Determining the burden of proof in tax law cases is usually what contributes most to the case’s outcome. Legal presumptions – those inferences that are laid down in the law rather than being the result of the court’s reasoning – play a critical role in such determinations. This very useful book uncovers the details of such presumptions which are shared among European tax law systems, thus revealing a remarkably clear path through the course of a tax law case in any Member State in the context of EU law. Referring to both legal theory and relevant case law, the author assesses whether and to what extent national legal presumptions may be deemed to be consistent with EU law, and when this is not the case, under which conditions they may be reconciled. The analysis unfolds along such avenues as the following: – the meaning of the concept of legal presumption as developed by legal theory and authoritative academic literature; – special considerations regarding presumptions in customs law, VAT, and direct taxation (harmonized and unharmonized); – how tax authorities use presumptions to simplify the assessment of tax and tackle tax avoidance or evasion, particularly in cross-border situations; – justifications asserted by the Member States in relation to restrictions on fundamental freedoms; and – standards of compatibility for national legal presumptions with EU law resulting from CJEU case law. With reference to national experience, using Italy and Belgium as specific examples, the analysis culminates in an elaboration of criteria for legal presumptions capable of meeting the test of compatibility with EU law. As an in-depth investigation of possible inconsistencies and conditions for the coexistence of EU and Member State tax law, this book will be welcomed by both taxation authority officials and taxpayer counsel. The understanding it imparts on the actual impact of EU law on the recourse to legal presumptions by national tax legislatures and the protection of European taxpayers is unsurpassed.

Resumen del editor: "The increasing globalization and the restructuring of the European legal framework by the Treaty of Lisbon are important factors to suggest that the traditional separation of spheres between taxation and human rights should be revisited. This book examines the issues surrounding the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the guarantee and enforcement of human rights in the area of EU (tax) law and explores the possible development and potential impact of human rights in the field of taxation in this age of global law."

Economic recovery from the global financial crisis of 2007–2008 has been sketchy, with some areas within the European Union (EU) still trapped in seemingly irremediable industrial stagnation and job loss. EU institutions are called upon to provide concrete amelioration for these situations, through the design and implementation of effective tax policies in accordance with the fundamental principles of EU law. In this original, innovative book, the author presents a new and expanded view of how special tax zones (STZs) – areas of land where territorial advantages are granted on direct and/or indirect taxation – can deliver growth and mitigate economic and social emergency. Recognizing that, although a number of STZs within the EU have been established, there is still no systematic framework for them in the EU legal system, the author works out a comprehensive theory for STZs in the field of European tax law, dealing incisively with the interface of STZs with such essential legal and tax aspects as the following: customs union provisions; benefits on direct and indirect taxation; State-aid rules; free movement of persons; harmful tax competition; and role of EU social cohesion policies and their implementation. Furthermore, the author develops a new model of STZs for the most disadvantaged areas of the EU – the so-called Social Cohesion Zone – to respond decisively to issues of compatibility with such critical variables of EU law as those dealing with the outer limits set by State-aid rules and fundamental freedoms, clearly demonstrating the model’s practical viability. Detailed reviews of Member States’ practice in existing STZs and their tax regimes are thoroughly described so different variables can be compared. As a comprehensive description of the state of knowledge about STZs, including the relevant background and their current place in EU law, this book has no precedents and no peers. It allows practitioners, policymakers, and academics in tax law to fully understand the relationship between EU law, national legislation, and STZs, focusing on the possibility of reconciling the tax sovereignty of Member States with a supporting and coordinating role of the EU institutions. It will be warmly welcomed by the tax law community.

Time is a crucial dimension in the application of any law. In tax law, however, where an environment characterized by rapid change on the national, European, and international levels complicates the provision of accurate legal advice, timing is particularly sensitive. This book is the first to analyse the relationship between time and three key areas of tax: treaties, EU law, and constitutional law issues, such as legal certainty and individual rights. Among the numerous timing issues arising out of applying tax rules, the book addresses the following: – time limits within which relief must be requested; – statutes of limitation for claiming a tax refund; – transitional issues relating to changes in tax treaties; – attribution of profits and expenses to a moving or closed-down business; – effect of tax-related CJEU decisions and EU directives; – compliance of exit tax regimes with free movement; – limits of retroactivity under principles protected by the EU Charter and the ECHR; and – conflict between efficiency of taxation and individual rights. Derived from a recent conference organized by the prestigious ATOZ Chair for European and International Taxation at the University of Luxembourg, the book brings together contributions from leading tax experts from various areas of tax practice, academia, and the judiciary. Among other issues, the book notably expands on how economic theory can inform a constitutional analysis of the timing of taxation. There is no other work that concentrates so usefully on the difficulties associated with applying tax rules – whether arising from treaties, jurisprudence, or policy – to changing circumstances over time. This book will quickly prove itself to be an indispensable resource for European tax lawyers, policymakers, company counsels, and academics.

