Blog

The EdgarStat Blog explores issues in transfer pricing and application of the transactional net margin method (TNMM or CPM in the US) and other enterprise profit-based methods.

ATO Prevails in Challenging the Procurement Transfer Pricing for Ampol
April 17, 2023 by Harold McClure

On February 20, 2023 Ampol Limited settled its procurement hub transfer pricing dispute with the Australian Tax Office (ATO). Procurement affiliates have been a point of emphasis for the ATO in recent years, and have been gaining the attention of other tax authorities, including the US IRS.

Topics: Australia Australian Tax Office Singapore TNMM/CPM Tax Controversy Procurement Hub

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McDonald's France Intercompany Royalty: CUT v. CPM on Steroids
March 22, 2023 by Harold McClure

A 2008 restructuring transferred the European rights to the McDonald’s intangibles to McD Europe Franchising Sàrl, a Luxembourg-resident subsidiary with branches in both Switzerland and the U.S. While this migration of intangible assets created substantial controversy in Europe, the real transfer pricing concern would be an IRS issue and not an issue for the French Tax Authority (FTA) if the royalty rate remained at 5%.

Topics: Royalty Rates Intangibles Europe Best Method TNMM/CPM Tax Controversy

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Intercompany Management Fees: CUP v. CPM (TNMM)
October 19, 2022 by Harold McClure

Transfer pricing practitioners in the US as well as in other nations often face the dilemma that clients wish to establish intercompany management fees as a percentage of revenues while tax authorities may test the implied cost plus from any intercompany management policy.

Topics: Intercompany Services Management Fees CUP State Transfer Pricing TNMM/CPM

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Intercompany Royalties: Does the Realistic Alternatives Principle Endorse CPM?
September 27, 2022 by Harold McClure

Licensees bear significant commercial risk when they use valuable intangible assets owned by another entity. As such, any method that affords them with an expected return to its tangible assets that is only as high as the overall enterprise’s cost of capital is inconsistent with sound economics.

Topics: US Transfer Pricing Royalty Rates Intangibles Medtronic Section 482 TNMM/CPM Tax Controversy

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Medtronic Litigation: Unspecified Methods vs. Traditional Methods
September 02, 2022 by Harold McClure

This discussion presents a simplified illustration of the issues with respect to the unspecified method applied in Medtronic III in contrast to the IRS' extreme CPM approach and a traditional RPSM approach based on sound financial economics.

Topics: US Transfer Pricing Residual Profit Split Method Unspecified Method US Internal Revenue Service Intangibles Tax Policy Medtronic Section 482 TNMM/CPM Tax Controversy

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Transfer Pricing Issues in Italian Imports of Russian Natural Gas
August 16, 2022 by Harold McClure

Italy’s Supreme Court remanded May 17, 2022 a case in which Regional Tax Commission of Lombardy challenged the transfer pricing between Promgas Spa and Gazprom Export, finding alleged deficiency in the tax authority’s application of the Transactional Net Margin Method (TNMM).

Topics: Resale Price Method Oil and Gas Transfer Pricing CUP TNMM/CPM

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Super Royalties in Transfer Pricing: Going Beyond "Economics 101"
May 24, 2022 by Harold McClure

Use of the CPM/TNMM to determine royalty rates for valuable intangibles in transfer pricing is incompatible with basic financial economics.

Topics: DEMPE Royalty Rates OECD Guidelines US Internal Revenue Service Intangibles Tax Policy TNMM/CPM

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RPM vs. TNMM: Benchmarking a LATAM Pharmaceutical Distributor
October 20, 2021 by Harold McClure

To determine whether the usual financial ratios provide insights into what would represent an arm's length range, any analysis of controlled healthcare distributors must account for the underlying facts surrounding the functions and expenses occurred by the distribution affiliate.

Topics: Pharmaceutical Industry Benchmarking Resale Price Method TNMM/CPM Tax Controversy

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Mechanical Applications of the Comparable Profits Method are Unreliable
July 15, 2021 by Harold McClure

Applied properly, the Comparable Profits Method (CPM) can be a useful approach for well-defined transfer pricing issues, such as the appropriate profitability of a sales affiliate. Unfortunately, CPM is often applied mechanically without regard for economic principles and functional comparability.

Topics: Benchmarking Profit Indicators Tax Policy State Transfer Pricing TNMM/CPM

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Brazil's Alignment with OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines: The Marcopolo Case
June 23, 2021 by Harold McClure

Brazil’s unique transfer pricing rules have allowed multinationals to shift income to tax havens in certain situations. We explore through the lens of the Macopolo case how Brazil could benefit from adoption of the arm's length standard.

Topics: Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Brazil OECD Guidelines Tax Policy TNMM/CPM Tax Controversy

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Cameco v. The Queen: Prologue and Round II Preview
May 03, 2021 by Harold McClure

In February 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear the Canadian Revenue Agency's (CRA) appeal in its case against uranium multinational Cameco Corporation. However, this only marked the end of Round 1, as the courts only ruled on 8 of 14 years under review.

Topics: Mining and Extractives Canadian Revenue Agency Profit Indicators TNMM/CPM Tax Controversy

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States Should Learn from Transfer Pricing History, but Focus on The Right Lessons
March 04, 2021 by Harold McClure

A recent article asserted that state tax authorities should use the Comparable Profits Method (CPM) with care in the evaluation of transfer pricing for tangible goods. However, some of the examples cited, including the recent Coca Cola case, in their piece are misplaced for reasons we will address.

Topics: Tax Policy State Transfer Pricing TNMM/CPM Tax Controversy

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Tutorial: Using Regression Analysis to Adjust Profit Indicators
February 19, 2021 by Ednaldo Silva

Ad hoc adjustments are a risky endeavor in transfer pricing. Using regression analysis, we can test if asset intensity is relevant to explain the behavior of the operating profit markup or profit margin and calculate a reliable adjustment to the profit indicator.

Topics: Tutorial Asset Intensity Adjustment Profit Indicators TNMM/CPM

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Tutorial: Using Regression Analysis in TNMM Transfer Pricing
February 16, 2021 by Ednaldo Silva

The prevalent use of quartiles to determine profit indicators often results in a wide (unreliable range) and ad hoc assets adjustments. These problems can be solved by using regression analysis, which produces more defensible statistical ranges of the profit indicator resistant to audit scrutiny.

Topics: Tutorial Profit Indicators TNMM/CPM

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Transfer Pricing Aspects of Taxing the Pharmaceutical Sector
January 26, 2021 by Harold McClure

Changes to tax laws are often seen as the primary solution to curb profit shifting. However, proper application of the arm's length principle alongside BEPS CbCR disclosures already offer powerful tools in this endeavor.

Topics: Pharmaceutical Industry Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Tax Policy TNMM/CPM

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Comparability Issues Are a Slippery Slope in Transfer Pricing
December 15, 2020 by Harold McClure

Comparability is a key issue in transfer pricing that is often not fully appreciated. However, comparability issues are hardly uncommon in transfer pricing controversies and can create a trickle-down effect that leads to major taxation issues.

Topics: Comparability Limited Risk Distributor Profit Indicators TNMM/CPM

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