The O.E.C.D.'s Approach to B.E.P.S. Concerns Raised by the Digital Economy
/On March 24, 2014, ten days after the O.E.C.D. released its public discussion draft on prevention of treaty abuse, a second public discussion draft was released, addressing the tax challenges of the digital economy (the “Discussion Draft”).
The Discussion Draft emphasizes the concept that the digital economy should not be ring-fenced and separated from the rest of the economy, given its relationship to the latter. It provides a detailed introduction to the digital economy, including its history, components, operations, and different actors. Surprisingly, it does not propose any groundbreaking approaches to addressing the base erosion and profit shifting (“B.E.P.S.”) challenges encountered in the digital economy. It simply reflects an approach that is consistent with the fight against B.E.P.S. – seeking to determine where economic activity takes place in the digital economy in order to best achieve taxation in a non-abusive fashion.
The Discussion Draft singles out six factors that characterize the digital economy in light of B.E.P.S. concerns:
- Mobility of all facets of the digital economy, including the intangibles used, the users themselves, and the business functions carried on by various players in the business model;
- Reliance on data;
- Network effects;
- Use of multi-sided business models;
- Tendency towards monopoly or oligopoly; and
- Volatility
