Money laundering and abuse of sophisticated financial instruments have come under increasing scrutiny from regulators. However observers warn high-profile initiatives often act as a distraction from a lack of genuine political will to tackle global financial crime. For example, India’s leading stock exchange, the BSE, de-listed 222 dormant shell companies… – Continue reading
The United Arab Emirates has more than 140 free zones across seven emirates, including 20 designated zones with separate laws, regulations and VAT treatment. This can make doing business in the UAE a complex journey. However, there is also the strong benefit of the UAE being one of the easier… – Continue reading
(BVI NEWS) – Stakeholders in the local financial services sector are said to be considering Crown Dependent countries such as the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey to relocate their businesses. That’s according to Executive Director of BVI Finance, Lorna Smith. Smith made the disclosure during a public forum at… – Continue reading
ISLAMABAD: If Panama Papers documents are any guide, Saifullahs of Lakki Marwat has the highest number of offshore companies owned by any Pakistani family and majority of them are in British Virgin Islands. Seychelles and Panama are two other jurisdictions where they have set up companies. While source of wealth… – Continue reading
Many feel the move discriminates against those not using the digital mode NEW DELHI, JUNE 25 The proposal to give discount on Goods and Services Tax (GST) for digital payments may not be implemented as there is no consensus among the States on the issue. “There are divergent views. Many… – Continue reading
A bill tabled in Parliament last week aims to strengthen the Government’s ability to detect criminals who want to use Samoa’s offshore banking scheme to hide the proceeds of their criminal activities. That’s what Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi said when the Money Laundering Prevention Amendment Bill 2018 was tabled… – Continue reading
Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Iqbal Mahmood on Wednesday ordered all ACC officials to complete enquiries by June 30 against individuals or entities whose names have been appeared in Panama Paper and Paradise Paper leaks. He made the order in an urgent meeting with the secretary, all director generals, and directors of… – Continue reading
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a three day official visit to Singapore late last month. The trip was his first since November 2015, and followed quick visits to Indonesia and Malaysia. The three-nation tour, touted to be part of India’s Act East Policy, laid clear emphasis on closer Southeast… – Continue reading
Experts have called on the federal government to do more toward promoting new investments, especially local start-up companies, by offering them tax incentives in order to enable them thrive in the nation’s current business climate. They are unanimous in their opinion that the federal government has not done enough to… – Continue reading
The New Delhi Bench of the Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR) in the application filed by the applicant HM Publishers Holdings Limited held that the receipts arising out of a negative covenant not to carry on a business is taxable as business income under Section 28 (va) of the Income… – Continue reading
HNWs need to be on top of their tax or face the Revenue’s ‘death ray’, writes Danny Bentley-White Bad news: the number of tax evasion cases identified by HMRC for the 2017/18 year was 3,809, an 18 per cent rise on 3,216 in 2016/17. These aren’t your ‘cash = No… – Continue reading
For the next long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the Commission is proposing measures to make tax and customs cooperation between Member States better and more efficient. Continued funding of these programmes will help the EU to progress in offering businesses unfettered and easy access to the EU’s Single Market so that… – Continue reading
Both large and small businesses in the United States expect the measures included in the recently enacted tax reform legislation, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, to have a positive effect on their operations, according to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT). In a recent statement, Hatch… – Continue reading
According to figures released earlier this year, SMEs are in fact paying more corporation tax than larger more complex organisations. Specifically, the rate paid by SMEs in 2016 was 21.7%, while it was 20% for businesses with a turnover of £1billion. The research was conducted by accountancy firm Moore Stephens,… – Continue reading
The OECD has released the first peer reviews of the country-by-country (CbC) reporting initiative, reporting that practically all countries that serve as headquarters to large multinationals have introduced new transfer pricing documentation requirements to improve transparency. Country-by-country reporting will see tax administrations worldwide collect and share detailed information on all… – Continue reading
AMMAN — Jordan’s income tax draft law will enable the Kingdom achieve a “positive credit rating” and enhance ongoing fiscal reforms in Jordan, according to a report by credit ratings agency Moody’s. The report, a copy of which was obtained by the Jordan Times on Sunday, indicated that the bill… – Continue reading
The OECD has endorsed New Zealand’s crackdown on multi-national tax evasion, despite significant criticism from local businesses that it departs from OECD standards, Thomas Coughlan reports. David Bradbury, head of the OECD’s tax policy and statistics division, told Newsroom that the OECD was “very pleased with the strong support that… – Continue reading
