This dissertation aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the taxation of investment derivatives and the relationship between the derivatives and the accrual and realization methods. Investment derivatives, such as convertible bonds, include an initial investment and a derivative (an option) to buy or sell or to participate in the value movements of some underlying property. The principal focus of this study is on three universal tax issues, namely valuation, timing and the taxation of unrealized gains.

As a common principle, interest income and capital gains are treated more similarly in corporate taxation than in individual taxation. Moreover, the taxation of financial instruments is currently in a turn-around phase in several countries, not least because of the implementation of the IFRS rules in accounting and the related fair value principle. The obligation to use fair values in accounting apparently motivates tax legislators to strive to use the same principles in taxation as well.

The comparative method plays a major role in this study by examining the tax legislations and the tax practices of different countries. An in-depth analysis of the similarities and differences of tax laws and practices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland and Sweden is provided. This is of particular interest as the underlying components, single and often specified financial derivatives, are basically identical.

While this study does not deal with individual tax treaties or bilateral transactions, the OECD Model is scrutinized in order to highlight the underlying principles of the given recommendations, especially with respect to interest income and capital gains. Due to the increasing importance of IFRS rules in accounting, the study is not limited to tax law, but also looks at issues from the perspective of finance, accounting and economics.

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Antti Laukkanen received a Master of Science (Economics) degree in accounting and finance from the Helsinki School of Economics in 1993 and a Licentiate of Science in taxation in 2000. While working on his thesis, he was a trainee and a visiting scholar at the IBFD in 1999 and 2005, respectively, and a visiting scholar at the University of Michigan Law School in 2005. Mr Laukkanen’s areas of interest include accounting and controlling as well as international taxation. Professionally he has held various controller and management positions in several companies in the Nordic region.

IBFD Doctoral Series is an initiative of IBFD Academic Council, a body established in 2000 to promote the discussion of international tax law at a high academic level and to stimulate the academic activities of IBFD. The Academic Council evaluates projects according to the sole criterion of their academic quality. Its members are appointed from among prominent academics and senior IBFD research staff members.