Category: EU

Luxembourg’s laxity needs to be addressed in context of major reform of international tax avoidance schemes

Those who live in glass houses do well not to throw stones, and Ireland’s predilection for such tax schemes as the “double Irish” probably makes it the last place to cast aspersions at Luxembourg’s creative approach to assisting what is now euphemistically called “tax planning”, once “tax avoidance”. Having sensibly… – Continue reading

Ireland aims to remain a low-tax haven for tech giants

DUBLIN — In a sprawling conference center on the outskirts of the Irish capital, more than 20,000 people from the global tech industry gathered last week to sign deals and swap contacts. Despite the throngs of startups, American heavy hitters like Peter Thiel, and executives from Facebook and Twitter, talk… – Continue reading

Wolfgang Schäuble: Not Adopting the FTT Endangers the European Democracy

The Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) ensures that we have learnt the lessons from the banking crisis. Unless we accelerate the work on improving the rules so that they are adequate to an environment of globalisation, we will destroy the support for the European integration and that will be the end… – Continue reading

New loophole to replace the ‘Double Irish’ tax strategy

Another sophisticated loophole in the tax system means the removal of the “Double Irish” tax-avoidance strategy won’t actually have any real impact for US firms in Ireland seeking to lower their tax bills. An influential US tax journal has found that the Irish subsidiaries of US companies can easily opt… – Continue reading

CRH subsidiary has €2.5bn in assets and no staff

Subsidiary funds companies within Irish multinational, says spokesman RH did not feature in the leaked files, but accounts for one of its Luxembourg subsidiaries show it had multibillion-euro intra-group loans going in and out of the state. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons Ireland’s largest indigenous multinational, building materials group CRH, has a… – Continue reading

Noonan expects Apple tax inquiry to be dropped

Minister confident as Luxembourg leaks overshadow finance ministers’ meeting in Brussels Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has said he expects the European Commission investigation into Ireland’s tax deal with Apple to be dropped, as he defended Ireland’s corporate tax regime yesterday in the wake of the Luxembourg leaks scandal. “My… – Continue reading

COURT CALLS NETHERLANDS TAX HAVEN; SAME AS UK, SWITZERLAND

The Dutch tax rules are attractive to large multinationals. The same is true for countries such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Luxembourg. This writes the General Court of Auditors in a report, which was requested by the Second Chamber. The report was published today. Large multinationals search around the… – Continue reading

Medical supplies group used Irish firm in tax deal

Covidien transferred right to $6.9bn loan to new entity Multinational medical supplies group, Covidien, transferred the right to loans totalling $6.9 billion from Luxembourg to a new Irish company as part of an elaborate inter-group tax planning arrangement agreed with the Luxembourg tax authorities in 2009. Under the deal, the… – Continue reading

Tax avoidance takes “axe” to European solidarity, German minister says

Sigmar Gabriel calls on Juncker Commission to prioritise the issue German economics minister Sigmar Gabriel has warned that countries that permit large-scale corporate tax avoidance “take an axe to European solidarity”. In the wake of the Luxembourg Leaks, finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble told the Bundestag that the era of corporate… – Continue reading

Top British companies using Luxembourg tax avoidance scheme ‘like a magical fairyland’ to save billions

Papers show firms used internal loans and interest payments to cut tax bills Leaked tax documents show arrangements were signed off by EU state They are legal, but are predicted to trigger calls to stop firms avoiding taxes British companies using scheme include Dyson and drugs group Shire Some of… – Continue reading

Malta involved in EU tax avoidance investigations

The European Commission has requested information from seven member states in state aid cases involving taxation: Belgium, Cyprus, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands and Britain and has opened four in-depth investigations in Ireland, Luxembourg and Malta, European Commission Margaritis Schinas said today. He was commenting  after a media report said… – Continue reading

Havens like Luxembourg turn ‘tax competition’ into a global race to the bottom

An overhaul of the Grand Duchy’s corporate tax law and administration is required Occupying a damp 1,000 square miles where the French, German and Belgian borders meet, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a far cry from the palm-fringed tropical island tax haven of popular imagination. In fact the country… – Continue reading

UK aid investments target tax havens

Private sector arm of DfID and other EU development institutions channel significant investments to offshore havens, study finds More than two-thirds of the investments made by the private sector arm of the UK’s aid programme last year were channelled through “notoriously secretive” tax havens, according to a report that calls… – Continue reading

Ireland’s Prime Minister: Apple has nothing to fear from end of ‘Double Irish’ tax avoidance strategy

The end of the notorious corporate tax loophole known as the ‘Double Irish’ will not deter U.S. technology giants such as Google and Apple from further investment in the country, Ireland’s Prime Minister, Enda Kenny, told CNBC,” Jenny Cosgrave and Seema Mody report for CNBC. “The Taoiseach said the end… – Continue reading

Call for global cooperation over money laundering rules

Top UK regulator says threat of fines is scaring banks and poses risk of cutting off financial services to emerging economies Andrew Bailey, the UK’s most senior banking regulator, has highlighted a ‘serious international coordination problem’. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images There should be more international cooperation on money laundering rules to… – Continue reading

Development billions channelled through tax havens

Public institutions providing finance to businesses in developing countries are channelling billions of euros through secretive tax havens, a report published today (4 November) has found. Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) in Europe and the World Bank’s lending arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), are playing an increasingly dominant role in… – Continue reading

Exceptional distribution in kind of shares of Hermès International

PARIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–On September 2, 2014, under the aegis of the President of the Commercial Court of Paris, LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton (“LVMH”) and Hermès International (“Hermès”) entered into a settlement agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) aimed at restoring a climate of positive relations between them. “Communiqué – Distribution exceptionnelle… – Continue reading

Fighting tax evasion together

We are witnessing profound changes in the way that the world economy works. As a result of the growing pace and intensity of globalization and digitization, more and more economic processes have an international dimension. As a consequence, an increasing number of businesses are adapting their structures to domestic and… – Continue reading

Tax avoidance is a global problem

U.S. tax law creates perverse incentives for American companies to hold cash offshore, and the U.S. Treasury recently announced proposals to deter the practice.  The proposals have triggered an outcry that ranges from criticisms that the Obama administration has overstepped its authority, on one side, to criticisms that the proposals… – Continue reading

Cameron’s vow to tackle tax avoidance ‘disingenuous and hypocritical’

Multinational firms which exploit loopholes to avoid paying tax in the UK will be pushed to “damn well pay,” David Cameron said on Thursday. The PM’s statement was denounced as disingenuous by global tax expert and UK economist Richard Murphy. Cameron’s comments follow recent controversy over the manner in which… – Continue reading

“Taxation Must Go Global,” Says German Finance Minister

In one of the bluntest statements on the topic by any globalist thus far, controversial German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble (shown) openly called for “global standards” and “global governance” in taxation to ensure that governments can continue extracting huge sums in taxes from the wealth-producing class in perpetuity. In an… – Continue reading

Cyprus banks in the process of implementing FATCA

In the fight against tax evasion, member banks of the Association of Cyprus Banks (ACB) are currently in the process of implementing the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), in anticipation of the upcoming intergovernmental agreement between the United States of America and Cyprus, ACB Director General Michael Kammas said…. – Continue reading

Tax revenues are under relentless attack – the government needs to take action

Taxes are the price of a civilised society and without them no state can provide social infrastructure, alleviate poverty, subsidise corporations or rescue distressed banks. But tax revenues are under relentless attack and corporate ingenuity in avoiding taxes shows no limits. Companies have become very adept at shifting profits to… – Continue reading

Europe’s tax haven investments in Africa

In front of European Commissioners, leading politicians, chief executives of huge multinationals, senior bank bosses and billionaires, the Egyptian investment tycoon was asked to set the tone of the forum, a three-day lobbying event funded by the EU. Dr Heikal is founder and chairman of Qalaa, an African investment fund… – Continue reading

German Federal government : Joining forces to fight tax evasion

The automatic exchange of information on financial accounts around the world is coming. More than fifty countries have committed to this at an international tax conference hosted by Federal Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble. The exchange of information now agreed will make it easier for fiscal authorities to obtain information about… – Continue reading

Data-sharing deal helps governments track tax evaders

BERLIN — More  than 80 countries signed an agreement in Berlin on Wednesday that could end banking secrecy in the global battle against tax evasion and fraud, even though critics say it has shortcomings. Among the signatories were European Union (EU) countries and former staunch proponents of banking secrecy such… – Continue reading

Global Data-Sharing Accord Expands Push to Find Tax Cheat

Governments around the world closed in on tax evaders with an automatic data-sharing accord that broadens efforts by the U.S. and the five biggest European Union economies to more than 50 countries and territories. Finance ministers signed the agreement in Berlin today in a signal of global determination to capture… – Continue reading

Why Taxation Must Go Global

BERLIN – We are witnessing profound changes in the way that the world economy works. As a result of the growing pace and intensity of globalization and digitization, more and more economic processes have an international dimension. As a consequence, an increasing number of businesses are adapting their structures to… – Continue reading

Bruton To Promote Irish Corporate Tax Changes In US

Ireland’s Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton is undertaking his first investment mission since the Government announced major changes to the corporate tax regime as part of Budget 2015. Bruton is visiting the East Coast of the US as part of a program of engagement by the Government with multinational companies on… – Continue reading

HMRC investigators home in on massive Square Mile tax avoidance scheme

European prosecutors and tax authorities are intensifying an investigation into a huge tax avoidance trading scheme costing European countries hundreds of millions of euros. The investigation centres on complex stock trades that major banks allegedly use to earn tax rebates. The practice was revealed by the Bureau three years ago…. – Continue reading

India fails to attend meet on combating tax evasion

New Delhi/Berlin, Oct 29: India today failed to attend an OECD meeting in Berlin where a multilateral agreement requiring a commitment to follow international standards of confidentiality for information received relating to black money was signed. Official sources said that India was not able to attend the Berlin meeting where… – Continue reading

Germany issues warning over ‘patent boxes’ tax subsidy

Bruton says US multinationals will advise Government on ‘knowledge box’ tax scheme Germany has warned that corporate tax subsidy arrangements known as “patent boxes” are acceptable in the European Union only as a reward for research and investment by companies in member states, not as a new tax-avoidance tool. It… – Continue reading

Tax summit in Berlin aims to say goodbye to banking secrecy

(BERLIN) – The finance ministers of around 50 countries meet in Berlin on Wednesday to sign a deal they hope will put an end to banking secrecy and aid the worldwide fight against tax fraud and evasion. “Banking secrecy, in its old form, is obsolete,” German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble… – Continue reading

HMRC Opens FATCA Portal For British Financial Firms

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has launched a new web site for financial institutions required to make reports about US taxpayer clients under the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) laws. The online portal offers advice and access to a reporting hub for financial managers sending information about their… – Continue reading

Why it’s difficult to bring black money back

The government may have revealed the names of three black money account holders, but will it be able to get the money back or catch big fishes who have stashed the illegal money in tax havens across the globe. As of now it seems impossible. With at least three different… – Continue reading

Global Accord to Halt Tax Dodgers to Be Signed This Week

Finance ministers from at least 37 countries will take the biggest step yet in fighting tax evasion at a conference this week hosted by Germany’s Wolfgang Schaeuble, German officials said. Fifty states and jurisdictions are sending representatives to Berlin to sign an agreement on Oct. 29 on the automatic exchange… – Continue reading

WHO Meets Behind Closed Doors, Threatens A Global Tax Hike

The sovereignty of individual nations is increasingly under threat from international governance bodies that want to force a range of new regional and international taxes on states. The latest attempt to bypass state sovereignty occurred when the World Health Organization (WHO) met behind closed doors in Moscow last week. In… – Continue reading

Switzerland To Add Info Exchange Provisions To All DTAs

The Swiss Federal Council has launched a consultation on legislation for the unilateral application of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD’s) Standard on the Exchange of Information to all double tax agreements that are not already in line with this model. The legislation would only involve the exchange… – Continue reading

Luxembourg: Family Wealth Management In Luxembourg: We Are Not Done Yet, Despite The Changes To The Information Exchange

With the announced end of banking secrecy for non-residents, the time has come to make use of favourable repatriation schemes, such as the voluntary disclosure regime in Italy. Despite increasing pressure for fiscal transparency and exchange of information, beneficial owners still have a choice: move the capital out (of Luxembourg),… – Continue reading

Death of the “Double Irish Dutch Sandwich”? Not so Fast.

On October 14, 2014, the Irish Minister for Finance released proposals as part of the 2015 Irish Budget that would cause Irish incorporated non-resident (“INR”) companies to be treated as tax resident in Ireland beginning January 1, 2015. The goal is to shut down the use of so-called “Double Irish”… – Continue reading

GBGA Asks for Judicial Review of UK Point of Consumption Tax

The Gibraltar Betting & Gaming Association (GBGA) is continuing its challenge against changes to the United Kingdom’s regulatory and licensing changes for gambling-service providers by asking for a judicial review of a recent High Court decision which went against the GBGA’s interests, specifically challenging whether the new 15% “UK point… – Continue reading

The European Union Court of Justice Issues Historical Ruling in Favor of Italian Poker Players

The European Union Court of Justice (CJEU), Europe’s highest court in matters of EU law, ruled against the Italian government in a dispute related to the Italian taxation on gambling. According to the CJEU, Italy’s tax legislation operates in conflict with Article 52 and Article 56 of the Treaty on… – Continue reading

EU, Singapore Agree Free Trade Deal

The European Union and Singapore have announced the completion of negotiations towards a free trade agreement (FTA), after concluding talks on the investment protection portion of the pact. Negotiations on an FTA between the EU and Singapore began in March 2010 and a text including all but the investment portion… – Continue reading