Category: Google

Ireland – the tax haven

‘We’re not a tax haven, we have never been involved in any kind of tax malpractice’ – Michael Noonan, Irish Minister for Finance 5th October 2015 ‘Nobody is using Ireland as a tax haven’ – Minister for Agriculture, Simon Conveney, The UN’s Philip Aston says, ‘When lists of tax havens… – Continue reading

Tax Inversions Hinder Economy, Boost Large Caps

Tax inversions and corporate tax rate cuts would be huge for these stocks Certain politicians are decrying a tax move known as an “inversions,” which allow a U.S. company to merge with a foreign one with a more favorable tax rate. Yet, it’s the politicians who created the necessity for… – Continue reading

Ireland: the Tax Haven that Dare Not Speak Its Name

‘We’re not a tax haven, we have never been involved in any kind of tax malpractice’ – Michael Noonan, Irish Minister for Finance 5th October 2015 If your top political figures need to constantly state that your country is not a tax haven, then the chances are it probably is… – Continue reading

Offshore Shell Games 2015: The Use of Offshore Tax Havens by Fortune 500 Companies

U.S.-based multinational corporations are allowed to play by a different set of rules than small and domestic businesses or individuals when it comes to the tax code. Rather than paying their fair share, many multinational corporations use accounting tricks to pretend for tax purposes that a substantial portion of their… – Continue reading

How Microsoft moves profits offshore to cut tax bill

SEATTLE — When someone in Seattle buys a copy of Office at a Microsoft Store, that cash doesn’t take the short route to the company’s area headquarters. Instead, after accounting for state taxes, the profit goes to a Microsoft sales subsidiary in Nevada. From there, much of that money begins… – Continue reading

Bermuda On “Best Tax Havens In World” List

Bermuda has “long been a popular tax haven” according to a story by gobankingrates.com, which ranked the island as one of the “top 10 best tax havens in the world.” The story said “Bermuda has long been a popular tax haven, said Ravi Ramnarain, an independent certified public accountant. “Wealthy… – Continue reading

Multinational conglomerates escape transfer-pricing charge

VietNamNet Bridge – The agreements on double taxation avoidance that Vietnam has signed with other countries is one of the reasons that have made it impossible for state agencies to clarify the suspected cases of multinational conglomerates conducting transfer pricing. A lot of multinational conglomerates such as Coca-Cola, Metro Cash… – Continue reading

‘Google tax’ on firms from 2016

Measure tries to keep firms from exploiting tax law variations Foreign and local businesses with annual sales of 100 billion won ($85 million) or more, and over 50 billion won in transactions with overseas entities must report international transactions to the tax authority starting next year. Known as the “Google… – Continue reading

A Cheeky Welsh Town Goes ‘Offshore’ To Avoid British Taxes

Tax avoidance is a big issue in the United Kingdom these days. The discussion usually revolves around a large multinational company that “goes offshore” by using creative accounting methods to reduce or avoid paying British taxes on its profits. But in a small town in central Wales, local business owners… – Continue reading

Exclusive: Seven big investment banks in UK paid just $30 million tax in 2014

LONDON (Reuters) – Seven of the biggest investment banks operating in London paid little or no tax in Britain last year, despite reporting billions of dollars in profits, a Reuters analysis of corporate filings shows. In recent months, the seven investment and corporate banks operating in London reported figures showing… – Continue reading

Australia lays bare corporate tax details

The Australian Government’s efforts to improve tax collections are more urgent amid falling revenue from weak commodity prices, the Wall Street Journal reports Malcolm Turnbull’s government took the rare step of making public the tax affairs of scores of multinationals, highlighting that many big names—including Apple Inc. and Volkswagen AG… – Continue reading

UPDATE 1-Australia unmasks 600 firms which paid no tax on big profits in 2014

SYDNEY, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Australia on Thursday identified 600 companies which it said paid no tax last financial year, including Halliburton Co and Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc, as part of a campaign to challenge “overly aggressive” tax arrangements. The Australian Taxation Office published the income and tax rates of… – Continue reading

Australian tax office names names in multinational avoidance row

Australian tax authorities on Thursday took the unprecedented step of publishing the records of hundreds of companies, including Google Inc (GOOGL.O) and Apple Inc APPL.O, which show they paid little or no tax on their in-country earnings. Of more than 1,500 largely foreign-owned companies which reported total earnings over A$100… – Continue reading

ATO to unveil large business hit list, clamps down on Singapore hubs

Hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue could be up for grabs as the Tax Office announces reviews of multinationals using offshore hubs in Singapore to minimise their tax. The ATO has issued a warning to multinationals to come forward immediately to discuss their overseas hub arrangements, if they have… – Continue reading

BEPS also applies to medium-sized businesses

Stricter Tax and documentation requirements for foreign transactions “Amazon, Facebook, Google and Starbucks pay little taxes …” or “Luxembourg attracts international corporations” – headlines like these have 62 states and the OECD called into action. The result was “base erosion and profit shifting” BEPS shortly. Even the German SME sector… – Continue reading

