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Taxation and Customs Union
News article10 October 2017Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union

Commission welcomes new rules to resolve tax disputes

The European Commission welcomes EU Member States' formal green light for new rules to better resolve tax disputes.

The decision taken by EU finance ministers at the ECOFIN Council meeting in Luxembourg today will ensure that businesses and citizens can resolve disputes related to the interpretation of tax treaties more swiftly and effectively. It will also cover issues related to double taxation - a major obstacle for businesses, creating uncertainty, unnecessary costs and cash-flow problems.

Double taxation refers to cases where two or more countries claim the right to tax the same income or profits of a company or person. It can occur, for example, due to a mismatch in national rules or different interpretations of a bilateral tax treaty with regards transfer pricing arrangements.

Estimates show that there are currently around 900 double taxation disputes in the EU today, estimated to be worth €10.5 billion. The new rules formally adopted today will better meet the needs of businesses and citizens and any double taxation will be removed.

Read the full Press Release
Visit the DG TAXUD webpage on Dispute Resolution

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Details

Publication date
10 October 2017
Author
Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union