Category: Individuals

‘Dr Ageless’, Shane Charter, chasing missing millions in Cayman Islands

EXCLUSIVE The self-styled biochemist known as “Dr Ageless”, Shane Charter, appears to have shrugged off the Essendon supplements scandal and is pursuing a new business venture — chasing more than $11 million hidden in offshore tax havens by notorious conman Peter Foster. Mr Charter has been negotiating for several months… – Continue reading

Tax transparency: full list of exempt companies revealed as Senate battle looms

Private companies that were given a historical exemption from filing annual financial reports are run by a who’s who of corporate Australia, including Malcolm Turnbull Private companies associated with Australia’s business elite, including prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, are on a list of entities not required to publish tax information under… – Continue reading

Northern Ireland’s 12.5pc corporate tax rate will pose threat to foreign direct investment in the South

The North will have its own 12.5pc corporate tax rate from 2018. This means that it will compete harder against the Republic for FDI projects, writes Dan White The 12.5pc company tax rate will no longer be confined to the southern part of the island. Last week’s ‘Fresh Start’ agreement… – Continue reading

Ethiopia: Unmet Demands of the G20

The creation of the Group of Twenty (G20) was believed to serve as a remedy to the harsh realities of the world today. The initial formation of the Group of Seven G7 could do little to avert pertinent challenges both the developing and the developed nations face frequently. So a… – Continue reading

Osborne’s struggle to balance the books: Will the Chancellor target capital gains tax in the Autumn Statement?

The Chancellor could target capital gains tax for extra revenue when he delivers his Autumn Statement next week as gains from investors and landlords hit their highest on record in the past financial year, accountants suggest. George Osborne, who will unveil his spending plans for Britain next Wednesday, is under… – Continue reading

2015- The end of tax neutral jurisdictions

On 18 June 2013, the Progressive led government issued a press release titled, “Cayman’s Action Plan Includes Beneficial Ownership”. The press statement came on the heels of the UK taking over the Presidency of G8, at the 17-18 June 2013 G8 Summit in Northern Ireland. The most interesting part of… – Continue reading

UK non-dom changes unfair, unreasonable, disproportionate

Plans that would effectively end the UK’s non-domicile status for tax purposes have the potential to do more harm than good and could be contrary to EU law, according to the Institute of Chartered Accountants. The changes, announced by chancellor George Osborne in the 2015 summer budget, mean that non-UK… – Continue reading

The Tories Have Taken More Cash From This Donor Embroiled In Money-Laundering Probes

David Cameron’s party reported fresh donations of £217,500 from Lycamobile weeks after BuzzFeed News revealed the telecoms giant’s “deeply suspicious” business practices. The Tories have accepted a fresh donation of £217,500 from Lycamobile in defiance of calls on the party to sever its ties with the controversial telecoms group. 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

Japan, Taiwan to sign tax treaty

TAIPEI — Japan and Taiwan will sign a bilateral tax treaty aimed at improving the flow of people and investment between the two economies, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The treaty will reduce or eliminate taxes on dividends repatriated from companies’ overseas branches and help avoid issues… – Continue reading

2,000 Firms Use BearingPoint FATCA Service

BearingPoint’s FiTAX catches on while a FATCA critic says that more Americans are renouncing their citizenship because of the controversial tax law. While controversy swirls around the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), management and technology consultancy BearingPoint reports that between March and August 2015, more than 2,000 financial institutions… – 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

Taxing issue: multinationals respond to EP proposals to make them pay their fair share

€1 trillion a year: that’s how much tax evasion and tax avoidance is costing European tax payers every year, according to the European Commission. Parliament set up a special committee to investigate these practices in the wake of the Luxleaks scandals and came up with plans to ensure multinationals pay… – Continue reading

Switzerland & Luxembourg among DTA approvals sent for US Senate vote

Eight tax treaties and protocols were passed forward for a ratification vote by the full US Senate at a business hearing of the Committee on Foreign Relations on November 10, reports Tax News. The Committee approved the new US double taxation agreements (DTAs) with Chile and Hungary, and protocols to… – 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

