Category: Individuals

Vladimir Putin Acknowledges Need for Blockchain Tech Adoption

Russian president stresses the need for Russia to increase its involvement in blockchain tech, in order to avoid being “late in the race”. Russian president Vladimir Putin has fully endorsed blockchain technology, acknowledging its significance and emphasizing the importance of early adoption in order to avoid being left behind. As… – Continue reading

Slovenia Pursuing ‘Tax Haven’ Asset Tax, Covering Also EU States

The European Central Bank on February 14 published an opinion (CON/2018/8) on a proposal from lawmakers in Slovenia on a draft law on the return of monetary funds to the country from designated “tax havens” and the imposition of a penalty tax, providing an outline of the proposed regime. Before… – Continue reading

Tax office opens AEOI registration for banks, ensures data privacy

The Finance Ministry’s directorate general of taxation has called on all financial institutions to register with the tax office to begin the process of reporting customers’ data in accordance with the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) program. Taxation directorate general spokesman Hestu Yoga Saksama said on Wednesday in Jakarta that… – Continue reading

FBR lists 400 Pakistanis with investments in UAE real estate: sources

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has listed 400 Pakistanis who own real estate in UAE, sources told Geo News Wednesday, after the revenue minister announced an investigation into the matter. Geo News broke the story on February 6, 2018, in which it reported that the Pakistani individuals have… – Continue reading

Tax avoidance rife among Australia’s largest companies

Amid all the hoopla over company tax cuts, it’s easy to forget that hundreds of companies across Australia haven’t paid corporate taxes in the last decade. From The ABC: Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, one of the most prominent supporters of the Turnbull Government’s proposed big business tax cut, presides over… – Continue reading

China Sets Out How To Determine Beneficial Owner For Treaties

On February 3, 2018, China’s State Administration of Taxation set out new rules on the disallowance of tax treaty benefits where an entity fails to demonstrate it is the beneficial owner of Chinese assets from which passive income is derived. A beneficial ownership requirement is introduced in treaties to prevent… – Continue reading

Barbados Agrees To Phase Out Harmful Tax Regimes

Two Barbados preferential tax regimes have been labelled “potentially harmful” in additional guidance released by the OECD in connection with its base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project. The guidance singles out Barbados’s international financial services regime and its credit for foreign currency earnings/credit for overseas projects or services regime…. – Continue reading

Offshore wealth investigation

ONCE again reports are appearing in the media about the billions of dollars stashed by Pakistanis in foreign accounts or the investments they have made especially in property market abroad. National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance was informed on Friday that seven thousand Pakistanis have invested a whopping Rs 800… – Continue reading

FDI enterprises pay lowest taxes despite high profits

HÀ NỘI– Foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises, which have enjoyed multiple tax incentives, pay the lowest State taxes despite reporting high profits, statistics show. FDI enterprises have achieved the highest profit growth among the economic sectors, generating VNĐ327.4 trillion (US$14.4 billion) in pre-tax profits in 2016, an increase of 17.3… – Continue reading

IRB to address tax evasion loopholes (Updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) will raise the level of awareness among taxpayers and boost compliance rate among them to achieve a collection target of RM134.7 billion this year. It chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Seri Sabin Samitah said that in 2017, tax collection rose by 8.15% compared… – Continue reading

ROHQ workers lose tax privileges

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said employees of regional operating headquarters (ROHQ) who used to enjoy preferential tax rates, will no longer be able to avail them beginning this year. In a tax advisory, the BIR said in view of the recent amendment of the provisions of Section 25(B),… – Continue reading

US tax overhaul could see $2 trillion repatriated: UN

The recent U.S. tax overhaul could prompt U.S. multinationals to repatriate around $2 trillion (1.6 trillion euros), making a significant impact on global foreign direct investment, the U.N. said on Feb. 5. The forecast from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) came just over a month after… – Continue reading

Digital firms with ‘big presence’ in India will have to pay taxes here

Finance Ministry’s move under BEPS treaty will impact Google, Facebook, Amazon MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 5 Digital players such as Google, Facebook and mobile application services providers must pay taxes in India on income generated from Indian consumers even if the companies’ infrastructure is physically located abroad. According to a new proposal… – Continue reading

EU Commission Green Lights Italy’s Electronic Invoicing Plans

The European Commission has recommended that the EU Council approve a request from Italy to derogate from the VAT Directive in introducing a mandatory electronic invoicing obligation on all taxable persons established in Italy except exempt small firms. In its request, Italy submitted that introducing an obligation to provide such… – Continue reading

Nigeria, others share data on overseas accounts, property owned by Nigerians

The Federal Government of Nigeria and some foreign countries, including the United Kingdom Government, have commenced the Automatic Exchange of Tax Information (AETI), particularly on overseas assets held by Nigerians. Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, confirmed this on Friday in Abuja during the presentation of Progress Report on Tax… – Continue reading

Israel set to adjust tax policies to counter Trump reform, tax chief says

Also, multinational companies with a physical presence in Israel will soon get their first tax bill Israel will need to amend its corporate tax policies to counter the effects of US President Donald Trump’s tax reform, the head of Israel’s Tax Authority head acknowledged — but only slightly. “There will… – Continue reading

Malta makes 518 mln euros from its citizenship by investment scheme

VALLETTA, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) — Malta has generated 518 million euros since it started its citizenship by investment scheme, according to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Replying to a parliamentary question on Wednesday, Muscat said that of the total revenue generated, 363 million euros had entered in the country’s National Development… – Continue reading

Bank of Ghana to enforce International Financial Reporting Standards this year

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has stressed that it will enforce the implementation of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS 9) among banks in the country, this year. The IFRS is a tool which requires all financial institutions to comply with a common financial reporting standard which will among others… – Continue reading

Indian Tax Department Sends Notices to Cryptocurrency Investors

India’s tax dept. orders investors to pay up after national survey reveals $3.5 billion worth of transactions during a 17-month period. Indian cryptocurrency investors have been issued notices by the income tax department, after a national survey revealed that cryptocurrency transactions during a 17-month period amounted to more than $3.5… – Continue reading

Tax evasion: Spanish taxmen comb Messi’s accounts again

Lionel Messi’s problems with the Spanish tax authorities are far from being over as the accounts of his foundation come under scrutiny. The tax authorities are investigating whether payments from FC Barcelona to Lionel Messi’s foundation were used to help the player evade taxes, Spanish daily El Mundo reported on… – