Taxation of royalties: the Supreme Court gives primacy to the Directive over agreements

In a recent and controversial judgment, the Supreme Court affirms that when the  Interest and Royalties Directive cannot be applied because the recipient of the royalties is not the “beneficial owner”, the withholding tax rate established in the Spanish domestic non-resident income tax regulations must be applied, rather than the reduced rate of the corresponding […]

Double taxation treaties prevail over domestic law

According to the Spanish National Appellate Court (Audiencia Nacional), Brazilian “juros” must be classified as dividends for the purposes of the double taxation agreement between Spain and Brazil. Therefore, since treaties prevail over domestic law, the treaty-based exemption for such income cannot be denied. Brazilian tax law allows companies resident in Brazil to distribute to […]