On March 30, 2016, the Italian Tax Authorities ("ITA")
issued Circular n. 6/E ("Circular") to clarify certain
tax aspects of leveraged buyout and merger leveraged buyout
transactions ("LBO" and "MLBO" respectively).
The Circular also provides important guidance on the tax treatment
at source of outbound payments of interest and dividends by the
Italian target.
LBO and MLBO transactions are often scrutinized by the ITA. In
particular, the ITA often challenge the deduction of interest
expenses for bank and/or shareholder loans granted to an Italian
acquirer of an Italian target company in either an MLBO or an LBO
followed by a tax group consolidation election. The ITA's
challenges are mainly based on the argument that the transactions
have the exclusive purpose of deducting interest payable from the
income of the target without any other valid economic reason (and
in this sense, they are abusive).
The Circular contains comments and guidance of a general nature.
Consequently, each LBO and MLBO transaction should be assessed and
evaluated on a case-by-case basis in light of the individual
factual circumstances of each case.
Deduction of Interest Expenses and Carry-Forward Tax Losses and Expenses
The Circular acknowledges that LBO and MLBO transactions should
not generally be deemed abusive. They are expressly contemplated by
the Italian Civil Code that provides for a complex procedure to
verify the financial sustainability of the debt by the target
company. Also, the Circular recognizes that LBO or MLBO structures
are typically requested specifically by the lenders to ensure an
effective security package in their favor.
The Circular states that interest expenses incurred by the Italian
acquirer can be fully deductible from the income of the target both
in the case of a merger and in the case of a tax group
consolidation post-acquisition—subject to the limits provided
for by the general rules of the tax code governing interest
deduction, and always in accordance with the transfer pricing
principles, where applicable. In addition, the Circular clarifies
that if the so-called equity and vitality requirements provided by
Italian tax law in order for the acquirer to be entitled to carry
forward tax losses and interest expenses in a merger scenario are
not met by the acquirer, the acquirer should still be in a position
to use the carry-forward by obtaining a prior ruling from the
ITA.
Management and Other Service Fees
The Circular addresses also the issue of the tax treatment of
the management and other fees charged by private equity firms to
the Italian acquirer or to the target. In particular, according to
the ITA, such fees are not deductible by the acquirer or by the
target to the extent the services have been provided for the
benefit of the investors (only), rather than of the Italian
entities. The Circular contains guidance to the tax inspectors on
how to identify the clauses in agreements that are typically
executed according to market practice and that can potentially lead
to abusive behaviors.
Moreover, the Circular clarifies that the VAT charged in connection
with the above-mentioned services is not deductible by the Italian
acquirer if the acquirer is a mere holding company that does not
provide any services to the target.
Withholding Tax on IBLOR and Other Financing Structures
According to the Circular, in the case of nontransparent IBLOR
structures—i.e., where a pool of nonresident lenders lend to
the Italian acquirer through an Italian bank or through an Italian
permanent establishment of a nonresident bank acting as the front
lender—the interest paid to the Italian front lender cannot
benefit from the Italian domestic withholding tax exemption. The
Circular states that in these cases, the Italian acquirer should
apply the withholding tax as if the interest were paid directly to
the nonresident lenders.
If the debt has been pushed down to the acquirer through an EU
holding company that is a mere conduit, the exemption provided for
by the EU interest and royalties directive does not apply either.
However, no withholding tax is levied if the nonresident lenders
qualify for the domestic exemption that is provided on
medium–long-term financings granted by EU banks, EU insurance
companies, and whitelisted institutional investors that are subject
to regulatory supervision.
Shareholders' Loans
The Circular has clarified that, in certain factual circumstances, shareholders' loans granted to the acquirer by foreign investors may be recharacterized as equity and, as a result, no interest can be deducted (e.g., the repayment of the shareholders' loan is postponed to the payment of the third party's loan and/or is subject to the same restrictions applicable to dividend payments and to equity distributions). In the case of recharacterization of the shareholders' loan as equity, the equity can qualify for the allowance for corporate equity or notional interest deduction (so-called ACE) and, in addition, the withholding tax treatment typical of dividends applies to the distributions of proceeds to the "lender."
Dividends and Capital Gains on Exit
Finally, the Circular addresses the tax treatment of dividends and of capital gains on exit. In principle, (i) cross-border dividends may benefit from the exemption under the EU parent–subsidiary directive or from the reduced withholding tax rate applicable under domestic law or under a double tax treaty; and (ii) capital gains may be exempt under domestic rules or under the applicable double tax treaty. This tax treatment can be denied by the ITA if the nonresident holding company does not have an adequate economic substance or if it is a mere conduit company.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.