With all the talk about inversions and America’s Burger King Going Canadian, it’s easy to ignore even more prevalent tax savings by numerous American companies. Take Microsoft, which admits in its 2014 SEC filing that it avoids $30 billion in U.S. taxes. The trick? Keep about triple that amount, $93… – Continue reading
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) has been in force for a month and still more countries are joining the tax network. So far, 101 countries and financial jurisdictions have either signed or agreed to join FATCA. FATCA is aimed at identifying US taxpayers with offshore bank accounts and investments. Overseas… – Continue reading
Microsoft’s stash of cash stored overseas, not subject to US taxes, is growing. In its latest regulatory filing, the software giant said it has now stockpiled $92.9 billion offshore and that this money could have cost the company $29.6 billion in taxes, but didn’t. That compares to $76.4 billion from… – Continue reading
Potential inversion deal highlights dropping corporate taxes in Canada, now the lowest among 10 countries, with the U.S. in 5th place. Fast-food giant Burger King faced anger from both Washington and average Americans Monday, a day after it announced that it was in talks to buy Tim Hortons and relocate… – Continue reading
Tax investigators pursuing instances of blackmoney stashed abroad by Indians have finally been able to circumvent the Swiss secrecy code by asking over 100 such account holders to submit on their own details of personal balances in these banks, brought under the tax net recently, for lesser penal action for… – Continue reading
THE National Tax Policy (NTP) has identified double taxation as one of the major hindrances to the growth of the Nigerian economy. Double taxation has become an issue paramount to investors and top executives of multinationals as income is generally taxable both in source and residence countries. In order to… – Continue reading
It’s no secret that Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has made his opponent’s substantial wealth the main theme of his campaign. From Bruce Rauner not releasing his complete tax records to his businesses sheltering money in the Cayman Islands, Quinn will continue harping on the $53 million man’s Montana-size wallet until… – Continue reading
VietNamNet Bridge – The bad news about tax evasion and debt repudiation cases by foreign invested companies has darkened Vietnam’s foreign direct investment (FDI) landscape. Tuoi Tre newspaper has reported that Austrian Harald Biebl, director of the HCM City-based Bach Hop Company, operational in Vietnam since 2005, has fled the… – Continue reading
NEW DELHI: G-20, a group of developed and developing nations, is likely to press for adoption of “rapid timelines” by different countries for automatic sharing of information with a view to curb tax evasion. The issue of automatic sharing of tax information would figure prominently during the meeting of G-20… – Continue reading
The Delhi High Court upholds the non-taxability of gains from sale of shares of overseas entities by the Copal Group to the Moody’s Group. Interpretation of the indirect transfer tax provisions in a restrictive manner. 50% threshold for substantiality based on guidance by OECD/ UN material and Shome Committee Report… – Continue reading
Manila (AFP) – Philippine world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has won a Supreme Court reprieve in his battle to avoid paying tens of millions of dollars in extra taxes, authorities said Thursday. Pacquiao will not have to post a cash bond of 3.3 billion pesos ($75.2 million) and the government… – Continue reading
Despite the political and media pressure on offshore financial centers, new incorporations of offshore companies worldwide continue to grow. A new report on offshore company incorporations by law and fiduciary firm Appleby shows that new company registrations increased in most offshore jurisdictions in the second half of 2013. “As the… – Continue reading
The Cayman Islands, an important international business competitor for Bermuda, is expressing “consternation” that they have been included on a new list of high risk jurisdictions for financial crime. There are a total of 95 countries listed including Brazil, Afghanistan, Cuba, Russia, China, Iraq, the Republic of Congo and Jamaica…. – Continue reading
The government will strengthen taxation standards for foreigners as part of efforts to stem tax evasion. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance said Sunday that it will submit a revised tax law to the National Assembly next month. The National Tax Service taxes foreigners residing in Korea based on the… – Continue reading
Never heard of FATCA? You will. FATCA—the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act—is America’s global tax law. It was quietly enacted in 2010, and after a four-year ramp up, it’s finally in effect. What is most amazing is not its impact on Americans—although that is considerable—but its impact on the world…. – Continue reading
LONDON: Scottish explorer Cairn Energy plc today said it is working with the newly elected government to resolve a tax dispute that has stalled sale of its 10 per cent stake in Cairn India Ltd. “Cairn continues to seek resolution of the tax issue in India and will take all… – Continue reading
High Court supports Tax Appeal Tribunal’s decision on SBI High Court has approved the decision made by the Tax Appeal Tribunal, which supports the decision made by Maldives Inland Revenue Authority’s (MIRA) for State Bank of India (SBI) to pay MVR 55.6 million in the form of additional tax. The… – Continue reading
