WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Caterpillar Inc’s offshore tax strategies will come under scrutiny on Tuesday at a U.S. Senate hearing expected to examine dealings by the world’s largest mining and construction equipment maker in Switzerland, Bermuda and Luxembourg. With many multinationals being criticized for tax avoidance, veteran tax sleuth Senator Carl Levin… – Continue reading
The Luxembourg and US governments have today signed an agreement to improve international tax compliance and implement the so-called Model 1 Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) of the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). As a result of this agreement, the Luxembourg Tax Administration has set up two working groups including… – Continue reading
The British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission (the “FSC”) is advising the public that on 5 March, 2014, The Ukraine (Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) Order 2014 was ratified and extended to the Territory by virtue of article 1 and Schedule 1 to the Order. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that this Order… – Continue reading
A MIDLANDS ACCOUNTANCY FIRM held negligent by the High Court after it failed to advise a client domiciled outside the UK of a tax avoidance scheme has claimed victory on appeal. Iranian refugee Hossein Mehjoo – who had established a multi-million pound fashion business in Britain – successfully sued his local… – Continue reading
A former Severstal executive has been indicted for hiding as much as $7.5 million from US tax authorities in Swiss bank accounts held at UBS AG. Victor Lipukhin, a former steel trader for Russian steel maker Severstal, hid assets in two Swiss UBS bank accounts from 2002 through 2007, said… – Continue reading
A looming global crackdown on aggressive tax avoidance is set to stop internet companies slashing bills by routing profits to havens. Plans to “restore taxation” in the countries where digital companies make their sales and base their headquarters were set out on Monday in the first international response to the… – Continue reading
Ghana and Denmark have signed a Double Taxation Agreement, moving the bilateral cooperation between the two countries to another level. A Double Taxation Agreement regulates the tax treatment of income or capital gains in situations where the same taxpayer is subject to tax in two states with respect to the… – Continue reading
OECD plan to make practice of shifting locations ineffective New rules aimed at preventing the type of aggressive tax avoidance schemes run by some of the largest multinational employers here will begin to be introduced in September, according to a draft report seen by The Irish Times . Structures that artificially shift… – Continue reading
RIYADH, March 24 (KUNA) — Saudi Arabia and Hungary have signed an agreement for double taxation avoidance and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and capital, and its related protocol. The deal was signed by Saudi Minister of Finance Dr. Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Assaf and Hungarian… – Continue reading
As part of a plea agreement, an ex-Credit Suisse banker recently disclosed how U.S. customers avoided offshore account disclosure requirements. In an effort to crack down on offshore accounts, federal prosecutors have stepped up investigations of the largest Swiss banks, their bankers and account holders. The most recent bank to… – Continue reading
THE PENSIONS INDUSTRY may have been caught on the hop with George Osborne’s unexpected upheaval of the regime, but tax advisers didn’t get away scot-free. While Budgets have been more benign under the coalition government, advisers were caught out with revisions to the taxing of properties purchased within corporate wrappers. The… – Continue reading
Ghana and Denmark have signed a Double Taxation Agreement, moving the bilateral cooperation between the two countries to another level. A Double Taxation Agreement regulates the tax treatment of income or capital gains in situations where the same taxpayer is subject to tax in two states with respect to the… – Continue reading
LONDON — They are the most expensive and luxurious flats in the whole of London. Their ultramodern bay windows offer an unobstructed view onto Hyde Park. An underground corridor connects them to the Mandarin Oriental, the palace where Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal has one of his prized restaurants. In total, the… – Continue reading
Apple, amazon, and other digital item retailers will have to charge 20% VAT starting in 2015 A long-standing tax loophole has been available in the UK that allowed buyers of digital download products to pay fewer taxes on their purchases of digital books, music, and apps. That loophole has now… – Continue reading
The European Union has formally adopted the Savings Tax Directive after six years of negotiations. The directive is intended to bolster the power of the EU to crackdown on tax evasion. The measure was adopted shortly after Luxembourg and Austria abandoned their opposition to the plan. EU tax commissioner Algirdas Semeta, commenting… – Continue reading
European Union competition watchdogs ordered Luxembourg to hand over details of tax breaks for businesses after they said the Grand Duchy was hindering a state-aid probe spanning several EU nations. Luxembourg refused to deliver details concerning the 100 largest companies benefiting from a special program for companies whose profits stem… – Continue reading
