Category: KPMG

FIRS Vows to Eliminate Multiple Taxation

Obinna Chima The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowler, has restated the agency’s commitment to eliminating multiple taxation in the country. Fowler said this at a tax breakfast seminar with the theme: “Tax Controversy and Dispute Resolution,’ organised by KPMG Nigeria in Lagos, recently. According to… – Continue reading

KPMG event to shed light on tax developments

The Peninsula KPMG in Qatar will be holding a complimentary event to brief the country’s tax and finance practitioners on recent and upcoming developments in tax processes and regulations, on December 4. The event will see Senior Tax and Advisory leaders from KPMG, along with Salah Gueydi, Director of Tax… – Continue reading

China’s new income tax laws to bring ‘profound implications’

In June this year, the Chinese government announced much-anticipated revisions to the country’s individual income tax laws. KPMG Partner and Senior Advisor Michael Olesnicky says that these new revisions will likely have ‘profound implications’ within the wealth management community in Asia. Hubbis CEO Michael Stanhope recently spoke with him about… – Continue reading

Singapore to help brick-and-mortar stores compete against Amazon

Singapore is considering introducing a levy on e-commerce to give traditional vendors a fighting chance in the face of increased online competition The Singaporean government is expected to introduce a new e-commerce tax in its budget next Monday, in an attempt to level the playing field between online and offline… – Continue reading

Republicans Reveal US Tax Reform Law

On October 2 the US Government released the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, setting out in legislation its plans for comprehensive reform of the US tax code. For businesses, the bill will bring about a landmark shift to a territorial corporate tax system, replacing the current worldwide tax basis regime… – Continue reading

KPMG: Armenian taxpayers to start submitting transfer pricing papers to tax agencies soon

YEREVAN, June 7. /ARKA/. In 2018, Armenian taxpayers will start submitting transfer pricing papers to tax agencies, Nerses Nersisyan, head of KPMG Armenia department in charge of tax and legal consulting, told journalists on Tuesday. In October 2016, he said, a new tax code was adopted in Armenia, in which… – Continue reading

Trust Companies, Banks Should Be Main Haven Targets: EU Report

New measures targeting trust companies and banks in their role of helping to create offshore companies, such as the more than 200,000 exposed in the year-old Panama Papers, should be the priority for EU legislators in their efforts to crack down on the use of tax haven intermediaries, according to… – Continue reading

VAT and CRS to add to costs and regulatory burden of banks

Value added tax is likely to be an irrecoverable cost, negatively affecting margins for the banking sector Dubai: The UAE and GCC banks that are facing increased regulatory burden from Basel III capital requirements and International Reporting Standards 9 (IFRS 9) are expected to face further pressure in terms of… – Continue reading

KPMG offshore tax dodge a ‘facade’ designed to hide money, ex-client says

Accounting firm’s contracts with federal government questioned. A former client of the accounting giant KPMG says a tax dodge that involved wealthy people gifting their money to an offshore jurisdiction was a “facade” designed to hide money from the taxman. The client, who spoke to CBC’s the fifth estate and… – Continue reading

KPMG Issues Survey Report on OECD’s Common Reporting Standard

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm, has issued a new survey report on the international Common Reporting Standard (CRS), which reveals that financial institutions impacted by the regulations still have much work to do to meet with the initiative’s significant… – Continue reading

Panama not cooperating with Malta tax authorities

Authorities unable to access leaked e-mails from Mossack Fonseca Panama is not cooperating with the Maltese tax authorities in their investigations into the Panama Papers leak, according to Finance Minister Edward Scicluna. Prof. Scicluna made his comments to Malta Today. Inland Revenue Commissioner Marvin Gaerty told this paper last year… – Continue reading

Singapore Goes The Mauritius Route, Loses Right To Tax Equity Capital Gains Arising In India

Starting April 1, 2017, India will have the right to tax capital gains arising on Indian equity shares sold by a Singapore resident. The governments of India and Singapore have amended the double taxation avoidance treaty between the two countries, in line with the changes India recently made to a… – Continue reading