U.S.-China Agreement Requires Financial Institutions to Increase Transparency and Enhance Reporting Wolters Kluwer Financial Services recommends that financial institutions in China should take steps toward enhancing their data and reporting capabilities on financial accounts held by U.S. taxpayers in China as part of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. This recommendation… – Continue reading
(MENAFN – Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) A double-taxation avoidance agreement between Japan and Oman is expected to enter into force next month, the Japanese Foreign Ministry announced Monday.Japan notified Oman on Sunday of the completion of its internal ratification procedures for the treaty on the avoidance of double taxation and… – Continue reading
Abu Dhabi, 18 August 2014: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank ( ADCB ) announced today the launch of commercial offshore banking products through its Jersey branch. Eligible ADCB wholesale banking clients will now have the option to diversify and preserve their resources with full flexibility and control. Clients will be able… – Continue reading
Northern Ireland looks set to be handed the power to slash corporation tax in a move with the potential to significantly boost our stuttering economy. In a development which could transform international investment, senior sources in London and Belfast predict that an announcement will be made no later than October… – Continue reading
With new laws in place, recovery from Swiss banks can be little easier provided the government shows sincerity in taking action against tax dodgers Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar in recent days has expressed the government’s firm conviction to bring back untaxed money of “US$ 200 billion” stashed in… – Continue reading
Chinese yuan-denominated transactions in Taiwan have increased, according to central bank data. Increased business activity is expected to bolster ties between the two Asian economies. Chinese yuan-denominated deposits in Taiwanese banks increased on a month-on-month basis, for the month of July. The move highlights the growing interest in transactions related to the… – Continue reading
The CEIB has “disseminated” the data of these 600 cases to the Income Tax dept, Enforcement Directorate (ED) etc. In another instance of suspected black money stashed by Indians abroad, investigative agencies are probing a set of 600 new names and identities which have been provided to India by a… – Continue reading
KUALA LUMPUR: All local financial institutions will be required to declare their American customers to the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under a new agreement to catch its tax evaders who hide their money overseas. Malaysia will be entering into an inter-governmental agreement with the US in line with… – Continue reading
India: Delhi Government’s Revenue Department has fined Holcim India US$11m for evasion of stamp duty. It also directed the company to pay stamp duty of US$36m and a penalty of US$11m within 30 days for violation of stamp duty. Collector of Stamps (HQ) Lalit Mohan told local media that Holcim… – Continue reading
New Delhi: To address the problem of illegal money stashed abroad, India has asked Switzerland to join a ‘early adopter group’ mandating an automatic exchange of information amongst the countries involved in the group, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. “The finance minister has written a letter to the Swiss finance… – Continue reading
India should cut its tax rate on corporate profits from a statutory rate of almost 33% to 20%, while simultaneously ending all exemptions in a phased manner. Indian corporate tax rates are relatively very high, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) statutory average, including surtaxes and sub-federal… – Continue reading
New Delhi: In its effort to unearth black money stashed away abroad, India has received data on over 24,000 instances of alleged tax evasion and dubious funds, which has been detected in foreign shores in the last financial year. These cases are now under investigation by the taxman even as… – Continue reading
PARSA, AUG 08 – Different business firms in the district have been slapped with a combined fine of Rs 53.9 million by the Inland Revenue Office (IRO) Birgunj for tax evasion. The IRO had found 47 firms of evading tax by making fake Value Added Tax (VAT) bill. However, the… – Continue reading
In a desperate bid to build pressure on firebrand cleric Tahirul Qadri, the government has issued final demand notices of Rs 1.71 billion in outstanding taxes to 16 office-bearers of the Tehreek Minhajul Quran (TMQ), including four persons of the Qadri family and two people who died several years ago,… – Continue reading
The court of Dhaka’s Special Judge Rezaul Islam set Sep 12 for witnesses’ deposition in the Tk 26.5 million tax evasion case. Babar was present at the time of hearing on Wednesday, where he had pleaded innocent. His counsel sought more time before the charge framing but the judge rejected… – Continue reading
Tax dodgers are being warned that authorities will begin a crackdown later this month. An anti-tax avoidance campaign will be launched in August and announced in state-run newspapers in a bid to increase the Ministry of Finance’s revenue generation by 20 percent for the 2014-15 fiscal year, said Internal Revenue… – Continue reading
New Delhi: The government Wednesday ruled out any tax amnesty scheme to unearth black money saying it goes against honest taxpayers even as it sought to send out a positive signal to investors by promising a re-look at the controversial GAAR shortly. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also referred to demands of… – Continue reading
