Programme
The programme is separated into three elements: International Tax Law, European tax law, and Luxembourg tax law.
The first semester of the programme gives students a solid understanding of the rules in these three fields, as well as a background in related areas such as company law and financial accounting.
The second semester builds on this to familiarise students with more specialised topics.
Academic contents
The courses of the first year are part of the main common programme and not track specific.
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Master en Droit europ茅en 鈥 Premi猫re ann茅e
Course offer for European and International Tax Law, Semestre 3 (2025-2026 Winter)
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Details
- Course title: Introduction to Luxembourg Tax Law
- Number of ECTS: 0
- Course code: MADE4-1
- Module(s): Module 1 Luxembourg taxation
- Language: EN
- Mandatory: No
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Objectives
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to (using action verbs):
– Explain the systematics and general principles of Luxembourg tax law;
– Complete a Luxembourg income tax declaration (natural and legal persons);
– Apply the Luxembourg Income Tax Law to small case studies -
Description
The course gives an overview of Luxembourg tax law, focusing on personal income tax (PIT) and corporate income tax (CIT) law. It also includes sections on municipal business tax (MBT) and net wealth tax (NWT). The aim of the course is to acquaint students with the legal framework of Luxembourg income and wealth tax law and its systematics.
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Details
- Course title: Introduction to Financial Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Number of ECTS: 0
- Course code: MADE4-3
- Module(s): Module 1 Luxembourg taxation
- Language: EN
- Mandatory: No
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Objectives
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to (using action verbs):
–听听听听听听听
Interpret and analyse a balance sheet and a profit and loss account;
–听听听听听听听
Register economic transactions from an accounting perspective;
–听听听听听听听
Apply accounting principles contained in LUX GAAP. -
Description
The course is aimed for students that have a legal background. In this course, students learn about accounting concepts and get ready for the tax accounting mandatory course of the LLM. In this course, there is a special focus on:
–听听听听听听听 The concept of balance sheet and the profit and loss account.-听听听听听听听 Accounting registration of different economic transactions and their impact on the balance sheet and the profit and loss account.Accounting principles contained in LUX GAAP
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Details
- Course title: Luxembourg Tax Law: Individual and Corporate Taxation
- Number of ECTS: 5
- Course code: MADE4-EITL-1
- Module(s): Module 1 Luxembourg taxation
- Language: FR, EN
- Mandatory: Yes
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Objectives
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to (using action verbs):
–听听听听听
Identifier et d茅crire les concepts fondamentaux et m茅canismes du droit fiscal des personnes physiques听;
–听听听听听
D茅velopper et pr茅senter une argumentation juridique sur base des connaissances approfondies concernant l鈥檌mp么t sur le revenu des personnes physiques, et 脿 la lumi猫re de la jurisprudence en mati猫re fiscale听;
–听听听听听
Analyser et r茅soudre des questions juridiques touchant 脿 des aspects divers de l鈥檕bligation fiscale personnelle et de l鈥檃ssiette de l鈥檌mp么t sur le revenu听;
–听听听听听
Appliquer les dispositions essentielles et concepts fondamentaux en mati猫re de fiscalit茅.
听
2. Corporate Taxation
– D茅crire les grands principes de la fiscalit茅 des entreprises concernant les imp么ts directs (principalement l鈥檌mp么t sur le revenu), les textes aff茅rents, ainsi que les principales difficult茅s d鈥檃pplication pratique susceptibles d鈥櫭猼re rencontr茅s.
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Description
1. Individual Taxation
L鈥檌mp么t sur le revenu des personnes physiques听:
– Les caract茅ristiques听;- L鈥檕bligation fiscale personnelle听;- La base de l鈥檌mp么t sur le revenu听;- La d茅termination des revenus听;- Les d茅ductions priv茅es听;- Le calcul de l’imp么t.听
2.CorporateTaxation
Fiscalit茅 des entreprises, centr茅e sur l鈥檌mposition directe des soci茅t茅s transparentes et opaques. Les fusions & acquisitions sont 茅galement abord茅es.
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Details
- Course title: Typologie des fonds d'investissement
- Number of ECTS: 4
- Course code: MADE4-68
- Module(s): Module 1 Luxembourg taxation
- Language: FR
- Mandatory: Yes
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Details
- Course title: Financial Accounting
- Number of ECTS: 1
- Course code: MADE4-EITL-4
- Module(s): Module 1 Luxembourg taxation
- Language: FR, EN
- Mandatory: Yes
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Course learning outcomes
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to (using action verbs):
– Recognize how economic transactions are registered from an accounting perspective;
– Analyze and interpret annual accounts; and
– Link accounting with income tax consequences -
Description
This course explains the law. and practice of Luxembourg accounting, focusing on a general understanding of the purposes and principles of accounting, the study of balance sheets and how to read them, and, finally, the specific rules of 鈥渢ax accounting鈥 in Luxembourg.
