Offshore e-commerce service providers should make themselves aware of changes to Japanese law that affect their operations. Pursuant to a recent amendment of the Consumption Tax Act, a new Registration of Foreign Business Operator system has been in effect since July 1, 2015. Many affected businesses have not yet registered… – Continue reading
In DIT vs. M/s. Lufthansa Cargo India: TS- 299-HC-2015, the Delhi High Court held that payment made by assessee (an Indian company) to German company for carrying out overhaul repairs to aircrafts was fees for technical services (“FTS”) under section 9(1)(vii) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (“the IT Act”)… – Continue reading
Taipei, Aug. 18 (CNA) Taiwan and China will sign two agreements on taxation and aviation safety in their next high-level meeting to be held in Fuzhou, China later this month, a senior official of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced Tuesday. The meeting between the chiefs of Taiwan’s Straits Exchange… – Continue reading
There have not been too many applicants in the first month seeking to avail of the three-month long compliance window being offered by the government to come clean on unaccounted money in foreign shores, Justice (retd) MB Shah, who is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money told… – Continue reading
BENGALURU, AUGUST 17: To conduct research on present tax regulations, address uncertainties arising out of interpretation and ensure higher FDI, the International Tax Research and Analysis Foundation (ITRAF) was launched here on Monday. Headed by Parthasarathi Shome, an economist and former head of the panel on General Anti Avoidance Rules… – Continue reading
ABU DHABI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) — A current visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a proof of growing cooperation between India and the Gulf state, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said on Sunday. In a statement carried… – Continue reading
The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) is putting in place a series of measures to prevent use of its exchange platform by various unscrupulous entities to evade taxes and launder money. These measures include putting additional circuit filters on stocks that are susceptible for price manipulation and reducing the number of… – Continue reading
Large South Korean companies have sent more than $400 billion to offshore tax havens over the past eight years, with nearly 40 percent of the amount yet to be returned home, data showed Sunday. According to the data by the Bank of Korea and other government agencies, local big firms… – Continue reading
Simplification of tax administration has always been on the government’s agenda. E-filing is one major steps in that direction as it increases the tax base. E-filing is almost paperless, where taxpayers need not submit any supporting documents. E-filing is mandatory for those qualifying as resident and ordinary resident and having… – Continue reading
Luxembourg currently has 76 income tax treaties in force, and there are 29 treaties under negotiation. Tax treaties can provide a legal framework not only for the avoidance of double taxation and fiscal evasion, but also for international administrative cooperation between Luxembourg and its treaty partners in terms of mutual… – Continue reading
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in a recent report that improving taxpayer services, while making non-compliance harder, is helping revenue bodies increase their efficiency and allowing governments to finance important programs that will further benefit their citizens. According to Tax Administration 2015, which looks at 56… – Continue reading
The U.S. and China enjoy increasingly strong connections. Yet virtually no Chinese family or business relishes dealing with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). American tax laws are famously complex, and dealing with the IRS can be like quicksand. Of course, whether they like it or not, U.S. citizens and green… – Continue reading
Hong Kong (HKSAR) – The agreement between Hong Kong and Italy for the avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and the prevention of fiscal evasion has entered into force. The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, said today (August 14), “Hong… – Continue reading
MUMBAI: Large foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have voiced concerns before Indian capital market regulator Sebi about the fate of the Mauritius treaty which the government is renegotiating with the tax haven. Officials of more than 20 offshore asset managers, belonging to top banking groups and fund houses, met Sebi chairman… – Continue reading
Revenue authorities need to be “vigilant” in monitoring the super-rich, according to research that called on many of them to improve their scrutiny of their richest taxpayers, reports the Financial Times. The study by the Paris-based OECD is a further sign of the pressure on tax departments to squeeze more… – Continue reading
In his summer budget the first exclusively Conservative one in 19 years British Chancellor George Osborne outlined several key changes for non-domiciled individuals or non-doms, reports MENAFN. These major modifications coming into effect in April 2017 arguably represent the biggest shake-up to the non-dom status since it was first introduced… – Continue reading
MUMBAI: High net-worth individuals who have invested in residential properties in the UK, will now have to deal with the issue of inheritance tax, which their heirs are unlikely to escape from. In its budget introduced in Parliament in June, the UK plugged a loophole that enabled foreign property buyers… – Continue reading
