes, as well as thorough consideration of relevant case law and examination of frequently litigated matters. Each author has designed his or her chapter to ensure that the technical nuances of each system are explained. An introductory chapter outlines economic theory and preferred VAT treatment of real estate transactions, and compares the variety of solutions applied in the six countries covered. Although a number of legal works exist on real estate under VAT in single jurisdictions, this is the first book to combine a multi-jurisdictional approach with attention to relevant economic theory, allowing for a very useful assessment of best practices. For this reason it is sure to be welcomed by practitioners and academics not only as an overview of the problem areas encountered when designing VAT policy, but also as a reference in applying VAT to real estate transactions.

Parties to cross-border disputes arising anywhere in the vast Portuguese-speaking world – a community of more than 230 million in a space that offers a wide array of investment opportunities across four continents – increasingly seek Portugal as their preferred seat of arbitration. A signatory to all relevant international conventions, Portugal has proven to be an ‘arbitration-friendly’ jurisdiction. This volume is the first and so far only book in English that provides a thorough, in-depth analysis of international arbitration law and practice in Portugal. Its contributing authors are among the most highly regarded legal names in the country, including scholars, arbitrators, and practitioners. The authors describe how international arbitration proceedings are conducted in Portugal, what cautions should be taken, and what procedural strategies may be suitable in particular cases. They provide insightful answers to questions such as the following: What matters can be submitted to arbitration under Portuguese law? What are the validity requirements for an arbitration agreement? How do the State courts interact with arbitration proceedings and what is the attitude of such courts toward international arbitration? What are the rules governing evidentiary matters in arbitration? How is an arbitration tribunal constituted? How are arbitrators appointed? How may they be challenged? How can an international arbitral award be recognized and enforced? How does the Portuguese legal system address the issue of damages and what specific damages are admitted? How are the costs of arbitration proceedings estimated and allocated? The book includes analyses of arbitration related to specific fields of the law, notably sports, administrative, tax, intellectual property rights (especially regarding reference and generic medicines), and corporate disputes. Each chapter provides, for the topics it addresses, an examination of the applicable laws, rules, arbitration practice, and views taken by arbitral tribunals and state courts as well as those of the most highly considered scholars. As a detailed examination of the legal framework and of all procedural steps of an arbitration in Portugal, from the drafting of an arbitration agreement to the enforcement of an award, this book constitutes an invaluable resource for parties involved in or considering an international arbitration in this country. The guidance that it seeks to provide in respect of any problem likely to arise in this context can be useful to arbitrators, judges, academics, and interested lawyers.

How should immovable property (in particular residential property) be treated under a value added tax? This paper considers whether proposals to tax all sales of immovable property (including consumer to consumer sales) are preferable to existing models (in which the first sale of new residential property is taxed - the price representing the net present value of the future consumption of the asset purchased - and subsequent sales are exempt).After setting out the essential features of a modern VAT, the paper outlines the consequences of taxing immovable property in full under a VAT, using an example that is gradually changed to illustrate the effects of different approaches. The examples illustrate how full taxation of sales of immovable property equates to non-taxation, while taxing re-sales of residential property with deferred input tax credits (whether without indexation, as proposed by Poddar, or with, as proposed by Conrad) amounts to a capital gains tax on homeowners. The paper concludes that existing models are not merely acceptable alternatives to a full taxation ideal but are in fact the only approach that is consistent with the underlying design of transaction-method VATs. The final section of the paper focuses on how exactly how such models can be given legal effect, using the New Zealand and Australian GSTs as examples. The discussion highlights one critical design feature of both countries' laws, which is ignored in most comparative tax discussions. Both countries target their GST only at value added to land by persons carrying on economic activities. They exclude from the tax base any capital appreciation (or depreciation) on immovable property held by owner-occupiers, residential landlords, and mere investors - an effect that is diametrically opposed to the proposals of Poddar and Cnossen. For reasons explained in the paper, the New Zealand approach has the advantage of being simpler and conceptually clearer, from a legal perspective, and is probably to be preferred.

Portugal has made use of the option laid down in article 135(2)(2) of the VAT Directive, this Directive providing for a further exclusion to the scope of the VAT exemption applicable to the leasing or letting of immovable property. In this article, the author describes the key aspects of the Portuguese further exclusion and discusses whether it is in accordance with EU law.

Collection of articles reviewing the experience of the implementation of VAT in Africa. Besides analyses, the articles offer guidelines for reforming and improving both technical and administrative aspects of the tax. The several chapters consider design and structure of the VAT, VAT and specific factors, administrative aspects of VAT, Inter-jurisdictional and international aspects of VAT, and VAT and Francophone Africa.

This book, comprising the proceedings and working documents of an annual seminar held in Milan in November 2014, provides a thorough analysis of the taxation of immovable properties. 0The analysis starts from a survey of the concept of “immovable property” in common and civil law jurisdictions and then considers how different approaches affected the taxation of income deriving therefrom. 0EU tax law issues are then taken into consideration, both from an income tax and VAT viewpoint. In particular, the income tax analysis provides an extensive examination of how taxation of immovable property applied by EU Member States may affect fundamental freedoms.