ANDREW PIERCE: A very taxing revelation for saintly Clegg

As Deputy Prime Minister, the holier-than-thou Nick Clegg made huge play of how his Lib Dems forced their Tory Coalition partners to crack down on tax avoidance. Offshore tax havens, in particular, were his target, when he said: ‘There are millions of people who pay their taxes . . …. – Continue reading

After Outcry, Ireland Adjusts Its Corporate Tax Draw

CORK, Ireland — As lord mayor of this quiet seaside city in southern Ireland, Chris O’Leary seems to have a situation most other local politicians can only dream about. Blue-chip international companies like Apple, Dell and IBM have all set up shop in and around this city, filling newly built… – Continue reading

Cantillon: no escape from tax talk at G20 summit

Leaders of world’s major economies gather in Turkish city of Antalya Leaders of the world’s major economies gather in the Turkish city of Antalya this weekend for the tenth annual G20 summit. The summit takes place at a sensitive moment in international affairs. The war in Syria and the resulting… – Continue reading

Shah RukhShah Rukh Khan grilled for 3 hours over alleged FEMA violations Khan grilled for 3 hours over alleged FEMA violations

An ED officer said, “In spite of earning a profit in the first few IPL seasons, Shah Rukh failed to provide any satisfactory explanation for selling the equity shares within a year, that too to a company situated in a tax haven”. Mumbai, November 11 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate has… – Continue reading

Commentary: Tax havens: The need for action – Part 2

By the very criteria set in the United States by the Multistate Tax Commission (MTC), several states in the US are “tax havens”. But, they have not been named in the legislation passed by the legislatures of Oregon, Montana and others. Among the MTC criteria for determining a tax haven… – Continue reading

What is FACTA compliance?

US citizenship, Greencard, can no longer be a way of saving tax for some, as India has agreed to provide information for compliance with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which became law in March 2010. Either US citizens or institutions cannot refrain from paying tax on their investments… – Continue reading

Brazil eyes offshore cash in bid to boost gov’t revenue

PSDB amendment in Lower House cuts Speaker Cunha out of deal, but Senate still has final say BRASILIA — The Lower House of Brazil’s Congress has approved a controversial amnesty bill for undeclared offshore assets, despite criticism from opposition lawmakers who say it would allow the laundering of illegally gained… – Continue reading

SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS APPROVES TREATIES FOR SECOND TIME

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved, for a second time, the following income tax treaties and Protocols. 12 November 2015 Switzerland: A Protocol to amend the income tax treaty with Switzerland—the Protocol was signed in 2009. Luxembourg: A Protocol to amend the income tax treaty with Luxembourg—the Protocol was… – Continue reading

Green card may no longer be a valuable asset for NRIs as Fatca sword hangs over their heads

MUMBAI: A US passport doesn’t look like such a priced possession anymore. Some Indians even want to surrender their hard-won green cards. India and the US are set to freely exchange financial information about their citizens, leaving no asset concealed. This could mean US tax officials imposing punitive levies on… – Continue reading

US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approves eight long-pending tax treaties, Rand Paul not present for the vote

In a surprising development, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on November 10 approved without amendment eight pending US tax treaties and protocols. Proposed income tax treaties with Chile, Hungary, and Poland; proposed tax protocols with Japan, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland; and a proposed protocol amending the multilateral mutual… – Continue reading

Becoming An Ex-American

According to the Star Spangled Banner, the United States is the land of the free and the home of the brave. So how come the number of Americans renouncing their citizenship is hitting new heights? More than three thousand people have given up their US nationality so far this year…. – Continue reading

Reforms to taxation of non-domiciled individuals: consultation published

Introduction On September 30 2015 Her Majesty’s Treasury published its long-awaited consultation on two of three proposed changes to the taxation of individuals domiciled outside the United Kingdom. The three measures – announced by Chancellor George Osborne in the 2015 Summer Budget published on July 8 – are intended to… – Continue reading

ANDY: IS OUR “ECONOMIC RECOVERY” BASED ON A SILICON BUBBLE?

