International Tax:Strategies for cross-border investing after tax reform
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Today’s Presenters
Brittain Cunningham, CPASenior Manager, International Tax Services
Matt Martina, CPADirector, International Tax Services
[email protected] | 832.320.3461
[email protected] | 832.320.3265
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► U.S. Outbound International
Taxation before Dec 22, 2017
► U.S. Outbound International
Taxation after tax reform
► Overview of Patent Box
Objectives
► Global Intangible Low Taxed
Income (GILTI)
► Foreign Derived Intangible
Income (FDII)
Today’s Topics
Business Entities and Definitions
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Partnership
Corporation Branch
Disregarded Entity
US Outbound
International Taxation
Outbound International Tax
before Dec 22, 2017
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U.S. Corporation
Foreign Branch
ForeignCFC
U.S.
Foreign
Foreign Branch
ForeignCFC
U.S. persons taxed on worldwide
income35%
Tax Rate39.5%
Tax Rate
• US taxation at 35%, branch income consolidated with U.S. corporation income.
• Section 901 direct FTC
• US taxation at 35% • US tax deferred until
dividends paid or subject to deemed dividend under Subpart F or 956.
• Section 902 indirect FTC
• US taxation at individual rates, Schedule C business income.
• Section 901 direct FTC
• US taxation of qualified dividends at 20% + 3.8% net investment tax.
• Non-qualified dividends taxed at individual rates.
• US tax deferred until dividends paid or subject to deemed dividend under Subpart F or 956.
• Section 902 Indirect FTC NOT AVAILABLE
Outbound International Tax
in 2018 and Beyond
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U.S. Corporation
Foreign Branch
ForeignCFC
U.S.
Foreign
Foreign Branch
ForeignCFC
U.S. persons taxed on worldwide
income21%
Tax Rate37%
Tax Rate
• US taxation at 21%, branch income consolidated with U.S. corporation income.
• Section 901 direct FTC
• US taxation at 21% • US 965 Transition tax on earnings + PTI• US 100% DRD on dividends from CFCs after
Jan 1, 2018• Subpart F and Section 956 convert non-
taxable into taxable income• GILTI - separate basket, 50% US corporate
deduction available• FDII Incentive• Section 960 indirect FTC available for
Subpart F, 956 & GILTI.
• US taxation at individual rates, Schedule C business income.
• Section 901 direct FTC
• US taxation of qualified dividends at 20% + 3.8% net investment tax.
• Non-qualified dividends taxed at individual rates. • US 965 Transition tax on earnings + PTI• US tax deferred until dividends paid or subject to
deemed dividend under Subpart F or section 956.• GILTI - separate basket (50% deduction not
available)• Section 960 Indirect FTC NOT AVAILABLE
• US individuals invested in an entity that is treated as a Corporation, for US tax purposes are subjected to 2 layers of tax, whether the entity is foreign or US.
• Deferral may be available but beware of Subpart F, 956 and GILTI.
Key TakeawayCorporation = 2 layers of tax and, MAYBE, deferral
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U.S. Corporation
ForeignCorporation
U.S.
Foreign
ForeignCorporation
21% Tax Rate• DRD• 960 FTC
LAYER 1 -Foreign Country
Income Tax
LAYER 1 -Foreign Country
Income Tax
LAYER 2 -Dividend Income –
20%-23.8%
LAYER 2 – Qualified Dividend Income
(if treaty) – 20%-23.8% or individual rates
• Objective of Congress was to encourage taxpayers to locate intellectual property
in the United States through a “carrot and stick” approach.
• The provision, however, is a purely mechanical calculation that does not track any
particular type of income despite the use of “intangible” in the name.
• The calculation isolates profits that are in excess of a 10% return on the adjusted
basis of depreciable assets.
– Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (GILTI) – “STICK” – Applies to CFCs owned by US
persons. If a CFC achieves >10% return on the net basis of its depreciable assets, profits that
would not otherwise be taxed are included in the taxable income of US shareholders of the
CFC. US shareholder’s CFC shareholdings are aggregated.
– Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII) – “CARROT” – Applies to US Corporations with
foreign sales or services. If the US Corporation achieves >10% return on the net basis of
depreciable assets and has foreign sales or services income, an FDII deduction may be
available.
Overview of US “Patent Box”
(GILTI & FDII) Incentive
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Global Intangible Low Taxed Income
(GILTI) - Formula
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GILTI
US shareholder’s Net CFC Tested Income: Gross income of each CFC
(not including certain items of gross income) minus properly
allocable deductions
= - 10% of Qualified Business Asset Investment (QBAI)**
Net Deemed Tangible Income Return
**QBAI equals the aggregate of each CFC’s adjusted basis of specified tangible property (any tangible property used in the production of tested income) during the taxable year (measured quarterly). Must use the alternative depreciation system (ADS) under Section 168(g) to calculate adjusted basis.
• Section 951A provides that a US shareholder of any CFC for any
taxable year must include its Global Intangible Low Taxed Income
(GILTI) for such tax year.
• GILTI equals the excess (if any) of:
– US shareholder’s “net CFC tested income” for the taxable year, over
– US shareholder’s “net deemed tangible income return” for the taxable
year
• GILTI inclusion is operationally similar to Subpart F income inclusion
• Effective for tax years of foreign corporations beginning after
December 31, 2017, and for tax years of US shareholders in which or
with which such tax years of foreign corporations end.
Global Intangible Low Taxed Income
(GILTI) – Section 951A
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• “Net CFC Tested Income” – The excess (if any) of:– The aggregate of the US shareholder’s pro-rata share of the “tested income” of
each CFC with respect to which such shareholder is a US shareholder for such taxable year of such US shareholder, over
– The aggregate of such shareholder’s pro-rata share of the “tested loss” of each CFC with respect to which such shareholder is a US shareholder for such taxable year of such US shareholder.
• “Deemed Tangible Income Return” – The excess (if any) of:– 10% of the aggregate of such shareholder’s pro-rata share of the qualified business
asset investment (QBAI) of each CFC, over
– The amount of interest expense allocable to net CFC tested income for the taxable year to the extent the interest income attributable to such expense is not taken into account in determining net CFC tested income.
Global Intangible Low Taxed Income
(GILTI) – Section 951A (cont’d)
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• A CFC's Tested Gross Income excludes the following:
(1) the corporation's ECI under section 952(b)
(2)any gross income taken into account in determining the corporation's
subpart F income
(3)any gross income excluded from foreign base company income or
insurance income by reason of the high-tax exception under section
954(b)(4)
(4)any dividend received from a related person (as defined in section
954(d)(3)), and
(5)any foreign oil and gas extraction income as defined in section 907(c)(1)
Global Intangible Low Taxed Income
(GILTI) – Section 951A (cont’d)
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• “Qualified Business Asset Investment (QBAI)” – QBAI equals the CFC’s average
aggregate adjusted basis of specified tangible property during the taxable year.
– Aggregate adjusted basis measured on a quarterly basis
– Must use the alternative depreciation system (ADS) under Section 168(g) to determine adjusted basis.
– Depreciation is allocated ratably to each day during the period in the taxable year to which such depreciation relates.
• “Specified tangible property” – Any tangible property used in the production of
tested income.
– Must be used in a trade or business of the corporation.
– Deduction under Section 167 must be allowable for such property.
– Use the ratio of “tested gross income” to total gross income produced by a piece of property to determine how much of the property is treated as “specified tangible property”.
Global Intangible Low Taxed Income
(GILTI) – Section 951A (cont’d)
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• If the CFC holds an interest in a partnership at the close of the CFC’s taxable year, the CFC includes as part of its QBAI its distributive share of the partnership’s aggregate
adjusted bases in tangible property.– Property must be used in a trade or business of the partnership.