A report by the Government Accounting Office details who took part in the first voluntary disclosure program for offshore accounts. If you made an honest mistake and failed to keep up on international account reporting requirements, it is important to spe March 25, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ — Congress has been on… – Continue reading
As 2008 began, the future looked brilliant for green energy giant Suntech Power and its high-flying founder, Shi Zhengrong. Suntech was one of the world’s largest makers of solar panels, the first non-state-owned Chinese company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. And Shi, born to a farm family so… – Continue reading
Despite bilateral trade touching $83M in 2012, the two countries have greater ambitions given the untapped opportunities that the destinations offer. UAE Minister of Economy Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri stressed that the bilateral relationship between the UAE and Luxembourg is witnessing significant progress across the economy, trade and investment… – Continue reading
European Union antitrust regulators ordered Luxembourg on Monday to hand over information on its corporate tax practices as part of their investigation into tax loopholes which have allowed companies such as Starbucks and Apple to cut their tax bills. The move by the European Commission came after Luxembourg failed to… – Continue reading
What is FATCA? FATCA or the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, is actually a section of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act passed into United States law in March 2010, that comes into force on 1 July 2014. It is unique in its extra-territorial reach, being an attempt… – Continue reading
Both sides express interest in collaborating on small and medium enterprises and the renewable energy sectors Abu Dhabi: Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, has reaffirmed the importance of economic relations between the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Malta during the visit of Dr. Christian… – Continue reading
An inability to open a bank account is not news for everyone in Hong Kong. Just ask the long-suffering American residents. “Nobody wants to deal with the US citizen account signatory, whether it is a company account or an account for my own financial needs,” said Ross Feingold, a director… – Continue reading
In the end of February 2014, Cyprus and Norway signed a double tax treaty between the two governments. The treaty signed between the two countries is a step to the further development of trade and economic relations between the two countries. The Cypriot government aims at expanding the existing network… – Continue reading
EU AGREES ON SYSTEM TO TACKLE TAX EVASION. The Associated Press has the story, “European Union nations on Thursday agreed on a sweeping policy to fight tax evasion after tiny Luxembourg dropped its reservations to new rules which render its secretive banking culture more transparent. Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel… – Continue reading
Given all the publicity about tax avoidance by multinationals over the last year or more, the clamour for action to be taken, and the government’s commitment to do so, Mr Osborne might have been expected to make at least some reference to this subject in his Budget speech. In fact,… – Continue reading
States agree to automatic exchange of non-EU citizens’ savings account details After years of opposition, Luxembourg and Austria have agreed to back automatic exchange of savings account information on non-citizens to tackle tax fraud in the EU. Their shift was welcomed by other EU leaders meeting in Brussels and allows ministers to sign off… – Continue reading
More bits of information have emerged regarding China’s secretive, young billionaire Perenna Kei. After Forbes Magazine put Kei on their list of the world’s youngest billionaires, the search for details began. Most publications could not confirm her identity, as several photos were published mistakenly labeling Kei. A new photo of… – Continue reading
U.S. corporations added at least $206 billion to their stockpiles of offshore profits last year, parking earnings in low-tax countries until Congress gives them a reason not to. They have accumulated $1.95 trillion outside the U.S., up 11.8 percent from a year earlier, according to securities filings from 307 corporations…. – Continue reading
Tax Avoidance/ Evasion: On Wednesday George Osborne, UK chancellor, proposed new rules in his Budget 2014 statement to reduce the opportunities for rich individuals and companies to avoid or evade personal and corporate taxes. Also this week, two prominent US senators wrote to the Justice Department to seek extradition of about 30… – Continue reading
The Canada-BVI Tax Information Exchange Agreement (“TIEA”) came into force on 11 March 2014. The TIEA was signed in May 2013, and the effective date provisions are set out in Article 13 of the Agreement. The BVI is now party to 25 TIEAs. What are the benefits? The BVI/Canada TIEA is significant due… – Continue reading
Vice Prime Minister Liviu Dragnea declared on Thursday after his meeting with the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region K.Y. Leung that Romania and Hong Kong will start negotiations for the signing of the double taxation agreement that was already discussed last summer during Prime Minister Victor… – Continue reading
Switzerland and Argentina have recently signed a new agreement for the avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and on capital. The treaty replaces the provisional agreement of 1997 and provides for the exchange of information upon request, in line with the current international standard. This is… – Continue reading
