Category: Individuals

Brits living in SA must declare their offshore assets

The British High Commission has advised British citizens to report and pay their tax on foreign income and assets. In a media release, the Commission said as part of the British Government’s “Requirement to Correct” legislation UK taxpayers must make sure that all their foreign income and assets, where there… – Continue reading

Chasing tax evaders worldwide

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

India Resident Foreign Companies to Pay 40 Percent Tax: Latest POEM Guidelines

In June this year, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) came out with final clarifications regarding the rules on Place of Effective Management (POEM). POEM is an internationally recognized test for determining the residence of a company incorporated in a foreign jurisdiction with a view to assessing its tax… – Continue reading

What offshore banking does

Offshore banking can play a crucial role, internationally and domestically The concept of offshore banking in Bangladesh is not new, and is getting very popular to among business-people in Bangladesh due to its overwhelming capacity to unlock the international financial settlement. Offshore banking, by its name and structure, can play… – Continue reading

PACAC Explains Why FG Turned Spotlight on Multinationals

The Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC) has explained why it is shifting the war against corruption in the country from politically exposed persons to multinationals. According to the Executive Secretary of PACAC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, Africa and indeed Nigeria losses more from Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) perpetrated by multinational… – Continue reading

Russian Finance Ministry Considering Abolishing VAT on Gold

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian Finance Ministry is considering complete abolition of value added tax (VAT) on gold, believing that this measure will help to return the capital worth tens of billions of rubles to the country, Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Moiseev told Sputnik on Thursday. “We receive appeals, including from… – Continue reading

A Bird’s Eye View on General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation in European Law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union (EU). The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) superseded the UK Data Protection Act 1998 on May 25, 2018. Significant and wide-reaching in scope, the new… – Continue reading

Australia’s fugitive Chinese accounts frozen

The top story in the finance section on Tuesday morning is about the Chinese government’s hunt for hidden assets (and unpaid taxes) overseas. The article mentions Australia and New Zealand freezing accounts from customers who don’t identify if they are foreign taxpayers. It goes on to say many of the… – Continue reading

Australian PM Planning New SME Tax Changes

Australia’s new Prime Minister has said his Government is working on plans to help improve the tax competitiveness of small businesses. Former Treasurer and now Prime Minister Scott Morrison had been at the forefront of the Government’s two-year battle to pass a package of company tax cuts. He had sought… – Continue reading

China Tax Cuts Worth RMB 45 Billion to Support Economy Amid Slowdown

On August 30, China’s State Council announced RMB 45 billion (US$6.59 billion) worth of tax cuts for businesses and investors. With the tax cuts, the Chinese government hopes to reduce the burden on small and micro-enterprises, encourage investors to continue lending, and ensure capital flow in the economy. The tax… – Continue reading

EU Should Challenge Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon Payment Systems, ECB Says

A European Union board member gave a speech criticizing the weak presence of European fintech businesses in the continent’s own market. The leader’s comments come in response to several major clashes with American multinationals over their unscrupulous practices. Yves Mersch, European Central Bank (ECB) member of the Executive Board, addressed… – Continue reading

Tax collection from prize money surges to Rs11.5 billion in FY2018

KARACHI: Collection of taxes on prizes and lottery winnings surged 19 percent to Rs11.5 billion during the fiscal year of 2017/18 as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) stepped up efforts to improve compliance of withholding agents, official data revealed on Saturday. The official data showed that collection of income… – Continue reading

China adopts revised individual income tax law

BEIJING, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) — China’s top legislature on Friday voted to adopt the revised Individual Income Tax Law in an effort to pursue fairer income distribution. Lawmakers approved the legislation at the end of a five-day bimonthly session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. The new law… – Continue reading

Macron signals historic French income-tax change may be delayed

French President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted “precise answers” before deciding whether to introduce pay-as-you-earn income tax withholding as planned next January. Speaking at a press conference in Helsinki, Macron said he wanted to be “demanding about the proper implementation” of what would be a major change for employers and… – Continue reading

Panasonic to Move European Headquarters Out of UK as Brexit Concerns Grow

Several multi-national corporations have moved their European headquarters outside of the UK ahead of Brexit, and many others are expected to follow suit, especially as the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit rises further. Japanese tech giant Panasonic will be transferring its European HQ away from London to Amsterdam in October… – Continue reading

