Category: Tax Reform

Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man join commitment to tackle tax evasion

The commitment comes amid ongoing controversy over the use of complex tax arrangements following the Paradise Papers leak. The islands of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man have signed up to a joint commitment with the British and Irish governments to tackle tax evasion and abusive tax avoidance. The… – Continue reading

Republicans Reveal US Tax Reform Law

On October 2 the US Government released the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, setting out in legislation its plans for comprehensive reform of the US tax code. For businesses, the bill will bring about a landmark shift to a territorial corporate tax system, replacing the current worldwide tax basis regime… – Continue reading

EU Framework for resolving double tax disputes

The EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council has adopted a Directive to create a new system to resolve double taxation disputes between EU Member States. This measure will afford taxpayers a transparent process with clear deadlines applicable to tax authorities involved to resolve cross-border double tax disputes within the EU…. – Continue reading

Bangladesh Cracking Down On Tax-Evading Foreign Workers

Bangladesh’s National Board of Revenue (NBR) is clamping down on foreign workers failing to declare their earnings in the country. Earlier companies were encouraged to report details of foreigners they have on their payroll to the Bangladesh Investment Developments Authority (BIDA), as currently required by law. Foreign individuals should pay… – Continue reading

Bahamas Converts Finland Taxation Deal To Automatic

THE Bahamas yesterday upgraded its tax information exchange agreement with Finland to the automatic variety, as it bids to meet global standards by September 2018. K P Turnquest, deputy prime minister, signed the Protocol to Amend the Tax Information Exchange Agreement between the Bahamas and Finland, with the latter’s ambassador… – Continue reading

Singapore Legislates For Income Tax Change

Singaporean lawmakers approved the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2017 on October 2, 2017, which provides for numerous changes to income tax policy. Discussing the bill in parliament, Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Finance, confirmed that the existing corporate income tax rebate for 2017 will be enhanced by raising… – Continue reading

Ireland Updates International Tax Strategy

The Irish Government has published an updated version of its International Tax Strategy, which provides an overview of the steps taken to meet international standards and sets out the Government’s position on global reform efforts. In his foreword to the Tax Strategy paper, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said: “In Ireland… – 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

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

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

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

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

Tax expert says amendment to new tax law likely before implementation next year

Removal of withholding tax on G-Sec income effectively frees foreign investors paying any taxes New tax law proposes to remove 10% withholding tax on G-Secs but makes such income liable for income tax up to 24% This likely to result in sizeable leakage of tax revenue to govt. as G-Secs… – Continue reading

Switzerland Consulting On WHT Reforms

The Swiss Federal Department of Finance is consulting on proposals to amend the Withholding Tax (WHT) Ordinance, to more clearly define the rules for non-resident taxpayers. Under the proposed reforms, “quasi-residents” will be permitted to request a subsequent ordinary tax assessment. “Quasi-residents” are employees who are not domiciled in Switzerland… – Continue reading

Republicans launch worldwide campaign in bid for territorial taxation

Letters calling for the elimination of FATCA, among other tax issues, will be presented to the White House in about two weeks’ time. A global political organisation with affiliation to the Republican Party has recently launched a petition and letter writing campaign in protest of “citizenship-based” taxation – partly in… – Continue reading

Econ experts laud tax reform plan

MANILA, Philippines — The Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) has expressed support for the tax reform program being pushed by the Department of Finance, saying this will lead to better lives for Filipinos. “The comprehensive tax reform program lays a solid foundation for the government’s vision of inclusive growth, improved… – Continue reading

Tax Reform Advocacy Group Outlines Pro-Growth Plan

With corporate tax reform still very much on the table, advocacy group Alliance for Competitive Taxation (ACT) has weighed in with a reform plan that it deems internationally competitive and pro-growth, and capable of driving transformational change in the U.S. economy. ACT doesn’t define its member businesses but says it… – Continue reading

