6 July 2019: In the lead up to the Group of 20 (G20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released data that show that automatic exchange of information on financial accounts is improving tax compliance and delivering concrete results for governments… – Continue reading
Gibraltar joins the list of jurisdictions to sign the framework on BEPS ... - Continue reading
An overview of the economic substance requirements for Cayman islands ... - Continue reading
BERNE/NEW DELHI: SWISS authorities are in process of sharing details of at least 50 Indian nationals having accounts in Switzerland-based banks, with regulatory and enforcement agencies in the two countries tightening their noose on individuals suspected to have amassed illicit wealth. These individuals largely include businessmen associated with companies, including… – Continue reading
The G-20 and OECD aim to reach an agreement on the framework for the new digital tax rules in January 2020
Muscat: Oman, in line with its commitment to align itself with international best practices in tackling cross-border tax evasion and meeting the standards set by the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is currently in the process of issuing regulations for automatic exchange of… – Continue reading
In brief – Beneficial ownership toolkit aims to help governments implement legal and supervisory frameworks to identify and collect beneficial ownership information Beneficial ownership is a critical issue in many areas of law, in particular tax and anti-money laundering. National authorities often struggle to keep up with private ingenuity in… – Continue reading
48 Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officials were Monday morning expected at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters on Kiambu road for questioning. The individuals include 32 officers from KRA’s Domestic Taxes Department, 15 from the Customs and Border Control Department and one from the Investigations and Enforcement Department. They… – Continue reading
PF deputy media director Antonio Mwanza says if former Post newspaper editor-in-chief Dr Fred M’membe was in America, he would have been in jail, by now, for tax evasion. And Mwanza says opposition political parties come short of blaming the Pope when they lose elections. Meanwhile, National Democratic Congress (NDC)… – Continue reading
In December, the Virgin Islands implemented a new Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) measure, according to Government Information Services. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development created a BEPS “action plan” in 2013 to combat “tax planning strategies that exploit gaps and mismatches in tax rules to artificially shift… – Continue reading
The Mauritius International Financial Centre (IFC) claims to be the first jurisdiction globally to offer a regulatory landscape for the custody of digital assets. This is according to communication from the country’s integrated regulator for the non-bank financial services sector and global business, the Financial Services Commission (FSC). The FSC… – Continue reading
Panama enacted the Law 70 of 2019, where the Tax Evasion is considered a crime by adding said dispositions to Criminal Code and modifying the Tax Code. This new law brings Panama to a new level of compliance under International Law, as it was one of the few countries in… – Continue reading
The Cook Islands has joined a coalition of countries aimed at fighting tax avoidance and easing cross-border tax dispute resolution. The country has joined 124 other countries in the Inclusive Framework on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) announced earlier this month…. – Continue reading
The Government yesterday broke down the divide between Bahamian domestic and international financial institutions to meet European Union (EU) demands. KP Turnquest, the Deputy Prime Minister, in unveiling a radical regulatory shift said the Government will “make the playing field level for all financial institutions in The Bahamas” by enabling… – Continue reading
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
Continuing its ongoing commitment to the development and maintenance of the very highest standards of economic and financial propriety, the Bermuda Government has tabled legislation that embraces a global initiative to combat base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). The legislation, which was tabled in the House of Assembly on 7… – Continue reading
Once the UAE fully implements the BEPS minimum standard, it will become a very good location, say tax experts The UAE’s position as an attractive destination for foreign investment will substantially improve once it fully implements minimum standards for base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), tax analysts said on Saturday…. – Continue reading
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
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) recently released the Income Tax (Transfer Pricing) Regulation 2018 (‘the Regulation’). The Regulation took effect from 12th March 2018 and replaces the Income Tax (Transfer Pricing) Regulations, 2012. The Regulation sets out the legal framework for the application of the arm’s length principle to… – Continue reading