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Details
- Course title: International Tax Law I: General Principles and Systems
- Number of ECTS: 5
- Course code: MADE4-EITL-2
- Module(s): Module 2 International Taxation
- Language: EN
- Mandatory: Yes
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Objectives
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to (using action verbs):
–听听听听听
Identify the causes of double taxation and remedies provided for by international instruments and mechanisms;
–听听听听听
Apply the principles and rules of the international tax system to solve complex cross-border tax cases;
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Explain the specifics of the US approach to international taxation. -
Description
This course builds on students鈥 basic knowledge of national and international tax law. It covers the fundamental structure of the international tax regime as well as its most important notions that underpin that system. It complements the course 鈥淚nternational Taxation II 鈥 Allocation of Taxing Rights and Avoidance of Double Taxation鈥, which focusses on technical aspects of traditional international tax law. The course is divided among three teachers, Professor Werner Haslehner (WH) and two world-leading academic experts, Professor Alexander Rust (AR) and Professor Yariv Brauner (YB).
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Details
- Course title: International Tax Law II: Allocation of Taxing Rights
- Number of ECTS: 5
- Course code: MADE4-EITL-3
- Module(s): Module 2 International Taxation
- Language:
- Mandatory: Yes
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Objectives
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to (using action verbs):
–听听听听听
Apply the rules of double taxation conventions to solve complex cross-border tax cases:
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Choose the appropriate allocation rule for a given fact pattern;
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Apply the correct method for the calculation of double taxation relief;
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Identify the available measures for taxpayers and tax authorities to collect information and resolve disputes arising in cross-border tax cases;
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Be aware of the scope different non-discrimination rules and the general anti-abuse rule (GAAR).
听
–听听 Identify the gaps left by double taxation conventions and the consequences arising from these gaps for taxpayers and governments. -
Description
This course builds on students鈥 basic knowledge of national and international tax law. It covers the core of the substantive rules governing the allocation of taxing rights and double taxation avoidance. It complements the course 鈥淚nternational Tax Law I: General Principles and Procedures鈥, which focusses on the fundamental structure and notions of the international tax system. The course is divided between two teachers, Professor Werner Haslehner (WH) and a judge from Luxembourg鈥檚 highest judicial authority in direct tax law, Serge Schroeder (SS). Classes taught by WH are given in English, while class by SS are given in French. The exam may be completed
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Details
- Course title: Moot Court
- Number of ECTS: 5
- Course code: MADE4TC
- Module(s): Module 2 International Taxation
- Language: FR
- Mandatory: No
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Details
- Course title: EU Tax Law I – Fundamental Freedoms and State Aid
- Number of ECTS: 5
- Course code: MADE4-EITL-5
- Module(s): Module 3 EU Taxation
- Language: EN
- Mandatory: Yes
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Objectives
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to (using action verbs):
Identify the interaction of the four freedoms with direct taxation and the main problems and frictions that arise there from;
–听听听 Master the CJEU鈥檚 case law in the aforementioned thematic areas discussed in class;
–听听听 Understand the relationship between state aid law and tax law and estimate the impact of state aid law on national tax legislation;
–听听听听听
Comfortably navigate the steps necessary to decide whether a national measure needs to be notified to the Commission. -
Description
The course is addressed to students with a basic knowledge of tax law. Some basic notions of EU law and tax law will be briefly revised in the first classes in order to ensure a level playing field. The focus of the course is the interaction of the fundamental freedoms with direct taxation. Hence, the course will be predominantly based on the CJEU鈥檚 case law. Because of the impossibility to go through all cases pertaining to the aforementioned issues, we will present, examine and critically discuss 鈥榯he landmark decisions鈥 of the CJEU as well as other 鈥榠mportant鈥 cases from both a horizontal and a thematic perspective. 听By way of introduction, the following EU and tax law topics will be briefly recapitulated (Prof. Katerina Pantazatou): –听听听听听 The basic principles of EU law (e.g. the principle of conferral, the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality);-听听听听听 The role of the EU institutions in direct taxation with special emphasis on the CJEU; –听听听听听 Legislation in tax matters;-听听听听听 Major provisions applicable to direct taxation;-听听听听听 The four freedoms (scope, four step analysis; order of priority).