Uber looks to the Netherlands to reduce its tax bill by $6,1bn
Uber is moving its intellectual property arm from Bermuda to the Netherlands to save $6.1bn from its tax bid, Bloomberg reported on Friday. ... - Continue reading
Category: Netherlands
European Union: Dutch Implementation Proposal On EU Anti-Hybrid Measures
On July 2, 2019, the Dutch government published the legislative proposal implementing the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive II (ATAD II) that was adopted on May 29, 2017. The ATAD II mandates EU Member States to implement rules that target hybrid mismatches by January 1, 2020 (specific sections by January 1, 2022). ... - Continue reading
Netherlands draft law requires disclosure of cross-border transactions to tax authorities
On July 12 the Netherlands government published a legislative proposal implementing the EU mandatory disclosure directive. This follows an internet consultation on a draft legislative proposal which ran from December 19, 2018 — February 1, 2019. ... - Continue reading
Netherlands announces tax policy agenda for 2019
The Dutch government on May 29 announced its priorities and timelines in the area tax policy, including how the Netherlands intends to deal with tax evasion and tax avoidance and improve the Dutch investment climate. ... - Continue reading
Netherlands draft tax law targeting hybrid mismatches includes new documentation requirement
New laws regarding hybrid mismatches ... - Continue reading
Singapore’s tax treaties with Netherlands and Georgia amended
The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore has announced that amendments made to Singapore’s bilateral tax treaties with the Netherlands and Georgia took effect today. ... - Continue reading
Africa’s problem with tax avoidance
Every year African countries lose at least $50 million in taxes — more than the amount of foreign development aid. So where is it all going and how can multinational companies be held to account? NGOs continue to raise the alarm. African countries are being cheated out of billions in… – Continue reading
EU Report Calls For Finance Authorities, AML Oversight
European Union lawmakers released a report on Wednesday (Feb. 27) recommending that the EU create a police unit dedicated to the investigation of tax and financial crimes, as well as a watchdog organization to fight money-laundering, according to a report by Reuters. The report, which is the result of a… – Continue reading
EU Report Calls For Finance Authorities, AML Oversight
European Union lawmakers released a report on Wednesday (Feb. 27) recommending that the EU create a police unit dedicated to the investigation of tax and financial crimes, as well as a watchdog organization to fight money-laundering, according to a report by Reuters. The report, which is the result of a… – Continue reading
TCI added to Dutch tax haven blacklist
THE DUTCH government has added the Turks and Caicos Islands and 15 other countries to a tax haven blacklist. The jurisdictions listed have no corporation tax or a corporation tax rate of less than nine percent, a press release from the Government of the Netherlands stated. The 16 countries added… – Continue reading
GOV’T SAYS DUTCH BLACKLIST “UNJUSTIFIED”
Cayman’s leaders return fire on the Dutch government describing its blacklist as “unjustified” and “wholly lacking in fairness and credibility.” In a statement Friday (4 January) the Office of the Premier said the Dutch blacklist does not take into account Cayman’s adherence to international standards for tax transparency nor its… – Continue reading
Dutch add Guernsey, Belize and Isle of Man to tax evasion blacklist
The Dutch finance ministry is expanding its official list of places it considers to be involved in tax evasion by a further 16 low tax jurisdictions, including the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, the Isle of Man, and Belize. The list contains five jurisdictions currently blacklisted by the EU: American… – Continue reading
EU Details Action Plan On Money Laundering
European Union finance ministers worked out a plan for combating money laundering and also made a deal on major bank reform on Tuesday (Dec. 4), according to reports from Reuters. The money laundering plan is a response to highly visible cases of alleged criminal activity at EU banks in countries… – Continue reading
EU finance ministers need to deliver: Digital companies must pay tax
When European finance ministers meet on Tuesday (4 December), they should swiftly adopt the digital service tax: a levy on turnover for very large digital firms such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Booking and Spotify, write Udo Bullmann and Paul Tang. Udo Bullmann is president of the Socialist and Democrats… – Continue reading
Corporate America flees zero-tax Caribbean havens after crackdown
