Category: Asia

Local brokers, save for a few brave souls, escape Uncle Sam’s tax-reporting embrace

InterAksyon.com means BUSINESS Majority of the local stock brokerages have remained outside the US-mandated reportorial compliance among foreign financial institutions, a worldwide campaign designed to flush out hidden overseas wealth and minimize tax abuse among Americans and green card holders through offshore accounts. A total of 178 Philippine-based financial firms,… – Continue reading

Don’t get taxed by a foreign stint

An overseas assignment is definitely exciting, but it pays to understand the double taxation issues that might arise Even with a lucrative compensation package, an assignment overseas could be taxing if there are unplanned outflows, particularly on account of double taxation. Here’s a couple of commonplace situations you might find… – Continue reading

FBR wants powers to access bank accounts, seek private information

ISLAMABAD: The FBR is seeking extraordinary powers to access private bank accounts of citizens, apparently to catch tax dodgers, locate assets beyond means, sources of funds, detect foreign travels and raise revenue for the government. For the purpose, the FBR has recommended that its intelligence wing be allowed to perform… – Continue reading

FSC warns on using offshore Internet bank sites to lend

The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) yesterday issued a warning against lending money via offshore Internet banking Web sites, saying such transactions do not enjoy the protection of Taiwanese laws. The warning came after Lufax.com, a peer-to-peer lending platform under China’s Ping An Group (中國平安), reportedly attracted more than NT$1.2 billion… – Continue reading

Tax chief clarifies FATCA reporting

FIRMS STILL HAVE to report transactions with US citizens to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) despite registering with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a government official said. BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares said that while many local firms had committed to supply data to the IRS to comply with… – Continue reading

China Agrees To Join FATCA At The Last Minute

The start of tax information reporting between the US and foreign governments and financial institutions under Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) from July 1, 2014 triggered a rush of nations joining the network at the eleventh hour. The major surprise for FATCA watchers was China agreeing ‘in substance’ to… – Continue reading

Parthasarathi Shome’s suggestions on indirect transfer of assets under consideration: Finance Ministry

The finance ministry will soon consider tax expert Parthasarathi Shome’s suggestions on possible instances where offshore sale of Indian assets need not be taxed here, said a finance ministry official. The Shome Committee had in its 2012 ‘Report on Retrospective Amendments Relating to Indirect Transfer of Indian assets’ suggested that… – Continue reading

Uzbek president’s daughter friends sentenced for tax evasion

MOSCOW, July 14 (RAPSI) – An Uzbek court has handed down prison sentences to Rustam Madumarov and Gayane Avakyan, close acquaintances of the Uzbek president’s daughter, Gulnara Karimova, the Uzbek language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty announced on Monday. Radio Ozodlik cited sources as saying that Madumarov and Avakyan were… – Continue reading

Government proposes measures to energise capital markets

To energise capital markets, the government today proposed a slew of measures, including tax benefits and easier regulations for foreign investors and corporate bonds besides creating a new instrument Bharat Depository Receipts, helping BSE benchmark Sensex to jump 434 points. Finance Minister Arun Jaitely in his maiden budget also annouced… – Continue reading

Budget 2014: Vodafone to continue international arbitration; 2012 retro-tax amendment stays

NEW DELHI: Vodafone Thursday said it will continue the process of international arbitration initiated under the India-Netherlands Bilateral Investment Treaty to resolve the ongoing Rs 20,000-crore tax dispute against India, while a local tax official said the department will continue with its tax demand on the telecom major. Earlier today, Finance Minister Arun Jailtey… – Continue reading

India-UK commit to jointly deal with tax evasion menace

NEW DELHI: India and the UK today expressed the determination to work together to tackle the menace of tax evasion even as Britain agreed to support infrastructure projects in the country. UK Export Finance will provide a line of credit of one billion pounds (about Rs 10,000 crore) for the… – Continue reading

Russian authorities to offer tax amnesty for offshore companies Source: Russia Beyond the Headlines –

The Finance Ministry is pushing ahead with its program to entice Russian-owned offshore firms to repatriate capital. A new law will impose penalties on such companies for tax evasion, but offers the carrot of a 2-year amnesty for those firms which decide to relocate to Russia. The Finance Ministry has… – Continue reading

Tax deal needs framework

The 2010 Foreign account tax compliance act represents a significant initiative by the United States to tackle offshore tax evasion. But it has not been popular with Chinese authorities, especially the banking sector, in part because it was considered an extra burden. Why should it obligate itself to do such… – Continue reading

Tax evasion: Role of lawyers to be probed

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh commercial tax department, which recently unearthed the multi-crore rupee bogus billing scam, is all set to investigate the role of lawyers, who were responsible for registration of taxpayer identification number (TIN) of the phony companies involved in the racket. The department has also decided to impose heavy penalties,… – Continue reading

Protecting sin tax gains

Elated by the success of their hard-won campaign to overhaul the country’s excise tax system, civil society groups are now shifting gear from raising taxes on so-called “sin products” to ensuring proper collection and preventing tax evasion, particularly on cigarettes. Anti-smoking advocate FCTC Alliance Philippines led by its president, Dr…. – Continue reading