Category: A-E

Harsh realities dawn on Switzerland’s private banks

By 2013, Banque Cramer knew it had a problem. With just SFr2bn of client money, the 300-year-old Swiss private bank was too small to weather the radical changes sweeping through its industry, reports Financial Times. Extra regulatory and compliance demands were driving up costs. Big advantages that traditionally helped Swiss… – Continue reading

Businesses lax on tax transparency – EY

In the face of increased regulatory pressure from the OECD, the European Commission and various national governments, tax transparency is becoming an extremely important issue. However, many companies lack the systems and resources to adequately respond to these new global tax disclosure and transparency requirements, according to a report from… – Continue reading

Luxleaks committee to be extended until October

The special committee leading the European Parliament’s inquiry into tax rulings has upped the pressure on businesses and European governments. The inquiry will be extended until October. EurActiv France reports. Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg and Switzerland have one thing in common. These five countries have all received an investigative… – Continue reading

SARS to employ more tax specialists to deal with base erosion, profit shifting

THE South African Revenue Service (SARS ) is to significantly beef up its capacity to deal with base erosion and profit shifting, which has received intense focus by MPs over the last few months. SARS commissioner Tom Moyane said on Wednesday 24 more tax specialists would be employed in the… – Continue reading

United States: U.S. Nets Seven Financial Institutions Through Its Swiss Bank Program. Is Julius Baer Next?

On Thursday, May 28, 2015, the Department of Justice announced that pursuant to its August 29, 2013 Swiss Bank Program, it had reached settlement with four additional Swiss banks. The newest banks to settle, Société Générale Private Banking (Lugano-Svizzera), MediBank AG, LBBW (Schweiz) AG, and Scobag Privatbank AG, will pay… – Continue reading

Island’s links with the Northern powerhouse worth promoting

A full and fascinating roundtable discussion based around the island’s place as an international finance centre was held at KPMG’s headquarters in Athol Street, Douglas. Around the table were David Karran, managing director, IQE, Simon Scott, managing director, Barclays Isle of Man, Andrew Thomas, chief executive, Isle of Man Enterprises… – Continue reading

Pharmaceutical companies called on to explain tiny tax contribution

The five biggest suppliers of publicly subsidised medicines in Australia recorded sales of nearly $5 billion last year but paid an average of just $10 million each in company tax. Research by the Parliamentary Library, obtained by Fairfax Media, has disclosed the tax contribution of multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer… – Continue reading

Amazon is not “motivated” by Irish low tax regime

Ireland’s tax regime isn’t a major reason for Amazon’s presence here, according to Amazon Data Services Ireland general manager Jeff Caselden, reports the Irish Independent. Caselden was speaking to the Sunday Independent in the week that Amazon agreed to substantially alter its European tax arrangements, in a move that could… – Continue reading

Axact scam: FIA unearths Shoaib Shaikh’s seven offshore companies

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has, during its probe into the Axact scandal, unearthed seven offshore companies that were being run by Shoaib Shaikh. According to FIA sources, the agency during the forensic inspection of the data retrieved from Axact’s computers seized by the authorities earlier has ascertained that… – Continue reading

Barclays, Standard Chartered investigating FIFA payments

Barclays has launched an internal review into whether its accounts were used for corrupt payments by FIFA officials, a banking source told AFP on Sunday. Standard Chartered has also said it was investigating payments cited in the US indictment. UK-headquartered Barclays, Standard Chartered and HSBC were among more than a… – Continue reading

UK offshore tax havens at heart of US investigation into World Cup corruption

British Virgin Islands, Caymans and Turks & Caicos feature heavily in justice department indictment of senior football officials British overseas tax havens play a key role in what US authorities have called “rampant, systemic and deep-rooted” corruption in the world of football, analysis by the Observer reveals. The 164-page US… – Continue reading

1MDB guilty until proven innocent, Dr M says

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 — Unless proven innocent, it must be assumed that the management of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had misappropriated the funds invested in Cayman Islands, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today in his continued tirade against the troubled state investment firm. The former prime minister said although… – Continue reading

British internet giant Telecity falls into hands of tax-avoiding US rival Equinix for £2.35bn

The company that runs a swathe of Britain’s internet service is being bought by an American predator that plans to fold it into a giant international tax haven. Telecity operates data centres all over Europe – which house the wires that make the internet work – including sites in London… – Continue reading

UK banks named in football bribery scandal: Barclays and HSBC ‘handled millions in suspect transactions’

