Cross-border Tax Talks

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Chris Desmond, PwC’s US Global Trade Services Leader to catch up on the latest customs and trade happenings. Doug and Chris talk about Chris’s transition from a transfer pricing partner to specializing in customs and trade, the potential US tariffs environment post election, how companies might respond with supply chain changes, the impact of the recent Mexican and Canadian tariffs, the use of tariffs as a retaliatory action, how tax authorities are leveraging customs data, as well as the importance of modeling, documentation, and data gathering. 

Steve Kohart, an International Tax Partner at PwC and former OECD advisor, shares valuable insights into the complexities of Pillar Two in international taxation. He discusses the Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (QDMTT) and the global implications for multinationals, particularly in Puerto Rico. The conversation delves into challenges around year-end compliance and data readiness, as well as pitfalls like hybrid arbitrage and financial statement finalization. Kohart also clarifies the concept of a 'good' credit under these new regulations.

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by returning guest Aaron Junge, an International Tax Partner in PwC’s Washington National Tax Services Practice. Aaron served as Tax Counsel to the US House of Representative during the passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017. Doug and Aaron briefly discuss the College World Series held in Aaron’s hometown of Omaha, before delving into the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (CAMT) proposed regulations. Specifically, they discuss Adjusted Financial Statement Income (AFSI), how the rules affect large domestic and foreign investment funds and partnerships, the open comment period, the similarities (and differences) between CAMT and Pillar Two, whether or not CAMT could be converted to a QDMTT, how the regulations impact adjustments for depreciation, and new foreign stock rules.  

In this engaging discussion, Alex Voloshko, an International Tax Partner specializing in value chain transformation, joins Doug McHoney to explore the intersection of taxation and business strategies. They delve into how technological advancements are reshaping business models and the significant tax implications of shifting to service-oriented, recurring revenue models. The conversation also highlights the tax challenges arising from geopolitical complexities in supply chains and the impact of Pillar Two's minimum tax on global investment strategies. A must-listen for navigating today's tax landscape!

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by returning guest Elizabeth Nelson, a Partner in PwC’s Washington National Tax Services Practice to discuss the recently proposed regulations that address dual consolidated loss (DCL) rules as well an entirely new tax regime regarding disregarded payment losses (DPLs). Together they dive into the background of the US DCL rules, effective dates, foreign use, intercompany transactions, stock inclusions, mirror legislation, a new anti-avoidance rule, and of course the application of the DCL rules to Pillar Two.   

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by returning guest Rebecca Lee, a Principal in PwC’s Washington National Tax Services Practice where she focuses on complex tax problems and financial transactions in the digital asset space. Doug and Rebecca discuss T.D. 10000, the recently published final regulations dealing with digital assets. They dive into the details of digital assets, including the definition of a digital assets, revisiting non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain, and the different types of digital transactions. They also cover the background of the final regulations, calculating gains and losses, determining basis, digital asset transaction costs, ordering rules, Form 1099-DA, Notices 2024-56 & 2024-57, and the applicability dates. They finish the podcast with an exploration of how other jurisdictions are approaching cryptocurrencies around the world, touching on FATCA, DAC8 and more. 

Doug McHoney, PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader, teams up with Janice Mays, a veteran of tax policy with 40 years in government. Together, they dissect how the upcoming U.S. elections could reshape tax policy. They discuss key Senate and House races to watch, explore bipartisan challenges in tax reform, and examine the potential effects of election outcomes on corporate tax rates. The conversation also tackles the complexities of the GUILTY proposal and its implications for corporate adaptation amidst shifting political dynamics.

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Wade Sutton, International Tax Leader for PwC’s Washington National Tax Practice. Doug and Wade kick off with the persona of a law school professor, providing an overall perspective on the US common law system, and how the US court system works.  They then cover the importance three of Supreme Court’s recent tax case decisions – Moore v. United States, Corner Post v. United States, & Loper Bright v. United States. They start by ‘briefing’ the cases before noting why taxpayers should pay attention to each case. Additionally, they cover a potential wealth tax, the possible effects of the cases on litigation and tax controversy, what constituted the majority opinion in Loper Bright, the overruling of the Chevron doctrine, and regulatory validity.  

Doug McHoney and Phil Ramstetter discuss OECD's Admin Guidance on Pillar 2, focusing on DTL recapture rule, cross-border tax allocation, GloBE rules, entity classification, and more. They highlight challenges in simplifying tax rules, global accounting, and enacting OECD guidance into national laws.

Doug McHoney (PwC’s International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Nita Asher, International Tax Partner in PwC’s Washington National Tax Practice and former legislative counsel to the Joint Committee of Taxation during the enactment of TCJA in 2017. Doug and Nita focus on the Stock Buyback Excise Tax enacted under the Inflation Reduction Act. Doug and Nita walk through Notice 2023-2, the recently released procedural and technical regulations, including the elimination of the per se rule, the funding rule, and which other countries are considering similar rules. They also discuss how the excise tax could present a multi-year reporting exercise for taxpayers, utilizing Forms 720 and 7208. Non-US headquartered companies will be very interested in this conversation!