EU Fails To Fix ‘Outrageous’ Monaco Loophole Which Helps Super-Rich Avoid Tax

Around 2,000 millionaires – many of them billionaires – call Monte Carlo their home and avoid paying billions of euros in tax. Sputnik spoke to the UK Socialist Party’s Deputy General Secretary, Hannah Sell, about why France and the European Union have done nothing to combat this tax haven in… – Continue reading

IRS plans new tax transcript format with better security

The Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday it will provide a new format for transcripts of individual tax returns that will safeguard taxpayer data by redacting personally identifiable information from Form 1040 series returns. The new transcript format will replace the old format and will be the default format available through… – Continue reading

Shanghai Business Registration: Online Platform for Foreign Invested Enterprises Launched

Shanghai recently launched a new online platform to facilitate the business registration of foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) in the city. Launched on June 30, 2018, the platform makes it easier for foreign investors to report their business information to the Administration of Industry and Commerce (AIC) if their projects do not… – Continue reading

How to Apply for CIT Incentives in China

China offers a number of preferential corporate income tax (CIT) policies for businesses operating in the country. Businesses that qualify for these preferential policies can benefit from incentives like CIT rates lower than the standard 25 percent rate and other CIT exemptions and deductions. These preferential tax treatments, however, do… – Continue reading

Uber withdraws lawsuit against HCMC tax man

Ride-hailing firm Uber has withdrawn its lawsuit over HCMC’s demand for $2.3 million in back taxes and fines. A tax department official said Friday that the HCMC People’s Court has suspended the case in which the Netherlands-based Uber B.V. had sued the department over its demand that the firm pays… – Continue reading

Thailand’s Private Trust Act

Baker McKenzie (Thailand) discuss how the proposed trust law aims to bring more wealth back to the country as both Thai and overseas assets (including real estate properties) can be used to set up a trust and promote Thai private banking business. Preserving a faily business for the next generation… – Continue reading

IRS regs on Sec. 199A look ‘taxpayer-favorable’

Long-awaited and highly anticipated proposed regulations for Code Section 199A, the new 20 percent deduction on “qualified business income” of pass-through entities, were released August 8 by the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service, and experts are saying they’re broadly taxpayer-friendly. “The government did a good job of responding… – Continue reading

FBR slaps notices on 400 Karachi residents holding UK properties

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has served notices to around 400 residents of the port city owning properties in the UK, asking to clarify if they availed the recently floated amnesty scheme or not, sources said on Friday. “A tax department issued around 300-400 notices to Karachiites for… – Continue reading

Switzerland forced to share information on HSBC Indian clients

Switzerland’s Supreme Court has ordered the country’s authorities to turn over information on HSBC accounts with the Indian government regarding two of its citizens. Both clients had fought the release on the grounds that India’s request for assistance in a tax-dodging probe arose from stolen bank data. The case involved… – Continue reading

Spanish Officials Lop 2 Million Euros Off Ronaldo’s Tax Evasion Settlement

In July, the 33-year-old football superstar accepted an 18.8 million euro fine and a suspended two-year prison sentence as he pleaded guilty to tax fraud in a Spanish court. According to the documents seen by El Mundo daily, football ace Cristiano Ronaldo, 33, who had to pay 18.7 million euros… – Continue reading

China decides to impose additional tariffs on 16 bln USD of U.S. imports

BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — China has decided to impose additional tariffs on imported products from the United States worth about 16 billion U.S. dollars, according to an official statement released Wednesday. Approved by the State Council, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council has decided to impose additional… – Continue reading

E-tax system will burden us – KAM

Manufacturers have accused the Kenya Revenue Authority of bulldozing the planned roll out of the e-tax stamp duty system despite numerous concerns. Their main concern is that the Excise Goods Management System will push up the cost of doing business. The Kenya Association of Manufacturers yesterday made a passionate appeal… – Continue reading

Pakistanis’ hidden foreign assets worth around $350bn

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

Intra-group Service Fee Treatment in China

Most multinational corporations (MNCs) charge their subsidiaries for services like human resources (HR) or information technology support. The subsidiary’s payment for these services is classed as intra-group service fees when they are made within same enterprise group. Because some businesses use this method to avoid tax and shift profits, tax… – Continue reading

