Recent developments in the interpretation of the “power of disposal” as PE threshold

Recently, the Austrian Federal Tax Court (BFG) dealt in its decision (BFG 8/2/2024, RV/6100451/2018) with the requirements for the power of disposal triggering a permanent establishment. Fact pattern A German dentist treated inmates of Austrian prisons. The tax authority generally has a rather broad understanding of the power of disposal over a fixed place of […]

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Austrian Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH) confirms: setting up a company group with an EU/EEA group parent (without an Austrian branch) is possible

The VwGH (27/03/2024, Ro 2023/13/0018) has largely confirmed ruling of the tax court at first instance and confirmed that the current law conflicts with CJEU case law and EU primary law (see our newsletter), but has solved the technical aspects of the income attribution in such a “sister” tax group differently. Facts and circumstances A […]

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New VwGH case law on the PE definition in tax treaty law

A new decision of the Austrian Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH) (22.6.2022, Ro 2020/13/0004) was recently published regarding the definition of a “fixed place” under tax treaty law. For a fixed place to exist, a taxable person must have power of disposal over it. For Austrian tax purposes, a decisive hallmark of the existence of a […]

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New letter ruling on permanent establishments in the case of auxiliary activities within a company group

On 1 June 2021, the Austrian Ministry of Finance (MoF) published EAS (Express Answer Service) 3432. In this letter ruling, the MoF confirmed its previous view that there is only one set of circumstances in which activities, which by their nature constitute preparatory or auxiliary activities, do not lead to the creation of a permanent establishment […]

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Austrian Ministry of Finance on permanent establishment issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Due to the COVID-19 prevention measures, many employees have for several months been unable to carry out their activities at the location at which they would normally have worked before the pandemic. In cross-border circumstances, this can lead to undesired changes in taxation rights between states – for example, due to the creation of permanent […]

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