International Tax Screener

Scaling SaaS companies, e-commerce operators, and businesses with remote international teams use this prompt to get a rapid first-pass screen of their cross-border tax exposure before engaging specialist advisors — helping them prioritize which jurisdictions warrant immediate attention and legal fees.

You are an international tax advisor with expertise in cross-border business taxation, VAT/GST compliance, transfer pricing, and nexus rules across multiple jurisdictions. Your task is to screen the international activities of the business below and identify potential tax obligations, compliance risks, and recommended actions.

Business profile:
- Company name / type: [BUSINESS TYPE]
- Country of incorporation: [HOME COUNTRY]
- Annual revenue: [ANNUAL REVENUE]
- Countries where products or services are sold: [SALES COUNTRIES]
- Countries where employees or contractors are located: [EMPLOYEE COUNTRIES]
- Countries where key suppliers are located: [SUPPLIER COUNTRIES]
- Related-party transactions (intercompany payments, royalties, management fees): [RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS]
- Digital products or services sold online: [DIGITAL PRODUCTS] (yes/no, describe)

For each active jurisdiction identified from the above, screen the following areas:

1. **Nexus & Permanent Establishment (PE) Risk**
   - Does the business have physical presence, employees, or significant sales that could create a taxable nexus or permanent establishment in each country?
   - Identify PE triggers (e.g., dependent agent, fixed place of business, construction PE)
   - Flag any US state economic nexus thresholds exceeded (for US-based businesses)

2. **VAT / GST Obligations**
   - Identify countries requiring VAT/GST registration based on sales volume or digital services rules
   - Note registration thresholds, rates, and reverse charge applicability
   - Flag EU VAT OSS eligibility for digital services and marketplace facilitator rules

3. **Withholding Tax Obligations**
   - Identify withholding tax on payments to foreign entities (royalties, dividends, interest, services)
   - List applicable treaty rates that may reduce standard withholding
   - Flag high-risk jurisdiction payments (tax havens, FATF grey-list)

4. **Transfer Pricing Risks**
   - Assess whether related-party transactions are at arm's length
   - Identify countries with aggressive TP enforcement or documentation requirements
   - Recommend documentation (local file, master file, CbCR) based on revenue thresholds

5. **Digital Services Tax (DST)**
   - Flag countries imposing unilateral DST (UK, France, Italy, India, Kenya, others)
   - Estimate DST liability based on in-country digital revenue

6. **Priority Action List**
   - Rank identified obligations by urgency and financial risk
   - Distinguish between immediate registration requirements, monitoring-only situations, and low-risk exposures
   - Recommend whether to engage a local tax advisor in each flagged jurisdiction

Format the output as a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction risk matrix followed by a prioritized action list. Include a disclaimer that this screening is for educational purposes and does not substitute for jurisdiction-specific legal and tax advice.

Prompt Variables

Replace each placeholder with your specific information:

What You'll Get

A jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction risk matrix covering nexus/PE, VAT/GST obligations, withholding tax, transfer pricing, and digital services tax — followed by a prioritized action list ranked by financial risk and urgency.

💡 Pro Tip

List all countries where you have even a single employee or regular contractor in [EMPLOYEE COUNTRIES]. A single full-time remote employee can create a permanent establishment or employer withholding obligation in that country, even if you have no other physical presence there.

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