Many U.S. multinational corporations have packed up or are choosing to open subsidiaries in low-tax, rather than no-tax, countries that are seen as more legitimate than the formerly popular island destinations of the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas. They’re fleeing in response to regulations from the European Union that require… – Continue reading
Creditsafe pays £1m to HMRC under ‘Diverted Profits Tax’
Caerphilly-based credit referencing company Creditsafe has paid Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs almost £1 million after it was served with a ‘Diverted Profits Tax’ charge. Registered as Creditsafe Business Solutions, the company, based at Caerphilly Business Park, sells business data for credit check purposes and other uses. According to full… – Continue reading
Pharmaceutical giants named and shamed in tax avoidance investigation
Four pharmaceutical giants have been named and shamed for depriving Australia of $215 million a year in tax avoidance. Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD Australia), and Abbott – which make household name brands like Band Aid, Baby Oil, Centrum and ChapStick –were found to have unfairly… – Continue reading
Uber dispute ends as firm pays back taxes, fines
A HCMC taxman has confirmed that ride hailing firm Uber has paid all its outstanding dues. Nguyen Nam Binh, deputy director of the HCMC Tax Department, told VnExpress that the Netherlands-based ride hailing firm has paid VND53 billion ($2.3 million) in back taxes and fines. In September 2017, the department… – Continue reading
Panasonic to Move European Headquarters Out of UK as Brexit Concerns Grow
Several multi-national corporations have moved their European headquarters outside of the UK ahead of Brexit, and many others are expected to follow suit, especially as the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit rises further. Japanese tech giant Panasonic will be transferring its European HQ away from London to Amsterdam in October… – Continue reading
Uber withdraws lawsuit against HCMC tax man
Ride-hailing firm Uber has withdrawn its lawsuit over HCMC’s demand for $2.3 million in back taxes and fines. A tax department official said Friday that the HCMC People’s Court has suspended the case in which the Netherlands-based Uber B.V. had sued the department over its demand that the firm pays… – Continue reading
UK withholding tax on interest paid to non-residents
The UK does still have one significant disadvantage namely the 20% withholding tax imposed by UK domestic law on “yearly interest” that arises in the UK is paid to persons whose “usual place of abode” is outside the UK. The UK is normally regarded as an attractive location for the… – Continue reading
OECD Welcomes Dutch Efforts To Counter BEPS
The OECD has welcomed efforts by the Dutch Government to tackle base erosion and profit shifting but called for the overall tax regime to be simplified, including in area of value-added tax. In its latest Economic Report on the Netherlands, the OECD said that the Government is attempting to change… – Continue reading
Tax chiefs unite to tackle international tax crime
HMRC has formed an alliance with tax enforcement bodies in 4 countries to share intelligence and expertise in the battle against international tax crime. The UK has joined forces with Canada, the Netherlands, the United States and Australia to launch the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5) – a… – Continue reading
Ukraine, Netherlands ratify protocol amending Convention on double taxation avoidance
Royalty taxation shall be set at 5% and 10%. The tax rate is being raised from 2% to 5%, while the zero taxation of dividends and royalty payments are being abolished. Such are the main changes in the Convention between Ukraine and the Kingdom of the Netherlands on double taxation… – Continue reading
Dutch Cabinet Approves Anti-Evasion Measures
The Government of the Netherlands has announced a comprehensive package of tax anti-avoidance proposals designed to bring the jurisdiction’s rules into line with new European Union anti-avoidance laws and fulfill its obligations under the international BEPS agenda. The plans were detailed in a parliamentary paper sent by State Secretary for… – Continue reading
Netherlands Confirms Tax Treaty Negotiation Priorities
The Netherlands will seek to resume discussions towards double taxation avoidance treaties with several countries in 2018, including the United States, the Government has said. The Dutch Government will attempt to begin tax treaty talks with at least seven countries this year, including Australia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Morocco, Austria,… – Continue reading
Uber sues HCM City tax department