Irish corporation tax returns are behaving oddly: the Department of Finance estimates that they are running €2 billion (74 percent) ahead of forecast for the year. Economist Seamus Coffey has described these figures as “very strange”. Coincidentally (or perhaps not) the global accounts of the Apple corporation revealed an increase… – Continue reading

Motor racing legend Alan Jones linked to serial conman Peter Foster

Australian motor racing legend Alan Jones has become embroiled in the collapse of an online gambling company operated by notorious conman Peter Foster which owes $11.5 million to about 150 investors. The 69-year-old former winner of the Formula One Drivers’ Championship was named in a writ to be lodged in… – Continue reading

St Kitts & Nevis pursuing quiet diplomacy to recalibrate international relationships – PM Harris

The nine-month old Team Unity administration has been pursuing quiet diplomacy to recalibrate international relationships for the benefit of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, reports SKN Vibes. So said St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris at last week’s press conference at government headquarters…. – Continue reading

Fair’s Fair: Balancing The Interests of the State and of Wealthy Migrants

Clare Maurice, Arabella Murphy and Sophie Mazzier, Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP For better or worse, the concept of “fairness” is here to stay in relation to taxation, whether domestic or international. Politicians of all persuasions like to insist that their respective policies will ensure that everyone pays his or her… – Continue reading

Minister Toivakka in tax avoidance row

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and development, Lenita Toivakka, has admitted being involved in a scheme to reduce tax liabilities on a multi-million euro shopping centre development in Mikkeli. She insisted that the arrangement was legal as well as commonplace for international property investors. Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and… – Continue reading

Michael Gray: The UK’s tax avoidance scandal is a sorry tale

DID you hear the story about the Queen, tax evasion, a nationalised British bank for the rich and famous, a whistleblower and a £7bn under sale to ‘reward cronies and cheat the taxpayer’? Sounds like a pretty big deal, right? But last Thursday’s damning testimony from Helen Goodman MP –… – Continue reading

Irish PM defends country’s corporation tax arrangements

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has defended his country’s low rate of corporation tax, currently set at 6.25 per cent, and Dublin’s arrangements with global corporations which house subsidiaries in the country, reports Digital Look. Over the last decade, major corporations such as Google and Dell have created corporate subsidiaries… – Continue reading

Crickhowell: Welsh town moves ‘offshore’ to avoid tax on local business

The Powys tax rebellion, led by traders including the town’s salmon smokery, local coffee shop, book shop, optician and bakery, could spread nationwide When independent traders in a small Welsh town discovered the loopholes used by multinational giants to avoid paying UK tax, they didn’t just get mad. Now local… – Continue reading

EU to rule on Apple tax avoidance by Christmas

Ireland is expecting European Union regulators to issue a decision on the country’s tax deal with Apple before the end of the year. The Irish finance minister said the move could force the iPhone maker to pay substantial back taxes. The European Commission has already ordered Dutch authorities to recover… – Continue reading

Evidence of efforts to help multinationals avoid tax strengthen call for proper EU investigation

Over the weekend, German news magazine, Der Spiegel, reported that over many years EU member states such as Luxembourg and the Netherlands have sabotaged attempts to counter profit shifting to low tax jurisdictions via ‘patent boxes’ under the political leadership of current President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker,… – Continue reading

deVere Group CEO Slams FATCA, “Fiscal Imperialism”

The chief executive of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organizations unambiguously condemned the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act in a recent series of comments. deVere Group CEO Nigel Green likened the act, which went into effect in July 2014, to a “masterclass in fiscal imperialism and the… – Continue reading

Billionaire Dart Reinvents Himself as Cayman Islands Land Baron

Two decades after Ken Dart renounced his U.S. citizenship and took his tax attorney with him to the Caribbean, the billionaire bond investor and local kingpin is reinventing himself as the Cayman Islands’ biggest real estate owner. In a rare glimpse into Dart’s holdings, Mark VanDevelde, chief executive of the… – Continue reading

Cash-strapped small firms may get slice of the patent box action

Small and medium-sized businesses that don’t have the resources to patent intellectual property may still be able to benefit from the Knowledge Development Box (KDP) under plans being considered by the Government. The Department of Finance is looking at allowing SMEs with patentable assets, but without the resources to get… – Continue reading