Werner Haslehner

Email: W.C.Haslehner@lse.ac.uk
Administrative support: Gillian Urquhart
Room: New Academic Building 6.32

Werner Haslehner studied law, business and economics at Johannes Kepler University Linz in Austria, before obtaining an LL.M. in taxation from LSE in 2009. Before coming to the LSE in 2010, he was teaching at JKU Linz, where he completed his doctorate on European and International Tax Law in spring 2009 and was acting as Assistant Professor since then. His doctorate thesis on Non-discrimination of Permanent Establishments in International tax law was published in Vienna and received several academic awards, among these the European Academic Tax Thesis Award, sponsored by the European Association of Tax Law Professors and the European Commission.

His primary research interest lies in all areas of European Tax Law, International Tax Issues and Group Taxation. 

 

Research interests


Werner's research concerns mainly issues of international tax law and European tax law, with a recent focus on the application of European principles and fundamental rights to harmonized tax law areas such as VAT.  He has worked especially on the application of non-discrimination rules in tax treaties and EU law, with a focus on groups companies.

 

External activities


Werner is Assistant Professor on leave at JKU Linz, Austria, where he continues to teach courses on group taxation and European tax law.

He is a member of the IFA (International Fiscal Association) and the DStJG (Deutsche Steuerjuristische Gesellschaft, German Association of Tax Lawyers)


Teaching


Books  

Das Betriebsstättendiskriminierungsverbot im internationalen Steuerrecht, (Linde Verlag Vienna 2009) (German, 424 pages)

Das Betriebsstättendiskriminierungsverbot im Internationalen Steuerrecht

The book provides a thorough study of the non-discrimination provisions of permanent establishments in international tax law. While the primary focus lies on the law of double taxation conventions, a significant part of the analysis is dedicated to compare and contrast the rules contained in bilateral treaties with the non-discrimination doctrine in place within the EU as a consequence of the Fundamental Freedoms. The analysis shows the importance of the double tax treaty network in order to provide comprehensive protection against discrimination of foreign enterprises even within the EU and how the two layers of supranational law and international law respectively interact. It is shown, for example, how this interaction may lead to an extension of the scope of the fundamental freedoms.

 

 

Selected articles
and chapters in books
 

'Cross Border Loss Relief for Permanent Establishments under EC Law' (2010) 1 Bulletin for International Taxation 33 - 44.

This article analyses the ECJ case law on cross-border loss treatment with regard to permanent establishments, showing inconsistencies and misunderstandings with regard to the Court's "final losses"-doctrine and how to overcome these problems. It argues that the distinction between temporary and final losses is not only difficult to handle in practice, but is not convincing as a matter of principle and thus should be abolished.

'Umsatzsteuerrückerstattung für geförderte EU-Forschungsprojekte als Folge der Umsatzsteuerbefreiung der Europäischen Union?' (2010) 8 Österreichische Steuerzeitung 175 - 182. (German)

"Refund of VAT for EU research projects as a consequence of the VAT exemption of the European Union" – the article examines the impact of a bilateral agreement between Austria and the EU on the EU's tax exemption with specific regard to the consequence for university research projects that are wholly or partly funded by the EU. It is shown that as a consequence of the interrelation of the procedural rules applied by the EU Commission to grant funding and the Austrian Ministry's of Finance understanding of how to refund VAT, the intentions of the bilateral agreement are frustrated.

'Steuerbeihilfen für die Daseinsvorsorge?' in Jäger/Rumerstorfer (eds), Jahrbuch Beihilfenrecht 2010, (Neuer Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, Vienna 2010) 343 - 367. (German)

"Taxes as forbidden state aid in respect of services in general economic interest?" – Chapter in Yearbook State Aid Law 2010: The contribution analyses case law of the ECJ and the CFI on the limits put by state aid rules on beneficial tax treatment for companies providing public services.

'Die Ergebnisaufteilung bei Beteiligungsgemeinschaften' (2010) Steuer und Wirtschaftskartei S.505 - S.511. (German)

"Profit splitting for consortia in groups of companies"

'Die Rolle der Beteiligungsgemeinschaft in der Unternehmensgruppe' (2010) 12 Steuer und Wirtschaftskartei S.490 - S.498. (German)

"The role of consortia in Austrian Group Taxation"

Veräußerung von Beteiligungen an Gruppenmitgliedern' (2010) taxlex 185 - 188. (German)

"Disposal of shares in members of a group of companies"

'Taxation of Cross-Border Portfolio Dividends in Austria: The Austrian Supreme Administrative Court Interprets EC Law' (2008) European Taxation 583 - 589 (co-authored by Thomas Bieber, Georg W. Kofler and Clemens P. Schindler).

