Cross-border Tax Talks

Accounting for Pillar Two: More than a tax exercise Dec 19, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Andy Wiggins, PwC Partner based in the United Kingdom and PwC’s Global Tax Accounting Services Leader to(birming)ham it up on the tax accounting implications of Pillar Two. Together they discuss, deferred accounting, the differences between US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), accounting implications of the qualified domestic minimum top-up tax (QDMTT), income inclusion rule (IIR), and undertaxed profits rule (UTPR), country by country reporting (CbCR), and transitioning from the full safe habor to GloBe rules.

Pillar Two: UK update Dec 12, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by returning guest Matt Ryan, a PwC International Tax Partner based in London and leader of PwC UK’s International Tax and Treasury Network. Doug and Matt discuss a selective list of Pillar Two issues and topics related to the UK Finance Bill 2024-25. They provide an update on the latest Pillar Two happenings, including the transposition of the June 2024 OECD Administrative Guidance into UK law, the potential for retroactive provisions, UK compliance requirements, the potential for changes in light of the US election, and what could be next.

Pillar Two around the World: Country updates Dec 06, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Stewart Brant, Managing Director in PwC’s Tax Policy Services to discuss the latest Pillar Two developments. Doug and Stewart start off – after baseball of course – discussing the purpose of the Digital Tax Study Group. Then they cover the status of Pillar Two enactment in Europe, Asia, the Americas, the Pacific, the Caribbean, Middle East, and Africa. They also cover how different countries are applying the rules retroactively, the impact a Trump administration could have on Pillar Two, as well as what role the UN could play.

US Election Results: What’s next for tax Nov 20, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Rohit Kumar, PwC’s National Tax Co-leader and former deputy chief of staff to Senator Mitch McConnell (R) to discuss the US election results. Doug and Rohit cover what the republican-controlled House, Senate and Presidency means for tax reform, why 2025 will be a year for significant “must-pass” tax legislation, the role the federal debt and budget deficit will play, the potential implementation of tariffs, the fate of the OECD’s Pillar One and Two, as well as how the new administration could approach digital services taxes (DSTs).

Pillar Two in Belgium: First out of the gate Nov 14, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Pieter Dere, Tax Partner in PwC Belgium, part of PwC’s International Tax and Transfer Pricing Group, and PwC Belgium’s Pillar Two leader. Doug and Pieter cover the latest Pillar Two developments in Belgium, including how Belgium is incorporating the latest Pillar Two administrative guidance, how tax authorities are preparing, advance tax payments, registration requirements, the Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax (QDMTT) return, the interaction of the Belgium patent box regime with Pilar Two, and the constitutionality of the Undertaxed Profits Rule (UTPR), among other topics.

Tariffs  and Taxes:  Retaliation & Retribution Oct 31, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Chris Desmond, PwC’s US Global Trade Services Leader to catch up on the latest customs and trade happenings. Doug and Chris talk about Chris’s transition from a transfer pricing partner to specializing in customs and trade, the potential US tariffs environment post election, how companies might respond with supply chain changes, the impact of the recent Mexican and Canadian tariffs, the use of tariffs as a retaliatory action, how tax authorities are leveraging customs data, as well as the importance of modeling, documentation, and data gathering.

Pillar Two Update: Traps for the unwary Oct 23, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by returning guest Steve Kohart, an International Tax Partner in PwC’s New York City office and former advisor to the Center for Tax Policy Administration for the OECD. They dive into Pillar Two with a refresher of the Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax (QDMTT), the Income Inclusion Rule (IIR), the Under Tax Profit Rule (UTPR), as well as the status of Pillar Two enaction across the globe, including in Puerto Rico. They also talk through how companies are approaching year-end, data readiness and tax compliance; Belgium’s registration process; and several traps for the unwary, including the post-finalization of consolidated financial statements, purchase price accounting, hybrid arbitrage, and country-by-country safe harbor requirements. Finally, they discuss what makes a ‘good’ credit for Pillar Two, the US R&D credit, the reverse consensus process for qualifying a QDMTT, permanent safe harbors, and what guidance to expect next.

US CAMT Proposed Regs: You are no Pillar Two Oct 11, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by returning guest Aaron Junge, an International Tax Partner in PwC’s Washington National Tax Services Practice. Aaron served as Tax Counsel to the US House of Representative during the passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017. Doug and Aaron briefly discuss the College World Series held in Aaron’s hometown of Omaha, before delving into the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (CAMT) proposed regulations. Specifically, they discuss Adjusted Financial Statement Income (AFSI), how the rules affect large domestic and foreign investment funds and partnerships, the open comment period, the similarities (and differences) between CAMT and Pillar Two, whether or not CAMT could be converted to a QDMTT, how the regulations impact adjustments for depreciation, and new foreign stock rules.

Business Model Reinvention: Tax Implications Sep 25, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by returning guest Alex Voloshko, an International Tax Partner in PwC’s Washington National Tax Services Practice where he specializes in value chain transformation and the tax implications of business operating models. Doug and Alex discuss how tax interacts with the broader business, the evolution of the tax operating model, business model reinvention, the importance of data, supply chain management, IP trends from the 2017 TCJA, and the potential impact of Pillar Two.

No double dipping! US proposes new regulations Sep 13, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by returning guest Elizabeth Nelson, a Partner in PwC’s Washington National Tax Services Practice to discuss the recently proposed regulations that address dual consolidated loss (DCL) rules as well an entirely new tax regime regarding disregarded payment losses (DPLs). Together they dive into the background of the US DCL rules, effective dates, foreign use, intercompany transactions, stock inclusions, mirror legislation, a new anti-avoidance rule, and of course the application of the DCL rules to Pillar Two.

Taxing Cryptocurrency: US Digital Asset Regs Aug 28, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by returning guest Rebecca Lee, a Principal in PwC’s Washington National Tax Services Practice where she focuses on complex tax problems and financial transactions in the digital asset space. Doug and Rebecca discuss T.D. 10000, the recently published final regulations dealing with digital assets. They dive into the details of digital assets, including the definition of a digital assets, revisiting non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain, and the different types of digital transactions. They also cover the background of the final regulations, calculating gains and losses, determining basis, digital asset transaction costs, ordering rules, Form 1099-DA, Notices 2024-56 & 2024-57, and the applicability dates. They finish the podcast with an exploration of how other jurisdictions are approaching cryptocurrencies around the world, touching on FATCA, DAC8 and more.

US Election Watch: Tax Implications Aug 14, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Janice Mays (Managing Director in PwC’s Tax Policy Services) who boasts a 40 year career on the Hill including 22 years as the Democratic chief counsel and staff director for the House Ways and Means Committee, to discuss the upcoming US election’s impact on tax policy. Doug and Janice dive into the practice and procedures behind US tax policy, the upcoming US presidential election, and the key races to watch in the US Senate and House of Representatives. They also cover various election result scenarios, the key priorities for both Republicans and Democrats in a 2025 tax bill, and a potential US reaction to Pillar Two.

US Supreme Court Update: Chevron is no Moore Jul 30, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Wade Sutton, International Tax Leader for PwC’s Washington National Tax Practice. Doug and Wade kick off with the persona of a law school professor, providing an overall perspective on the US common law system, and how the US court system works. They then cover the importance three of Supreme Court’s recent tax case decisions – Moore v. United States, Corner Post v. United States, & Loper Bright v. United States. They start by ‘briefing’ the cases before noting why taxpayers should pay attention to each case. Additionally, they cover a potential wealth tax, the possible effects of the cases on litigation and tax controversy, what constituted the majority opinion in Loper Bright, the overruling of the Chevron doctrine, and regulatory validity.

Pillar Two Admin Guidance Glimpses of clarity Jul 17, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Phil Ramstetter, International Tax Partner and former Tax Policy Consultant at Business at OECD (BIAC). Doug and Phil discuss the OECD’s Administrative Guidance released in June 2024, including the deferred tax liability (DTL) recapture rule or five-year rule, the allocation of cross-border taxes, deferred tax accounting, transactions within the GloBE rules, entity classification and treatment, and the expectation of more OECD administrative guidance in the second half of 2024.

US Stock Buyback Tax: a funding conundrum Jun 26, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Nita Asher, International Tax Partner in PwC’s Washington National Tax Practice and former legislative counsel to the Joint Committee of Taxation during the enactment of TCJA in 2017. Doug and Nita focus on the Stock Buyback Excise Tax enacted under the Inflation Reduction Act. Doug and Nita walk through Notice 2023-2, the recently released procedural and technical regulations, including the elimination of the per se rule, the funding rule, and which other countries are considering similar rules. They also discuss how the excise tax could present a multi-year reporting exercise for taxpayers, utilizing Forms 720 and 7208. Non-US headquartered companies will be very interested in this conversation!

Pillar Two Potpourri: Where is this heading? Jun 12, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is with Pat Brown, Washington National Tax Services Co-Leader, to discuss the complex state of international tax today and where the winds of Pillar Two are blowing. Doug and Pat bare their ankles and kick off the discussion with the state of international tax when Pat graduated law school. They cover the increasing complexity of tax regimes, before diving into Pillar Two, the Undertaxed Payments Rule (UTPR), qualified CbC reporting, business concerns and struggles, the United Nations’ role in international tax, and recently published Belgian Pillar Two registration requirements.

