Obowiązek raportowania schematów podatkowych przez korzystających wobec wolności od samooskarżania w kontekście wyroku Europejskiego Trybunału Praw Człowieka J.B. przeciwko Szwajcarii
Users obligation to report tax schemes versus the freedom from self-incrimination in the context of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights J.B. v. Switzerland

Summary/Abstract: Background: The presented study concerns the J.B v. Switzerland ruling by the ECtHR as one of the benchmarks for the standard protecting freedom from self-incrimination. According to the ruling, an individual should be protected from being compelled to submit documents that would provide information that could constitute evidence against them. The MDR (Mandatory Disclosure Rules) contained in chapter 11a of the Polish Tax Ordinance impose an obligation on users (relevant tax payers) to report to the Head of the National Tax Information any legal activity that has tax law consequences. Research purpose: The purpose of this article is to conduct a comparative legal analysis of the MDR regulation with the judgment in J.B. v. Switzerland and to show possible analogies with the MDR regulation that may help to identify possible violations of the freedom against self-incrimination derived from Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The article also aims to examine to what extent the MDR constitutes a duty of self-denunciation. Methods: The article uses a comparative analysis of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union. The analysis is also supported by the dogmatic-legal analysis of the obligation to report tax schemes. The main principle of the ECHR, J.B. v. Switzerland, concerning the right to remain silent was used. The standard of protecting freedom from self-incrimination reproduced in the example of J.B. was also compared with MDR standards. Conclusions: The MDR laws may constitute tacit collection of evidence for other proceedings and are inconsistent with the right to remain silent, especially in the case of individuals, when tax proceedings may be criminal in nature. Moreover, the formal separation of proceedings is irrelevant. In this respect, the view of the ECtHR is also shared by the CJEU.

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