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New Year's Eve taxes, Sparkling wine taxes in Europe

Sparkling Wine Taxes in Europe

This week, people around the world will celebrate New Year’s Eve, with many opening a bottle of sparkling wine to wish farewell to—a rather consequential—2020 and offer a warm welcome to the—by many of us, long-awaited—new year 2021.

1 min read
Wealth taxes in Europe, 2020. European countries with a wealth tax, net wealth tax, wealth tax on selected assets

Wealth Taxes in Europe, 2020

Net wealth taxes are recurrent taxes on an individual’s wealth, net of debt. The concept of a net wealth tax is similar to a real property tax. But instead of only taxing real estate, it covers all wealth an individual owns. As today’s map shows, only three European countries covered levy a net wealth tax, namely Norway, Spain, and Switzerland. France and Italy levy wealth taxes on selected assets but not on an individual’s net wealth per se.

3 min read
patent box regimes, European intellectual property tax, IP, patent box regimes, IP regimes, licensing

Patent Box Regimes in Europe, 2020

Patent box regimes (also referred to as intellectual property, or IP, regimes) provide lower effective tax rates on income derived from IP.

4 min read
european countries with a carbon tax, carbon tax rates in Europe, carbon taxes in Europe

Carbon Taxes in Europe, 2020

17 European countries have implemented a carbon tax, ranging from less than €1 per metric ton of carbon emissions in Ukraine and Poland to over €100 in Sweden.

3 min read
Recent changes in top dividend tax rates in Europe 2020

Recent Changes in Dividend Tax Rates in Europe

Over the last three years, eight European OECD countries have made changes to their dividend tax rates. Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Turkey increased their rates, each between roughly one and three percentage points. France, Greece, and Latvia cut their rates by 10 percentage points.

2 min read

Looking Back on 30 Years of Carbon Taxes in Sweden

Implemented in 1991, Sweden’s carbon tax was one of the first in the world. Since then, Sweden’s carbon emissions have been declining, while there has been steady economic growth. Today, Sweden levies the highest carbon tax rate in the world and its carbon tax revenues have been decreasing slightly over the last decade.

21 min read
VAT Gap EU member state 2020

New European Commission Report: VAT Gap

Just as COVID-19 is putting pressure on other sources of revenue, the loss of VAT revenues resulting from the crisis will force governments to evaluate their VAT systems.

3 min read
Recent changes in statutory corporate income tax rates in Europe, 2020 corporate tax trends in Europe

Recent Changes in Statutory Corporate Income Tax Rates in Europe

Over the last two decades, corporate income tax rates have declined around the world. Our new map shows the most recent changes in corporate tax rates in European OECD countries, comparing how combined statutory corporate income tax rates have changed between 2017 and 2020.

3 min read
European tax treaties, European tax treaty network

Tax Treaty Network of European Countries

Tax treaties usually provide mechanisms to eliminate double taxation and can provide certainty and stability for taxpayers and encourage foreign investment and trade. A broad network of tax treaties contributes to the competitiveness of an economy.

1 min read
Thin-capitalization rules, Thin-cap rules in Europe

Thin-Cap Rules in Europe

To discourage a certain form of international debt shifting, many countries have implemented so-called thin-capitalization rules (thin-cap rules), which limit the amount of interest a multinational business can deduct for tax purposes.

4 min read
CFC rules in Europe, Controlled Foreign Corporation Rules in Europe 2020, CFC rules in Europe 2020

CFC Rules in Europe

To prevent businesses from minimizing their tax liability by taking advantage of cross-country differences in taxation, countries have implemented various anti-tax avoidance measures, one known as Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC) rules.

5 min read
LIFO vs FIFO vs Weighted Average Cost. Inventory Valuation in Europe 2020

Inventory Valuation in Europe

The method by which a country allows businesses to account for inventories can significantly impact a business’s taxable income. When prices are rising, as is usually the case due to factors like inflation, LIFO is the preferred method because it allows inventory costs to be closer to true costs at the time of sale.

2 min read