Pillar Two in Ireland: It takes a village May 30, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC's Global International Tax Services Leader) and Peter Reilly (PwC International Tax Partner & Ireland’s Tax Policy Leader) are at PwC EMEA’s International Tax Academy in Prague to discuss Ireland’s implementation of Pillar Two. Doug and Peter dive into why Irish policy makers agreed to adopt the Pillar Two regime, how Ireland is incorporating the OECD guidance, the potential effects on the Irish economy and current tax regime, the ways Irish multinationals are preparing, and the potential ramifications in the future.

Pillar Two: Hindsight is 20/24 May 10, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC's Global International Tax Services Leader) and podcast regular Calum Dewar (Principal, International tax services) are at PwC’s EMEA’s International Tax, Legal, and Workforce Academy in Prague, Czech Republic, to discuss the latest happenings around Pillar Two. Doug and Calum examine the many practical issues taxpayers, governments and tax advisors are facing to implement the new rules, including disparity in financial accounting, the QDMTT safe harbour, arbitrage arrangements, GloBE reorganization rules, and allocation of deferred taxes.

Pillar Two Data Strategy: Play ball!!! Apr 29, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Global Leader) is with Anthony Sciarra, a Principal in PwC’s Tax Reporting and Strategy Practice and the Global Pillar Two Data Strategy leader, to discuss the importance of a Pillar Two Data Strategy. Doug and Anthony detail what taxpayers should be doing today to stay ahead of Pillar Two’s complexity, specifically highlighting: data sourcing, data forecasting, qualifying for the CbC Transitional Safe Harbor, considerations for both an insourcing & outsourcing model, existing technology solutions, and the importance of a centralized rules calculation.

As the world turns: Macroeconomic trends Apr 09, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is at PwC’s International Tax Conference in Dana Point, California with Dr. Alexis Crow, PwC’s Geopolitical Investing Practice Leader. Doug and Alexis discuss the recession outlook and economic activity, the impact of inflation, central banking policy, including interest rates, commercial real estate and financial stability, currencies and the future of the US Dollar, energy transition, the US election outlook, and outlooks for some significant economies, including Japan, India, Singapore, Brazil, the Middle East, and Europe.

Brazil Tax Reforms: muito complicado! Mar 26, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is in São Paulo, Brazil for the first Latin American recording of the CBTT with PwC Brazil’s International Tax Leader Dr. Romero Tavares. Doug and Romero discuss what makes Brazil’s tax system so unique – from its transfer pricing rules to its full inclusion regime. They also dive into expected Brazilian tax changes, the many acronyms that make up the indirect tax system, Pillar One, and what effect Pillar Two will have on Brazil’s taxpayers.

US Tax Policy: Chairman Dave Camp Mar 14, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is at PwC’s International Tax Conference in Dana Point, California with former House Ways & Means Chairman Dave Camp, now senior policy advisor in PwC’s Washington National Tax Services. Doug and Chairman Camp discuss his political career, drivers behind US tax policy, how Congress negotiates tax legislation, the expiring provisions in the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA), the prospects of Congress implementing Pillar Two in the years ahead, and how companies can get involved in the tax legislative process.

Geopolitics Unraveled: Trends for 2024 Feb 28, 2024

In this episode of Cross-Border Tax Talks, Doug McHoney interviews Craig Stronberg, a Senior Director in PwC's Intelligence Team, about major geopolitical trends impacting business leaders and the operating environment. They discuss topics such as protectionism, the US-China rivalry, distrust, the shift in global power, tech disruption, labor, and the Middle East. They also highlight the importance of business leaders taking stock of lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential risks associated with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

US Guidance Update: Pillar Two and more Feb 13, 2024

On this episode, Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Wade Sutton. Wade is PwC’s Washington National Tax Service’s ITS Leader, a former adjunct professor of international tax at Georgetown University's Law Center, and former Deputy International Tax Counsel, US Treasury. Doug and Wade discuss what drove them to international tax as a career (spoiler: job security) before diving into recent US tax guidance. They discuss the recent foreign tax credit (FTC), corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT) and Previously taxed E&P (PTEP) notices. They also discuss the interaction of Pillar Two with the FTC rules, dual consolidated loss (DCL) rules, and CAMT. Doug and Wade wrap up by looking ahead to guidance we might see in 2024.

Sustainability and Transparency for Tax Professionals Feb 06, 2024

In this podcast episode, Doug McHoney, PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader, interviews Heather Horn, PwC's Assurance National Thought Leader and host of the twice-weekly PwC Accounting Podcast. Doug and Heather discuss sustainability reporting and its increasing importance in the business world. They cover various regulations and standards, such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the potential intersection between sustainability reporting and tax transparency. Doug and Heather note the similarities between CSRD and other recent reporting requirements, like Pillar Two and the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). They also highlight the challenges and considerations for companies as they deal with new stakeholders and navigate the new reporting requirements.

Pillar Two: how safe is the safe harbor? Jan 24, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Steve Kohart for our first podcast in PwC’s New York studio. Steve is a PwC international tax partner based in New York, and a former adviser for the OECD Center for Tax Policy and Administration. Doug and Steve discuss the OECD’s latest Pillar Two Administrative Guidance, which was published December 18, 2023 and primarily covers the transitional country by country Safe Harbor. More specifically, Doug and Steve address how jurisdictions will implement the guidance, purchase price accounting adjustments, consistent use of data, hybrid arbitrage arrangements, the allocation of CFC taxes, and whether the OECD will provide additional guidance in 2024.

Gen AI in Tax: a new frontier Jan 04, 2024

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is at PwC’s Tax Leadership Conference in breezy Orlando with Dom Megna, a New York-based tax partner leading PWC's US Tax Reporting and Strategy Practice. Doug and Dom discuss Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its place in tax. They focus on four areas - what is conversational AI, machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI (a subset of deep learning). They also cover some impacts of AI: AI for tax practitioners, how AI will affect people’s jobs, data opportunities and architecture, Pillar Two, responsible AI, and the ROI of AI.

Taxing FX of Branches: the new Section 987 regulations Dec 19, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Rebecca Lee (WNTS ITS Partner) in PwC’s Washington, DC studio for the 140th (and Rebecca’s) episode of the Cross-Border Tax Talks podcast. Rebecca, a frequent guest on the podcast, specializes in financial transactions and digital assets. Doug and Rebecca discuss the history and intent of Section 987, which is generally to address the taxation of foreign exchange gains/losses from a foreign branch operating in a different functional currency than its home office. The rules started out relatively simply at three sentences, but since enactment we’ve received 100s of pages of regulations. Doug and Rebecca discuss how the layers of complication led to confusion and concerns over policy and administrability. This background is critical to understanding the challenges companies are facing today with the November 2023 proposed regulations. Doug and Rebecca dissect and analyze the 250-page package, what new elements and limitations they introduce, and what this means for affected companies, including industries like banking and insurance. They close the discussion with how the effective dates work and why the operation of these rules may have surprising results.

UK Pillar Two: Painting while the paint dries Dec 12, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Matt Ryan at PwC’s Global Tax Symposium in Rome. Matt is a London-based international tax partner and PwC UK’s Pillar Two Leader. Doug and Matt revisit the UK Pillar Two rules for the third time, but now from an enacted law perspective. While the rules are set to apply from the beginning of 2024, the United Kingdom faces an interesting challenge as one of the early adopters of Pillar Two, with enacted legislation, followed by additional OECD guidance. Doug and Matt discuss the tricky task for UK legislators of ‘painting while the paint still dries’ (i.e., enacting legislation while the OECD guidance is still changing) and some of the key differences that need to be addressed as a result of the subsequent OECD guidance, as well as still-expected guidance in 2023 and beyond. Doug and Matt discuss from a practical perspective how UK-parented taxpayers are preparing for what is ahead, including approaches to safe harbors. They then dive into complexities created by the particularities of the UK rules around the safe harbor and other key issues, like partnerships and deferred taxes. Finally, the podcast closes with practical next steps companies operating in the UK should consider ahead of 2024.

Pillar Two: Policy, politics and interaction with Pillar One Dec 07, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is at PwC’s Global Tax Symposium in Rome, where he’s joined by Will Morris. Will is PwC’s Global Tax Policy Leader, and on Will’s last visit to the podcast, he covered FSR, the Foreign Subsidies Regulation. On this podcast, an exciting and familiar topic - Pillar Two! Doug and Will discuss generally how the Pillar Two process has been going. They wonder how tax authorities and courts will administer and adjudicate in their jurisdictions, and what will become of the potential FAQs and future administrative guidance from the OECD. They then discuss the recent EC guidance, and whether countries will be able to bring in the OECD guidance retroactively. Finally, Doug and Will touch on how business have participated thus far in the process.

Pillar One: Policy, politics and interaction with Pillar Two Nov 30, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is at PwC’s Global Transfer Pricing Conference where he’s joined by Giorgia Maffini. Giorgia is part of PwC’s Global Transfer Pricing team in London and was previously the Deputy Head of the Tax Policy and Statistics Division at the OECD. Doug and Giorgia discuss why taxpayers should care about Pillar One, starting with the basics - what is Pillar One and how does it work with Pillar Two? They discuss the complexities, scope and impacts of both Amount A and Amount B. Also the timing, economic impact, and what’s next. Finally, they address what might happen with digital services taxes and what companies should do next.