– A deduction under Section 167 (depreciation) must be allowable for such property.
– Property must be used in the production of tested income
• A CFC’s distributive share of the adjusted basis of any property shall be the CFC’s distributive share of income with respect to such property.
• The Treasury Department was granted broad authority to issue regulations or other guidance to prevent the avoidance of the purposes of this subsection, including for the treatment of property transferred, or held, temporarily.
Global Intangible Low Taxed Income
(GILTI) – Section 951A (cont’d)
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U.S. Shareholder
ForeignCFC
U.S.
Foreign
Foreign Partnership
60%
• New Section 960(d) provides that domestic corporations are deemed to have paid foreign income taxes equal to 80% of:– The domestic corporation’s inclusion percentage (GILTI divided by the aggregate of its
pro-rata shares of the tested income of its CFCs); multiplied by
– The aggregate tested foreign income taxes (foreign income taxes paid or accrued by a
CFC properly attributable to tested income taken into account by the domestic
corporation)
• Section 78 gross-up equals 100% of deemed paid taxes (except for purposes of Sections 245 and 245A).
• New Section 904(d) limitation basket for non-passive GILTI; Excess foreign taxes related to GILTI cannot be carried back or carried forward. – There is no high-tax exception for GILTI.
– Expenses should be allocated/apportioned against GILTI.
– GILTI inclusion is allocated back to CFCs. Results in a “pooled” foreign tax credit amount.
Global Intangible Low Taxed Income
(GILTI) – Section 960(d) & 904(d)
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Global Intangible Low Taxed Income
(GILTI) – Example
U.S. Corporation
Foreign Branch
ForeignCFC
U.S.
Foreign
Foreign Branch
ForeignCFC
U.S. persons taxed on worldwide
income21%
Tax Rate37%
Tax Rate
GILTI does not apply
• CFC Tested Income = $300• QBAI = CFC’s average quarterly adjusted basis of fixed assets (using
ADS Depreciation) = $1,000• Deemed Tangible Income Return• 10% x $1,000 = $100• GILTI = $300 - $100 = $200• GILTI is a separate FTC Basket• US Corporation gets 50% deduction• US Corporation gets 80% of FTCs• ETR on GILTI income = 13.125%• If foreign tax rate > 13.125% , no additional US tax on GILTI Income
• CFC Tested Income = $300• QBAI = $0• Deemed Tangible Income Return• 10% x $0 = $0• GILTI = $300 - $0 = $300• No FTCs available• ETR on GILTI income = individual tax rate• Section 962 election may be available
>50% >50%
• For a US corporation, the US tax rate on GILTI income may be lower than the tax rate on US source income (21% corporate rate versus 13.125% GILTI effective rate).
• For a US corporation, a local income tax rate on its CFCs in excess of 13.125% eliminates any additional tax liability related to GILTI. However, US tax compliance is not eliminated.
• No GILTI exposure exists if the aggregate net tested income from CFCs is equal to or less than 10% of the qualified business assets regardless of the foreign tax rate.
• GILTI inclusion generates PTI that can be distributed tax free thereafter.
• Section 962 election may be available allowing individuals to elect to be taxed on GILTI income as a corporation.
Global Intangible Low Taxed Income
(GILTI) – Observations
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• Proper calculation of CFC’s earnings & profits (CFC tested income) is now mandatory.
• Tax compliance (forms 5471, 8858, 8865) will take more time.
• Even though DRD eliminates taxation of foreign dividend income for US corporations, it will still be necessary to calculate the amount of the dividend and present the offsetting DRD.
• Due to implementation of the foreign dividend received deduction for US Corporations, GILTI, Subpart F and 956 are no longer anti-deferral provisions. They turn non-taxable foreign sourced income into taxable income.
Global Intangible Low Taxed Income
(GILTI) – Compliance Considerations
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• US corporations are allowed a new deduction equal to the sum of:– 37.5% of Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII), and
– 50% of Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (GILTI) and the corresponding Section 78
Gross-up on GILTI
– For taxable years of domestic corporations beginning after December 31, 2025, the
percentages are changed to 21.875% for FDII and 37.5% for GILTI.
