Complex and transparent funds: make the most of your investment returns
Transparent funds are becoming increasingly popular amongst investors, but are they the best vehicle when it comes to reclaims on international investments? Learn more about transparent funds – also called look-through funds – and see how they could impact your withholding tax (WHT) returns.
What we will discuss in this article:
Complex and transparent fund structures
When it comes to setting up an investment, two types of funds come into play – complex funds and transparent funds. The difference between complex and transparent investment structures is that transparent structures put the local tax burden on the investor and not the investment vehicle itself. With a complex investment fund structure, the liability is built into the investment itself.
Which structure one would choose would depend on a variety of factors, such as the complexity of the investment set-up, local and international regulations, and tax implications, to name but a few. Ultimately, the investor would choose the structure that maximises their investment returns and has the lowest tax impact.
Often, investors forget that foreign withholding tax plays a significant role in their investment decisions due to having to pay larger portions of their returns to the tax man. While many investors are opting for transparent funds in an attempt to simplify their investments, it often means that their returns are severely impacted by foreign WHT. If this applies to you, we can help you to recover WHT on your foreign investments.
Transparent fund structures and WHT refund eligibility
When choosing a transparent fund structure, the investor takes on the tax liability. International tax authorities deem an investment to be transparent if it qualifies as such in the region where it is registered. Transparent funds become an important consideration in situations where double taxation apply. In the majority of cases where an investment is held in a different country, the shareholder will be liable to pay a significant amount of WHT. However, having a transparent investment fund structure provides withholding tax relief due to double taxation agreements. These agreements (sometimes called treaties) reduce the negative effects of double taxation.
The investment fund structure isn’t the only factor that plays a role in WHT refund eligibility, the investor profile is equally important. Pension funds and NPOs (non-profit organisations) are some of the most common investor types in transparent structures. These entities can benefit even further, often recovering full WHT refunds, thanks to the specific exemptions that they are entitled to.
An example would be US limited partnerships (LPs). In the US, a limited partnership is where one partner manages the daily operation and takes on unlimited responsibility, while the other partners carry limited financial liability (they can only lose as much as they invested). A common example of a US LP is a real estate development project.
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US LPs are considered transparent investment structures, and therefore the tax duty falls on the individuals. It’s important to note that, if a tax authority has full view of WHT refund eligibility, which is the case when a transparent fund exists, the investors have a much better chance of qualifying for a tax refund.
Here’s what a potential WHT reclaim could look like:
Assuming a limited partnership exists in the United States, and five investors hold a total of 100,000 shares in company XYZ, based in Europe. They each have equal ownership, holding 20% of the LP. Three of the investors are individuals that live in the US, one is an NPO and the other is a pension fund.
If the dividend is €13.5 per share, the total dividend payout will be equal to €1 350,000. Assuming the WHT percentage is 26.375%, the investors will have to pay WHT to the amount of €356?063. But, because a DTT exists between the US and the EU, the individuals qualify for a 15% treaty rate, while the NPO and pension fund are exempt from WHT. Reclaim figures would look something like this:
As you can see from this example, following through with a WHT reclaim has a significant impact on investment returns.
How Global Tax Recover can help you maximise your WHT refund
Having a reputable tax recovery partner isn’t a luxury – it’s essential. Dealing with international tax requires thorough knowledge of foreign tax laws, processes, documentation requirements and more. Using a professional tax recovery specialist will save you time, resources and frustration when it comes to dealing with global tax authorities. Remember, the tax landscape is always changing, making it even more challenging to keep up with local and global regulations.
Global Tax Recovery act on behalf of more than 50?000 beneficial owners globally, many of which being top-tier financial institutions such as Banks, Asset Managers, Pension Funds, Brokerages and Custodians. GTR manage the entire administrative burden from beginning to end and ensure that the maximum recovery is reclaimed in the shortest possible time. GTR’s service offering is entirely risk free in that our fee is purely success based. If, for whatever reason, we are unable to recover funds on behalf of our client – the client pays nothing, regardless of the amount of time, effort or resources applied in the pursuit of such funds. GTR’s clients never lay out any money; our fee is simply deducted from the successful recovery.
Learn more about Global Tax Recovery, as well as our cutting-edge technology. Get in contact today!