Pillar Two Safe Harbors: The CbCR journey Nov 15, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by David Ernick, a Principal with PwC’s Washington National Tax Services Transfer Pricing Practice and former Associate International Tax Counsel at the US Treasury Department, at PwC’s Global Transfer Pricing Conference in San Diego, California. They discuss Country-by-country reporting (CbCR) transitional safe harbor rules, including the safe harbor tests, exclusions to the rules, the difference between the safe harbor rules and the full GLoBE rules, as well as whether a CbCR is ‘qualifying’. Doug and David also discuss the history and implementation of public CBCR.

On notice: US developments and Moore hype Oct 30, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is at PwC’s Tax Leadership Conference in breezy Orlando with Pat Brown, frequent pod guest and co-leader of PwC’s Washington National Tax Services. They discuss US tax updates, including the status and fate of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA); the future of Section 163(j); notices and guidance from Treasury, including the recent Section 174 notice 2023-63; FTC relief notice, and what to anticipate in the coming months and years with respect to foreign tax creditability; what’s included and what’s not included under the corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT); Section 367(b) ‘Killer B’ regulations; and the Moore case.

Trick or treat(y): An update on US treaties Oct 04, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is back in Westminster Studios in St. Louis, Missouri with Nils Cousin, a Washington, D.C. based International Tax Services Principal specializing in US inbound taxation. Together they discuss tax treaties, mutual agreement procedures, the concept of competent authority, the treaty process in the US, recent US tax treaty activities, treaty shopping, the USMCA Trade Agreement, and the future of tax treaties in the United States. Among the treaties and agreements discussed are US treaties and agreements with Chile, Croatia, Hungary, Taiwan, and Russia.

Moore v. US: Constitutionality of international tax Sep 20, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) and Wade Sutton (former Deputy International Tax Counsel for the US Treasury and newly appointed ITS leader of PwC’s Washington National Tax Practice) are back in Washington, D.C. to discuss the recent Supreme Court grant of certiorari for the Moore v. US case. Doug and Wade go back to their law school days to break down the Moore case, starting with the facts, procedural history, and the potential implications if Section 965 is ruled unconstitutional, including direct taxation, indirect taxation, subpart F, Section 245A, GILTI, and, as always, Pillar Two.

Poutine Routine: Canada’s Pillar Two, DSTs, with G(AA)Ravy on top Sep 07, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) and Ken Buttenham meet up in PwC’s Washington, D.C.. studio. Ken leads PwC Canada’s International Tax Practice from Toronto. Doug and Ken kick off with a discussion on Doug’s favorite Canadian food, then dive into the Canadian Pillar Two proposals, discussing the Global Minimum Tax Act (GMTA), UTPR, IIR, QDMTT, compliance, the GloBE Information Return, and tax incentives. They also cover digital services taxes (DSTs), the excessive interest and financing expenses limitation (EIFEL) rules, and the Canadian General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR).

Pillar Two in Hong Kong SAR: Not yet a sticky wicket? Aug 22, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) and Jesse Kavanaugh (PwC Hong Kong SAR’s Tax Reporting & Strategy Leader) met up at PwC’s AsiaPac Global Tax Symposium in Singapore. Jesse is an International Tax Partner in Hong Kong SAR and has been leading the region’s Pillar Two tax efforts. They discuss the state of play of Pillar Two in Hong Kong SAR, trends regarding safe harbours and data collection, modeling and calculations challenges, the centralized and decentralized approaches to Pillar Two inherent to the region, and the Hong Kong SAR legislative process. They also touch on the addition of Hong Kong SAR to the EU’s ‘grey list’ and the recent introduction of the Foreign Source Income Exemption (FSIE) Regime for Passive Income.

Pillar Two Administrative Guidance: More details, more questions Aug 14, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) is back at Westminster Studios in St. Louis, Missouri where he’s joined by Steve Kohart, International Tax Principal with PwC in New York City and former Advisor for the Center for Tax Policy and Administration for the OECD. Together they discuss the latest wave of OECD Pillar Two guidance including the Subject-to-Tax-Rule (STTR), UTPR safe harbour, qualified domestic minimum top-up tax (QDMTT) safe harbour, marketable transferable tax credits (MTTCs), as well as the six key pieces of the substance base income exclusion (SBIE).

Pillar Two and Financial Services: What’s the deal? Jul 26, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by first-time guest Winnie Tang, International Tax Partner in PwC’s Financial Services practice in New York. Doug and Winnie take a rapid fire tour of the Financial Services and Deals space in light of the Pillar Two Transition Period, touching on the definitions of funds, REITs, excluded entities, management company structures, POPEs, Pillar Two in the Deals space, and many more particularities taxpayers should be aware of.

Pillar Two in South Korea: Effective dates and much more Jul 12, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) is at PwC’s AsiaPac Tax Symposium in Singapore. He is joined by Michael Kim, a PwC International Tax Partner and South Korea’s Outbound Tax Leader. Doug and Michael discuss South Korea’s enactment of Pillar Two, paying particular attention to effective dates, likely legislative actions, the incorporation of future guidance, how taxpayers are preparing for Pillar Two, Safe Harbours, data collection, and covered taxes.

EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation: State Aid goes global Jun 22, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) is at PwC’s Global Financial Services Tax Leaders Meeting in Paris where he is joined by Will Morris, recently named PwC’s Global Tax Policy Leader. Together, they dive into the European Union’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). They start with the origin story, how it intersects with State Aid, how taxpayers can be compliant, the necessity for collecting and saving data and information, consequences for failing to comply, and the challenges that taxpayers will face in the coming years, whether or not they currently do business in the European Union.

Sweet Child O'Mine: Inbounding Intangibles to the US Jun 07, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Aaron Junge, PwC National Tax Services International Tax Partner, and former Tax Counsel for the House of Representatives during the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. They discuss the historical perspective of the Section 367(d) rules beginning back in 1984, the recent regulations, and how we got here. Doug and Aaron touch on Section 367(d)’s original intended purpose, how the changes that occurred during TCJA changed intangible property (IP) ownership for US MNC’s (the carrot and the stick metaphor), the possible tax treatments of the repatriation of IP, the applicability dates, and how taxpayers can prepare, while considering Pillar Two, among other areas.

Freshly Served: Germany’s latest Pillar Two Draft May 24, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined in Madrid by Arne Schnitger, International Tax Partner with PwC Berlin and host of the German podcast Frisch Serviert (Freshly Served). They dive into the German legislative process, compliance and reporting, the German QDMTT, deviations from the OECD Model Rules, as well as the interaction with the US GILTI regime. They also discuss Arne’s recent article, “Does the 'Initial Phase Relief' Make the EU’s Pillar Two Directive Invalid?

Alphabet soup: A taste of EU tax May 09, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined in Madrid by Edwin Visser, PwC’s European Tax Policy Leader. Prior to joining PwC, Edwin was the Deputy Director General for Tax Customs Policy and Legislation and Director for Direct Taxes at the Dutch Ministry of Finance. One of the real challenges for tax professionals and advisors is the sheer volume of tax proposals from the European Union. Edwin and Doug discuss the numerous EU tax proposals, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), Green Energy Credits, ATAD3. They also cover the EU’s legislative process, flashback to the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB), then tackle Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation (BEFIT), the SAFE project, and the Debt-equity bias reduction allowance (DEBRA). They cap the episode with a check in on Pillar One and Pillar Two.

Pillar Two: The UK’s latest installment Apr 27, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Global Leader) hosts Matt Ryan, London-based International Tax Partner and leader of PwC’s UK Pillar Two Ready Team. Doug and Matt discuss the second draft of the UK’s Pillar Two legislation, the probable timing of enactment, the accounting implications, the UK’s Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-up-Tax, and some of the ‘deviations’ in the UK rules.

Threading the Needle: Pillar Two and the IRA’s Green Energy Credits Apr 19, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Pat Brown, seven-time veteran of the podcast, and co-leader of PwC’s WNTS practice. Pat has previously worked in the private industry for 16 years, including several years as a VP of tax and director of tax policy. After Pat chooses his most and least favorite CBTT podcasts, Doug and Pat discuss green energy credits, the Pillar Two Model Rules and administrative guidance, how the US and UK R&D credits compare under Pillar Two, refundable credits, transferable credits, the equity investment inclusion election, and qualifying flow-through tax benefits.

Pillar Two: A Japanese perspective Apr 05, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Shin Yamaguchi at PwC’s 2023 International Tax Conference. Shin is a Tokyo-based International Tax Partner, where he leads PwC Japan’s Inbound Tax Practice. Doug and Shin discuss Japan’s latest tax developments, focusing on the Pillar Two rules (of course!), specifically, UTPR, IIR, Safe Harbours, QDMTT, the GloBE Information Return and effective dates. They also discuss the Japanese legislative process.Since the recording of this podcast Japan has enacted their 2023 Tax Reform Bill which includes the Pillar Two Income Inclusion Rule which applies on or after April 1, 2024.