Having established a groundbreaking regulatory framework for companies using distributed ledger technology, Gibraltar is now poised to publish draft legislation for initial token offerings and is setting its sights too on the market for crypto funds. These were among the key messages signalled at a breakfast briefing for fund managers… – Continue reading
The Bahamas has drafted new legislation to ensure the jurisdiction achieves the right balance of business, economic sustainability, and compliance with international standards. Uppermost among the Bahamas’ priorities include compliance with the OECD and EU criteria on tax governance which has led to the Bahamas implementing sweeping changes to the… – Continue reading
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) said it would create a team to monitor initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrencies. Australia’s market regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is considering a new tactic in regulating digital currency exchanges and raising the monitoring of initial coin offerings (ICOs)… – Continue reading
The federal tax-collecting authority should update its virtual assets guidance because the lack of clarity creates uncertainty for citizens, Capitol Hill lawmakers said in an open letter. The US House of Representatives has urged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to release a new, comprehensive version of its cryptocurrency guidance because… – Continue reading
Luxembourg’s fund chiefs are calling on the next government to reorganise the subscription tax on funds to help lower their operating costs. Less than a month before the legislative elections, on Monday Alfi outlined a list of recommendations for the next leaders of the country. The subscription tax review is… – Continue reading
Indonesia is set to join the global treaty on the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) on tax matters this month, and will then have virtually all the “high-caliber weapons” it needs to hunt down tax evaders — not just within the country but anywhere in the world, including tax-haven countries…. – Continue reading
Blockchain startup Smart Valor has announced that it received approval to operate in the Swiss financial market. Based in Switzerland’s Crypto Valley, Smart Valor is a company building a decentralized marketplace for tokenized alternative investments. Its network is coordinated by a smart-contract-based governance model, which incentivizes each participant to contribute… – Continue reading
Tax expert Manoj Agarwal explains why businesses must be aware of their tax liability management in order to avoid falling foul of the law It has been nine months since the UAE, an erstwhile tax haven like several other GCC countries, implemented its new value added tax (VAT). And across… – Continue reading
The Internal Revenue Service is making some adjustments to its Compliance Assurance Process, a program aimed at large corporate taxpayers that involves cooperating with the IRS before any audits. As part of the proposed changes, the IRS said Monday it will shift the start of the application period to Oct…. – Continue reading
There is a small island in the Caribbean … You immediately imagine relaxation, a beach, palm trees. However today in these small areas a really big crypto history is being created. The crypto business is increasingly mastering the jurisdiction of “dwarf” states, such as Cyprus, Malta, Gibraltar, The Republic of… – Continue reading
ISLAMABAD: Authorities probing illegal foreign accounts and properties of thousands of Pakistanis made shocking revelations on Tuesday that the volume of these assets hidden in different tax havens abroad reached up to US$350 (Rs43 trillion). Interestingly, the authorities also revealed for the first time that only accounts and properties worth… – Continue reading
The United Kingdom and the European Union failed to reach an agreement on an orderly uncoupling, which is a major geopolitical and strategic event, with global implications. Uncertainty about the outcome of the Brexit referendum has already started to weaken growth in the U.K. — which is expected to get… – Continue reading
A legal practitioner cum entrepreneur, Moses Oruaze Dickson, has called for the review of the legislative framework for tax and taxation in the country, describing the existing law as obsolete for a progressive society like Nigeria. According to Dickson, who is also Managing Solicitor, Triax Solicitors, the law is long… – Continue reading
(CNS): Financial Services Minister Tara Rivers was in Washington, DC, last week, trying to persuade US Senators and others that Cayman’s financial services industry is well regulated and adhering to tax transparency standards. Picking up from an earlier visit, the minister spoke with American lawmakers about the industry here and… – Continue reading
The OECD has committed to providing proposals to fix the taxation of the digital economy by 2020, in an update to G20 leaders on international efforts to mitigate base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). In the newly released Second Annual Progress Report of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS, the… – Continue reading