DESPITE George Osborne’s platitudes to last month’s G20 meeting in Australia – “It is not fair if big companies avoid their taxes by shifting their profits around artificially” – the Eye has discovered that the government has signed its most significant PFI deal to date (a new £190m children’s hospital… – Continue reading
Washington, DC – California attorney Christopher M. Rusch was sentenced to serve 10 months in prison for helping his clients Stephen M. Kerr and Michael Quiel, both businessmen from Phoenix, hide millions of dollars in secret offshore bank accounts at UBS AG and Pictet & Cie in Switzerland, the Justice… – Continue reading
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. The British Virgin Islands, Liechtenstein and Jersey are among 44 countries that have set… – Continue reading
Changes to Ireland’s residency rules, designed to eliminate mismatches between tax treaty partners, have not yet affected the residency status of any company, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has confirmed. The reforms were introduced in Noonan’s 2014 Budget and included in this year’s Finance Bill. They are intended to prevent companies… – Continue reading
Corporate Tax Avoidance: Inditex, the Spanish owner of Zara, this week announced its first fall in annual profits in five years as the world’s biggest fashion retailer invested in stores while foreign exchange rates moved against it. However, Amancio Ortega Gaona, founding chairman of Inditex, with a stake of 60%… – Continue reading
US companies appear to be thumbing their noses at a global crackdown on tax avoidance, with share registry group Computershare reporting an increase in multinationals re-incorporating in Ireland. In a briefing to investors on its regional outlook last week, Computershare said its Irish division had noticed ”further momentum in US… – Continue reading
Boeing won’t be paying any taxes this year [“Boeing has big tax refund coming from Uncle Sam — again,” seattletimes.com, March 1]. Instead, by deferring tax payments, it will be getting a $199 million refund. It’s not alone; many corporations are avoiding taxes altogether through loopholes. In the Senate there is… – Continue reading
Global technology giants such as Apple, Google and Amazon could soon be charged a tax on their UK activities in an attempt to stop them sidestepping their responsibilities. Britain is working with nine other countries to draw up shared dossiers on the tax affairs of such groups, it was revealed… – Continue reading
The Bankruptcies and Liquidations Section announces that, with accordance to the Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2011, it will not receive the documents for Voluntary Liquidation, unless they are accompanied by a proof of payment of the Annual Fee of the amount of €350 – for all the pending years,… – Continue reading
The U.S. Virgin Islands is attempting to lure small businesses with substantial corporate tax breaks, in a bid to create jobs and diversify the tiny territory’s $4.2 billion economy. Democratic Gov. John de Jongh toured New York late last week with regional economic development officials, meeting companies and investors. De… – Continue reading
The Swiss Council of States has adopted a bill forwarded on from the Federal Council with modifications, implementing the revised Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendations. Lawmakers increased the tax threshold for a case of tax evasion to be deemed to be a serious tax offence, from CHF200,000 (USD229,164) to… – Continue reading
MUNICH, Germany — German prosecutors said Monday they won’t appeal against Uli Hoeness’ 3 1/2-year sentence for tax evasion, clearing the way for the former Bayern Munich president to start his prison term. Hoeness, one of German football’s most prominent figures, was convicted last Thursday of evading about 28.5 million… – Continue reading
Romania is waiting for an answer from the United States on the beginning of negotiations of an intergovernmental agreement on the implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) on the exchange of information for fighting tax avoidance.The Romanian Government has approved a memorandum to this effect on January 22,… – Continue reading
Financial institutions in Bermuda, such as banks and trust companies, will soon be obliged to provide information to foreign tax authorities relating to the financial affairs of United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) resident clients. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act 2009 (US FATCA) is a US law designed… – Continue reading
Not a single company has contacted the tax authorities to say they have been affected by changes announced in the budget as part of Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s clampdown on international tax avoidance. In October’s budget, Mr Noonan included a measure that required any company incorporated in Ireland to be… – Continue reading
The benefits of the New Zealand Government’s desire to push export led growth, as part of its overall economic strategy, could be stymied by a lack of clarity over proposed cross-border tax changes. New research from the Grant Thornton International Business Report survey (IBR) reveals that New Zealand business leaders… – Continue reading
Some states are going after multinational corporations which avoid state taxes by stashing some of their earnings in offshore tax havens, an effort aimed at recouping some of the more than $20 billion states lose to such gimmicks each year. Shifting income to subsidiaries in places like the Cayman Islands… – Continue reading