Disequilibrium: The new geopolitical and macroeconomic landscape Mar 28, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Craig Stonberg at PwC’s 2023 International Tax Conference. Craig is PwC’s Macro Intelligence Leader, and spearheads a team of analysts helping global businesses with geopolitical risks, macroeconomic volatility, and supply chain shifts. Doug and Craig discuss the geopolitical landscape, particularly in Asia and Europe; how a recession would affect multinational companies, the labor shortage that is particularly affecting women, the geopolitical part of the energy equation, and how multinational companies should be preparing for 2023 and beyond.

Pillar Two Readiness: Complex data and complex challenges Mar 14, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Global Leader) is back in Westminster Studios with Kate Miller, a Director in PwC’s Tax Reporting and Strategy Practice. Doug and Kate discuss what is meant by Pillar Two operational readiness and PwC’s Data Input Catalog, including the data requirements, the necessity of resources, the Data Input Catalog, safe harbours, ERP and enterprise systems, the importance of working as a team, how software tools can help, and the power of a centralized rules engine.

PwC’s Data Input Catalog

Searching for Pillar Two clarity: The OECD’s Administrative Guidance Mar 08, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Global Leader) records from PwC’s 2023 International Tax Conference, where he is joined by Phil Ramstetter, PwC International Tax Partner based in Chicago. Phil was formerly a tax policy consultant for Business at OECD (BIAC). Doug and Phil overcome conference background noise to discuss the recent administrative guidance, but start with a history lesson on Pillar Two, when it was merely the Digital Project. Topics covered include blended CFC regimes, GILTI, expense apportionment, loss-making jurisdictions, transition period transactions, common control, the outlook for future guidance and some of the remaining open questions.

Pascal Saint-Amans: The Pillar Two Origin Story Mar 01, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Global Leader) records from PwC’s 2023 International Tax Conference, where he is joined by Pascal Saint-Amans, former Director of the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration and current partner with Brunswick, a strategic advisory firm. Doug and Pascal dive directly into the BEPS Project with an overview of the Pillar Two origin story, the challenges and successes of the project, harmful tax practices and the ways the OECD is trying to change tax systems, the natural complexity of tax, the future of tax incentives, compliance requirements, the private sector’s role in the policy process and much more.

Opening a CAMT of worms? Notice 2023-7 Feb 14, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Jason Black, a PwC WNTS partner in the Federal Tax Services Group. Doug and Jason start with words of wisdom for accounting majors before diving into a discussion of the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (CAMT), formerly known as the Inflation Reduction Act’s Book Minimum Tax. They cover the details of Notice 2023-7, including the safe harbor rules, depreciation adjustments, M&A considerations, comparisons to Pillar Two, and much more.

Pillar Two: GloBE Return and CbyC Safe Harbours Feb 01, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Mike Olecki, PwC’s International Tax Services Global Technology Leader and partner in the Quantitative Services Tax Practice. Doug and Mike discuss the OECD Pillar Two documents released in December 2022, including the transitional CbyCR safe harbour, the potential for a permanent safe harbour, the GloBE Information Return, calculation challenges, and how technology can help.

2022 Year in Review Jan 24, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Pat Brown, International Tax Partner and co-Leader of the Washington National Tax Practice to look back at the very eventful and tortured 2022 year in international taxation. They cover topics including US Congressional activities, Treasury’s 2022 regulations and guidance, recent international tax and transfer pricing rulings, and the progress made on Pillar One & Two.

New FTC Regs: Raise your creditability score Jan 09, 2023

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by Ninee Dewar, PwC International Tax Services Principal, to discuss the recently released 2022 proposed foreign tax credit (FTC) regulations. These regulations relax some of the stringent creditability requirements that were set forth in the 2021 final FTC regulations. Doug and Ninee dive into changes to the cost recovery requirement, the attribution requirement for withholding tax on royalty payments, and the definition of a reattribution asset for purposes of allocating and apportioning foreign taxes.

Propósito Principal: Mexican tax reforms Dec 19, 2022

Doug McHoney, PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader, is joined by Mario Alberto Gutierez, International Tax Partner based in Mexico City, and Leader of PwC’s International Tax Practice in Mexico. Doug and Mario discuss Mexico’s implementation of the multilateral instrument, Mexican tax treaties and the potential for treaty abuse, how the 2022 Tax Act changes the game with regard to share transfers, the Maquiladora regime, the Mexican manufacturing industry more broadly including business transformations and ‘near shoring,’ and debt structures and the ‘inflation adjustment’ in Mexico. Not surprisingly, Pillar Two makes a cameo appearance.

UK Updates: Pillar Two is Coming Dec 12, 2022

Doug McHoney, PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader, is in Barcelona, Spain at PwC’s Global Tax Symposium. On this episode, Doug is joined by Matt Ryan, a UK-based International Tax Partner with PwC. Doug and Matt discuss the UK’s parliamentary process, Liz Truss’s resignation, the corporate tax proposed changes, and Pillar Two, including a qualified domestic minimum tax, the income inclusion rule, and the under taxed payments rule. They also cover the finer points of UK’s treatment of asset transfers, deferred taxes, year-end adjustments, and the system and data requirements that companies must address.

Inbound Challenges: A Head of Tax Discussion Nov 28, 2022

Doug McHoney, PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader, is at PwC’s Global Transfer Pricing Conference in Berlin, Germany, joined by Omri Yaniv, Global Head of Tax at Amdocs Ltd, based in Tel Aviv. Omri is a former PwC partner, and the first Tax VP from a non-US-parented company to appear on the podcast. Doug and Omri discuss the three pillars of Omri’s job, Amdocs’ tax department, the accounting talent war, recent global tax changes, and the potential changes on the horizon.

Transfer Pricing: A macroeconomic view Nov 08, 2022

Doug McHoney, PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader, welcomes Horacio Pena, Tax Principal, Senior Economist and PwC’s Global Transfer Pricing Network Leader, to the podcast. Doug and Horacio provide the macroview of the transfer pricing environment, covering global inflation, China’s COVID restrictions, environmental volatility, the dollar’s strengthening against other currencies, regionalization, a brief touch on Pillar Two, country-by-country reporting, and more.

Pillar Two: A German Perspective Oct 26, 2022

Doug McHoney, PwC’s Global International Tax Services Leader, is at PwC’s Global Transfer Pricing Conference in Berlin, Germany. Doug honors Ocktoberfest by donning lederhosenis to host Arne Schnitger, PwC International Tax Partner based in Berlin. Arne hosts the German tax podcast Frisch Serviert - der Steuerpodcast. They discuss Pillar Two issues in the EU, the US, and Germany, the differences approaches each jurisdiction takes when calculating the tax, the US book minimum tax, GILTI, refundable credits, allocation of expenses, the German implementation process, tax return filing, operational readiness, German anti-hybrid rules, and German Section 49.

Currency Exchange: Getting your Dollars worth Oct 10, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's Global International Tax Services Leader) welcomes Rebecca Lee (Washington National Tax Services International Tax Partner). Doug and Rebecca discuss the many tax aspects of a strong US dollar, including cream skimming, foreign exchange gains and losses with branches and CFCs, previously taxed earnings, translational versus transactional gain or loss, and more. Can Doug and Rebecca go the entire podcast without mentioning a code section? Tune in to find out!

Reshaping US Transfer Pricing: Impact of Medtronic Sep 27, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's Global International Tax Services Leader) welcomes first-time guest Kristina Novak (Washington National Tax Services Transfer Pricing Principal) and returning guest Alex Voloshko (PwC’s Value Chain Transformation Leader) to discuss the Medtronic case. They highlight the key takeaways including intellectual property considerations, transfer pricing trends, licensing models, business transformation trends for customers, and of course, a brief discussion of how Pillar Two will fit in.

The Metaverse and Tax: A non fungible discussion Sep 13, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's Global International Tax Services Leader) welcomes Rebecca Lee, International Tax Services Principal in the Washington National Tax Practice for her sixth visit. Doug and Rebecca dispel myths associated with cryptocurrency and the metaverse. They break down definitions of some of the trickiest metaverse jargon, the tax implications of metaverse transactions, and where we are heading in the near future.

Let's make a Deal: What’s behind Pillar Two? Aug 30, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's Global International Tax Services Leader) welcomes back podcast regular Calum Dewar (Principal, International tax services) to discuss Pillar Two. This time Doug and Calum dive deep into the deals area, including the Pillar Two tax consequences of specific deal transactions and structures. They also talk about the recent release of both the South Korea and UK Pillar Two draft rules.

The IRA and Book Minimum Tax: Not a Pillar Two Podcast Aug 17, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's Global International Tax Services Leader) is joined by Aaron Junge in Westminster Studios. Aaron is International Tax Partner in PwC’s Washington’s National Tax Services and was previously Tax Counsel in the House Ways and Means Committee during the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act implementation. Doug and Aaron discuss the corporate alternative minimum tax (also called the ‘Book Minimum Tax’) and other Inflation Reduction Act tax provisions, which President Biden signed into law on August 16. More specifically, they cover the BMT effective date and its scope, what are applicable corporations, changes to the aggregation rules, what is applicable financial statement income, common adjustments, calculating the AMT foreign tax credit, and what guidance we might see from Treasury.

Risk modeling: Quantitative insights for business intelligence Aug 10, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC Global International Tax Services Leader) is joined by Richard de Haan, PwC Global and US Risk Modeling Services Leader. Doug and Rich discuss climate risk modeling, the climate for risk in the C-Suite, how ESG is impacting business decisions, data sources (including geospatial data) for modeling, dealing with risk in the supply chain,the impact of AI and machine learning, and how visualizations help tell the story.

