Introduction

Driven by the political and public focus around the world on the taxation of multi-national enterprises (MNE) businesses, there have been significant developments around the world in International Taxation. The Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development ("OECD") on 5th October 2015 released the final reports on its Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), listing 15 focus areas for potential change in international tax rules and treaties. The Action Plan aims to ensure that profits are taxed where economic activities generating the profits are performed and where value is created. The reports were ratified by the Finance Ministers of G-20 countries (including India) at their meeting in Lima, Peru on 8th October 2015.

In view of the India's commitment to the BEPS Project, every Finance Bill presented after the completion of the BEPS project contains some provisions incorporating the recommendations made therein under the domestic law i.e. the Income Tax Act, 1961 ("the Act").

Since the aim as well as the underlying philosophy guiding the rules of international taxation is to ensure that profits are taxed where economic activities generating the profits are performed and where value is created, Action 13 i.e. Action Plan on BEPS relates to the furnishing of information to assess the Functions, Assets and Risks ("FAR") of MNEs and requires the development of "rules regarding transfer pricing documentation to enhance transparency for tax administration, taking into consideration the compliance costs for business. The rules to be developed will include a requirement that MNEs provide all relevant governments with needed information on their global allocation of the income, economic activity and taxes paid among countries according to a common template".

Action 13 of the Action Plan on BEPS

Action 13 of the Action Plan on BEPS recommends a three-tiered approach to documentation that includes preparing the following:

  1. Master file
  2. Local file
  3. Country-by-Country Report (CbCR)

Master file: It contains information about how the multinational enterprise operates and its key intra -group transactions. In general, the master file is intended to provide a high-level overview in order to place the MNE group's transfer pricing practices in their global economic, legal, financial and tax context. It is not intended to require exhaustive listings of minutiae (e.g. a listing of every patent owned by members of the MNE group) as this would be both unnecessarily burdensome and inconsistent with the objectives of the master file. The information required in the master file provides a "blueprint" of the MNE group and contains relevant information that can be grouped in five categories:

  1. the MNE group's organisational structure;
  2. a description of the MNE's business or businesses;
  3. the MNE's intangibles;
  4. the MNE's intercompany financial activities; and
  5. the MNE's financial and tax positions.

OECD has recommended that the master file of the transfer pricing documentation standard be implemented through local country legislation or administrative procedures and that the master file be filed directly with the tax administrations in each relevant jurisdiction as required by those administrations. Therefore, Master File shall be required to be filed by each of the group companies where they are operating.

Local file: It contains information about how the intra -group transactions of an individual entity conform to the arm's length standard. The local file focuses on information relevant to the transfer pricing analysis related to transactions taking place between a local country affiliate and associated enterprises in different countries and which is material in the context of the local country's tax system. Such information would include relevant financial information regarding those specific transactions, a comparability analysis, and the selection and application of the most appropriate transfer pricing method. OECD has recommended that the local file elements of the transfer pricing documentation standard be implemented through local country legislation or administrative procedures and that the local file be filed directly with the tax administrations in each relevant jurisdiction as required by those administrations. Therefore, Local File shall also be required to be filed by each of the group companies where they are operating.

CbCR: It contains financial metrics for each country the multinational enterprise operates in. Large MNEs are required to file a Country-by-Country Report that will provide annually and for each tax jurisdiction in which they do business the amount of revenue, profit before income tax and income tax paid and accrued. It also requires MNEs to report their number of employees, stated capital, retained earnings and tangible assets in each tax jurisdiction. Finally, it requires MNEs to identify each entity within the group doing business in a particular tax jurisdiction and to provide an indication of the business activities each entity engages in. It requires aggregate tax jurisdiction-wide information relating to the global allocation of the income, the taxes paid, and certain indicators of the location of economic activity among tax jurisdictions in which the MNE group operates. The report also requires a listing of all the Constituent Entities for which financial information is reported, including the tax jurisdiction of incorporation, where different from the tax jurisdiction of residence, as well as the nature of the main business activities carried out by that Constituent Entity.