The cryptocurrency industry is still at a very early stage of its development, so there are no single international rules yet. The governments of individual countries independently try to regulate digital assets. The tax on the cryptocurrency varies in different countries. Within the framework of this article, we will try… – Continue reading
ISLAMABAD: The Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Friday announced that they launched new programme to support Pakistan in implementing new international tax standards. According to statement issued by the OECD after holding three days talks with Pakistani authorities stated that as part of a mission held from… – Continue reading
As nations around the globe roll out crypto regulations and tax schemes, blockchain startups eagerly eye the next crypto-friendly destination. Malta has modeled itself as exactly that and firms have been flocking there in droves. So much so that the government has told them to hold their horses while it… – Continue reading
The United Arab Emirates has more than 140 free zones across seven emirates, including 20 designated zones with separate laws, regulations and VAT treatment. This can make doing business in the UAE a complex journey. However, there is also the strong benefit of the UAE being one of the easier… – Continue reading
Document to be presented to Tynwald after summer recess The Isle of Man has agreed a renegotiated ‘double taxation arrangement’ with the UK. Howard Quayle met with Mel Stride MP yesterday, who is Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General across, to sign the document which replaces the agreement… – Continue reading
The European Commission’s proposal for a digital services tax would be “deeply harmful” to the EU business environment and may lead to double taxation, a coalition of business and technology groups has warned EU leaders. An open letter published by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) ahead of the European… – Continue reading
MINSK, 18 June (BelTA) – Belarus and France are preparing to sign bilateral agreements on investment protection and double taxation avoidance. This and other upcoming events were discussed during a meeting of Belarusian Ambassador to the French Republic Pavel Latushko and Julien Buissart, Head of the CIS, Balkans and Middle-East… – Continue reading
The OECD has released the first peer reviews of the country-by-country (CbC) reporting initiative, reporting that practically all countries that serve as headquarters to large multinationals have introduced new transfer pricing documentation requirements to improve transparency. Country-by-country reporting will see tax administrations worldwide collect and share detailed information on all… – Continue reading
Agreement first of its kind between two GCC nations The UAE and Saudi Arabia have signed a landmark double income tax treaty, the first such agreement between two members of the GCC, a tweet by the UAE Ministry of Finance confirmed on Thursday. Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, UAE Minister of… – Continue reading
The Ministry of Finance has embraced a software solution from Vizor AEOI Software to help meet its automatic tax information exchange (AEOI) commitments. The Bahamas will use Vizor’s solution to meet its obligations under the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)’s Common Reporting Standard (CRS), and its Foreign Account… – Continue reading
(CNS): As the global cryptocurrency sector heats up, job creating international investment is seeking out suitable jurisdictions and Cayman Islands’ offshore rivals are looking to steal a march on this growth by introducing crypto-friendly laws and legislation, with Bermuda in pole position. Bermuda’s government said recently that it wants to… – Continue reading
A regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies has come into effect by royal decree in Thailand, the Bangkok Post reported Sunday, May 13. The 100-section law, published yesterday in the country’s Royal Gazette, defines cryptocurrencies as “digital assets and digital tokens,” and brings them under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Thai Security… – Continue reading
For the first time, Switzerland’s Federal Tax Administration (FTA) has sent details on advance tax rulings to its partners in the spontaneous exchange of information deal. The FTA announced on Tuesday that it had transmitted a first batch of 82 reports to a total of 41 states, including Britain, France,… – Continue reading
Britain’s 14 overseas territories, including the Cayman Islands, will have to introduce public registers of beneficial ownership by the end of 2020. If they do not, the U.K. government will issue an order in council to force Cayman and other territories to do so. The U.K. Conservative Party government did… – Continue reading
Doing away with the outdated and increasingly minority offshore tax system can create problems with what the Basic Law says ‘The Macau Special Administrative Region shall, on its own, make policies on tourism and recreation in the light of its overall interests,’ states the Basic Law in Article 118. Today,… – Continue reading
