This book provides an analysis of the taxation of investment funds and their investors from the standpoint of domestic tax laws, tax treaties and EC law. The book provides its readers with a comprehensive understanding of the tax issues arising in the cross-border transactions of investment funds and private fund investors in the European Union.

The book takes a comparative approach by covering five EU Member States (the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Luxembourg and Finland). On the basis of the examination at the Member State level, the present tax rules and practices are tested against the fundamental freedoms of the EC Treaty.

• General economic and legal description of investment funds.
• Examination at the Member State and tax treaty level comprising the taxation of investment funds in the residence state, the taxation of income in the source state, the taxation of fund investors, as well as an overview of relevant tax enforcement matters.
• Examination at the level of EC law comprising the assessment of domestic and tax treaty rules in light of fundamental freedoms of the EC Treaty and investigation of possible measures of positive integration.

Dr Tomi Viitala is a Senior Officer at the Ministry of Finance, Finland. He formerly worked as Research Associate at the Turku School of Economics and Business Administration and as Tax Adviser at an international accountancy firm.

IThe mission of the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation is: “[T]o maintain a knowledge centre providing information about and explanations of international taxation and promoting the study of taxation in general” (Art. 2 of the articles of association). True to this mission, and aware that access to doctoral theses is often limited, IBFD has taken the initiative to make available to a wider public a series of books based on doctoral research, meeting the highest academic standards.

Only contributions that enhance the international academic tax debate are accepted. In order to ensure high quality, every thesis published in this series has been reviewed by academic members of the Board of Trustees, senior IBFD research staff or prominent tax academics worldwide. The series aims to cover all aspects of comparative and international taxation, not only in respect of income tax, but also in respect of VAT and of inheritance, estate and gift taxes.

• Vol. 1 - The Concept of Income: A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis

      by Kevin Holmes

• Vol. 2 - Taxing Portfolio Income in Global Financial Markets

      by Doron Herman

• Vol. 3 - Free Movement of Persons and Income Tax Law

      by Servaas van Thiel

• Vol. 4 - Advance Tax Rulings and Principles of Law

      by Carlo Romano

• Vol. 5 - Arbitration under Tax Treaties

      by Mario Züger

• Vol. 6 - E-Commerce and Source-Based Income Taxation

      by Dale Pinto

• Vol. 7 - Interpretation of Tax Treaties under International Law

      by Frank Engelen 

• Vol. 9 - Taxation of Cross-Border Partnerships

      by Jesper Barenfeld

• Vol. 10 - Taxation of International Performing Artistes

      by Dick Molenaar

• Vol. 11 - Dispute Resolution under Tax Treaties

      by Zvi Daniel Altman

• Vol. 12 - Income from International Private Employment

      by Frank Pötgens

• Vol. 13 - Taxation of Investment Derivatives

      by Antti Laukkanen

• Vol. 14 - International Tax Planning and Prevention of Abuse

      by Luc De Broe

• Vol. 15 - EC Law Aspects of Hybrid Entities

      by Gijs Fibbe

• Vol. 16 - EU VAT System and the Internal Market

      by Rita de la Feria

• Vol. 17 - Formulary Apportionment for the Internal Market

      by Stefan Mayer

• Vol. 18 - Cross-Border Consumption Taxation of Digital Supplies
  by Pernilla Rendahl
• Vol. 19 - EC Law and the Sovereignty of the Member States in Direct Taxation

      by Dr Mathieu Isenbaert