Category: Regulatory

MAS issues stern money laundering warning; Jakarta starts StanChart probe

Private-bank assets held by StanChart in Channel island tax haven were moved to S’pore in 2015: report Singapore THE Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Monday declared its firm commitment to keeping the country’s financial centre clean and safeguarded from illicit activities. Singapore’s central bank and financial regulatory authority said… – Continue reading

EU finance ministers discuss plans for new taxation of digital firms

European Union plans for a new taxation system for digital companies, such as Skype and Amazon, both of which have European headquarters in Luxembourg, were discussed on Tuesday by EU finance ministers. A report from the European Commission in September said the effective average tax rate for a traditional international… – Continue reading

Cisco, Apple may shudder at regulatory change

Cisco Korea may have to share its key financial information starting next year as the government aggressively pushes to tackle the lack of transparency and tax-dodging practices by foreign enterprises, according to industry sources, Tuesday. “Though there still is much to be seen about the application of the revision, it… – Continue reading

New Private Tax Ruling Clarifies the Conditions for New Immigrants to Obtain an Israeli Residency Certificate

Under Israeli tax law, New Immigrants are entitled to various tax benefits, including an exemption from taxation with respect to non-Israeli sourced income. Due to these benefits, many taxpayers have argued that since they immigrated to Israel, they are entitled to Israeli tax residency certificate, even though they have not… – Continue reading

Canada ‘Listening To Concerns’ Over Tax Reform Proposals

The Canadian Government has said that it will “act on what it has heard” during its 75-day consultation on the controversial reform of tax planning rules it says are being used by high-income individuals to lower their tax bills. The Government intends to prevent individuals from using private corporations in… – Continue reading

Business owners believe Irish tax code ‘is barrier’ to growth

Survey respondents cite high marginal rates and lack of staff reward schemes as negatives More than half of Irish business owners view the State’s tax code as a barrier to growth rather than a support, according to a survey by accounting and professional services firm Deloitte. Respondents cited Ireland’s high… – Continue reading

Change to intellectual property tax write-offs will boost revenues

Move on multinational tax arrangements expected to be announced in the Budget An important change to multinational tax arrangements is expected to be announced in Budget 2018, limiting the tax write-offs big companies can take up front on movements of valuable intellectual property to Ireland. The move could provide a… – Continue reading

StanChart said to be investigated over US$1.4bn Indonesian cash transfers from Guernsey to Singapore

Over 100 jurisdictions indicated they will sign up to a global framework for the exchange of tax data (CRS) at the start of 2016, but these won’t take effect in Singapore and Hong Kong until 2018 Regulators in Europe and Asia are believed to be investigating Standard Chartered – one… – Continue reading

Inland Revenue Ordinance to be amended to facilitate international tax co-operation

Hong Kong (HKSAR) – The Inland Revenue (Amendment) (No. 5) Bill 2017 (Amendment Bill) was gazetted today (October 6). The Amendment Bill seeks to pave the way for Hong Kong’s participation in the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, and to align the Inland Revenue Ordinance (IRO)… – Continue reading

TRAIN removes preferential tax rates for new ROHQs

Multinational companies establishing their regional operating headquarters (ROHQs), a subsector under the business processing outsourcing (BPO) sector, in the country starting January 2018 will no longer be entitled to tax incentives under the current Senate Bill on tax reform. Senate Bill No. 1592 or the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration… – Continue reading

CBDT seeks suggestions on framing of rules on country-by-country reporting

New Delhi [India], Oct.6 (ANI): In keeping with India’s commitment to implement recommendations of 2015 Final Report on Action 13, titled “Transfer Pricing Documentation and Country-by-Country Reporting”, the Department of Income Tax has invited comments from stakeholders and the general public. It has said that these comments and suggestions on… – Continue reading

Oz tax reforms to affect Australian and international expats

The latest changes in Australia’s housing affordability laws are likely to have an effect on property sales tax liabilities for Australian citizens and associated property taxes for expats living and working in the country as well as property investors. Firstly, Aussie citizens living overseas may lose their Capital Gains Tax… – Continue reading

E.U., Citing Amazon and Apple, Tells Nations to Collect Tax

BRUSSELS — European competition regulators on Wednesday mounted a push against tax avoidance by Silicon Valley giants, announcing plans to take Ireland to court for failing to collect back taxes from Apple and ordering Luxembourg to claim unpaid taxes from Amazon. The effort, which comes as the European Union considers… – Continue reading

IRS offers tax relief to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands

The Internal Revenue Service released guidance Wednesday to give tax relief to residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands who have evacuated the islands or were unable to return because of Hurricanes Irma or Maria. The relief extends the typical 14-day absence period to 117 days (starting Sept…. – Continue reading

Concealment of offshore companies intended at hiding wealth: Justice Bandial

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Justice Umar Ata Bandial remarked on Wednesday that the motive behind hiding an offshore company is to hide wealth. He made the observation while hearing a disqualification petition against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Jehangir Tareen. A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and… – Continue reading

UAE, Costa Rica sign two agreements on encouraging investment, avoidance of double taxation

SAN JOSE- Manuel A. Gonzalez Sanz, Costa Rica‘s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, has met with Mohammed Sharaf Al Hashemi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Economic and Commercial Affairs, at the ministry in capital San Jose. During the meeting, the UAE and Costa Rica signed… – Continue reading

Ireland to be dragged in front of Europe’s highest court for refusing to accept €13billion in Apple back tax

The cash would be enough to fund the entire health service for a year Ireland faces legal action for failing to recover €13billion euros in tax from US tech giant Apple after European competition authorities blasted the country over a sweetheart deal. The European Commission said Ireland had not recouped… – Continue reading

Russia and Japan sign Double Taxation Avoidance Convention

The Russian President and the Japanese Prime Minister signed the Convention for the Elimination of Double Taxation with respect to Taxes on Income and the Prevention of Tax Evasion and Avoidance (the “Convention”) on 7 September 2017. The Convention will replace the existing treaty signed in 1986 by the Soviet… – Continue reading

Property tax law amended to boost Smart Nation move

Parliament yesterday passed changes to the law to allow more people to get property tax notices digitally. This is part of Singapore’s move to becoming a Smart Nation, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law Indranee Rajah told MPs. Existing regulations require taxpayers to explicitly consent before the Comptroller… – Continue reading

Russian Tax Service approves British Virgin Islands’ removal from offshore list

The Federal Tax Service (FTS) removes the British Virgin Islands (BVI) from the black list of ‘tax havens’. This change will affect the interests of Russian owners of the local companies. Leaving BVI for another offshore may help them keep their secrets, but not forever. Removal of the BVI from… – Continue reading

EU divided over radical tax reforms targeting tech giants

The EU is deeply divided over how to increase the tax take from tech giants such as Google, Apple and Amazon, who have recently come under fire for being perceived as not paying their fair share of taxes A controversial set of reforms spearheaded by French president Emmanuel Macron propose… – Continue reading

EU Countries Seek Legislative End-Around on Digital Tech Tax

EU nations led by France and Italy reinforced the need for an “equalization tax” or turnover tax on large internet companies such as Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., and suggested they would use special legislative procedures to impose one in the event all 28 EU-member countries don’t back the levy…. – Continue reading

100 Organizations Urge Congress to Reject Giant Tax Loophole for Offshoring and Tax Avoidance

GOP Leadership’s Proposal for a “Territorial Tax System” Would Encourage Corporations to Send Jobs Offshore and Avoid Paying Taxes. WASHINGTON – Today, 100 organizations sent a letter urging members of Congress to reject a proposal that would allow U.S. multinational corporations to pay little to nothing on their offshore profits…. – Continue reading

Will the new corporate offence of failure to prevent tax evasion and enhanced international tax transparency change the landscape for tax investigations?

The 30 September 2017 is an important date for HMRC and its “relentless” clampdown on global tax evasion. First, it marks the coming into force of the landmark corporate offence of failure to prevent tax evasion under Part 3 of the Criminal Finances Act 2017. Secondly, it is the commencement… – Continue reading

New regulation forces Indonesians to sell their foreign shell companies

On the back of the Indonesian government’s issuance of its new controlled foreign company (CFC) regulation on July 26, many Indonesians are likely to sell their foreign shell companies because of the enforcement of double tax payments. The CFC regulation authorizes the government to charge a dividend tax on foreign… – 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

Briefing: Proper plan design is way forward

International pension plans involve complex questions of structuring and compliance International Pension Plans (IPPs) are pension plans sponsored and funded by an employer, for employees assigned to work outside their home country, who are expected to receive IPP benefits while they are resident in their home country, or in another… – 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

Trump’s corporate tax reform plan could neuter Ireland’s advantage

President Trump on Wednesday this week announced a sketchy Republican tax reform plan that covered just 9 pages and he proposed that the headline federal corporate rate should be cut from 35% to 20%. However, there is a risk to Ireland’s low 12.5% corporate tax advantage. The average rate of… – Continue reading

Cooked in cheap oil? ‘Tax-free’ Gulf states to introduce VAT to revitalise economy

Gulf states are planning to introduce value-added tax starting next year following the hit faced by the energy-rice countries due to a drop in oil prices. Gulf states are planning to introduce value-added tax starting next year following the hit faced by the energy-rich countries due to a drop in… – Continue reading

Greenland joins Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes

On 29 August 2017, Greenland officially joined the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. Greenland thereby declared its commitment to implement both the international standard of exchange of information on request and the standard on automatic exchange of financial account information. On 8 February 2017… – Continue reading