Viet Nam News HCM City – The Netherlands-based ride-hailing firm Uber International Services Holding B.V has filed a lawsuit against the HCM City tax department after it decided to forcibly collect tax, Người Lao Động (Labourer) newspaper reported. Earlier the department had sent a notice to Uber that it had… – Continue reading
Dutch Tax Administration to tax pensions of Belgian workers working in the Netherlands
Part of the supplementary pension of Belgian workers, previously working in the Netherlands, will be taxed by the Dutch Tax Administration (the “DTA”). The DTA confirmed this on Thursday. The Belgian and Dutch government treasuries are engaged in a tug of war around the second pillar of the pension. This… – Continue reading
EUROPE INVESTIGATES IKEA TAX EVASION VIA NETHERLANDS
The European Commission is launching an investigation into Ikea’s tax construction in the Netherlands. European Commissioner on competition Margrethe Vestager is expected to officially announce the investigation on Tuesday, British newspaper the Financial Times reports. The Swedish furniture company is suspected of evading nearly a billion euros in taxes between… – Continue reading
Thousand billions in lost tax from foreign enterprises
Vietnam has lost thousands of billions of dong in taxes as foreign enterprises, especially large-scale ones, refuse to pay based on the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement. Massive revenue without having to pay taxes The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Taxation has recently issued an ultimatum for Uber B.V Netherlands… – Continue reading
Dutch-built super yachts are being re-sold to tax haven buyers
Luxury yachts built in Dutch shipyards are being sold to suspect buyers around the world through tax havens, Trouw and the Financieele Dagblad reported on Friday. The dubious yacht transactions were revealed through an investigation being carried out into the Paradise Papers by the two Dutch newspapers . The documents… – Continue reading
Dutch government continues with dividend withholding tax proposal and announces conditional retroactive amendment to CIT fiscal unity regime
In this Tax Alert we will briefly highlight two topical Dutch tax matters very relevant to internationally active companies: the current status of the legislative proposal regarding Dutch dividend withholding tax rules for holding cooperatives and BVs/NVs and the announcement of the Dutch Ministry of Finance that the Dutch fiscal… – Continue reading
New Dutch Law Leaves Repentant Taxpayers Out in the Cold
The abolition of a scheme allowing Dutch taxpayers to fess up to their tax sins and avoid criminal charges is likely to discourage high-net worth individuals from ever disclosing money hidden abroad to local authorities, practitioners say. Deputy Minister of Finance Eric Wiebes announced that it was time to draw… – Continue reading
EU eyes corporate rules shake-up with law on seat transfer
The European Commission is preparing a new directive on the cross-border transfer of company headquarters, a move that could have far-reaching implications for other areas of corporate governance, including tax planning and cross-border mergers, EURACTIV has learned. With Brexit on the horizon, UK companies are busy weighing their options for… – Continue reading
The Netherlands – Budget 2018 – Dividend withholding tax and non-resident taxation
On 19 September 2017, the Dutch government released the State’s Budget for the year 2018. The Budget includes a draft bill to expand the dividend withholding tax exemption to tax treaty countries, to introduce a withholding tax obligation for holding cooperatives and to limit the taxation of non-resident investors. If… – Continue reading
Anti-tax avoidance measures under fire from employers, tax advisors
The caretaker government may make the Netherlands a less attractive location for international business because of changes to the corporate tax system, the employers’ organisation VNO-NCW and tax advisers have warned, the Financieele Dagblad said on Monday. The employers and Dutch Order of Tax Advisors say the government is choosing… – Continue reading
Ireland, UK and others are offshore ‘conduits’
Computer scientists have worked to uncover the way the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, Singapore and Switzerland, in particular, are used by multinationals to channel investments onto well-known offshore centres (OFCs). According to the research which was first reported by online journal Quartz, the five countries are used by multinationals to… – Continue reading
Netherlands And Indonesia Clarify Fund Taxation
The Government of the Netherlands has announced that it has concluded an agreement with Indonesia on the taxation of investment funds. The Dutch Ministry of Finance announced on July 11 that the new competent authority agreement was signed by the two sides on June 23, 2017. The agreement clarifies the… – Continue reading