CbCR be filed in the jurisdiction of tax residence of the ultimate parent entity and shared between jurisdictions through automatic exchange of information, pursuant to government-to-government mechanisms such as the multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, bilateral tax treaties or tax information exchange agreements (TIEAs).

Provisions of the Domestic Law:

While the reporting disclosure and prescribed documentation under the Indian TP regulations (prior to the Finance Act, 2016) broadly covers the local file documentation (Form 3CEB and Transfer Pricing Study), they did not provide for maintenance of the information contemplated in the master file or CbCR.

Accordingly, in consequence of India's commitment for aligning domestic TP regulations with BEPS Action Plans, the suggestion made in Action Plan 13 has been introduced vide amendment to section 92D and insertion of new section 286 of the Act by the Finance Act, 2016. Rules 10DA and 10DB of the Income-tax Rules, 1962 ("the Rules") (vide Notification No. 92/2017 dated October 31, 2017) were also notified in this regard. The amendments have been effective from the Assessment Year 2017-18 (i.e. Financial Year 2016-17).

The master file documentation and CbCR are applicable as per the following provisions of the Indian Income-tax Act:

  • Proviso to Section 92D(1): Casts responsibility of filing of Master File documentation on constituent entity of an international group in the prescribed form (Forms 3CEAA and 3CEAB as per Rule 10DA).
  • Section 286: Preparation, maintenance and filing of CbCR as per the prescribed forms by the resident holding company or alternate reporting entity and the constituent entity of an international group (Forms 3CEAC, 3CEAD and 3CEAE as per Rule 10DB).

The salient features of the CbCR and Master File rules are as under:

  • The threshold for the CbCR is total consolidated group revenue of Rs. 5,500 crore or more (i.e. sum total of revenue of all group companies spread across the world, "group" includes a parent entity and all the entities in respect of which, for the reason of ownership or control, a consolidated financial statement for financial reporting purposes is/would have been required to be prepared).
  • The threshold for the Master File is:

    1. consolidated group revenue exceeding Rs. 500 crore; and
    2. either the aggregate value of international transactions as per the books of accounts exceeding Rs. 50 crore or
    aggregate value of international transactions in respect of intangible property exceeding Rs. 10 crore of the entity in question.

    In other words, if the value of international transactions at each group company does not exceed 50 crores, entity would not be required to maintain Master File. Similarly, both the conditions mentioned in (a) and (b) are to be satisfied in order be required to file Master File.
  • Report of Master File has to be submitted in Form 3CEAA and the CbCR in Form 3CEAD.
  • An international group having multiple Indian constituent entities may designate one constituent entity to file the Master File.
  • Part A of Form 3CEAA is to be filled by every constituent entity of an international group regardless of whether it qualifies under the threshold for furnishing Master File. However, to reduce the compliance burden, such international group having multiple Indian constituent entities can designate one constituent entity to file Part A on its behalf.
  • Form 3CEAD for furnishing CbCR follows OECD template.

Under sub-section (2) of section 286 of the Act, the 'due date' for furnishing the CbCR is the date specified under section 139(1) for furnishing the return of income for the relevant accounting year. Similarly, the 'due date' for furnishing the Master File documentation is also the date specified under section 139(1) for furnishing the return of income for the relevant accounting year.

Since the Financial Year 2016-17 is the first reporting year for furnishing of the afore-said documentations and rules in this regard has been notified on the last date of October, 2017, the due date for filing the CbCR for reportable accounting year 2016-17 has already been extended to 31st of March, 2018 vide Circular No. 26/2017 dated 25.10.2017. Similarly, the date of compliance for furnishing the Master File for FY 2016-17 has been extended to 31st of March, 2018 as a onetime relief measure.

However, considering the nature of detailed information required in the CbCR, the Finance Bill, 2018 has proposed to amend section 286 of the Act to provide that the due date of filing it shall be 12 months from the end of the financial year. The due date of filing the master file has been specified in Rule 10DA of the Rules.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.