Living with Uncertainty: Fortune 50 SVP of Tax and Treasury Jul 11, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's Global International Tax Services Leader) is joined by Tadd Fowler, Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Head of Global Tax Operations of Procter and Gamble and former PwC International Tax Services partner. Doug and Tadd discuss Tadd’s perspective as a Treasurer and Head of Tax, P&G’s approach to tax, working with the C-suite, connecting with Global and US policymakers, advancements in technology, the new FTC rules, Pillar Two, and much more.

100th Episode Special: The evolution of global structuring Jun 22, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by Mike Urse, current International Tax Partner and former US International Tax Services Leader for the 100th episode of the Cross Border Tax Talks podcast. Doug and Mike discuss the changing world of international taxation, focusing on the current status of holding companies, finance companies, and Intangible property companies. Mike provides insights and analysis from almost 40 years of international tax experience and sheds some light on the future state of play.

In the Clouds: Pillar 2 Operational Readiness Jun 13, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined in Washington D.C. by Dom Megna, Tax Partner and leader of PwC’s US Tax Reporting and Strategy practice. They discuss the latest on Pillar Two developments, GAAP considerations, Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, the Cloud, the future of data collection, and more.

Back to School: Mindy Herzfeld’s Pillar 2 insights May 25, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by Mindy Herzfeld, professor of tax practice at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she teaches International Tax, to discuss Pillar Two rules.

Green Book Proposals: Codifying Pillar 2 in the US? May 09, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by Pat Brown, PwC’s International Tax Policy Leader, making his sixth appearance on the podcast. Doug and Pat discuss the Biden Administration's fiscal year 2023 budget proposals as explained in the Green Book, how some of the proposals interact with the OECD’s Pillar Two Model Rules, and what taxpayers might expect.

Pillar 2 Commentary: A knowledge GAAP? Apr 27, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by PwC’s Calum Dewar, Leader of PwC’s Integrated Global Structuring practice. They discuss the Pillar Two Model Rules & Commentary and its potential impacts on the global tax system, transfer pricing adjustments, deals and more.

Spin the Globe Macroeconomic and Geopolitical trends Apr 06, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by PwC’s Dr. Alexis Crow, PwC’s Geopolitical Investing Practice Leader. They discuss macroeconomic trends, the geopolitical landscape, the inflationary environment, trade wars, global/economic impacts on various sectors,and much more.

The Final FTC Regs: Credibility for Creditability? Mar 24, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by PwC’s Washington National Tax Services International Tax Leader Michael DiFronzo, former Deputy Associate Chief Tax Counsel International at the IRS. They discuss some of the practicalities of the creditability rules in the Final FTC regulations (see February 2022 CBTT episode with Wade Sutton for an overview of the regulations), particularly cost recovery, attribution requirements, an unintended incentive to offshore IP, and foreign jurisdiction considerations.

Whirlpool Appellate Decision: A new standard for subpart F? Mar 09, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by PwC Value Chain Transformation Specialist Tom Quinn. They discuss the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling to uphold the US Tax Court’s May 5, 2020 decision, and concluded that a CFC’s income ‘attributable to’ a branch, in this case a manufacturing branch, per se is foreign based company sales income (FBCSI) under the statute if a ‘substantial tax deferral effect’ is found. They specifically discuss the Maquilladora structure, FBCSI, a ‘substantial tax-deferral effect’, the Court’s interpretation of the branch rule, and future implications for other taxpayers.

Note: Since the recording of this podcast, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit denied Whirlpool’s request for a rehearing. Whirlpool has 90 days from March 2, 2022, to petition for certiorari with the US Supreme Court.

ATAD3 - impacting the financial services industry and more Feb 23, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by Puneet Arora, PwC ITS Partner and PwC’s Financial Services Consulting leader. They discuss the latest EU anti-tax avoidance directive (ATAD3), diving into the details and impact it could have on the financial services industry; the importance of modeling for Pillar Two; and the G in ESG, governance.

Double taxation ahead? Parsing the final FTC regs Feb 07, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by Wade Sutton, PwC ITS Partner in the Washington National Tax Practice office and former deputy international tax council at Treasury. They discuss the highly technical topics of the final foreign tax credit regulations, credibility of tax under Section 901, the definition of an income tax, DSTs, nonresident taxation, effective dates, digital services taxes, withholding taxes, nonresident capital gains taxes, Puerto Rican excise tax, BEPS 2.0 and much more.

All aboard! The Pillar Two train is leaving the OECD and EU stations Jan 21, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by Calum Dewar, PwC ITS Partner and leader of PwC’s Integrated Global Structuring Practice, heading our Outbound, Inbound, and Value Chain Transformation teams. Doug and Calum discuss Pillar Two Model Rules, the OECD/G20’s Inclusive Framework, the EU Directive, and more specifically the Income Inclusion Rule, the Under Tax Payment Rule and how country-by-country GILTI and the new final FTC regulations could impact the result for US MNCs.

Below the line: Getting tax a seat at the business table Jan 05, 2022

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined in PwC’s DC studio by Mohamed Kande, PwC Vice-Chair and US and Global Advisory Leader. They discuss the need for proactive and intentional mentorship; relationship building in the virtual environment; the three different types of transformation trending in the market; and how (and why) tax should get a seat at the business table.

Tax reform: Digging in, before building back Dec 14, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by Jeff Endress, US Outbound Tax Practice leader. They discuss the House-passed Build Back Better (BBB) bill, delayed effective dates, Section 163(n), foreign tax credits, country-by-country, the complexity of global tax, Pillar Two, uncertainties in the deals market, and the future of tax reform.

Why International Tax? One professional's career journey Nov 30, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by Ugo Alisiobi, ITS Partner, based in our New York Metro ITS practice, for Ugo’s first time in St. Louis. They discuss their paths to careers in international taxation; the struggles, joys, and rewards of being an international tax practitioner; being proactive and authentic in your career; imposter syndrome; finding - and being - a mentor; and working at PwC.

Cryptocurrency Trends: Blockchain goes mainstream Nov 10, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is joined by Rebecca Lee (PwC ITS Washington National Tax Partner), who specializes in cross-border financial transactions. They discuss trends in cryptocurrency, including ‘operation hidden treasure,’ taxation of cryptocurrency transactions, US tax reform, El Salvador’s adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender, blockchain in the insurance industry, Bitcoin as an exchange traded fund (ETF), the digitalization of trust, updates on non fungible tokens (NFTs), the impact of decentralized finance (DeFi) on capital markets, and market implications around the world.

BEPS 2.0 Update: not IF but when Oct 26, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is in PwC's brand new studio in Washington, DC with Will Morris (PwC’s Deputy Global Tax Policy Leader). Will also was appointed Chair to the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union and Chair to the Business Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD. Doug and Will discuss the journey thus far to Pillar One and Pillar Two. They touch on, among other things, the future impacts on US-based multinational companies, what has changed in recent months, digital services taxes & unilateral measures, details of Amount A under Pillar One, possible winners and losers, segmentation, scoping, the potential new instrument needed for implementation, details of Globe under Pillar Two, including the minimum rate, and of course, the timeline for implementing these changes.

Playing by House Rules: More analysis of the Ways & Means bil Oct 08, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is back in Westminster Studios with Nita Asher (PwC International Tax Services Partner), who served as legislative council at the Joint Committee on Taxation from 2017 to 2018. Doug and Nita pick up from the previous podcast with Sherry Grabow, and discuss the legislative climate; covering, among other topics: the legislative process for tax reform, how this iteration of reform differs from 2017, granting of regulatory authority, impact of proposed changes to Section 163(n), the wholesale changes proposed to BEAT; clarification to foreign personal holding company income; and new foreign tax carryforward rules.

Tax Reform 2.0: the House "Ways" in Sep 20, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) is live at the Westminster Studios with Sherry Grabow (PwC's US International Tax Services Co-Leader) to discuss the international tax provisions in the recently released ‘Chairman’s Mark’ from the House Ways and Means Committee. Doug and Sherry cover, among other topics: Interest expense under new Section 163(n) and existing Section 163(j); changes to foreign derived intangible income (FDII), modifications to the global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) regime, changes to the foreign tax credit rules; sweeping changes to subpart F income; a refreshed base erosion and anti-abuse tax (BEAT), and how taxpayers should prepare for potential changes to the tax rules.

Tax Reform 2.0: Hot topics in inbound taxation Sep 01, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) is live at the Westminster Studios with Tom Patten (ITS Partner based in London) to discuss current and future tax considerations for US inbound companies. Doug and Tom chew on toasted ravioli and sandwich structures and then cover, among other topics: the impact of a Pillar 2 regime on US inbound companies; the potential for replacing the base erosion anti-abuse tax (BEAT) with the Stopping Harmful Inversions and Ending Low-tax Developments (SHIELD) provision, impending changes and proposals to interest expense, further limiting the ability of domestic corporations to expatriate; the effects of Brexit on US inbounds; and the potential for Pillar 1 to spurn treaty negotiation and ratification.

