Merck Group’s Frank Schoeneborn discusses patent box controversy, negative press and issues of confidentiality
International Tax Review is part of the Delinian Group, Delinian Limited, 4 Bouverie Street, London, EC4Y 8AX, Registered in England & Wales, Company number 00954730
Copyright © Delinian Limited and its affiliated companies 2024

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Merck Group’s Frank Schoeneborn discusses patent box controversy, negative press and issues of confidentiality

Frank Schoeneborn, head of operational transfer pricing at Merck Group, discusses the power of public opinion and the impact it is having on transfer pricing in an interview with TPWeek.

Schoeneborn has expressed his views on some of the most topical transfer pricing issues, including the arm’s-length versus profit split debate, BEPS progress, issues over confidentiality and the increasingly negative press coverage that transfer pricing is receiving.

“These days, press drives the public opinion more than ever. Even small matters might turn into big scandals very soon,” said Schoeneborn.

The interview provides an insight into the brewing controversy behind patent boxes and the growing emphasis being placed on people functions.

“Listening to the phrase patent boxes creates no sympathy. What should an individual think? These structures were invented for saving taxes,” said Schoeneborn.

Schoeneborn also shares his views on what transfer pricing methodology could look like in a decade, providing predictions on the future of the profit split.

The full interview is available on TPWeek.

Register for a free trial on TPWeek to read Frank Schoeneborn’s comments in full.

more across site & bottom lb ros

More from across our site

Laura Hinton would have been the first-ever woman in that position
The former US Treasury official calls time on his government stint; in other news, the G-24 maintains pressure over international tax policy
Proposed regulations on corporate excise tax pose challenges on different fronts, experts tell ITR
The finalists for the 13th annual awards have been revealed
Mazars needs to do all it can to capitalise on TP as a growth area, ex-Deloitte TP director Jeremy Brown has told ITR
Sanjay Sanghvi and Raghav Bajaj of Khaitan & Co provide a practical guide for foreign investors looking to capitalise on Indian’s investment potential
The newly launched Tax Responsibility and Transparency Index will assess the ethicality of companies’ tax practices against global standards and regulations
The reported warning follows EY accumulating extra debt to deal with the costs of its failed Project Everest
Law firms that pay close attention to their client relationships are more likely to win repeat work, according to a survey of nearly 29,000 in-house counsel
Paul Griggs, the firm’s inbound US senior partner, will reverse a move by the incumbent leader; in other news, RSM has announced its new CEO
Gift this article