Machado Meyer tax partner Fernando Colucci joins Skadden’s David Farhat, Loren Ponds, Eman Cuyler and Stefane Victor to explore Brazil's historic shift from a 27-year formulaic transfer pricing system to full OECD compliance. As he explains, “We moved from a very strict, very formulaic approach to a simple, a direct import of the arm's-length principle.” Tune in for his insights on dramatic changes facing multinational enterprises and Brazil's notorious 75% penalty system that raises the stakes on compliance decisions.

Top takeaways from this episode

• The Formula-to-Function Flip: Brazil abandoned 27 years of fixed profit margins in favor of the full OECD arm's-length principle, requiring companies to conduct detailed functional analyses for the first time.
• All-or-Nothing Penalties: Brazil's unique 75% penalty system creates stark choices: Accept the tax authority's adjustment with no penalty or challenge it and face penalties on any sustained portion.
• Intangibles Enter the Game: Previously excluded from transfer pricing rules, intangible transactions are now subject to OECD guidelines, creating new compliance challenges.
• Limited Relief Mechanisms: While Brazil introduced its first APA program, it operates more like a written consultation process than traditional APAs, and the country has never executed a MAP case despite having treaty provisions.

Name: Fernando Colucci

What he does: Fernando provides legal and tax assistance in M&A operations, restructurings, international taxation, international treaties, transfer pricing, tax planning, international investments taxation, asset and succession planning.

Organization: Machado Meyer

Words of wisdom: “My recommendation here is to start with a thorough risk assessment. So, understand your intercompany transactions, identify potential areas of concern. Getting prepared, that's the motive.”

Connect: LinkedIn

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When goods, services and rights go back and forth within a company, how do you attribute profit or loss to one part of the company versus another? Former OECD head of tax treaties and transfer pricing Mary Bennett and EY’s Mike McDonald join this episode of “GILTI Conscience” for a detailed discussion on the attribution of profits to permanent establishments. Skadden tax partners David Farhat and Nate Carden and associate Stefane Victor host the discussion, which explores, among other topics, critical differences between Articles 7 and 9 of the OECD Model Tax Convention and why these distinctions matter for multinational businesses.

Name: Mary Bennett

What she does: Mary worked in private practice before joining the Office of International Tax Council at Treasury. She spent six years as the head of tax treaties and transfer pricing at the OECD in between two stints as a partner at Baker McKenzie before retiring in 2022.

Organization: Formerly OECD and Baker McKenzie

Words of wisdom: "The AOA recommends that companies create internal documentation of how their situations should be characterized, and countries should follow that documentation unless it clearly doesn't reflect reality.”

Connect: LinkedIn

Name: Mike McDonald

What he does: Mike spent multiple stints at Treasury and EY, currently serving as managing director of International Tax and Transactions,Transfer Pricing at EY.

Organization: EY

Words of Wisdom: “I think the best primer on profit attribution in general is Chapter One, or Part One, of the AOA.”

Connect: LinkedIn

☑️ Follow us on X and LinkedIn.

☑️ Subscribe to GILTI Conscience on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app.

☑️ Let us know what topics you would like to hear about on GILTI Conscience by emailing our executive producer at eman.cuyler@skadden.com.

GILTI Conscience is a podcast by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and Affiliates. Skadden’s tax team is recognized globally for providing clients with creative and innovative solutions to their most pressing transactional, planning, and controversy challenges. The insights and views presented in GILTI Conscience are for general information purposes...

Amount B is designed to streamline transfer pricing for baseline distribution and marketing companies worldwide, but “we’re apparently in a world of complexity and controversy,” says Jessie Coleman..

A principal at KPMG, Jessie joins Skadden attorneys Nate Carden, David Farhat, Eman Cuyler and Stefane Victor to discuss everything there is to know about the current and future status of Amount B. Together, they explore questions of scoping – will jurisdictions agree that an entity is in-scope? – and who’s signing on to Amount B, as well as tensions that may arise over how to handle disputes.

For companies that would likely be in-scope when implementation launches, Jessie suggests they prepare by monitoring their assets-to-sales, which will drive where they fit in the Amount B matrix. “I think knowing the unknown right now is really important,” she observes.

Name: Jessie Coleman

What she does: Jessie provides services related to transfer pricing planning, documentation, and controversy and international tax policy.

Organization: KPMG

Words of wisdom: “It's pretty important that companies look at where they are right now and also make sure that there's no misclassifications, I would say, or confusions. I think knowing the unknown right now is really important.”

Connect: LinkedIn

☑️ Follow us on X and LinkedIn.

☑️ Subscribe to GILTI Conscience on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

☑️ Let us know what topics you would like to hear about on GILTI Conscience by emailing our executive producer at eman.cuyler@skadden.com.

GILTI Conscience is a podcast by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and Affiliates. Skadden’s tax team is recognized globally for providing clients with creative and innovative solutions to their most pressing transactional, planning, and controversy challenges. The insights and views presented in GILTI Conscience are for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. The information presented is not a substitute for consulting with an attorney, nor does tuning into this podcast constitute an attorney-client relationship of any kind.