A hundred year storm: BEPS 2.0 Update Aug 20, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Leader) is live at the Westminster Studios with Calum Dewar (Integrated Global Structuring Leader) to discuss the OECD’s Two Pillar solution to address the taxation of the digitalization of the economy. Doug and Calum cover, among other topics: Pillar 1 - the reallocation of profits of large multinational companies; Pillar 2 - a global minimum tax rate of at least 15%; the momentum to find a consensus agreement; the design challenges the OECD still faces; how PIllar 2 proposals compare to the US GILTI regime; the potential for carve outs and segmentation; the implementation obstacles in the United States; and the importance of US multinationals to engage with policy makers.

Bringing code to the Code: Tech trends in International Tax Aug 04, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Leader) is live at the Westminster Studios with John McDonald (Quantitative Solutions & Technologies Managing Director) to discuss the role of technology in tax. Doug and John cover, among other topics: the cross section of computer science and tax; the economics of the professional services industry; how TCJA has made taxation much more complex; the digital evolution of tax research; the power of definitions and testing to retain information; the usefulness of a graph data structure in tax; how centralized rules engines are superior to spreadsheets; the power of visualizations; the future of probability analysis in taxation, and the need for change management.

EU Update: State Aid, CBCR and Tax in the 21st Century Jul 21, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) holds another post-vaccine session live at the Westminster Studios with Maarten Maaskant (PwC’s Foreign Tax Desk Leader) to discuss the latest happenings in the European Union (EU) from a legislative, administrative, and judicial perspective. Doug and Maarten cover, among other topics: both the Amazon and Engie state aid decisions in the EU General Court and their future implications; public country-by-country reporting; the European Commission (EC) proposal for a new instrument to address potential distortive effects of foreign subsidies; and the EC communication on business taxation for the 21st century.

Post Covid-19 globalization: Dead, dying, or here to stay? Jul 01, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) sits down virtually with Dr. Alexis Crow (PwC's Global Leader of Geopolitical Investing Practice) to discuss the state of globalization, and more specifically, whether we have seen the end of globalization. Doug and Alexis cover how the landscape has shifted, and how we got to the current state; tensions within the technology sector, including a 'cold war' from a technology perspective; the globalization of the financial services sector; possible solutions for global cohesion; trends in tax and business from digital and environmental perspectives, and the increasing significance of Asia's role; climate policies and the 'greening' of financial flows; and the future of globalization, including what business leaders and investors should expect in a covid-recovering global economy.

Explaining the explanation: Biden’s Greenbook Jun 08, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) holds the second post-vaccine session live at the Westminster Studios with Pat Brown (PwC WNTS Policy Co-leader) to discuss President Biden’s FY 22 Budget and the much anticipated and related explanations of such proposals, also known as the Treasury Green Book. Doug and Pat cover, among other proposals: increasing the US corporate income tax rate from 21% to 28%; increasing the global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) tax rate to 21%; removing the qualified business asset investment (QBAI) provision; repealing the deduction for foreign derived intangible income (FDII); replacing the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT) with a Stopping Harmful Inversions and Ending Low-tax Developments (SHIELD) provision; restricting deductions of excessive interest for disproportionate borrowing in the US; the status and likelihood of the OECD’s Pillars One and Two; and what companies should consider as potential tax legislation becomes more likely.

Environmental, social & governance (ESG): Taxing matters May 25, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) is joined in person at the Westminster Studios by David Parrish (PwC's ESG Tax Leader) to discuss the umbrella term environmental, social, & governance. Doug and David cover: the definition of ESG; its effects on a company's business and footprint; the driving forces of NGOs, investors, consumers, and governments; the impacts it has on deals, capital investment, & tax; the alignment of ESG corporate strategies and goals; and the path forward from sustainability, transparency, and value chain perspectives.

Acción Inmediata: Mexico adopts labor subcontracting rules May 11, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Leader) and David Cueller (PwC Mexico’s Tax and Legal Services Leader) discuss Mexican developments, including outsourcing reform and Mexico's current position in the OECD BEPS Project. Doug and David cover: the history of Mexico's outsourcing regime; recent disruptive changes made to various laws, including the Income Tax Law, VAT Law, and Labor Law; the specialized services exception; companies impacted by the recent law changes; the potential for penalties and tax fraud; relevant compliance concerns; and US tax considerations. They also discuss Mexico's BEPS-aligned legislation and the non-deductibility of payments to certain foreign entities.

Behind the scenes: a tax policy discussion with Chip Harter May 05, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Chip Harter (Senior Policy Advisor in PwC's Washington National Tax Services Practice and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs in the Office of Tax Policy at the US Department of the Treasury) discuss Chip's experiences at Treasury and the latest outlook for tax policy. Doug and Chip cover: Chip's involvement in the review and publication of IRS regulations and the role of Treasury officials in the regulations' process; Chip's involvement in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA); Chip's thoughts on the global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) regime and his reaction to the interplay of the foreign tax credit regime and GILTI; the history and recent updates to the GILTI high-tax exception; and the prospects for a 'true' global minimum tax and the outlook for agreement on the OECD's base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project.

SPACs: the confluence of A-list celebs and Sec. 7874 Apr 14, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Thomas Groenen (PwC's US ITS-Financial Services Leader) discuss the renewed interest in special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). Doug and Thomas cover: how Thomas made his way from the UK to the US; Thomas's advice for individuals interested in moving to the United States to become tax professionals; what a SPAC is and how it generally functions; the history of SPACs—dating back to the British 'South Sea bubble' in the early 18th century; how SPACs compare to and interrelate with IPOs; how and why individuals and entities invest in SPACs; the tax implications for SPAC investors; considerations regarding the SPAC's jurisdiction; the SPAC lifecycle, from founding to de-SPACing; the importance of choosing the correct investment vehicle (both corporate v. pass-through and domestic v. foreign); how the passive foreign investment company (PFIC) regime interplays with foreign SPACs; and the possible future of SPACs.

From Audit to Tax: a conversation with PwC’s US Tax Leader Apr 01, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Kathryn Kaminsky (PwC's Vice Chair - US Tax Leader) discuss Kathryn's background and her transition to PwC's US Tax Leader. Doug and Kathryn cover: Kathryn's experience as a woman in the audit and tax professions; how men can be advocates and allies for women; the differences between advocacy and mentorship; how to ensure career paths are not inhibited by the desire to have a family; Kathryn's experience as an auditor and leading practices for tax practitioners, auditors, and businesses; the challenges in communicating nuanced technical issues; challenges in transitioning from Audit to Tax and what we can learn from Kathryn's experiences over the past nine months as US Tax Leader; best practices for remote working; conversations Kathryn has been having with companies regarding potential upcoming domestic and global tax policy changes; how tax professionals can elevate issues to the C-suite; and why every business decision has a tax implication.

Social justice: how the CEO Action for Racial Equity is effectuating change Mar 18, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Roy Weathers (PwC's Vice Chair for Societal Engagement and Policy Solutions) discuss Roy's new role as CEO of CEO Action for Racial Equity. Doug and Roy cover: what CEO Action for Racial Equity is and its goals; the resources businesses like PwC and other companies have committed; how CEO Action for Racial Equity is effectuating policy change to advance racial equity; how data and technology help CEO Action for Racial Equity fellows ideate policies and ideas; how the fellows analyze and prioritize issues; specific issues that CEO Action for Racial Equity is targeting, such as telehealth; potential politicization over these types of issues and how data and common interests can help overcome the politicization; Roy's experience as a Black tax professional; and how everyone can keep the momentum going to implement, cause, and create change.

Trading places: Trade considerations for tax professionals Mar 04, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Chris Desmond (PwC's Global Trade Services Practice Leader) discuss the global trade landscape. In addition to their prognostications for Major League Baseball's NL Central division, Doug and Chris cover: how trade and tax are interrelated; how businesses can structure their trade and tax groups to encourage coordination; the 'big picture' trade landscape both inside and outside of the US; recent changes to US trade regulations; Section 301 and how Section 301 tariffs operate; impacts that Katherine Tai—President Biden's nominee for United States Trade Representative—may have on US trade policy; what duty drawback is and how businesses can utilize it; global updates to digital service taxes (DSTs) and how Section 301 tariffs interrelate with DSTs; how practical it is for businesses to shift supply chains in light of tariffs; President Biden's 'Made in America' executive order and how it may impact multinational enterprises; the importance of modeling from both a trade and tax perspective; and final pieces of advice for taxpayers.

Grab your passport: global tax policy update Feb 18, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Will Morris (PwC's Deputy Global Tax Policy Leader) discuss important updates to international tax policy. Doug and Will cover: recent updates to the OECD's base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project—BEPS 2.0—including the proposed timeline for agreement, unresolved issues in the Pillar One and Pillar Two Blueprints, and potential challenges to implementation; recent IRS and Treasury appointees and how these individuals may affect domestic and international policy; the challenges of amending US treaties even if the OECD's Inclusive Framework reaches consensus; the EU Court of Justice's recent decision in Lexel AB v. Skatteverket regarding the EU's 'freedom of establishment' concept and how this decision may cause challenges in implementing Pillar Two in the European Union; recent developments concerning digital service taxes (DST), including a look at the UK's proposed online sales tax and diverted profits tax, India's equalization levy, and Indonesia's electronic transactions tax; a recent court decision in France related to a permanent establishments; and how taxpayers can prepare for international tax disruption.