In recent months, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been hauled before lawmakers in the United States and the European Union to respond to criticism of the company’s privacy policies and sharing of user data. Now the company’s dodgy tax practices are facing increased scrutiny from an even more important source:… – Continue reading
Tax authorities suspended the licenses of businesses across Greece after audits showed blatant cases of tax evasion, reported the Athens News Agency. On Mykonos, authorities confiscated the license and plates of a vehicle of a business that was offering luxury transport services with a mini van, without being registered with… – Continue reading
Ease of doing business and tax reforms are at the center of India’s growth agenda as the country pitches itself as the leading investment destination among global emerging markets. Yet, India’s tax competitiveness record remains mixed. At a time when the U.S., U.K., and Japan have slashed their corporate tax… – Continue reading
Kurdish business owners in Syria pay taxes to both government and Kurdish administration. QAMILSHI – Many Kurds in Syria may dream of self-rule, but for business owners in the semi-autonomous region in the country’s north, it now comes with a painful pinch: double taxes. For several months, traders in the… – Continue reading
The searches which started at the locations pertaining to the Bhopal-based Asnani Group and its business associates have led to the disclosure of around Rs 100 crores undisclosed income. BHOPAL: Five day long searches at 30 premises related to a Madhya Pradesh-based real estate major and business associates in Bhopal,… – Continue reading
The Internal Revenue Service has issued a new template that corporate taxpayers need to use when asking for an advance pricing agreement with the IRS. Advance pricing agreements are prior agreements between multinational companies and the IRS on the appropriate transfer pricing method to use for a given set of… – Continue reading
In the wake of Armenia’s peaceful, constitutional political transition – a move broadly welcomed among Washington, DC policymakers as marking a new chapter in U.S.-Armenia relations – the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has renewed its longstanding drive for a U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty, a good-governance accord needed to… – Continue reading
NEW DELHI, MAY 9 Mercedes-Benz India has said it can double its sales if the government gives rebates on tax on each car. “If you take out the cess — 22 per cent — my personal guess would be we can double our volume. This would mean we create many… – Continue reading
Some advantage could be there under Double-Tax Avoidance Agreement: experts MUMBAI, MAY 8 The $15-billion buyout of e-commerce player Flipkart by US retail giant Walmart is likely to attract capital gains tax under Indian laws, similar to the tax imposed on Vodafone, even though the entities are headquartered abroad. Some… – Continue reading
This guideline will, however, help the system move towards invoice matching, which can check tax evasion The new single-page return and the transition process approved by the GST Council in the May meeting is a step in the right direction as it tries to iron some of the difficulties faced… – Continue reading
Ireland’s tax on sugar-sweetened beverages will come into effect on 1 May after the European Commission (EC) concluded that the levy does not involve state aid. The country had planned to introduce the tax on 6 April – the same day as the UK’s levy started – but it was… – Continue reading
The Government has stripped corporate taxation from its anti-blacklisting response, as a top attorney yesterday warned: “Time is not our friend.” Michael Paton, who co-heads the financial sector working group dealing with the European Union (EU) concerns, told Tribune Business it will be “a long summer” as the Bahamas seeks… – Continue reading
(Business in Cameroon) – During the inauguration of Nestlé Cameroon’s new production unit on April 12, 2018, in Douala, Pietro Lazerri, the Swiss ambassador to Cameroon informed that his country and Cameroon would initiate discussions to find a solution to the double taxation of companies operating in both countries. The… – Continue reading
Malawi is struggling to address loss of revenues due to smuggling of minerals, unregulated artisanal and small-scale mining activities, under declaration of taxable income and transfer mispricing by mining companies. Reserve Bank of Malawi statistics show that Malawi lost $980 million (MWK78 billion) between 2010 and 2017 due to foreign… – Continue reading
Kosovo Tax Administration inspectors have discovered a tax evasion scheme involving multiple businesses in northern and southern Kosovo. The Kosovo Tax Administration, ATK, has uncovered a network of Albanian and Serb businesses collaborating in a tax evasion scheme, suspected to have emptied the public purse of millions of euros. Raiding… – Continue reading
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has launched a consultation inviting input on proposals to tackle arrangements entered into by individuals, partnerships, or companies that aim to move UK profits outside the scope of UK taxation, typically through the use of offshore trusts and companies. The new legislation, to be drafted… – Continue reading