Multinationals Dodged Bullet on ‘Earnings Stripping’ Rules

Many kinds of U.S. multinational companies, including S-corporations, REITS, and financial services companies apparently dodged a bullet last month when the U.S. Treasury Dept. issued its final, substantially revised rules aimed at curtailing “earnings stripping.” The revised regulation represents an attempt by Treasury to help “narrow the rule and avoid… – Continue reading

Tax havens are under attack

Ireland, accused of being a tax haven for multinationals such as Apple to pay nearly zero tax on the bulk of its profits earned outside the United States, finds itself with a new adversary in the global fight against unfair tax practices — Brazil. As of October 1, Brazil will… – Continue reading

Base erosion and profit shifting protocol: Small firms may get relief

The threshold could be R5,400 crore of annual consolidated group revenue for the purpose of country-by-country reporting Not more than 120 India-headquartered firms — along with their global associates — are likely to be impacted by the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) protocol once it is implemented, as the… – Continue reading

KPMG wants better tax systems

Auditing and tax advisory firm KPMG is calling for establishment of the T&T Revenue Authority (TTRA) so there can be a structured way of collecting taxes. “The current main tax authority does not appear to have structured means, if any, of treating with businesses that conceal transaction to avoid tax… – Continue reading

ATO warns accounting firms on tax avoidance

Back in July, ABC’s The Business and Michael West featured an extraordinary raft of allegations from a 32-year veteran industry insider turned whistleblower, George Rozvany, who claimed that multinational tax avoidance was “out of control” and cost the Budget up to $50 billion dollars a year in lost revenue. Rozvany… – Continue reading

UAE companies to benefit from transfer pricing as profit-shifting plan comes into force

The international tax landscape has been changing rapidly and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has agreed on a base erosion and profit shifting (Beps) action plan that could affect businesses operating in the UAE. The plan addresses the issue of artificial shifting of profits and its proposals… – Continue reading

CRA convicts a fraction of offshore tax evaders: Exclusive

As worldwide pressure grows to fight offshore tax evasion, new statistics obtained by the Star show the Canadian government has convicted only 49 people and levied just $13.4 million in fines for what it calls offshore activity since 2010. These numbers are far lower than in comparable countries and show… – Continue reading

How to get ready for BEPS tax reporting rule changes

Multinational companies are making strides in preparing for radically changed cross-border tax and transfer-pricing reporting rules as compliance deadlines near, research by Thomson Reuters suggests, but uneasiness remains amongst tax executives about their readiness. The new rules will require multinational enterprises with annual revenues of €750 million ($830 million) or… – Continue reading

‘Tax avoidance’ masters revealed: EXCLUSIVE

The “Big Four” global accounting firms – PwC, Deloitte, KPMG and Ernst & Young – are the masterminds of multinational tax avoidance and the architects of tax schemes which cost governments and their taxpayers an estimated $US1 trillion a year, according to an Australian taxation expert. The controversial new claims… – Continue reading

How new EU tax laws impact Thai firms

THAI MULTINATIONAL companies will be impacted on their cross-border business activities due to rapidly evolving tax laws in Europe and Asia-Pacific. For instance, the European Union (EU) achieved a groundbreaking result on June 20 by agreeing to a package of tax measures to combat corporate tax avoidance, which will be… – Continue reading

CRA has double standard for tax cheats

The CRA won’t divulge the identities of people convicted for stashing millions offshore, but it names and shames those caught owing small amounts of tax. The Canada Revenue Agency claims at least nine people have been convicted of offshore tax evasion over the last two years, receiving $4 million in… – Continue reading

CRA has double standard for tax cheats

The CRA won’t divulge the identities of people convicted for stashing millions offshore, but it names and shames those caught owing small amounts of tax. The Canada Revenue Agency claims at least nine people have been convicted of offshore tax evasion over the last two years, receiving $4 million in… – Continue reading

GAAR to override bilateral tax treaty provisions: Official

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) Following the revision of India’s bilateral tax treaty with Mauritius, the government on Wednesday said the General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR ) provisions, with effect from April next year, will override the Double TaxationAvoidance Agreement (DTAA) in case of abuse. “GAAR being anti-abuse provision can prevail… – Continue reading