Over Rs35 bn laundering: CJP hints at Panama-like JIT for Zardari, Faryal

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Mian Saqib Nisar, on Monday suggested formation of a Panama-style joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate the allegations against former president Asif Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur of laundering over Rs35 billion through fake bank accounts. A three-member bench of the apex… – Continue reading

Properties in UK: 75pc FBR notices issued to people from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The people belonging to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad are on top on account of receiving 75 percent tax notices from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for owning expansive properties in UK out of total 600-700 properties. This information has been shared by the UK tax authorities in a… – Continue reading

Outrageous tax incentives harming local businesses – ECG Chairman

The current tax incentives arrangement for foreign investors looking to invest in key sectors of the economy ends up financing multinationals to the detriment of local businesses who continue to wobble under severe taxation, Marwan Ansah, Western Regional Chairman, Senior Staff Union of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has… – Continue reading

Malaysia To Phase Out ‘Harmful’ Tax Regime

Malaysia has suspended its MSC Malaysia tax regime, pending changes to bring it into line with recommendations from the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting initiative. Under the regime, domestic and foreign information and communication technology-related businesses can apply for “MSC Malaysia Status,” which allows them to benefit from tax… – Continue reading

FBR to send tax notices to 600-700 potential tax evaders in UK

ISLAMABAD: After expiry of the tax amnesty scheme that had failed to lure owners of offshore assets abroad in a big way, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided dispatching tax notices to 600-700 individuals having rental income from possessing expensive properties in the UK in a bid to… – Continue reading

Putin Signs ‘Tax Havens Bill’ to Shield Russian Companies From Foreign Sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a package of laws allowing Russia-controlled foreign offshore companies to be re-registered in offshore financial centers (OFCs) established in Russia’s Kaliningrad Region and Primorsky Territory in order to minimize the possible consequences of sanctions and political risks from foreign countries. The legislation establishes the procedure… – Continue reading

Lyford Cay Blasts 500% Hike In Tax

The Government is moving to reinstate the $50,000 property tax “cap” after The Bahamas’ wealthiest community slammed “punitive taxation” that threatens “500 percent or greater” tax hikes. KP Turnquest, deputy prime minister, yesterday told Tribune Business that the Government was “actively reviewing” recent Real Property Tax Act reforms that could… – Continue reading

French request for UBS banking data stopped by Swiss court: report

GENEVA, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) — Switzerland’s Federal Administrative Court has ordered the country’s tax administration not to provide France with details about 40,000 UBS bank clients with French addresses, Swiss media reported Thursday. In May 2016, the French tax authorities requested administrative assistance from the Federal Tax Administration (FTA), Swiss… – Continue reading

Macau | City to comply with OECD tax information exchange from September 1

Macau financial authorities announced today that starting from September 1 the city will start complying with automatic financial exchange regulations devised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Macau (MNA) – The Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong Vai Tac, has announced this Tuesday that… – Continue reading

Nigeria’s Tax Law obsolete, overdue for review —Oruaze Dickson

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

Tax Hike ‘Shockwaves’ Hit High-End Properties

Foreign investors were yesterday said to have halted construction projects, with some threatening to sell their high-end properties, as the “shockwaves” from Budget tax changes hit home. Robert Myers, the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) principal, told Tribune Business that much of the Bahamas’ second home market “is dead” unless… – Continue reading

Introduction of exit capital tax will attract attention of tax authorities to export-import companies – Expert

The introduction of an exit capital tax, envisaged by the draft law on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine regarding the tax on exit capital (No. 8557), will draw the attention of tax authorities to companies carrying out foreign economic operations, expert for transfer pricing at Evris law firm… – Continue reading

PM asks authorities to probe tax evasion by FDI firms

Media reports have suggested the Government to build a more effective mechanism to tackle the problem that prolonged loss-making FDI enterprises have still enlarged investment and production. — Photo cafebiz.vn Viet Nam News HA NOI – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has assigned the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and General… – Continue reading

Rivers seeks support from US senators

(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

Which Countries is The Cryptocurrency Taxed In?

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