‘OECD’s tax haven plan is based on what India believes in’

MUMBAI: India has been an active participant in the Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS) action plan, the final package of which was rolled out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in October. The action points, set down by the OECD, aim at closing loopholes that enable… – Continue reading

Bermuda accuses critics of ‘a lack of respect’ over transparency

Campaigners attack offshore centre for support of tax dodging, corruption and terrorist financing, reports the Financial Times. Bermuda has hit back against its critics, claiming that the financial centre is the victim of an “irresistible urge to stereotype” the British overseas territories. Bob Richards, finance minister, mounted a trenchant defence… – Continue reading

Commission should speed up and expand Google competition investigation, MEPs say

The EU Commission should investigate why Google offers its “Android” operating system only in conjunction with other Google services and also why manufacturers allegedly may not pre-install rival products; MEPs say in a response to the Commission’s annual competition report for 2014. Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee MEPs approved the… – Continue reading

Google, Apple and Starbucks would face ‘laughable’ fines for tax dodging under new rules

£300 penalties would be dwarfed by millions in potential profits for firms that take advantage of tax-avoidance schemes Huge multinational companies that dodge millions of pounds in tax in the UK and around the world face “laughable” fines of £300 under new rules proposed by HM Revenue and Customs. The… – Continue reading

‘OECD’s tax haven plan on Indian lines’

MUMBAI: India has been an active participant in the Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS) action plan, the final package of which was rolled out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in October. The action points, set down by the OECD, aim at closing loopholes that enable… – Continue reading

Australian multinational tax avoidance laws to come into effect next year

From the start of 2016, multinational companies found to be avoiding tax will have pay back the tax owed, plus a 100 per cent penalty, reports ZD Net. The Australian Greens have voted with the Coalition to pass legislation that will see multinational companies with annual revenue above AU$1 billion… – Continue reading

A battle over billions in business tax incentives

Deep in the $1.1 trillion dollar spending bill that Congress has to pass by Dec. 11 to avoid a government shutdown are 50 annual “tax extenders” that would provide tens of billions of dollars in tax relief for the private sector. Advocates say these measures, which have been around for… – Continue reading

Base Erosion and Profit Sharing plan is a fair tax treatment for all, says former chairperson of CBDT

x MUMBAI: India has been an active participant in the Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS) action plan, the final package of which was rolled out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in October. The action points, set down by the OECD, aim at closing loopholes that… – Continue reading

Tax Policy Emerges As New Source of Friction As Europe Seeks Additional Revenue From US Multinationals

The 28 nations of the European Union lose up to $1 trillion per year in revenue thanks to multinational corporations that use a spider’s web of completely legal constructs to lower their taxes. Now, Europe’s law enforcers and lawmakers want to wipe away these intricate tax-avoidance systems. If they have… – Continue reading

Explainer: how Uber and Airbnb are reducing their Australian tax bill

The current international tax regime was developed in the last century when the internet was not yet invented. At that time, a foreign company would typically require a substantial physical presence in Australia before it could be in a position to earn significant amount of income from Australian customers. This… – Continue reading

Microsoft, Oracle under pressure over taxes

Government officials say multinational technology giants are reluctant to pay anything The Korean affiliates of Microsoft (MS) and Oracle are under increasing pressure to pay taxes here, with government officials saying the two multinational technology giants were reluctant to pay anything, although they generated huge a lot of money from… – Continue reading

Punters punting our tax pennies offshore

Australian punters will be thrilled to know that when they do their shirts gambling their post-tax dollars, those very same dollars, which become the pre-tax dollars of the British online betting giants, are funnelled off to places like Gibraltar, pre-tax. University of NSW accounting academic, Jeff Knapp, and Fairfax Media… – Continue reading

Apple, Amazon and Microsoft’s mega-million con: How titans of the new economy screw us all on taxes

Tech titans powering the economy shelter money through insane tax-avoidance havens. It’s wrong — and adding up Offshore tax havens enable not only individuals to dodge taxes—they also enable multinational corporations to do so. Often this tax avoidance is done within the letter of the law: multinational groups exploit the… – Continue reading

Chevron’s Bermuda companies under scrutiny

Bermuda has been in the spotlight in Australia as senators examine the tax affairs of big business. An Australian senate committee set up to look at the tax affairs of major companies heard that oil giants Chevron had 200 companies registered in Bermuda and a further 200 registered in the… – Continue reading

Interview: how the tax rulings committee came up with plans for a fairer system

Multinationals should pay their taxes where they make their profits, according to one of the recommendations by the tax rulings committee, which were adopted by MEPs on 25 November. Report authors Elisa Ferreira (S&D, Portugal) and Michael Theurer (ALDE, Germany) told us it had been difficult for the committee to… – Continue reading

Ethical Investors Should Shun Firms Avoiding Tax

Big name companies have faced a lot of criticism from the media about the low taxes they pay in some countries. Lately, the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has finalised a set of recommendations to stop base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). The rules are aimed at curbing… – Continue reading