听Upon their introduction, these basic concepts will be discussed vis-a-vis the CJEU鈥檚 direct tax case law. While the analysis will be mostly 鈥榯hematic鈥 (i.e. it will be built around the main problematic issues presented before the CJEU like taxation of cross-border workers), the aim of the course is to discuss the case law also from an evolutionary and analytical perspective in order to show the development of the relevant EU and tax law concepts in time and the particularities of tax law, in specific the notions of disparities and dislocations and the importance of the distinction between inbound and outbound situations for comparability purposes. Hence, the course will begin by providing a systematic and horizontal analysis of the aforementioned problems, while introducing the students to the case law. In specific, the following questions will be discussed (Prof. Pantazatou): –听听听听听 What are non-discriminatory restrictions? What are disparities and what are dislocations? Which ones are covered by the fundamental freedoms?-听听听听听 When are two situations (domestic vs. cross-border/ cross border v. cross-border/ different legal forms) comparable?-听听听听听 What justifications and under what circumstances have been accepted by the Court?-听听听听听 How does the proportionality test work in the given case law?听The thematic analysis will focus on the following questions and the way they were treated by the CJEU: –听听听听听 Personal income tax (Prof. Katerina Pantazatou)-听听听听听 Tax planning, tax avoidance and tax abuse in the EU and the relevant case law (Prof. Ana Paula Dourado);-听听听听听 Treatment of losses and group relief in the EU and the relevant case law (Prof. Katerina Pantazatou);-听听听听听 Withholding taxes (Prof. Edoardo Traversa)-听听听听听 Double taxation in the EU and the relevant case law (Prof. Leopoldo Parada).听The course will also address the relationship between state aid and tax law. In this context, it will review the main General Court and CJEU case law, including the recent transfer pricing major profile cases (Prof. Katerina Pantazatou)Specifically, the course will:-听听听听听听听 recapitulate the fundamental principles of state aid law before applying them to national taxation;-听听听听听听听 analyse the four criteria to find illegal state aid as laid down in Article 107 TFEU;-听听听听听听听 critically discuss the three-step test applied by the CJEU to fiscal state aid cases;reviews existing cases on aspects of corporate taxation, environmental taxation, transfer pricing, and hybrid mismatches
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Details
- Course title: EU Tax Law II – Secondary Law
- Number of ECTS: 5
- Course code: MADE4-EITL-6
- Module(s): Module 3 EU Taxation
- Language: EN
- Mandatory: Yes
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Objectives
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to (using action verbs):
–听听听听听
Master the rules of secondary EU law governing direct tax law, enabling them to say with confidence how the regulated transactions must be treated across the EU;
–听听听听听
Adapt to any changes in existing legislation and assess the impact of new tax directives with ease. -
Description
Introducing students to the other main aspects of 鈥淓U tax law鈥, this course complements the content of 鈥淓U Tax Law I: Fundamental Freedoms鈥 by covering the most important pieces of EU direct tax legislation.听The course builds on student鈥檚 basic knowledge of national and international tax law and rather more fundamental understanding of EU law, but does not require detailed knowledge of the interaction between fundamental freedoms and taxation.听Specifically, EU Tax Law II: –听听听听听听听 recapitulates the legal framework for the creation of EU tax legislation;-听听听听听听听 analyses its positioning between primary EU law and national law and its effects in this legal dynamic;provides a detailed insight into the Parent-Subsidiary Directive, the Interest-Royalties Directive, the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive, the GloBE Directive, the DACs (the directives covering exchange of information within the EU), the Tax Dispute Resolution Directive and the FASTER directive. It also discusses pending legislative proposals in direct taxation.听
Course offer for European and International Tax Law, Semestre 4 (2025-2026 Summer)
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Details
- Course title: Course 1 – Company Law and M&A
- Number of ECTS: 5
- Course code: MADE4-EITL-7
- Module(s): Module 4 – Investment Taxation
- Language: FR, EN
- Mandatory: Yes
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Details
- Course title: Course 2 – Taxation of financial transactions
- Number of ECTS: 5
- Course code: MADE4-20
- Module(s): Module 4 – Investment Taxation
- Language: EN
- Mandatory: Yes
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Course learning outcomes
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to:
–听听听听
Distinguish the main financial instruments and certain financial transactions;
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Analyse the Luxembourg (and international) tax consequences of issuing, entering into and holding those instruments and transactions;
–听听听听
Apprehend the conceptional thinking as to optimize the taxation of a fund structure from an international tax planning perspective -
Description
The objective and purpose of this course is summarized by its very title, which means it will focus on the taxation of financial instruments. The objective of this course is that it will provide you with the basic concepts of taxation of financial instruments in industrialized countries as well as their practical use. Some of the most important of them to be covered are: tax treatment of debt vs. equity, taxation of new financial instruments, an overview of the taxation of certain financial transactions, as well as their specific tax treatment in Luxembourg. The course will also cover certain legal, accounting as well as wider tax areas (e.g. BEPS, FTT, Relibi) which may have an impact on the structuring of financial instruments.