Banks bear the brunt of tax laws which force foreigners to open an account

Banks say tax rules cracking down on property speculation force them to screen for money-laundering at their own cost. Banks are refusing to open accounts for foreigners if they think the costs outweigh the benefits. New property and tax laws launched late last year made “offshore persons” buying or selling… – Continue reading

Bank account requirement makes it tougher to pay tax in NZ: expert

A change to our tax rules aimed at foreign property investors is likely to affect many people, a tax expert says. A bill poised to be passed by Parliament this week may increase the red tape for anyone based overseas doing taxable business with this country. The Taxation (Residential Land… – Continue reading

Canada’s record on finding tax evaders is dismal

Only a week after the so-called Panama Papers burst into the media spotlight early last month, the Canadian government issued a news release vowing to “crack down on tax evasion and tax avoidance.” The leak of a staggering 11.5 million documents from a Panama City law firm promised to reveal… – Continue reading

Key features of new Thai-Indian DTA

THE DOUBLE taxation treaty (DTA) between India and Thailand has been successfully renegotiated and agreed to by both states and will come into force in January next year. The key highlights include a reduction of withholding tax on dividends, interest and royalties. Article 10 reduces the dividend withholding tax to… – Continue reading

Government looks to resolve 100 transfer pricing issues; seeks to sign more advanced agreements

In amove towards a more progressive taxation policy the revenue officials have set an aggressive target of resolving about 100 transfer pricing issues by signing advance pricing agreements (APAs) with multinationals this fiscal, people close to the development said. The government, through the Central Bureau of Direct Taxes (CBDT), had… – Continue reading

African nations urged to rethink incentives

African governments should embrace meaningful bilateral investments agreements to foster sustainable economic growth on the continent. The call follows a report by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on investment policies and bilateral investment treaties by Africa, indicating a huge gap between most of signed treaties and their actual… – Continue reading

KPMG: Moves to curb international tax dodges

Global international tax takes from multinational companies will almost certainly increase in the next 5-10 years as governments around the world look to level the taxation playing field. Commenting on the New Zealand Herald’s series examining ‘the tax gap’ – multinationals channelling earnings to lower tax regimes, disadvantaging some of… – Continue reading

Google tax’ looms large: Marketing spend might go up

Court cases likely over interpretation of the new levy proposed in the Budget for digital economy The government’s plan to expand the scope of equalisation levy proposed in the Union Budget, seeking to bring more transactions in the digital economy under the tax net, has left many e-commerce players fuming…. – Continue reading

Income tax cuts will benefit 31 million workers

The amount people can earn before being hit by income tax will rise to £11,500 in April 2017, benefiting millions of workers. The move will cut taxes for 31 million people, according to the Treasury, and will mean 1.3 million low-wage workers are taken out of paying income tax altogether…. – Continue reading

Canada Revenue offered amnesty to wealthy KPMG clients in offshore tax ‘sham’

Federal authorities demanded secrecy in no-penalty, no-prosecution deal to high net worth Canadians The Canada Revenue Agency offered amnesty to multi-millionaire clients caught using what’s been called an offshore tax “sham” on the Isle of Man — a reprieve that was supposed to remain secret and out of the public… – Continue reading

Luxembourg set for a “huge change”

Governments around the world want more tax income. There is a widely held feeling that many international companies are basing themselves in places like Luxembourg, Ireland, and the Netherlands to avoid tax. The world’s largest countries have a plan and things will change. What will be the effect on Luxembourg,… – Continue reading

Gulf oil dilemma drives tax reforms to shore up deficits

The oil price slide is driving tax reforms across the region as Arabian Gulf economies seek to shore up a potential US$700 billion deficit. All six Arabian Gulf states are planning to introduce Value Added Tax (VAT) collectively. Various other tax reforms are also underway. The IMF warned in October… – Continue reading

Extent of tax fraud unknown – SARS

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) still does not know the full extent of tax evasion, despite its work probing foreign bank accounts held by South African residents. It has been a year since SARS confirmed some account holders had been using their offshore accounts to evade their tax obligations,… – Continue reading