Category: Africa

Tracking Noxious Funds: Strategies And Techniques For Whistleblowing By Kayode Oladele

Africa is estimated to have lost over $1 trillion in illicit financial flows (IFFs) within the past 50 years, with drainage of over $50 billion annually. These outflows, according to the African Union and Economic Commission for Africa (AU/ECA) High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs), refer to “money… – Continue reading

VAIDS: Data, information-sharing will expose tax dodgers -experts

Tax defaulters and prospective taxpayers have been advised to seize the opportunity provided by the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) or risk being exposed through data and a series of information-sharing agreements to which Nigeria is a signatory. The advice was given in Lagos yesterday at a one-day… – Continue reading

Davis Tax Committee report

The Davis Tax Committee (the Committee) released a further report on “Tax Administration” on 13 November 2017 as part of the final six reports that were deliverable by the Committee. The report has five chapters covering: Governance of the South African Revenue Service Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Treatment… – Continue reading

East African states to ratify double taxation treaty to boost integration

NAIROBI, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) — The East African Community (EAC) member states are set to ratify the avoidance of double taxation treaty in order to boost regional integration, a Kenyan official said on Thursday. Barrack Ndegwa, Regional Integration Secretary in the Ministry of EAC, Labor and Social Protection, told Xinhua… – Continue reading

Ghana leveraging technology to enhance tax collection: VP

ACCRA, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) — Ghana’s Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia said on Friday Ghana was leveraging technology to broaden the tax base and enhance tax collection. He believes that Ghana has reached a stage in its development where it must adopt appropriate, current and improved technology to make tax administration convenient… – Continue reading

Ghana wins award for Company Ownership Transparency

Ghana has won international recognition for its commitment to expanding the frontiers of transparency, including progress made towards lifting the veil off the actual beneficial owners of companies operating in the country. The recognition came in the form of an award from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) International Board… – Continue reading

Paradise Papers: ICIJ releases another database revealing offshore companies

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has released a database of around 13.4 million documents revealing over 25,000 companies owned by the world’s rich and influential individuals. The ICIJ coordinated the Panama Papers investigation into offshore companies. The latest files have disclosed the financial details of politicians, corporations, and… – Continue reading

Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project implementation in Mauritius

Introduction The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an economic organisation made up of 35 member countries, with the aim of encouraging economic progress and world trade. In 2015, the OECD developed the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project, made up of reports on 15 action plans,… – Continue reading

Experts’ views on how to improve tax collection in Africa

Thirty-eight African tax authorities recently converged in Abuja for the International Conference on Tax in Africa. The group discussed ways to boost revenues in Africa, in particular and how to improve collection of corporate income tax, reports Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor) Tax collection has never been a piece of cake… – Continue reading

Vijay Mallya firms had deals with company named in Panama Papers: Probe

According to the SFIO report, IQ Bridge Limited, Mauritius, and its Indian subsidiary, IQ Bridge Limited, Bangalore, controlled by Mallya and the UB Group, held 15 lakh and 52 lakh equity shares respectively in Kingfisher Airlines before its merger with Deccan Aviation. A PROBE by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office… – Continue reading

New tax law sees increase in financial emigration

The government’s planned changes to the tax law for South Africans working abroad – either permanently or on a long-term contracts – has brought financial emigration into sharp focus. Financial emigration is a formal process with the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to change your tax status from “resident” to… – Continue reading

The common reporting standard – your foreign bank account could be coming to Nigeria

If you live in Nigeria and you have a foreign bank account; you should read this.If things go as planned, the FIRS will soon have access to information on the money and other financial investments that you have in your foreign bank account. This will happen when the Common Reporting… – Continue reading

Tax expert says amendment to new tax law likely before implementation next year

Removal of withholding tax on G-Sec income effectively frees foreign investors paying any taxes New tax law proposes to remove 10% withholding tax on G-Secs but makes such income liable for income tax up to 24% This likely to result in sizeable leakage of tax revenue to govt. as G-Secs… – Continue reading

Ghana-Morocco double tax agreement to come into force in 2018 – (Part 2)

In our last publication, we discussed the signing of the Ghana-Morocco Double Tax Agreement (“DTA”) and the provisions of the DTA in relation to the taxation of permanent establishments and business income. In the concluding part of the article, we will discuss the taxation of investment, employment and service incomes… – Continue reading

Vodafone Ghana sues GRA over GH¢160m transfer pricing assessment

…as tax dispute escalates Vodafone Ghana has filed a motion at the High Court of Justice, Commercial Division in Accra, against the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) disputing tax assessments of GH¢160 million, according to the Writ obtained by ghanabusinessnews.com. The GRA has asked Vodafone to pay 30 per cent of… – Continue reading