More items of interest: The final 163(j) regulations Feb 11, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Rebecca Lee (ITS Partner in PwC's Washington National Tax Services office) have much to cover with the recently released final regulations under Section 163(j). Doug and Rebecca discuss: the background of the interest expense limitation rules under Section 163(j); the content and formulation of the 2018 proposed regulations, 2020 proposed regulations, and 2020 final regulations issued under Section 163(j); the new administration's potential influence on the 2021 final regulations; how the 2021 final regulations amend the definition of 'interest' and the calculation of adjusted taxable income (ATI); how the 2021 final regulations affect C corporations, consolidated groups, and partnerships; what the CFC group election is and how companies can make the election; the many anti-abuse rules contained in the 2021 final regulations; changes to the safe-harbor election; and advice for taxpayers on how to consistently and accurately apply the multitude of rules under Section 163(j).

Bring SALT to the table: Key state and local topics Feb 05, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Rob Ozmun (State and Local Tax (SALT) Partner in PwC's Washington National Tax Services office) peel the onion on how state and local tax issues can impact cross-border planning, and vice versa. Doug and Rob set the table with a brief primer on state and local corporate tax, then devour topics including: state conformity to the Internal Revenue Code; how different states have handled federal developments regarding subpart F income, global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI), the Section 965 'toll charge,' and the Section 250 deduction; how businesses are analyzing the dividends received deduction (DRD) under Section 245A and the GILTI high-tax exception at the state level; important state and local considerations related to the business interest expense deduction rules under Section 163(j); how states have reacted to the CARES Act; how states have implemented (or declined to implement) the base-erosion and anti-abuse tax (BEAT); and key considerations for taxpayers. Come hungry for knowledge, leave satiated.

US tax reform 2.0? Biden's international tax campaign proposals Jan 22, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Nita Asher (ITS Partner in PwC's Washington National Tax Services office) cover some of President Biden's campaign tax proposals. Doug and Nita discuss: the current state of Congress and the White House; President Biden's campaign proposals to increase the corporate and global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) tax rates, move the GILTI determination to a country-by-country basis, eliminate the exemption for qualified business asset investment (QBAI), amend the base erosion and anti-abuse (BEAT) tax, and implement a minimum tax on global book income; how President Biden's proposals interact with the OECD's ongoing base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project; the budget reconciliation process in the Senate and the likelihood of Congress enacting President Biden's proposals; what the regulatory landscape may look like under the Biden administration; and why taxpayers should engage with policymakers in a timely manner.

Supply and demand: key value chain considerations in 2021 Jan 06, 2021

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Alex Voloshko (PwC's Value Chain Transformation Leader and ITS Partner in PwC's Washington National Tax Services office) discuss key considerations for value chains in 2021. Doug and Alex define 'value chain,' and how it includes the 'supply chain,' the 'demand chain,' and more; how value chains impact tax and transfer pricing; how supply chains were disrupted in 2020 and the outlook for supply chains in the new year; the plethora of factors that go into value and supply chain planning, including cost structure, access to qualified labor and production capabilities, regulatory considerations, and tax costs; the growing pressure on companies to 'near shore' and diversify their value chains; important trends for multinational entities, including increased scrutiny from tax authorities and increased transparency; the increasing importance of managing growth in a strategic manner; and recent trends concerning permanent establishments (PE).

WHT do you mean? A 95 year old German withholding tax on royalties Dec 10, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Dr. Arne Schnitger (Head of PwC Germany's National Tax Office) discuss withholding taxation in Germany pursuant to Section 49 of Germany's tax code. Doug and Arne discuss: the background of Germany's Section 49 withholding tax and the circumstances under which Section 49 applies; the recent Circular issued by the German authorities discussing the application of Section 49; potential legal challenges to Section 49 taxation, including constitutionality and estoppel; the definition of 'German-registered IP' and 'EU-registered IP', and how tax advisers determine which royalties are subject to tax under Section 49; the interplay between withholding taxation and treaty jurisdictions; the importance of exemption certificates for prospective payments; what companies should do regarding historic liabilities; potential penalties for failure to file and/or remit tax as required by Section 49; and final pieces of advice for multinational taxpayers impacted by Section 49. [NOTE: The majority of this episode was recorded prior to the German Ministry of Finance's release of draft, proposed legislation (in German) regarding the effective repeal of Section 49(1) on an extraterritorial basis as it applies to IP registered in Germany. During the final five minutes of this podcast, Doug and Arne discuss key takeaways from this draft legislation.]

Extension cord: The story of tax extenders Nov 30, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Leader) and Rohit Kumar (co-leader of PwC's Washington National Tax Services practice) discuss the past, present, and future of tax extenders. Doug and Rohit discuss: Rohit's experience as Domestic Policy Director and Deputy Chief of Staff for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; what tax extenders are and why they exist; the importance of the ten-year congressional budget window; the political calculus involved in determining whether certain tax provisions are temporary or permanent; the background and history of the controlled foreign corporation (CFC) look-through rule; potential alternatives to the tax extender regime; and the necessity for bipartisanship due to the upcoming 'fiscal cliff' at the end of 2025, caused by the potential expiration of a multitude of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TJCA) provisions.

Going for the gold: macroeconomics in 2021 and beyond Nov 13, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Craig Stronberg (leader of Macro Capability for PwC Intelligence) discuss key macroeconomic considerations after November's elections. Doug and Craig discuss: the global implications of President-elect Biden's upcoming administration; the potential for tax reform in 2021 and beyond; the future of trade and diplomacy with China, including potential changes to supply chains, onshoring, and digital currencies; trends in 'protectionism' both inside and outside the US; key advice Craig has for executives and multinational corporations in light of the current geopolitical uncertainties; and Craig's experience working to protect the Olympic games.

Hard hat area: the OECD's Blueprints on Pillar One and Pillar Two Oct 30, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Pat Brown (PwC's International Tax Policy Leader) discuss the OECD's recently released blueprints on Pillars One and Two. Doug and Pat discuss: Pat becoming the most frequent Cross-border Tax Talks guest (four) and the sizing for Pat's 'Five-Timers' jacket when he next appears (spoiler: 42 Long); the background of the OECD's base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project and the progression from 'BEPS 1.0' to 'BEPS 2.0'; the background of Pillar One, including a discussion of 'Amount A' and 'Amount B'; the background of Pillar Two, including a discussion of the 'undertaxed payments rule' and the 'income inclusion rule'; highlights from the OECD's Blueprint on Pillar One, including the concept of 'consumer-facing businesses'; highlights from the OECD's Blueprint on Pillar Two, including the OECD's 'jurisdictional-blending' approach and the 'income-inclusion' regime; and what the future looks like for BEPS 2.0 implementation in 2021 and beyond.

You down with FTC? The new Foreign Tax Credit regulations Oct 23, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Mike Urse (ITS Partner in PwC's Washington National Tax Services practice) discuss the recently released final and proposed foreign tax credit (FTC) regulations. Doug and Mike (who participated in our inaugural CBTT podcast over two years ago) go deep on interest, stewardship, and research and development (R&D) expense apportionment under the final FTC regulations; the importance in modeling potential retroactivity of the R&D regulations; the intricacies in allocating and apportioning foreign taxes; foreign tax redeterminations under Section 905(c); the 'disregarded payment rule' under the proposed regulations; how to determine if a tax is 'creditable' and the new concept of 'jurisdictional nexus' in the proposed regulations; the revocation of the 'contested tax doctrine,' and additional proposed changes to the research and expenditure (R&E) allocation rules. Mike leaves listeners with a nice summary of the highlights and key takeaways from these regulations.

Tales from the crypt(o) - Global taxation of digital assets Oct 16, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Mazhar Wani (PwC's FinTech Tax Leader) discuss PwC's Annual Global Crypto Tax Report and recent developments concerning digital assets. Doug and Mazhar discuss: what 'digital assets' are; the OECD's recent report, 'Taxing Virtual Currencies,' and how it compares with PwC's Annual Global Crypto Tax Report; the distinctions between cryptocurrencies and digital assets; the increase in guidance concerning digital assets and potential incentives for jurisdictions to lead in the digital asset space; how regulators around the world are treating the taxation of digital assets; the importance of classifying digital assets as 'property' or 'currency,' and distinctions between the two classifications; what 'staking' is and recent global trends regarding 'staking'; what 'decentralized finance' (DeFi) is and the future of DeFi; trends in the indirect tax space concerning digital assets; and recommendations for taxpayers looking to enter the digital asset space.

Extraordinary Considerations: the 245A DRD regulations Oct 02, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Aaron Junge (ITS Partner in PwC's Washington National Tax Services practice) discuss the recently-released final and proposed dividends received deduction (DRD) regulations under Section 245A. Doug and Aaron discuss: Aaron's background as Tax Counsel for the Committee on Ways and Means in the US House of Representatives and how this experience proves valuable in the private sector; the background and architecture of Section 245A; important topics included in the final and proposed DRD regulations including hybrid dividends, extraordinary dispositions (ED), and extraordinary reductions (ER); topics not fully contemplated in the final and proposed regulations, including certain mechanical rules of the DRD; how the ED rules interplay with the global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) and Section 965 'toll charge' rules; notable changes from the 2019 temporary DRD regulations to the 2020 final DRD regulations, including changes to the treatment of sales of intellectual property (IP) and mitigating the circumstances in which the DRD rules produce double-taxation; what an ER is and how the final regulations clarify the year-end close election; and major takeaways from the proposed regulations, including coordination of the ED rules and application of the disqualified basis rules.

