Determining the burden of proof in tax law cases is usually what contributes most to the case’s outcome. Legal presumptions – those inferences that are laid down in the law rather than being the result of the court’s reasoning – play a critical role in such determinations. This very useful book uncovers the details of such presumptions which are shared among European tax law systems, thus revealing a remarkably clear path through the course of a tax law case in any Member State in the context of EU law. Referring to both legal theory and relevant case law, the author assesses whether and to what extent national legal presumptions may be deemed to be consistent with EU law, and when this is not the case, under which conditions they may be reconciled. The analysis unfolds along such avenues as the following: – the meaning of the concept of legal presumption as developed by legal theory and authoritative academic literature; – special considerations regarding presumptions in customs law, VAT, and direct taxation (harmonized and unharmonized); – how tax authorities use presumptions to simplify the assessment of tax and tackle tax avoidance or evasion, particularly in cross-border situations; – justifications asserted by the Member States in relation to restrictions on fundamental freedoms; and – standards of compatibility for national legal presumptions with EU law resulting from CJEU case law. With reference to national experience, using Italy and Belgium as specific examples, the analysis culminates in an elaboration of criteria for legal presumptions capable of meeting the test of compatibility with EU law. As an in-depth investigation of possible inconsistencies and conditions for the coexistence of EU and Member State tax law, this book will be welcomed by both taxation authority officials and taxpayer counsel. The understanding it imparts on the actual impact of EU law on the recourse to legal presumptions by national tax legislatures and the protection of European taxpayers is unsurpassed.

Until now the topic of legal remedies in European direct tax law has been significantly underexposed within the academic tax community. This book aims at filling this gap by providing the typical approaches to European tax law with a general vision on European law, and puts together theory and practice, but also includes contributions on selected relevant issues arising in the protection of taxpayers' rights.

This book provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of the main topics of taxation in European law. The sequence of arguments follows an institutional logic, respecting the academic tradition of tax law. It first outlines the general framework of EU institutions, with a particular focus on the set of regulations regarding taxation with reference to the stage of formation of EU rules and the potential contrast with national legal systems. It then explores the general principles emerging from the European treaties that typically involve the taxation system, and examines in detail the fiscal importance of European freedoms, the principle of tax non-discrimination, the balance between national interest and EU values, tax harmonization, state aids and other general principles applicable in tax jurisdiction. Lastly, it offers an overall assessment of the development of the European integration process, with particular regard to the nexus between taxation power and sovereignty, in order to highlight the possible and desirable next stages of the evolution of “European tax law”.

Ben Terra (1946-2019) was professor of tax law at the universities of Amsterdam (UvA), the Netherlands, and Lund, Sweden. Peter Wattel is Advocate General in the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, State Councillor extraordinary in the Netherlands, Council of State and professor of EU tax law at the Amsterdam Centre for Tax Law (ACTL), University of Amsterdam. Sjoerd Douma is professor at the ACTL, Director of the Adv LLM programme in International Tax Law at Amsterdam Law School, and partner at Lubbers, Boer & Douma in The Hague. Otto Marres is professor at the ACTL, and tax lawyer at Meijburg & Co., Amsterdam. Hein Vermeulen is Director of PwC''s EU Direct Tax Group, Amsterdam. Dennis Weber is professor of European Corporate Taxation at the ACTL and of counsel at Loyens & Loeff. The eighth edition of this leading textbook brings its comprehensive and systematic survey of European Tax Law up to March 2022. With its critical discussion of the EU tax rules and of the European Court''s case law in tax matters, it surpasses every other textbook on EU Tax Law in its clarification and analysis of the implications of the EU Treaties and secondary EU law for national and bilateral tax law. The in-depth coverage of Volume I includes the following: 1. The far-reaching consequences of the EU free movement rights, the EU State aid prohibition, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the general principles of EU law for national tax law, tax treaties, national (tax) procedure, State liability, and relations with third States. 2. Secondary EU law in force and proposed on direct taxes (Parent-Subsidiary Directive, Tax Merger Directive, Interest and Royalties Directive, cross-border tax dispute settlement instruments, the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive and pending company tax proposals). 3. (Automatic) exchange of information and other administrative assistance in the assessment and recovery of taxes between the EU Member States. 4. Soft Law on Harmful Tax Competition. Procedural matters and the extent of judicial protection are emphasized throughout this volume. This new edition will continue to be of immense value to law school and university programmes in (international) tax law and in European Union law and for practice. Volume II (2021) of this book covers harmonization of indirect taxation, energy taxation and capital duty, as well as administrative cooperation in the field of indirect taxation.

Resumen del editor: "The increasing globalization and the restructuring of the European legal framework by the Treaty of Lisbon are important factors to suggest that the traditional separation of spheres between taxation and human rights should be revisited. This book examines the issues surrounding the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the guarantee and enforcement of human rights in the area of EU (tax) law and explores the possible development and potential impact of human rights in the field of taxation in this age of global law."

Economic recovery from the global financial crisis of 2007–2008 has been sketchy, with some areas within the European Union (EU) still trapped in seemingly irremediable industrial stagnation and job loss. EU institutions are called upon to provide concrete amelioration for these situations, through the design and implementation of effective tax policies in accordance with the fundamental principles of EU law. In this original, innovative book, the author presents a new and expanded view of how special tax zones (STZs) – areas of land where territorial advantages are granted on direct and/or indirect taxation – can deliver growth and mitigate economic and social emergency. Recognizing that, although a number of STZs within the EU have been established, there is still no systematic framework for them in the EU legal system, the author works out a comprehensive theory for STZs in the field of European tax law, dealing incisively with the interface of STZs with such essential legal and tax aspects as the following: customs union provisions; benefits on direct and indirect taxation; State-aid rules; free movement of persons; harmful tax competition; and role of EU social cohesion policies and their implementation. Furthermore, the author develops a new model of STZs for the most disadvantaged areas of the EU – the so-called Social Cohesion Zone – to respond decisively to issues of compatibility with such critical variables of EU law as those dealing with the outer limits set by State-aid rules and fundamental freedoms, clearly demonstrating the model’s practical viability. Detailed reviews of Member States’ practice in existing STZs and their tax regimes are thoroughly described so different variables can be compared. As a comprehensive description of the state of knowledge about STZs, including the relevant background and their current place in EU law, this book has no precedents and no peers. It allows practitioners, policymakers, and academics in tax law to fully understand the relationship between EU law, national legislation, and STZs, focusing on the possibility of reconciling the tax sovereignty of Member States with a supporting and coordinating role of the EU institutions. It will be warmly welcomed by the tax law community.