Tax Controversies and Dispute Resolution under Tax Treaties: Insights from the Arbitration Sphere

Abstract

This article focuses on recent initiatives to embed arbitration as a mechanism for resolving tax controversies under income tax treaties. Drawing on the author’s experience as an arbitration lawyer, the article considers developments in the frameworks for arbitration under income tax treaties, including (i) the OECD Model, (ii) the EU Arbitration Convention and (iii) the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the BEPS Multilateral Instrument). These frameworks are compared to existing (non-tax specific) arbitration frameworks, in order to evaluate the efficacy of arbitration as a mechanism for resolving tax controversies and identify where some lessons may be learned as the tax arbitration process is further developed and refined.