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Building upon work conducted for several years on how to adapt the international tax rules to an increasingly digitalised economy, the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework proposes a two-pillar overhaul of the existing system as from 2023/2024. While the main policy features are agreed, detailed model rules and draft multilateral conventions are due to be released over 2022.

Tax directors and their teams can already model the impact, prepare for the additional tax compliance burden and assess opportunities for manageable restructurings to mitigate the increased complexity.

In recent years tax authorities have placed more emphasis on combatting the use of abusive and aggressive tax structures by companies operating across borders, to ensure fair taxation. The EU and OECD have provided tax authorities with various instruments such as the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) and the Multilateral Instrument. The judgements handed down by the CJEU on the Danish cases have also set an important precedent.

However, since entities with no minimal substance and economic activity are supposedly still used for improper tax purposes, the European Commission recently issued a new proposal (ATAD 3). It is highly recommended that taxpayers already assess the possible impact of the proposal and consider opportunities for strengthening their local footprint and/or restructuring.

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important factor in the decisions of investors, companies, consumers, shareholders and policy- and lawmakers. The broadly supported awareness for the Environmental Social and Governance (‘ESG’) objectives is reflected in many international voluntary standards as well as in an increasing number of European regulations to mobilise financing for sustainable growth.

Digital transformation is all about using the latest technology to improve your business model. Digital technology creates new business opportunities which in turn creates a whole new range of tax and legal challenges such as contracting, data protection, privacy questions, intellectual property, consumer protection and competition issues.

The speed at which digital technology has become an integral part of our daily lives has overtaken most legislative processes. In recent years, the European Union, Member-States and international legislative bodies have therefore increased their regulatory efforts.

The new Book 5 of the Civil Code will enter into force on 1 January 2023 and contains legal provisions on general Belgian contract law. It is a legal development which will not go unnoticed, and which will have a significant impact on contractual relationships and obligations.