The article discusses a judgement made by the Austrian Supreme Administrative Court with regard to corporate taxation of dividends from subsidiaries resident in other EU countries. The Court's decision is criticised for failing to ask the ECJ for a preliminary ruling on the issue despite the fact that it cannot be considered "acte claire". It is shown that despite the ECJ's apparent acceptance of a free choice between an exemption and a credit system for foreign dividends to be made at the Member States' discretion, the credit system may often result in disadvantages for taxpayers that cannot be regarded as mere disparity.

'Missbräuchliche Inanspruchnahme von Steuerbefreiungen im innergemeinschaftlichen Warenverkehr - umsatzsteuerliche und finanzstrafrechtliche Konsequenzen' in Achatz/Tumpel (eds), Missbrauch im Umsatzsteuerrecht (Linde Verlag, Vienna 2008) 73 - 103. (German)

"Abusive claim for tax exemption in cross-border trade – consequences from the viewpoint of VAT law and criminal law" – Chapter in conference volume, Linde Verlag, Vienna 2008.

'Umsatzsteuer bei sonstigen Leistungen zwischen Versicherungen in Österreich' (2009) 12 taxlex 508 - 512. (German)

"VAT for services performed between insurance companies in Austria"

'Keine Umsatzsteuerbefreiung für die Übertragung von Versicherungsverträgen - Zu den Schlussanträgen in der Rs Swiss Re' (2009) taxlex 370 - 375. (German)

"No VAT exemption for cession of insurance contracts – AG Opinion in case Swiss Re"

'Werbungskosten bei der KESt-Veranlagung' (2009) Steuer und Wirtschaftskartei 1415 - 1425 (co-authored by Georg Kofler). (German)

"Deductible Expenses in assessment of withholding tax for income from capital"

'Das EuGH-Urteil Wannsee im Vergleich zu AMID, Shell und Lidl Belgium - Betriebsstättenverluste und kein Ende' (2008) Steuer und Wirtschaft International 561 - 570. (German)

"ECJ case Wannsee in comparison to AMID, Shell and Lidl Belgium – PE losses revisited"

'Das Konkurrenzverhältnis der Europäischen Grundfreiheiten vor dem Hintergrund der Rechtsprechung des EuGH zu den direkten Steuern' (2008) Internationales Steuerrecht 565 - 575. (German)

"The state of competition among EC fundamental freedoms in ECJ case law regarding direct taxes"

'Gruppenbesteuerung: Finanzielle Verbindungen über ausländische Gruppenmitglieder' (2008) Gesellschaft und Steuern 208 - 217 (co-authored by Christoph Urtz) (German)

"Group Taxation: Financial Link via foreign companies as members of a group"

'Zweifelsfragen der Gruppenbesteuerung: Konkurrierende finanzielle Verbindungen' (2008) 4 taxlex 137 - 143. (German)

"Questions of doubt in Group Taxation: Rivalry between optional ways to constitute a financial link between companies"

'EuGH-Urteil Netto Supermarkt: Gutglaubensschutz auch im Drittlandwarenverkehr' (2008) 5 taxlex 194 - 199 (co-authored by Thomas Bieber) (German)

"ECJ judgement in the Netto Supermarkt case: Protection of bona fide rights extended to third country trade"

'EuGH-Urteil Deutsche Shell GmbH (Rs. C-293/06): Das gemeinschaftsrechtliche Ende der Symmetriethese?' (2008) Steuer und Wirtschaft International 161 - 167. (German)

2ECJ judgement in the Deutsche Shell case (C-293/06): Bringing an end to the German proposition of symmetry?"

'Die Ausdehnung des Anwendungsbereichs der europäischen Grundfreiheiten durch Verfassungs- und DBA-Recht' (2007) 9a taxlex 440 - 449. (German)

"Extension of the Fundamental Freedoms of EC Law through constitutional and tax treaty law"

'Verlustverrechnung im europäischen Konzern - Widerspruch des EuGH zu Marks & Spencer?' (2007) Steuer und Wirtschaft International 443 - 455. (German)

"Group relief in European Tax Law – ECJ in conflict with his decision in Marks & Spencer?"

'Die Kapitalverkehrsfreiheit gegenüber Drittstaaten am Beispiel ausländischer Beteiligungserträge' (2007) 6a taxlex 286 - 291. (German)

"The Freedom of movement of capital in relation to third countries: foreign dividends"

'Die Anwendung von EG-Grundfreiheiten im Verhältnis zur Schweiz' (2007) Steuer und Wirtschaft International 221 - 229. (German)

"The Relevance of EC Fundamental Freedoms in Relation to Switzerland"

'Erbschaftssteuer bei Nacherbschaft: Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten für Erbfälle vor dem 31.7.2008' (2007) 5 taxlex 214 - 218. (German)

"Inheritance Tax in case of substitutional inheritance: beneficial arrangements regarding cases of succession before 31 July 2008"

 

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