Greece raising taxes when other countries slashing them

    Greece is defying the prevalent trend among the world’s industrialized nations for reducing tax rates in order to boost investment and competitiveness, a report published on Wednesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has shown. According to the report, in contrast to the majority of… – Continue reading

Multinationals would face mandatory tax on offshore profits, Steven Mnuchin says

Multinational corporations with profits held overseas would face a mandatory one-time tax as part of the planned Republican tax legislation, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday. “There will be a ‘deemed tax’ as a one-time charge,” Mnuchin said in an interview with Fox News at the Treasury. U.S. companies have… – Continue reading

Use data effectively to exceed revenue target for IT, urges Finance Ministry

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked tax officers to use data analytical tools to proactively track and determine undeclared income and wealth and highlighted the need to strengthen data analytics and investigation wing of the tax department. gst cbdt Tax officials have been urged to “utilise data effectively” such that… – Continue reading

Malawi Releases 2018 Budget

Malawi’s recent budget included numerous tax changes and announced updates to the country’s transfer pricing rules. On the indirect tax front, the Budget, released in mid-August, introduced a 10 percent excise tax on television subscriptions and introduced a value added-tax exemption for dairy products, animal or vegetable fats and oils,… – Continue reading

Mexico: New Substance-Over-Form Litigation Procedures In Mexico

Mexico has introduced new substance-over-form procedures that change the country’s formal approach into one more compliant with the BEPS Project. Taxpayers should take note of these developments as they may impact tax disputes, writes Bernardo Ramírez and Valentín Ibarra of Chevez, Ruiz, Zamarripa y Cía. Resulting from a G20 world… – Continue reading

Indonesia Passes Law to Chase Tax Evaders Overseas

New law to fulfill requirements under OCED’s AEOI framework Move could unlock billions of dollars of assets kept abroad Indonesia moved a step closer to hunting down tens of billions of dollars it believes its citizens have hidden abroad after political parties agreed to seek a parliamentary approval for a… – Continue reading

Irish FinMin Explains Response To Tax Evasion

Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has explained the country’s approach to tax evasion during a hearing of the European Parliament’s PANA Committee, and said Ireland is “a strong supporter of international tax reform efforts.” Donohoe was one of several European finance ministers who appeared before the committee on July 11…. – Continue reading

India’s Narendra Modi cancels registration of 100,000 companies

India has cancelled the registration of more than 100,000 companies which were “in violation of laws”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, in the latest effort by the government against “black money” and tax evasion. The decision was taken based on an extensive data analysis conducted by the government after Mr… – Continue reading

Republicans debating remedies for corporate tax avoidance

President Donald Trump and Republican leaders in Congress will soon confront a complex challenge for tax reform: how to limit U.S. corporate tax avoidance schemes that take advantage of low tax rates in foreign countries. Congressional and administration staff have begun to examine options to address profit-shifting schemes that include… – Continue reading

Canada Explains Tax Treaty Changes To Prevent Abuse

The Canadian Government has explained how it will incorporate into its tax agreements new provisions to counter base erosion and profit shifting, having signed the OECD’s multilateral instrument on tackling treaty abuse. The Canadian Government said that the minimum standards consist of the inclusion in existing treaties of a new… – Continue reading

Commission welcomes adoption of new rules to block #TaxAvoidance

The agreed rules will stop companies from escaping tax by exploiting the mismatches between Member States’ and non-EU countries’ tax systems (“hybrid mismatches”). Today’s (29 May) agreement completes the Anti Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) which ensures that binding and robust anti-abuse measures are applied throughout the Single Market. “Our campaign… – Continue reading

Hungary Approves Advertising Tax Hike

The Hungarian parliament has approved an increase to the country’s advertising tax, despite concerns that the measure breaches European Union state aid rules. The new legislation increases the advertising revenues tax from 5.3 percent to 7.5 percent beginning July 1, 2017. However, because companies do not pay the tax on… – Continue reading