Panama probe: First prosecutions are taken to court for off-shore tax evasion

While at the beginning of the year (The Indian Express, March 16, 2017) the number of requests sent by India stood at 283 cases, it has now crossed 300. And while the number of replies received from among these 13 jurisdictions stood at 165, that figure has now crossed 240…. – Continue reading

Malawi Releases 2018 Budget

Malawi’s recent budget included numerous tax changes and announced updates to the country’s transfer pricing rules. On the indirect tax front, the Budget, released in mid-August, introduced a 10 percent excise tax on television subscriptions and introduced a value added-tax exemption for dairy products, animal or vegetable fats and oils,… – Continue reading

SARS to crack down on multinational companies and subsidiaries’ tax returns

MEDIUM and large businesses with multinational ties will soon have to start supplying the South African Revenue Service (SARS) with more detailed reports of their relationships and transactions with connected entities residing in other countries. SARS has beefed up its Transfer Pricing Division and is now actively involved in the… – Continue reading

Investors would rather put their money in Mauritius than South Africa

Despite a larger economy and a much bigger population, South Africa’s political uncertainty and failure to draw cost-sensitive investors has given way for the rise of Mauritius as the top investment destination in Africa. Speaking to CNBC Africa, Bravura’s executive director, Soria Hay, said Mauritius is fast-gaining the reputation among… – Continue reading

Voluntary offshore disclosures: Final SARS deadline fast approaches

JOHANNESBURG — Despite question marks hanging over SARS, its chief Tom Moyane and the institution’s current ability to effectively collect taxes, the authority continues to push ahead with expanding its international net. A 31 August deadline for taxpayers to disclose their offshore assets and income to SARS is fast approaching…. – Continue reading

African tax authorities consider how to boost revenue

African nations will have more resources at their disposal to meet the Sustainable Development Goals if their national revenue authorities can boost tax collection. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa estimates that the continent loses more than $50 billion through illicit financial outflows per year, much of this linked… – Continue reading

Kenya launches crackdown on rights groups over tax evasion, illegal hiring

NAIROBI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) — The Kenyan government on Tuesday announced the deregistration of two human rights and governance lobby groups, citing their failure to adhere to domestic tax and employment regulations. Executive Director of NGO Coordination Board, Fazul Mahamed ordered the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and African Center… – Continue reading

Mauritius ‘Reinventing Itself,’ With Refocused Tax Breaks

Prospects for Mauritius’s economy remain “robust,” with the Government undertaking a number of initiatives to improve the attractiveness of the domestic tax regime for businesses, the International Monetary Fund said. Amadou Sy, who led an IMF mission to the territory, said that the economy remains “robust” but that “Mauritius is… – Continue reading

Sierra Leone News: BAN calls for better taxation – not more

The Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) has called on the country’s revenue authority to push for better taxation not more taxation. In its Transfer Pricing Report, BAN identified that such efforts hold the potential to stimulate further growth and investment whilst also allowing for increased levels of tax collection. The huge… – Continue reading

Deadline for SARS voluntary disclosure soon

Taxpayers have been reminded of the looming deadline for the Special Voluntary Disclosure Programme (SVDP) on 31 August 2017. SVDP is a window period for individuals and companies to regularise undisclosed or unauthorised foreign assets and associated income. It came into effect on 1 October 2016. Taxpayers are urged to… – Continue reading

Nigeria, Singapore sign agreement to curb double taxation

Nigeria’s federal government on Wednesday signed an agreement with Singapore that would help companies operating in the two countries avoid double taxation in their different bases. The agreement clearly spells out taxing rights of the two countries in respect of different incomes derived from each country. It will specifically assist… – Continue reading

SA taxpayers with offshore cash, assets given deadline to disclose info

The Common Reporting Standard (CRS) allows for the automatic exchange of information between tax authorities. Local taxpayers who may have stashed their assets in cash and property offshore have a month to disclose their earnings and ownership details to the South African Revenue Services (Sars). The deadline for the Special… – Continue reading

The consequences of scrapping tax exemptions on income earned outside SA

Economist Magnus Heystek says that government’s push towards scrapping tax exemptions for South Africans earning a salary in foreign country will encourage a tax revolt. South Africans have expressed a mix of concern and outrage over the past week, following the news that the government is seeking to scrap tax… – Continue reading

UAE signs avoidance of double taxation deal with Cameroon

The UAE Ministry of Finance (MoF) signed a final agreement for the avoidance of double taxation with the Republic of Cameroon at the Ministry’s premises in Dubai today. The agreement comes in line with the ministry’s strategy to strengthen bilateral trade and economic relations between the two countries, in order… – Continue reading

Cameroon works with OECD to fight against tax evasion of multinationals

Cameroon has officially become the 70th country to adhere to the convention of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), on mutual administrative assistance in tax matters. The act of accession to this convention has just been signed between OECD and the Cameroonian Minister of Finance, Alamine Ousmane Mey…. – Continue reading