Perspectives on the Fight against BEPS

On 16 September 2014, the OECD delivered the first batch of measures intended to combat base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). In its latest release, the OECD recommends solutions to tax challenges of the digital economy, hybrid mismatch arrangements, harmful tax practices, tax treaty abuse and some key transfer pricing issues.

The delivery of these first seven measures out of the 15 proposed actions that have been endorsed by G20 leaders in 2013 provides a suitable background to assess the BEPS project’s promise and challenges from various perspectives that will be relevant to its outcome. Some important consensus has been achieved among the 44 countries participating in the project. It will thus certainly shape the future of international tax practice for years to come. However, on many concrete questions, no unanimity has yet been reached and more than half of the planned action items remain to be tackled. More coordination in certain areas will certainly arrive; it remains to be seen, however, to what extent countries will be able and willing to further limit their freedom to engage in tax competition.

This seminar will examine critical questions relating to the project, including

•           the likelihood of success to prevent BEPS
•           the impact of the measures on international business and tax practice,
•           the compatibility with EU law
•           the consequences for Luxembourg and its financial industry

The University of Luxembourg is honoured to host a group of distinguished speakers and commentators for this seminar, including leading academics, practitioners and the coordinator of the BEPS project at the OECD, Mr Raffaele Russo.

This event is organised by Ass.-Prof. Werner Haslehner who holds the ATOZ Chair for European and International Taxation