ATO takes tighter approach to deals with multinationals on future taxes

Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan has become more picky about entering agreements with multinationals aimed at giving companies certainty about their tax payment requirements in Australia in future years. Taxpayers can lock in their tax payment for a period of about three years via an “advanced pricing agreement”, or APA. Technology… – Continue reading

Investors heading abroad for growth

Wrap platforms are increasingly evolving to meet the needs of investors looking offshore for growth, with the addition of managed funds, ETFs and SMAs, Cameron Garrett writes. Traditionally, the investment portfolios of Australians have been heavily weighted towards investing in Australian equities. This is an interesting statistic, especially as the… – Continue reading

CE + IT Multinationals Seek Talk With ATO As Avoidance Laws Near

CANBERRA – Several multinational companies have approached the Australian Taxation Office to negotiate before the Coalition Government’s tougher anti-avoidance laws take effect in January, tax commissioner Chris Jordan has said in opening remarks to the Senate inquiry into corporate tax avoidance. While not naming the companies, Jordan said he expects… – Continue reading

Airbnb argues boost to economy makes up for tax evasion

Online accommodation platform, Airbnb, appeared before the Senate Inqury into the tax avoidance of multinational companies on Wednesday, with the ANZ manager arguing the startup brings a significant amount of money into the economy. Airbnb has found itself in the spotlight on Wednesday, when a Senate inquiry into the tax… – Continue reading

Uber claims it is not avoiding tax as it is not profitable

Uber ANZ director of public policy appeared before the Senate inquiry into the tax avoidance of multinational companies on Wednesday, focusing on tax requirements of an individual driver, rather than the company. A Senate inquiry into the tax avoidance of multinational companies continued in Sydney on Wednesday, when Uber appeared… – Continue reading

Chevron hits out at ‘tax dodger’ claims at fiery Senate inquiry

Chevron, the US oil giant behind Australia’s biggest liquefied natural gas project, has been hit with claims its tax affairs are a “rort”. We have spent a year trying to find Australia’s biggest tax dodger and we’ve found it. It’s Chevron. Sam Dastyari But the company insists it is the… – Continue reading

Welsh town to copy Isle of Man model in TV tax haven documentary

The Isle of Man’s role as an offshore finance centre will come under the spotlight on television following a Welsh town’s experiment in how to avoid paying UK tax. Independent traders in Crickhowell, led by the salmon smokery, the local coffee shop, the adventure clothes shop, the optician, the book… – Continue reading

South Korea Joins 94 Countries Enacting ‘Google Tax’

Google is said to have evaded paying an estimated $1.3 billion earned from selling apps in Korea based on the argument that their server is based in Ireland. The so called ‘Google Tax’, also known as the Base Erosion & Profit Shifting (BEPS) regulation, has been adopted this week by… – Continue reading

Tough debate with multinational companies on corporate tax practices

MEPs grilled eleven multinational companies on their corporate tax practices in a five-hour debate with the Special Committee on Tax Rulings on Monday. These companies had declined the committee’s first invitation to appear before it, but later changed their minds and accepted its last chance invitation. Of the 13 original… – Continue reading

Taxes: Google quizzed by EU

Brussels – Google and Facebook were among US companies facing questions on Monday from European Union lawmakers about their tax-reducing techniques, a month after regional antitrust regulators raised the stakes by ordering Starbucks and a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV unit to repay millions of euros in back taxes. The queries… – Continue reading

People are leaving fake price tags in IKEA to call out tax avoidance

Some people think popular furniture store IKEA is being naughty, and not paying its proper share of tax in Australia. The franchise is a behemoth, both literally in terms of store size and figuratively in that it collected a US$5 billion profit for the 2014 financial year. A community action… – Continue reading

Park calls for careful adjustment of monetary policy

President Park Geun-hye called Monday for a careful adjustment of monetary policies of advanced countries amid lingering worries over a potential Fed rate hike. Last month, the U.S. Federal Reserve kept interest rates at near zero due to global headwinds but suggested that it could raise rates by the end… – Continue reading

Transfer pricing: Shifting profits from hard-to-value intangibles

The need for robust, well-informed intangible asset valuations for the purpose of transfer pricing is becoming ever more invaluable for MNEs TRANSFER pricing has been the buzz-word of the moment with extensive media coverage in recent years of multinational enterprises (MNEs) repositioning profits to more favourable tax jurisdictions. This movement… – Continue reading

Uber, Airbnb to be hauled before Senate inquiry into corporate tax avoidance

What does Uber mean for Canberra? Journalist Henry Belot explains how Uber will work in the ACT and what it means for passengers and drivers. Uber and Airbnb will be dragged before the Senate inquiry into corporate tax avoidance this week to face questions about tax structures that allow them… – Continue reading

Ireland Braced For European Commission Ruling On Apple Tax

DUBLIN (Alliance News) – After the European Commission ruling that multinationals received unfair tax benefits in the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Ireland is braced for an EC ruling on whether its taxation treatment of technology company Apple constituted state aid. “I don’t know what the outcome will be, but this is… – Continue reading