When Mark Zuckerberg told US senators yesterday (April 10) that Facebook is in an “arms race” against Russian trolls seeking to manipulate its users, his comment made global headlines. One of the steps Facebook is taking to stop US elections from being manipulated by foreign actors is to put in… – Continue reading
AN outspoken QC is backing the introduction of corporate and personal income taxes as a way to reduce “the gulf between rich and poor” in the Bahamas. Fred Smith QC, the Callenders & Co attorney and partner, has added his voice to those urging the Government to use the European… – Continue reading
Muscat: Tax authorities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are starting to use sophisticated digital platforms that require taxpayers to submit data in real time or near-real time prompting companies in the GCC to enhance their digital capabilities. This is changing the way businesses collect, format and report tax information,… – Continue reading
On the occasion of the signing of the new double taxation treaty (DTT) between Luxembourg and France on 20 March 2018, the grand duchy’s finance minister, Pierre Gramegna, commented in a government press release that the new DTT is, “…an innovative instrument that will benefit both citizens and business in… – Continue reading
Muscat – The sultanate on Sunday signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Slovakia during talks held at the Ministry of Finance to discuss cooperation in the economic fields, investment and the tax field. The agreement was signed by H E Darwish bin Ismail bin Ali al Balushi, Minister… – Continue reading
The introduction of a unilateral revenue tax on digital businesses in the UK would stymie investment and be a strangely timed gamble, says accountancy firm Moore Stephens. The Government’s position paper, “Corporate tax and the digital economy,” released at the recent Spring Statement, includes a proposal to tax certain tech… – Continue reading
HM Revenue and Customs, the UK tax agency, has lauded a ruling in its favor secured before the courts that will save the UK exchequer tens of millions of pounds in related tax-avoidance cases. The Upper Tribunal upheld an earlier ruling against Cyclops Electronics and Graceland Fixing on appeal, concerning… – Continue reading
Fleets have been reminded that from 6 April company car drivers in Scotland face larger tax increases than those in the rest of the UK, with new income tax rates introduced. The rise has been flagged by leasing and fleet management company Activa Contracts, which has updated its software systems… – Continue reading
Businesses must report to a central EU database which will pass information onto their respective national tax authority THE EU has dealt a blow to businesses contributing to cross-border tax avoidance. MEPs overwhelmingly voted to back a new proposal which states that companies must now report their plans for any… – Continue reading
The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) on February 23, 2018, released the fifth edition of its Transfer Pricing Guidelines for income tax. During a public consultation held in June 2017, stakeholders asked the Ministry of Finance to provide more clarity and guidance on transfer pricing documentation (TPD) requirements, specifically… – Continue reading
Businesses have expressed mixed reactions to the new Tax Amnesty policy being implemented by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). Some have cast doubt over the policy’s ability to reduce tax evasion while others believe the policy could increase tax compliance. The concerns were raised at a session on the relevance… – Continue reading
Amid all the hoopla over company tax cuts, it’s easy to forget that hundreds of companies across Australia haven’t paid corporate taxes in the last decade. From The ABC: Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, one of the most prominent supporters of the Turnbull Government’s proposed big business tax cut, presides over… – Continue reading
On February 3, 2018, China’s State Administration of Taxation set out new rules on the disallowance of tax treaty benefits where an entity fails to demonstrate it is the beneficial owner of Chinese assets from which passive income is derived. A beneficial ownership requirement is introduced in treaties to prevent… – Continue reading
HÀ NỘI– Foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises, which have enjoyed multiple tax incentives, pay the lowest State taxes despite reporting high profits, statistics show. FDI enterprises have achieved the highest profit growth among the economic sectors, generating VNĐ327.4 trillion (US$14.4 billion) in pre-tax profits in 2016, an increase of 17.3… – Continue reading
Finance Ministry’s move under BEPS treaty will impact Google, Facebook, Amazon MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 5 Digital players such as Google, Facebook and mobile application services providers must pay taxes in India on income generated from Indian consumers even if the companies’ infrastructure is physically located abroad. According to a new proposal… – Continue reading
The European Commission has recommended that the EU Council approve a request from Italy to derogate from the VAT Directive in introducing a mandatory electronic invoicing obligation on all taxable persons established in Italy except exempt small firms. In its request, Italy submitted that introducing an obligation to provide such… – Continue reading
Viet Nam News HA NOI — In the latest draft of Law on Corporate Income Tax (CIT), the Ministry of Finance has raised a regulation aimed at preventing multinational companies with related-party transactions from evading taxes. According to the proposed regulation in the amended draft, the part of interest expense… – Continue reading
