European Union: Corporate Tax

Belgium's tax administration has issued a crucial circular clarifying the application of the new capital gains tax on financial assets, addressing key uncertainties around realization timing, earn-out structures, partnership vehicles, and historical exemptions. The guidance provides essential insights for taxpayers navigating payment modalities, matrimonial property regimes, and the complex interaction between the tax and existing corporate structures.

L'Administration fiscale a actualisé sa doctrine sur le dispositif Dutreil suite à la réforme de la loi de finances pour 2026, qui allonge l'engagement de conservation et exclut certains biens "somptuaires". Cette mise à jour clarifie plusieurs points d'application mais laisse subsister des zones d'ombre, notamment sur le critère d'exclusivité d'affectation des actifs et le traitement des dettes afférentes aux biens exclus.

The OECD has released new administrative guidance on Pillar Two's Global Anti-Base Erosion (GloBE) Rules, addressing explicitly conditional taxes and QDMTT safe harbour operations. The package includes an updated GloBE Information Return incorporating permanent safe harbours and establishes a peer review framework for assessing whether domestic legislation aligns with international standards.

A new Dutch policy decree clarifies when remote working arrangements may create a permanent establishment for foreign employers, following recent amendments to the OECD Model Tax Convention. The guidance establishes a 50% threshold test and introduces case-by-case assessment criteria that could significantly impact cross-border employment taxation and corporate tax liability for businesses with remote workers.

Cyprus's 2026 tax reform introduces a 10% charge on disguised dividends, targeting previously informal arrangements where shareholders use company assets for private purposes. The charge applies to the full market value of assets like company cars and properties, creating significant tax exposure for owner-managed businesses that were previously operating under unreported arrangements.

Le Conseil d'État clarifie les conditions d'application de l'article 123 bis du Code général des impôts concernant l'imposition des résidents fiscaux français sur les bénéfices réalisés par des entités établies dans des États à régime fiscal privilégié.

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The European Commission has adopted a comprehensive tax simplification package aimed at streamlining compliance burdens for businesses operating within the EU's internal market. Through the Direct Taxation Omnibus and the recast of the Directive on Administrative Cooperation, the proposals seek to address the complexities that have emerged from numerous EU tax directives, the Pillar 2 global minimum tax, and varying implementation approaches across Member States.

Malta is consolidating its four existing tax programmes into a unified Individual Tax Programme framework, effective January 2027. The new rules introduce significantly higher annual tax thresholds, increased property requirements, and stricter application fees while maintaining the attractive 15% flat tax rate on foreign-sourced income remitted to Malta.