• The deduction is capped at the taxable income of the US corporation (can’t go negative).
Foreign Derived Intangible Income
(FDII) – Section 250
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• A domestic corporation’s FDII is the amount that bears the same ratio to the “deemed intangible income” of such corporation as the “foreign-derived deduction eligible income” of the corporation bears to the “deduction eligible income” of the corporation.
• The calculation of “deemed intangible income” is the same as the GILTI calculation but applied to the US corporation instead of a foreign corporation.
Foreign Derived Intangible Income
(FDII) – Section 250
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FDIIForeign-derived deduction eligible income
Deduction eligible incomeDeemed Intangible Incomex=
Foreign Derived Intangible Income
(FDII) – Formula
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FDII
Foreign-Derived Deduction Eligible Income: Gross income from property sold to non-US persons for use outside the US, or services
provided to any person not located in the US (not including certain items of gross income)
Deduction Eligible Income: Gross income (not including certain items of gross income) minus
properly allocable deductions
Deduction Eligible Income
x= - 10% of QBAI
Deemed Intangible IncomeForeign Ratio
Deemed Tangible Income Return
• Deduction Eligible Income – equal to the excess of the domestic corporation’s
gross income (determined without regard to certain amounts) over the
deductions properly allocable to such gross income.
• Items excluded from gross income:
1. Any amount included in gross income under Section 951(a)(1) – tradition Subpart F income
2. GILTI income
3. Financial services income
4. Dividends from CFCs of the domestic corporation
5. Domestic oil and gas extraction income
6. Foreign branch income
Foreign Derived Intangible Income
(FDII) – Section 250
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• Foreign-derived deduction eligible income – Deduction eligible income which
is derived from either:
– property sold (or leased, licensed, or exchanged) to non-US persons for use, consumption,
or disposition outside the US; and
– Services provided to any person, or with respect to property, located outside the US.
• There are special rules for related party transactions
• Property or services provided to unrelated domestic intermediaries do not qualify, even if a foreign sale/use ultimately arises.
Foreign Derived Intangible Income
(FDII) – Section 250
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• Deemed Intangible Income – Equals the excess of deduction eligible income
over the “deemed tangible income return” of the corporation.
• Deemed tangible income return – Equals 10% of the corporation’s QBAI
• QBAI is determined under the same rules as GILTI except:
– It includes QBAI that produces deduction eligible income, instead of “tested income”; and
– It is determined without regard to whether the corporation is a CFC.
Foreign Derived Intangible Income
(FDII) – Section 250
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Fixed AssetsTBV = $1,000
Key Considerations & Opportunities:
• The lower the fixed assets of the C Corporation, the higher the tax benefit.
• It doesn’t matter where the assets were manufactured.
• Tax planning and modeling may identify opportunities to enhance the deduction.
• FDII follows in a long line of export incentives that have been challenged by the WTO and eventually modified by the US. It appears likely foreign governments will challenge the law. Some already have. It is not clear whether the US will yield to pressure and make modifications as it has done in the past.
Foreign Derived Intangible Income
(FDII) – Example
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C Corporation (US)Deduction Eligible
Income = $300
Foreign Sales or Services
Income = $150
Other AssetsTBV =
$1,500
Total TBV of Assets = $3,500
Deemed “Tangible Income”$1,000 x 10% = $100
Deemed “Intangible Income”$300 - $100 = $200
“Foreign Derived” Income Ratio$150/$300 = 50%
FDII50% x $200 = $100
Deduction$100 x 37.5% = $37.50
QUESTIONS
AND
ANSWERS
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Today’s Presenters
Brittain Cunningham, CPASenior Manager, International Tax Services
Matt Martina, CPADirector, International Tax Services
[email protected] | 832.320.3461
[email protected] | 832.320.3265