Paris wants US corporations to pay fair share of taxes in EU
France wants Brussels to take a tougher stance on American multinationals working inside the European Union (EU) and force them to pay an appropriate amount of tax. “I can tell you that the times we live in are not for the weak,” French Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire said in… – Continue reading
Dutch Lawmaker Promises More Transparency on Tax Rulings
Dutch tax authorities will publicly disclose the type and number of rulings awarded to corporations every year, the country’s deputy finance minister pledged. Eric Wiebes said during a June 1 plenary debate in the House of Representatives that he would require the country’s tax administration to issue an annual report… – Continue reading
Netherlands To Introduce Registry Of Beneficial Ownership
The Government of the Netherlands has said that it will take a step forward in its fight against tax evasion and money laundering by introducing a registry of ultimate beneficial owners of companies registered in the Netherlands. Draft legislation for the introduction of a registry of beneficial ownership was published… – Continue reading
Brazil’s Petrobras Loses Appeal of Double Taxation
For the second time in 14 months, Brazil’s state oil company Petrobras has lost a dispute over Brazil’s recognition of tax treaties. On March 24, a federal revenue service appeals court ruled against Petrobras in a $510 million case (16682.721067/2014-01) involving the company’s profits in the Netherlands for 2010. Although… – Continue reading
Netherlands: Trends I Netherlands Moves Away From Fiscal Offshore Industry
The Netherlands is slowly but surely steering away from facilitating the use of its corporate income tax system by companies that are set up merely to obtain tax benefits. These companies, which often do not actually carry out activities in the Netherlands, have contributed to the perception among policy makers… – Continue reading
Uber Loses Australian Tax Dispute Over GST
Uber is simply providing a taxi service and all its drivers must therefore register to pay goods and services tax, Australia’s Federal Court ruled. The Feb. 17 decision, which could yet be appealed to the full bench of the Federal Court, is “one step in the journey of the tax… – Continue reading
Netherlands, Uzbekistan Sign Anti-Abuse Agreement
The Netherlands has signed a protocol to its double tax avoidance treaty with Uzbekistan, designed to prevent the treaty from being inappropriately used to avoid taxes. The anti-abuse provision was signed by the Netherlands and Uzbekistan on February 7, 2017, and “prevents the benefits of the treaty only [being] used… – Continue reading
Indonesia – Key Indonesian Law Considerations For International DCM Issues
Following Moody’s Investors Service affirmation of Indonesia’s sovereign credit rating at Baa3 with a stable outlook in January 2016, there has been renewed interest in the international bond market for Indonesian credits. This bulletin seeks to summarise the regulatory changes in Indonesia over the last 24 months as well as… – Continue reading
BDI lobby group opposes end of ‘patent box’ tax breaks
Germany’s BDI industry group has come out against a government plan to unilaterally close so-called ‘patent box’ tax loopholes used by foreign companies to avoid paying full taxes on profits earned in Germany. The Association of German Industrialists, BDI, said Tuesday that the government’s unilateral move would send a negative… – Continue reading
International tax-avoidance rules may override GAAR, other tax treaties
There is a possibility that the General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR, on taxes) and the tax treaties signed by the government with those of Mauritius, Singapore and Cyprus, and even other nations such as Netherlands, could be overtaken by another event. These could, say experts, be partially or fully overridden by… – Continue reading
U.S. tax reform plan “not likely” to badly impact Canada: Expert
WASHINGTON — An American tax authority who helped champion a reform now being considered by the U.S. Congress says Canada would not be among the countries hardest hit by the introduction of so-called border adjustments. Alan Auerbach is among the leading proponents of the push to restructure corporate taxes so… – Continue reading
Netherlands ‘will block UK-EU deal without tax avoidance measures’
Trade agreement would have to include strict rules to prevent Britain becoming offshore haven, Dutch deputy PM says The Netherlands will block any EU trade deal with the UK unless it signs up to tough tax avoidance regulations preventing it from becoming an attractive offshore haven for multinationals and the… – Continue reading