■ Barclays and HSBC have been named in legal papers filed in the US ■ Documents have also named London-based Standard Chartered Bank ■ Allegedly moved suspect transactions linked to Fifa through their accounts ■ Britain’s Serious Fraud Office is understood to be monitoring situation Two of Britain’s biggest High… – Continue reading

Avago’s Pending Broadcom Purchase Taps Arcane Tax Structure

Avago Technologies Ltd.’s pending takeover of Broadcom Corp. taps an arcane tax structure that has being dusted off amid a rise in cross-border mergers. Avago said it is prepared to offer Broadcom shareholders special partnership units that would defer any taxes triggered by the $37 billion tie-up, which was announced… – Continue reading

Central bank agrees to weigh forex rules bending

Bangladesh Bank will take all possible measures to liberalise country’s foreign-exchange rules and regulations for attracting foreign investors to a number of proposed economic zones. The decision was taken at a meeting between the central bank and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) at the BB headquarters Tuesday. Presided over… – Continue reading

EU plans mandatory cross-border rules to fight corporate tax evasion

In a bid to fight tax avoidance by international business behemoths like Amazon and Apple, the European Commission is proposing mandatory rules to make companies pay taxes to all the countries in which they generate profit. The Commission on Wednesday unveiled plans to overhaul the European Union’s outdated tax system,… – Continue reading

U.S. Probes Bank Links in FIFA Marketing Corruption Scandal

The U.S. is examining banks’ conduct as part of a wide-ranging corruption probe of international soccer that has led to charges against 14 people, including officials with the sport’s organizing body. Money involved in the two-decade-old bribery scheme passed through U.S. banks including Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co.,… – Continue reading

Officials sign Swiss-EU data exchange deal

Switzerland and the European Union have signed an agreement providing for the automatic exchange of banking information, effective 2018. On Wednesday, Swiss State Secretary for International Financial Matters Jacques de Watteville signed the accord in Brussels along with EU Tax Commissioner Pierre Moscovici and Latvian Finance Minister Janis Reirs. Before… – Continue reading

Banks’ profits recover, but they are paying less in corporation tax

Research shows corporation tax receipts from banks are lower than before crisis despite global tax payments staying constant Britain’s banks are paying far less in corporation tax to the Exchequer than before the crisis, despite their profits improving and global tax payments staying constant. Research from Cambridge Judge Business School… – Continue reading

Amazon begins to book revenues in separate countries in what expert says is response to regulatory pressure

E-commerce giant Amazon has begun booking revenue in individual European companies, a move that tax expert Heather Self of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said is probably influenced by upcoming regulatory changes.26 May 2015 “As of 1 May, Amazon EU Sarl is recording retail sales made to customers… – Continue reading

Germany: Amazon Pays $16M in Tax, Earns $16B

The company decided to declare its revenues since European regulators started to investigate its accounting practices. Internet retailer Amazon paid about US$16 million to Germany in 2014, while the giant multinational recorded a total earning of US$16 billion in that country, according to the country’s regulators. In the past, the… – Continue reading

Big bucks, but no bankers jailed in $5.7B settlement

Six of the biggest names in global finance shelled out billions of dollars Wednesday to settle charges of rigging currency markets, but liberal lawmakers complain the government is just doling out slaps on the wrist. On Wednesday, the Justice Department announced a settlement that also saw five banks plead guilty… – Continue reading

Foreign taxpayers named by Switzerland

Switzerland has begun online publication of names of foreigners and foreign firms wanted in tax probes by their countries of origin, including Germany. American citizens are identified only by their initials. The Swiss Sunday newspaper “Sonntagszeitung” said the alpine nation was flooded with formal tracing requests from foreign tax authorities…. – Continue reading

Dr M accuses Najib of lying when he said S’pore bank had 1MDB cash

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia – Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has accused Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak of lying when he told Parliament that money held by government investment arm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) is being kept in Singapore. “No money was banked into BSI Bank in Singapore…. – Continue reading

Malta’s credibility as financial centre takes another hit over battle for Gaddafi’s money

Malta’s credibility as a financial centre has taken another hit as news broke this week about a legal battle for the millions of euros accumulated by Mutassim Gaddafi – son of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi – currently frozen in a Bank of Valletta account. Malta’s role in all this came… – Continue reading

Government Issues Beneficial Ownership Report

The Cayman Islands Government today issued a report stating that it will continue its current method of providing beneficial ownership information to law enforcement, tax and regulatory authorities, as the method adheres to global standards. As explained in its Consultation Report on Maintenance of Legal and Beneficial Ownership Information, Government’s… – Continue reading