Tax Treaty Dispute Resolution Procedures

Abstract

The subject of the work is a comparative analysis of the OECD approach and the EU approach to the resolution of international tax disputes. The research is conducted on the basis of the provisions of the OECD Model Tax Convention, the OECD Multilateral Tax Convention, the EU Arbitration Convention and the EU Directive. The purpose of the work is to find the most effective mechanism for resolving international tax disputes in terms of ensuring the protection of taxpayers' rights in the dispute resolution procedure. The methodological basis of the work was made up of general scientific (analysis, classification, synthesis, deduction, induction, analogy), private scientific (system method) and special legal (formal legal and comparative legal) methods of scientific research. The scientific novelty of the work suggests the proposal and justification as a way to increase the effectiveness of the resolution of international tax disputes, the use of mediation in a mutually agreeable procedure with the provision of the taxpayer with the possibility of direct participation in the dispute resolution procedure. Based on the results of the study, the author came to the following conclusions. The practice of applying the mutual agreement procedure and arbitration shows that this dispute resolution mechanism has a number of significant drawbacks. In order to improve the efficiency of dispute resolution, the OECD and the EU are striving to develop mandatory arbitration and do not consider non-binding mechanisms, since they do not guarantee an agreement on the dispute. However, mandatory arbitration cannot be considered a universal instrument, since States see it as a threat to sovereignty. The experience of States that actively use mediation to resolve domestic tax disputes shows that mediation can also become an effective mechanism for resolving disputes at the international level, since it allows the parties to consider various aspects of the dispute from different sides. According to the author's position, the shortcomings of mediation outlined in the doctrine can be mitigated by granting the affected taxpayer the right to participate directly in mediation, presenting his position on the case.