Article 10 of the OECD Model Rules defines an entity as either:
– a legal person (except an individual); or
– any arrangement that prepares separate financial accounts.
Note that the First Set of OECD Administrative Guidance also excludes government agencies (both central and local government) that carry out government functions.
The first limb above would generally catch foundations, whilst the second would catch trusts.
This means that trusts and foundations are squarely within the Pillar Two rules and could be a low-taxed entity, an intermediate entity/partially owned parent entity or even an ultimate parent entity (UPE).
Under Article 1.4.1 of the OECD Model Rules, a UPE for the Pillar Two rules is:
Whether a trust is a UPE is an important consideration as (1) in many cases the UPE is required to apply the income inclusion rule to account for top-up tax and (2) the definition of an MNE group hinges on the relationship between the group companies and the UPE.
For instance, take this scenario:
Determining if the trust was the UPE could result in all companies then potentially being within the scope of the Pillar Two rules (subject to any specific exclusions etc). Aside from the application of Pillar Two to the group, the trust could then be liable to account for top-up tax.
This in itself could create issues.
The definition of a group in the Pillar Two rules relies on accounting principles so that there is a group if there is a requirement to prepare consolidated financial statements.
Whilst a trust or foundation may not usually have to prepare consolidated financial statements under an accounting standard, the Pillar Two rules go further.
Article 10 of the OECD Model Rules states that if no consolidated financial statements are prepared a deeming provision applies so that the entity must prepare hypothetical consolidated financial statements as if it was required to prepare them in accordance with an Authorised Financial Accounting Standard that is either an Acceptable Financial Accounting Standard or another financial accounting standard.
As such, a trust or foundation would need to determine if it would be required to prepare accounting standards under an accounting standard.
This would again depend on accounting principles.
Under IFRS for instance, there is a requirement to consolidate if the trust or foundation possesses power over the parent entities, has exposure to variable returns from its involvement with them and has the ability to use its power over them to affect its returns.
On January 5, 2026, the OECD Released Guidance on amendments to the Pillar 2 rules for the Side-by-Side Tax Package. This article looks at a number of the new elections that arise from this.
On January 5, 2026, the OECD Released Guidance on amendments to the Pillar 2 rules for the Side-by-Side Tax Package.
On December 23, 2025, Germany enacted a law to amend the Minimum Tax Act. This follows the two previous discussion drafts and now includes the January 2025 OECD Administrative Guidance and DAC9 amendments.
On December 23, 2025, Austria published the Tax Amendment Act 2025 in its Official Gazette. This includes amendments to aspects of the December 2023, June 2024 and January 2025 OECD Administrative Guidance, as well as DAC 9 implementation.
Part III of the Dutch Year-End Decree 2025 (published in the Official Gazette on December 23, 2025) amends the Minimum Tax Executive Decree 2024 for aspects of the December 2023, June 2024, and January 2025 OECD Administrative Guidance.
On December 30, 2025, IRAS issued further details on the Pillar 2 registration process. The registration portal is to be open from May 2026, however, a draft registration form and explanatory notes have been issued.
On December 26, 2025, Turkey published the Communique on the Minimum Tax Law. Whilst Turkey has enacted its Minimum Tax Law, a lot of the detailed application of the GloBE rules was left to a further Regulation. This Communique therefore provides for the detailed rules for the implementation of the GloBE rules in Turkey.
On December 19, 2025, the Danish Official Gazette published an Executive Order providing for GIR information reporting requirements and on December 17, 2025, the Danish Official Gazette published Law No. 1643 to amend the Minimum Tax Act.
On December 23, 2025, Liechtenstein’s Official Gazette included amendments to the Pillar 2 law and regulation to implement domestically the OECD provisions for the exchange of information in the GloBE Information Return (GIR) under the multilateral agreement between competent authorities on the exchange of GloBE information (GIR MCAA).
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