With the UK announcing new tax rules for foreigners living in the country, the government has been careful not to damage the country’s appeal to wealthy foreigners. The “non-dom” tax status “plays an important role in allowing those from abroad to contribute to our economy”, says George Osborne, the UK’s… – Continue reading
On August 11, 2015, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released its annual report addressing global tax administration. The OECD’s stated mission is to “promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.” The OECD describes its annual report as follows: Tax… – Continue reading
The first reporting cycle for the United States Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) kicked off with the 31 March deadline set by the US Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) for countries and territories such as Hong Kong that have a Model 2 Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). Although the IRS has granted… – Continue reading
(Seychelles News Agency) – Onshore banking activities, including the possibility of introducing Sharia-compliant banking are being considered for the Seychelles-registered Bank of Muscat International Offshore (BMIO). The Al Salam Bank of Bahrain, which now owns 50 percent shares in the Seychelles-registered Bank is engaging with the Seychelles authorities on the… – Continue reading
The nonprofit Korean American National Coordinating Council has provided support to U.S. citizens for travel to Pyongyang. NEW YORK, Aug. 13 (UPI) — A Korean American organization that previously has helped Americans travel to North Korea is under investigation for tax evasion and political activities that violate U.S. tax laws…. – Continue reading
Seeking to allay fears, the government said full confidentiality will be maintained with regard to disclosures of unaccounted overseas wealth made under the black money compliance window and only those who do not take advantage of the scheme need to worry, reports PTI according to the Free Press Journal. Asking… – Continue reading
The rise of Islamic finance and sukuk issuances have brought with it a growing phenomenon: Shariah banking is increasingly taking advantage of offshore banking jurisdictions, and this for a number of reasons, reports the Gulf Times. Many offshore centres around the world meanwhile offer a wide range of features allowing… – Continue reading
In doing business, companies will incur operating costs that vary according to the nature of the undertaking. For manufacturers, the key operating costs, apart from raw materials and overheads, might include such expenses as manufacturing know-how and technical assistance. For distributors, the key operating costs will normally include inventory, marketing… – Continue reading
QROPS specialists are offering free transfers to Gibraltar QROPS for August only for teachers who want to retire abroad and avoid all UK taxes and future UK taxes on their existing teacher’s pension scheme. This is the final chance for teachers living abroad to transfer their UK pensions outside the… – Continue reading
China devalued its currency on Tuesday after a run of poor economic data, a move it billed as a free-market reform but that some suspect could be the beginning of a longer slide in the exchange rate. The central bank set its official guidance rate down nearly 2 percent prior… – Continue reading
FATCA refers to provisions contained in the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (the ‘HIRE’ Act) signed into law on 18 March 2010 in the United States. The main purpose of FATCA is to identify and gather information on US persons who may be evading tax through the use of… – Continue reading
Only 23 percent of business leaders feel that recommendations from the OECD on base erosion and profit shifting will be successfully implemented, according to the findings of a new survey by Grant Thornton. Three quarters of business leaders would pay more taxes in exchange for greater clarity from authorities on… – Continue reading
In his summer budget the first exclusively Conservative one in 19 years British Chancellor George Osborne outlined several key changes for non-domiciled individuals or non-doms, reports MENAFN. These major modifications coming into effect in April 2017 arguably represent the biggest shake-up to the non-dom status since it was first introduced… – Continue reading
[BEIJING] China’s top economic planning agency approved two policy lenders – China Development Bank Corp (CDB) and Agricultural Development Bank of China – to issue renminbi-denominated bonds offshore, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Tuesday. CDB, the country’s biggest policy lender and responsible for funding large infrastructure… – Continue reading
NAIROBI: The civil society in Kenya wants Parliament to join them in the push to end tax evasion through enactment of laws that enhance compliance from international trade. This, they argue, will boost revenue collection by the State. They say tougher laws will criminalise tax avoidance and spell harsher penalties… – Continue reading
Would businesses really be willing to pay more tax if they had more certainty on what is acceptable for cross-border tax planning? According to a recent Grant Thornton International Business Report, three quarters of business leaders would in fact be ready to pony up more taxes in exchange for greater… – Continue reading
