Slide 10-1 Principles of Taxation: Advanced Strategies Chapter 10 International Business Expansion McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-2 US Taxation of Foreign Operations United States taxes world wide income of all US citizens, resident aliens and domestic corporations Significant possibility of double taxation of these entities on income earned outside United States McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-3 Tax Treaties US has tax treaties with over 50 foreign countries Common treaty provisions Restrictions on ability to tax Favorable rates Income Exclusions McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-4 Common Foreign Taxes Personal income tax Corporation income tax Payroll taxes Value added tax Property tax McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-5 Foreign Taxation of Corporations – Common Features Imputation of corporation income to shareholders to relieve effects of double taxation Various methods of depreciation Rates varying from 15% to 45% Various tax incentives McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-6 Value Added Tax Imposed on producers and distributors of products and services at each stage of production and distribution process Tax imposed on “value added” Value added is difference between sale price of product or service and non-labor costs of production Typical rates between 5% to 25% McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-7 Foreign Tax Credit Designed to minimize or eliminate double taxation Only allowed for creditable taxes such as income tax FTC limitation = (foreign source income/world wide income) x US tax on world wide income Actual foreign tax credit is lesser of limitation or foreign taxes paid or accrued Unused credits may be carried back 2 years and forward 5 years McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-8 Foreign Tax Credit Example J Co earns $ 300,000 of income in US and $ 150,000 in Belgium. It pays Belgian tax of $ 60,000. US tax liability before credits is $ 153,000 $150,000 x$153,000 $51,000 $450,000 Foreign tax credit equal to limitation of $ 51,000 Carryover of $ 10,000 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-9 Foreign Tax Credit – Baskets Foreign tax credit is computed separately for different types of income. Limitation applies to each separately Baskets: Passive income High withholding tax income Financial services income Shipping income Certain foreign dividends McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-10 Sourcing of Income and Deductions Determines numerator of foreign tax credit limitation fraction The larger the amount of income that is foreign sourced, the larger the credit allowable McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-11 Sourcing of Income and Deductions Service income sources to where services performed Rental income sourced to location of property Interest income sourced to residence of debtor Dividend income sourced to location of dividend paying company McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-12 Sourcing of Sales of Property General rule: income sourced to residence of seller Exceptions: Depreciation recapture sourced to where property depreciated Inventory Generally sourced to where title passes • Exceptions: – Manufactured inventory sourced to where manufactured – Inventory manufactured in US for sale abroad sourced 50% foreign 50% US McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-13 Deduction Sourcing Generally sourced same way as income Indirect expenses apportioned between US and foreign source Interest sourced on assets IRS has broad reallocation powers under section 482 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-14 Forms of Foreign Operations Local agent Branch Partnership Controlled subsidiary McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-15 Controlled US Subsidiaries Subject to US tax on world wide income Can utilize foreign tax credit May be included in US consolidated return McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-16 Controlled Foreign Subsidiaries Not subject to US taxation until earnings distributed Parent may get deemed foreign tax credit on dividends for foreign subsidiary May not be included in US consolidated return McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-17 Subpart F Income – Effect Subpart F income earned by controlled foreign subsidiary subject to US tax when earned by subsidiary Controlled foreign subsidiary – More than 50% of stock owned by US shareholders McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-18 Subpart F Income Sales to a related party Passive income Income from countries subject to boycott or which the US has severed relations Payments of illegal bribes McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-19 Subpart F Income Controlled corporations must keep track of both Subpart F income and income that is not Subpart F income Distributions first made from Subpart F earnings and profits and nontaxable McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc Slide 10-20 Transfer Pricing Section 482 used to prohibit arbitrary shifting of profits between controlled entities due to transfer pricing Goal is to get price in comparable uncontrolled transaction Methods: Resale price method Cost-plus method Comparable profits Profit split method McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright (c) 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc