If an arrangement covers multiple activities, it will be important to take this into account in choosing an allocation method, so that the value of contributions made by each participant is properly related to the relative benefits expected by the participants. One approach (though not the only one) is to use more than one allocation key. For example, if there are five participants in a CCA, one of which cannot benefit from certain services activities undertaken within the CCA, then in the absence of some form of set-off or reduction in contribution, the contributions associated with those activities might be allocated only to the other four participants. In this case, two allocation keys might be used to allocate the contributions. Whether any particular allocation key or keys are appropriate depends on the exact nature of the CCA activity and the relationship between the allocation key(s) and the expected benefits. The guidance in Chapter VII on the use of indirect methods of determining an arm’s length charge for services (paragraphs 7.23-7.26) may be helpful in this regard. In contrast, the three enterprises operating production sites in the illustration of a CCA in paragraph 8.8 are all anticipated to benefit from the multiple projects to improve production processes, and may adopt an allocation key based on, for example, relative size of production capacity. If one of the enterprises chooses not to implement the outcome of a particular project, this should not affect the relative share of benefits or the allocation key used. However, in such circumstances careful consideration should be given to the reason the enterprise chose not to implement the outcome, whether it ever had any reasonable intention of so doing, whether the expected benefits should have been adapted as the CCA arrangement developed and when its intention changed.
TPG2022 Chapter VIII paragraph 8.21
Category: C. Applying the arm’s length principle | Tag: Allocation key, CCA/CSA, CCA/CSA - implementing outcome, Contribution proportionate to expected benefits
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- TPG2022 Chapter VIII paragraph 8.20To the extent that a material part or all of the benefits of a CCA activity are expected to be realised in the future and not solely in the year the costs are incurred, most typically for development CCAs, the allocation of contributions...
- TPG2022 Chapter VIII paragraph 8.51The transfer pricing documentation standard set out in Chapter V requires reporting under the master file of important service arrangements and important agreements related to intangibles, including CCAs. The local file requires transactional information including a description of the transactions, the amounts of...
- TPG2022 Chapter VIII paragraph 8.22Whatever the method used to evaluate participants’ relative shares of expected benefits, adjustments to the measure used may be necessary to account for differences between the respective shares of expected and actual benefits received by the participants. The CCA should require periodic reassessment...
- TPG2022 Chapter VIII paragraph 8.14Because the concept of mutual benefit is fundamental to a CCA, it follows that a party may not be considered a participant if the party does not have a reasonable expectation that it will benefit from the objectives of the CCA activity itself...
- TPG2022 Chapter VIII paragraph 8.23For the purpose of determining whether a CCA satisfies the arm’s length principle – i.e. whether each participant’s proportionate share of the overall contributions to the CCA is consistent with the participant’s proportionate share of the overall expected benefits – it is necessary...
- TPG2022 Chapter VIII paragraph 8.53Over the duration of the CCA term, the following information could be useful: a) any change to the arrangement (e.g. in terms, participants, subject activity), and the consequences of such change b) a comparison between projections used to determine the share of expected...
- TPG2022 Chapter VIII paragraph 8.4As indicated in Section D. 1 of Chapter I, the delineation of the actual transaction undertaken forms the first phase in any transfer pricing analysis. The contractual agreement provides the starting point for delineating the actual transaction. In this respect, no difference exists...
- TPG2022 Chapter VII paragraph 7.60The examples of allocation keys provided in the previous paragraph are not intended to be an exhaustive list. Depending on the facts and circumstances more sophisticated allocation keys might be used. However, a balance should be struck between theoretical sophistication and practical administration,...
- 2022: ATO Taxpayer Alert on Treaty shopping arrangements to obtain reduced withholding tax rates (TA 2022/2)The ATOÂ is currently reviewing treaty shopping arrangements designed to obtain the benefit of a reduced withholding tax (WHT) rate under a double-tax agreement (DTA) in relation to royalty or dividend payments from Australia. Typically, this benefit is sought via the interposition of one...
- German draft-legislation on application of the arm’s length principle to cross-border relocation of functionsOn 5 July 2022, the Federal Ministry of Finance in Germany published draft legislation regarding application of the arm’s length principle to cross-border relocation of functions. According to the general provisions A function is a business activity that consists of a grouping of...
Related Case Law
- US vs Medtronic, August 2018, U.S. Court of Appeals, Case No: 17-1866In this case the IRS was of the opinion, that Medtronic erred in allocating the profit earned from its devises and leads between its businesses located in the United States and its device manufacturer in Puerto Rico. To determine the arm’s length price...
- US vs. Xilinex Inc, August 2005In a decision the IRS found that Xilinx should have allocated stock option costs for foreign subsidiary research and development employees as part of its Section 482-7 cost-sharing agreement calculation. In this decision, the United States Tax Court overruled the IRS, finding that...
- US vs Altera Corp, June 2020, Supreme Court – review denied, Case no 19-1009Altera’s request for a Supreme Court review of the decision issued by the US Court of Appeal in June 2019 has been denied. A case cannot, as a matter of right, be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. A party seeking to appeal...
- Brazil vs “CCA group”, September 2019, COSIT, SC No. 276-2019In a public ruling, the General Tax Coordination Office in Brazil (COSIT) found that a transaction labled as a “cost sharing agreement” between a foreign group and its Brazilian subsidiary, was in fact a mere agreement for provision of services. COSIT pointed to...