Hong Kong’s banks, in the midst of adapting to the new US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), are now facing a tax headache on a global scale. In July, the month where FATCA became a reality for the region, the OECD published guidelines on the adoption of a much… – Continue reading
Taiwan’s Ministry of Finance is focusing on real estate as a key area of taxation, writes our sister paper Commercial Times. From August, the ministry will strive to eliminate cases where properties are sold separately to individuals from a parcel of land that belongs to a single person, understood to… – Continue reading
The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), Hyderabad Bench has recently held in the case of DCIT, Hyderabad vs. M/s IJM (India) Infrastructure Ltd, Hyderabad (2014-TII-114-ITAT-HYD-TP) that a permanent establishment (PE) of a foreign company has to be treated as separate entity for the purpose of transfer pricing and that any… – Continue reading
If you are from the US then you’ve probably heard of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (Fatca), but are you aware of how it could affect you? The legislation came into full effect on July 1, 2014 and has many implications, particularly for US expatriates. Fatca is a US… – Continue reading
Seychelles News Agency) – The Seychelles islands and Singapore have concluded a double taxation avoidance agreement, which will allow businesses operating in the two countries to pay tax in one of the jurisdictions and avoid taxation in the other, which is expected to encourage trade and investment between the two… – Continue reading
Taiwan’s Ministry of Finance is focusing on real estate as a key area of taxation, writes our sister paper Commercial Times. From August, the ministry will strive to eliminate cases where properties are sold separately to individuals from a parcel of land that belongs to a single person, understood to… – Continue reading
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed a tax evasion case against Tri Dharma Marketing, the exclusive local distributor of Indonesia-based coffee brand Kopiko. Filed this Thursday with the Department of Justice, the BIR said that the company has under declared its income and exagereated its expenses for 2010…. – Continue reading
July 4 — Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed July 1 a law ratifying the protocol amending the agreement between Kazakhstan and Singapore on the avoidance of double taxation. The two countries signed a protocol April 9, 2013 to amend Article 25 of the double tax treaty to align provisions with the… – Continue reading
July 1 — Officials from Panama and Vietnam June 26 concluded the second round of negotiations and reached an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, the Panama government announced June 26. The agreement was initialed by the Minister of… – Continue reading
As reported in Clyde & Co’s 2011 article titled ‘Chinese charterers deducting taxes from hire payments’ (click here to view), foreign vessel owners engaged in business with Chinese charterers have long faced China’s Enterprise Income Tax regime (“EIT”). That regime looks set to extend further into the international transportation sector… – Continue reading
New Delhi: The government on Tuesday said it is effectively using the information received from various countries to combat the menace of tax evasion and avoidance. “Effectively utilising the information received from treaty partners to combat tax evasion and avoidance,” Minister of State for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman said in a… – Continue reading
On June 30, the United States and Israel signed an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) regarding FAT CA. FAT CA became effective in the US and other countries on July 1 and will officially take effect in Israel once the Knesset passes enabling legislation. But the Bank of Israel has already instructed… – Continue reading
New Delhi/Paris: In a major development in the fight against black money, multilateral grouping OECD Monday unveiled a ‘single global standard’ for automatic exchange of financial account information by various countries including India and Switzerland.The new framework, to be presented before a meeting of G-20 finance ministers in September, would… – Continue reading
The Board of Airline Representatives in Pakistan (BARIP), Karachi has urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to exempt certain categories of international passengers/travellers from payment of four percent withholding tax that include infants, transit passengers, diplomats, airline staff/supernumerary crew and Hajis from July 1, 2014-15. In a latest communication to… – Continue reading
Pakistan Awami Tehreek Dr Tahirul Qadri and office-bearers of his Tehreek Minhajul Quran are staring at legal trouble as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has finalised all the paperwork to implicate the reformist cleric and his aides in a Rs770 million tax evasion case against them, a local media… – Continue reading
INSURANCE Commissioner Emmanuel F. Dooc has ordered insurance companies to participate in the government’s information gathering to determine the country’s risks of involvement in money laundering and terrorism financing activities. Dooc issued Circular Letter 2014-33 requiring insurance companies, preneed companies and mutual benefit associations to submit information that will help determine… – Continue reading
