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Worldwide transfer pricing reference guide 2014

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Lebanon<br />

Taxing authority and tax law<br />

The Lebanese tax regulation regarding <strong>transfer</strong> <strong>pricing</strong> is still not elaborated and clear.<br />

Article 15 of the Income Tax Law states that, if it appears that establishments of foreign companies <strong>transfer</strong> part of their profits abroad<br />

either by increasing or by decreasing purchase or sale prices, or otherwise, the profits so <strong>transfer</strong>red shall, for taxation purposes, be<br />

added to the profits shown in the accounts. In the absence of sufficient evidence that would enable the determination of the real profits,<br />

the profits of a similar establishment shall be taken as a basis for comparison and determination of the profit, in addition to the apparent<br />

indications and particulars gathered by the competent financial authorities.<br />

In addition, in 2008, the parliament raised the tax procedures law. Article 10 of that law states that the tax authority has the right to<br />

reclassify certain transactions in the following instances:<br />

• Virtual transaction for the purpose of tax evasion<br />

• Legal transaction in form but for purpose of tax evasion<br />

• Transactions between related parties if these transactions are not at arm’s length<br />

Arm’s length value<br />

Arm’s length value is defined by the tax authorities under the Decision No 453/1 dated 22 April 2009, as the value of a similar<br />

transaction that occurs between independent persons and under similar comparable circumstances.<br />

Individuals are considered related if any of them holds the authority of supervision, management or control over the other or if they<br />

are related by other means such that one party is an employee of the other or if any one of them is a guardian for the other.<br />

Individuals and entities are considered related when any one of them has the authority of supervision and management over the other.<br />

Entities are considered related if one entity has the authority of supervision and management on one or several other entities.<br />

Tax evasion<br />

The tax authorities defined the tax evasion as each action taken by the taxpayer in order to reduce or eliminate the tax due, or to<br />

postpone the tax due dates, or to increase the amount of deductible or refundable tax, when it is prohibited.<br />

<strong>Worldwide</strong> <strong>transfer</strong> <strong>pricing</strong> <strong>reference</strong> <strong>guide</strong><br />

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