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Education on the taxation of Luxembourg investment funds and international tax structuring for investment policy听
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Details
- Course title: Course 1 – Tax procedure
- Number of ECTS: 5
- Course code: MADE4-22
- Module(s): Module 5 – Elective courses
- Language: FR
- Mandatory: No
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Objectives
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to (using action verbs):
- Expliquer les enjeux de la maitrise des proc茅dures fiscales dans l’exercice des m茅tiers de conseils ou avocat fiscal听
- D茅terminer les actes et d茅lais qui jalonnent les proc茅dures pr茅contentieuses fiscales听
- Conseiller et accompagner le contribuable dans ses relations avec l’administration fiscale
- Dialoguer avec l’administration pour le compte du contribuable听
- R茅pondre aux demandes听
- D茅fendre les int茅r锚ts, les droits et garanties des contribuables
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Description
Le cours couvre les r猫gles juridiques qui jalonnent les proc茅dures fiscales luxembourgeoises dans les contextes europ茅en et international.La protection des droits et obligations des contribuables est en cette mati猫re juridique une pr茅occupation majeure qui r茅git les relations entre l’administration fiscale et le contribuable. 听Le processus d鈥櫭﹍aboration de la d茅cision d鈥檌mposition est examin茅 de mani猫re circonstanci茅e et argument茅e, notamment par l鈥檈xamen de la jurisprudence fiscale. La compr茅hension des r猫gles r茅gissant la proc茅dure administrative contentieuse d鈥櫭﹖ablissement de l鈥檌mp么t est indispensable pour les praticiens de l’imp么t. La m茅connaissance des r猫gles de droit expose le contribuable 脿 des pertes financi猫res.听Les sujets abord茅s sont :- La proc茅dure d鈥檌mposition
- Les r么les des diff茅rentes entit茅s impliqu茅es dans l’administration fiscale
- Les proc茅dures de contr么le
- Les proc茅dures de redressement
- Les r猫gles de prescription
- Les recours administratifs et contentieux
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Details
- Course title: Course 2 – Value Added Tax
- Number of ECTS: 5
- Course code: MADE4-23
- Module(s): Module 5 – Elective courses
- Language: FR, EN
- Mandatory: No
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Course learning outcomes
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to:
–听听听听听听
Identify the logic and principles of the EU VAT
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Describe with clarity the rules governing different types of transactions and the difficulties and solutions for the ensuing complexity
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Advise on VAT compliance obligations and catch potential 鈥渞ed flags鈥 in practice
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Assess the indirect tax treatment of the most common domestic and cross-border transactions (delivery of goods/supplies of services; e.g. financial services and real estate transactions)
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Quickly grasp the impact of new case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union and apply the outcome of the cases to real-life cases -
Description
This course covers the basics of value-added tax with a particular focus on aspects of particular relevance in Luxembourg such cross-border transactions and financial sector activities. 听The course introduces EU legislation on VAT, but the main focus lies in Luxembourg鈥檚 implementation of those rules. Intensive discussion of key jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice on selected important aspects completes preparation of students to solve complex cases in practice.
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Details
- Course title: Moot Court
- Number of ECTS: 5
- Course code: MADE4-94
- Module(s): Module 5 – Elective courses
- Language: EN
- Mandatory: No
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Details
- Course title: Tax Practice Workshop
- Number of ECTS: 10
- Course code: MADE4-EITL-9
- Module(s): Module 6 – Final paper
- Language: EN
- Mandatory: No
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Objectives
On completion of the course unit successful students will be able to (using action verbs):
- Apply the knowledge acquired throughout the programme to practical problems that are frequently encountered in tax law
- Respond to fact patterns described in a realistic and incomplete way in a professional and helpful manner
- Find latest case law in Luxembourg and other jurisdictions to give answers to problems posed beyond the scope of the issues described in courses
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Description
This course has a dual aim:- First, it consolidates the knowledge and skills acquired in all previous courses, in particular from the first semester, with practical exercises that both test students鈥 retention of the content of other classes and showcase their useful application in practice
- Second, it introduces particular topical subjects that are of particular practical relevance and have not been discussed in other classes, often because they have only become relevant during the academic year
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Details
- Course title: Master Thesis
- Number of ECTS: 10
- Course code: MADE4-25
- Module(s): Module 6 – Final paper
- Language: FR, EN
- Mandatory: No