Everywhere,new tax rules are under development to engage with the ever-increasing complexity and sophistication of aggressive tax planning and to reverse the tax base erosion it leads to. The most prominent initiative in this context is the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project of the OECD. Although double non-taxation is among the main issues the BEPS project intends to address, this book shows that this phenomenon has not yet been fully understood. Focusing on the fundamental freedoms and the State aid rules of the EU, this book thoroughly explains the nature of double non-taxation from an EU law perspective, its relation to double taxation, and the impact of EU law on these phenomena. Among the issues dealt with in the course of the analysis are the following: – locating the gaps and inconsistencies among domestic tax systems exploited by taxpayers; – hybrid mismatch arrangements as a prime example of double non-taxation; – political efforts undertaken within the EU in order to address double taxation and double non-taxation; – double non-taxation in the European VAT system; – the convergence of the fundamental freedoms and the State aid rules; – the ECJ’s dilemma with regard to juridical double taxation; – the deviating approach with regard to economic double taxation; – the potential impact of the ECJ’s case law on the EU law compatibility of double non-taxation. The tax jurisprudence of the ECJ is referred to and comprehensively analysed throughout this whole book. A final chapter provides an outlook on possible developments in the future. By providing the first in-depth analysis of EU law’s impact on double non-taxation – and the double taxation relief standards with which it is intimately related – this book takes a giant step towards greater legal certainty in this challenging area of tax law. It will quickly take its place as a major practical analysis which benefits tax authorities, scholars, and tax practitioners across Europe and even beyond.

The hurdles emerging from the parallel exercise of Member States’ tax sovereignty have been examined by the CJEU and intensely discussed by scholars. By uncovering a paradox in the CJEU’s case law, this groundbreaking book provides a constructive alternative to the deadlock created by the CJEU when ruling that international juridical double taxation, although constituting an obstacle to free movement, is not contrary to EU law. The book – the first in-depth treatment of this perspective – enables taxpayers facing international juridical double taxation to understand how their ability to pay is protected under EU law and the limitations that protection faces. Every aspect of the matter is rigorously examined, including the following: important differences between the traditional notion of double taxation and the current definition under Council Directive 2017/1852; legal means and methods designed to eliminate international juridical double taxation and the policies underlying them; freedoms of movement as prohibitions that limit the exercise of Member States’ taxing powers; consideration of expenses related to economic activity and personal and family circumstances; and in-depth discussion of taxation of income derived from source versus residence Member State. Throughout the book, the author refers to the case law of the CJEU on both international juridical double taxation and taxpayers’ ability to pay, as well as the relevant academic literature, allowing the reader to understand the current state of EU law on these matters and their relation. The author’s remarkable venture into this challenging field, with a deeply informed construction of instrumental categories and critical review of their content, culminates with a viable reformulation of the serious and growing problem of international juridical double taxation. The book will be welcomed by taxation professionals in practice, policymakers, and academia.

To some extent, because of his overlapping careers in academia and politics, the renowned tax scholar Peter Essers is known for his influential insight that ‘the effects of taxation on the political balance of power, and vice versa, are always interlinked with other phenomena, such as wars, crises, religious developments and inequalities in society’. In this widely ranging festschrift, thirty-six prominent tax scholars from all across Europe examine the legacy of Peter Essers’ research interests, from the larger philosophical, political, and social factors driving tax history to the reality of the taxing State as experienced by taxpayers and tax officials. The book’s outstanding overview of the most relevant technical and policy aspects of European and international taxation includes deeply thoughtful chapters on such topics and issues as the following: developing sustainable corporate tax governance; tax whistleblowing; transfer pricing; balancing qualitative and quantitative approaches to tax research; necessity to reach something close to ‘equal treatment’ between the upper and lower social classes; consent and democracy; tax rebellions; tax evasion and tax avoidance; taxation of cross-border remote workers and their employers; mitigation of double taxation of income earned by entertainers and sportspersons; and the international tax treaty network. More than a homage to this scholar’s far-reaching contributions, this book is remarkable for the variety and academic rigour of the chapters. The understanding its authors provide of both the broad contours and the intricacies of European and international taxation will be of inestimable value to tax practitioners, policymakers, tax consultants, and academics, as well as interested researchers in economics, political science, and sociology.