Road to Election 2020 with Chairman Dave Camp Sep 18, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Chairman Dave Camp (Senior Policy Advisor in PwC's Washington National Tax Services practice and former Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means) discuss the past, present, and future of tax policy. Doug and Chairman Camp discuss: Chairman Camp's proposals for a global minimum tax during his tenure in Congress and how his proposals compare to the OECD's Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project; Vice President Biden's tax proposals, including amending the corporate tax rate, imposing a tax on book income, eliminating tax preferences for certain industries, and doubling the tax rate for global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI); the roles that the Senate, the US economy, and the global economy play in potential tax reform; President Trump's tax proposals; the evolution of the 'party platform,' political parties, and political factions; similarities and differences between the American political system and parliamentary systems; and the impact and utility of social media in the political sphere. [NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the release of the "The Biden-Harris Plan to Fight for Workers" fact sheet released on September 9 by the Biden-Harris campaign.]

GILTI as charged (3rd booking): the 2020 high-tax exception regs Sep 11, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Elizabeth Nelson (ITS Partner in PwC's Washington National Tax Services) discuss the recently-issued final and proposed high-tax exception regulations under the global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) and subpart F income regimes. Doug and Elizabeth unpack: the background and history of the high-tax exception; the similarities and differences between the previously proposed high-tax exception regulations and the final high-tax exception regulations; how the regulations interact with net operating losses (NOLs) and the base erosion and anti-abuse tax (BEAT); what happened to QBUs, what is a 'tested unit,' and how the aggregation rules apply to tested units; the substance and implications of the 'consistency rule,' how the proposed regulations treat expense apportionment and negative interest rates; the new documentation requirements and anti-abuse rules contained in the regulations; and the continued importance of modeling due to the high-tax exception's interaction with many other TCJA provisions. Doug and Elizabeth also 'put a fork' in the notion that GILTI is a minimum tax and identify three categories of multinational taxpayers that may want to elect the high-tax exception.

Items of interest: The 163(j) Regulations Aug 27, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Rebecca Lee (ITS Partner in Washington National Tax Services) discuss the recently-issued Section 163(j) final and proposed regulations. Doug and Rebecca discuss: what Section 163(j) is and how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changed the interest expense limitation rules for corporations; effective dates for both the final and proposed regulations; how the final regulations define 'interest;' the breadth of the anti-avoidance rule in the final regulations; how the final regulations define 'adjusted taxable income' and 'tentative taxable income;' how the final regulations treat the separate return limitation year (SRLY) limitation; and major takeaways of the proposed regulations, including how the proposed regulations treat controlled foreign corporations (CFCs), foreign persons with effectively-connected income (ECI), and partnerships.

Second bite of the Apple: the EU State Aid decision Aug 17, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Calum Dewar (a Partner in PwC's Washington National Tax Services (WNTS) ITS practice and leader of PwC's US Integrated Global Structuring practice) discuss the recently-issued Apple State Aid opinion from the General Court of the European Union. Doug and Calum discuss: what State Aid is; what the General Court's opinion says and how to interpret it; the procedure behind the European Commission's initial 2016 decision, including why Apple was not actually the defendant in the initial case, but why both the Irish government and Apple appealed the EC's decision to the General Court; the impact of US cost-sharing rules and transfer pricing methodologies on the General Court's decision; the role of 'selectivity' in State Aid; how the EC may act in this case, and in other State Aid cases, going forward; and what impact digital services taxes and the OECD's base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project may have on State Aid in the future.

FDII shades clearer: the final Section 250 regulations Jul 30, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Ninee Dewar (a Partner in PwC's Washington National Tax Services (WNTS) ITS practice) discuss the recently-released Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII) final regulations under Section 250. Doug and Ninee discuss: the background of the Section 250 deduction and how the deduction interplays with both FDII and Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI); how the final regulations compare to the March 2019 proposed regulations under Section 250, including various changes to the documentation rules and loss transactions; Ninee's advice for taxpayers to meet the substantiation requirement; the background of the 'ordering rule' and how the rule helps coordinate Sections 250, 163(j), and 172(a); the importance of remembering that the Section 250 deduction is a taxable-income deduction (particularly in light of recent changes to the Net Operating Loss rules); how the final regulations treat electronically-supplied services and advertising services; how the final regulations treat related-party sales; and various important effective dates and applicability dates for the final and proposed regulations.

The evolution of 'cut and paste': 40 years of tax policy Jul 17, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Pam Olson (PwC's US Deputy Tax Leader and Washington National Tax Services (WNTS) Practice Leader) discuss Pam's storied career as she retires from PwC. Doug and Pam talk: life as a tax practitioner in the 1980s; the value in working for the government; Pam's top achievements during her tenure at Treasury; major trends in US and global tax policy; the growth of trade, investment, supply chains, and globalization; the progressivity of the US tax system; the increase in partisanship over the past 40 years and the melding of 'campaigning' and 'governing' over that time; how we can focus on what we have in common rather than focusing on our differences; the recycling of tax proposals; and Pam's advice for both US and global policymakers.

A conversation about race in the tax profession Jun 25, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Stephen Mosha (an ITS Partner and leader of PwC's Northeast Tax practice) have a candid conversation about Stephen's life as a Black tax professional. Doug and Stephen discuss: Stephen's experience as a Black partner at PwC; Stephen's thoughts on the homogeneity of the tax profession, how Stephen became interested in international tax; how tax professionals can help address racial inequities; and Stephen's advice for Black international tax professionals.

DAC6 Update: the latest EU disclosure rules Jun 12, 2020

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Maarten Maaskant (an ITS Partner and ITS Desk Leader) discuss the EU's mandatory reporting rules (EU Council Directive 2018/822, also known as 'DAC6.') Doug and Maarten cover: the background of DAC6 and how it compares to the BEPS Action Item 12 concerning country-by-country reporting; when taxpayers will need to comply with the DAC6 reporting rules; how individual countries will need to implement DAC6; the differences between a 'taxpayer' and an 'intermediary' in the context of DAC6; the responsibilities of taxpayers and intermediaries; which transactions are considered 'reportable transactions'; potential penalties for not complying with the DAC6 reporting requirements; the potential downsides for reporting transactions that may not be considered 'reportable transactions' under DAC6; and final words of wisdom for both taxpayers and intermediaries.

Whirlpool Decision: the Tax Court analyzes 'branch rules' May 26, 2020

US Tax Reform Update: The final anti-hybrid regulations May 01, 2020

The CARES Act: a primer for cross-border tax professionals Apr 10, 2020

Global Tax Update: Around the world in 35 minutes Mar 13, 2020

Merging lanes: key MA and international tax considerations after TCJA Feb 21, 2020

Sourcing sorcery: New inbound taxation regs Feb 14, 2020

Brexit stage left: See EU later Jan 31, 2020

The New FTC Regs: Calculating tax in a galaxy far, far away Jan 20, 2020

Tech Talk: How Leaders in Tax Embrace Technology Jan 03, 2020

We got the BEAT: US Tax Reform Regulations Dec 20, 2019

BEPS 2.0: It's easy as (Amounts) A, B, C Dec 06, 2019

Reforma en México: A tax reform discussion Nov 25, 2019

Properly attributing: a conversation on tax attribution after the TCJA Nov 08, 2019

The Trade War: A Discussion on Trade and Tariffs Oct 25, 2019

Clarity in the cloud: analyzing the new digital content and cloud computing regulations Oct 11, 2019

No havering here: BEPS 2.0 goes beyond digital Sep 27, 2019

Mic flip: Doug McHoney talks candidly about tax reform Sep 16, 2019

Technically, you're not wrong, but we need a few TCJA corrections Aug 30, 2019

Taxing Cryptocurrency: When a currency is not a currency Aug 20, 2019

Invalidity: When and why are tax regulations invalid? Aug 05, 2019

The DRD 245A regs: Did the donut hole eat the donut? Jul 23, 2019

Branch FX: Were those Section 987 regulations final? Jul 09, 2019

GILTI as charged - Part 2: The Final Regs and High Tax Exception Jun 25, 2019

Tax Reform with a slice of Swiss Jun 10, 2019

Mushy Peas: Comparing the UK and US's Corporate Tax Reforms May 24, 2019

A Fortune 50 Tax VP's perspective on tax reform May 13, 2019

A practitioner’s brief history of international tax in the US Apr 29, 2019

US Tax Reform: An Insider’s Perspective for CFOs Apr 15, 2019

FDII shades of gray Apr 01, 2019

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services Leader) interviews Alex Voloshko (PwC’s US Value Chain Transformation Leader) and Marco Fiaccadori (PwC Transfer Pricing Principal) about the recently released Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII) regulations under Section 250. Among other topics, they discuss how FDII interplays with GILTI, and how the FDII proposed regulations would apply to property transactions, component manufacturing, intangibles, and services.

Engineering the post-tax reform world: a policy perspective Mar 18, 2019

Around the geopolitical (and tax) world in 30 minutes Mar 11, 2019

Behind the Curtain: The Joint Committee on Taxation Mar 04, 2019