High net worth individuals seen using illiquid stocks in options segment to evade taxes, manipulate markets; order likely soon The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is likely to act against several wealthy investors, for alleged manipulation of the stock exchange route for evading taxes. Sources said the market… – Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (CN) – Two tax preparers convicted of running an offshore tax-fraud scheme were given federal prison sentences on Monday, the Justice Department said. David Kalai and his son Nadav, both principals of United Revenue Service, were convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service… – Continue reading
A thorough investigation into retail giant Lotte Group is picking up a head of steam. Korea’s Fair Trade Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service have separately requested Lotte Group provide them with related information. They are looking into Lotte’s complicated governing structure and possible tax evasion, in light of the… – Continue reading
City-state has long excelled at attracting international headquarters but now it aims to do even better by combining programmes in a more holistic approach. Singapore first established its Operational Headquarters (OHQ) programme in late 1992 to encourage multinational companies to use the city-state as a base for their incursions into… – Continue reading
On August 10, 2015 the Dutch Government published the text of a Protocol amending the Agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on… – Continue reading
For the third year on the trot, Shell service stations generated billions of dollars and revenue but not a cent in company tax. In fact the owners of the sunny yellow servos reported tax benefits in all three years despite total sales which may be in excess of $60 billion…. – Continue reading
India follows common approach for implementation of FATCA and CRS New Delhi, Aug 8: The Finance Ministry has come up with the rules for information reporting under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), spelling out the timelines and the entities have to comply with the new requirements. The new… – Continue reading
Fears of a VDP application giving rise to a ‘witch hunt’ are ill-founded. The rapid development in international tax transparency over the past two years in the form of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Common Reporting Standard (CRS) has caused many South African taxpayers to consider regularising… – Continue reading
Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to offer much more than just his best intentions to clean up India’s whimsical tax regime to help convince insurers. Companies from Allianz SE to American International Group Inc. are avoiding offering tax-liability coverage in India’s cross-border mergers and acquisitions market because of a relatively… – Continue reading
Sebi has started cracking down on offshore units of major global banks for their suspected role in manipulation of share prices in the Indian stock market. Capital markets regulator Sebi has started cracking down on offshore units of major global banks for their suspected role in manipulation of share prices… – Continue reading
In a new update on the financial status of the UAE, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advised additional taxation among several options for the UAE government to further strengthen its revenue base in order to minimise dependence on the fluctuating global oil price, reports the Emirates 24/7. The UAE… – Continue reading
A new inquiry from the Australian government is looking to change current tax codes for Bitcoin in Australia. The initiative seeks to establish similar progressive standards in nations like the UK, Canada and Singapore, where Bitcoin is considered money. Over the past year, bitcoin has become an increasingly popular commodity… – Continue reading
SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) — The top court ruled Thursday against an oil company of the United Arab Emirates, headed by a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, saying that it must pay millions of dollars in stock trading tax to South Korea. IPIC International B.V. (IPIC), a state-run… – Continue reading
The Labuan International Business and Financial Centre is attempting to encourage more Indonesian companies to register in the jurisdiction to take advantage of its low-tax regime and trading and investment links with key economies in the Asia-Pacific region. The Labuan IBFC held the Jakarta chapter of its ASEAN (Association of… – Continue reading
SINGAPORE’S easiest days as a financial hub are over. The city remains a gateway to Asia, a great base for basing multinationals, settling lawsuits and parking money. But elsewhere, the city is being sidelined; the worry is that is a sign of things to come. In just 50 years, the… – Continue reading
Muscat – H E Christian Winter, Switzerland’s Ambassador to Oman has said that the recently signed Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) between his country and the sultanate reflects the broader ties Switzerland seeks with GCC. “The conclusion of the agreement takes into account the growing economic and political importance of the… – Continue reading
Since 2013, investment institutions have started to increase their investments in private healthcare institutions in mainland China. Though there hasn’t been a real local healthcare group, the modes of investment have become diversified, including the acquisition of healthcare institutions, the establishment of new healthcare institutions and the transformation of public… – Continue reading
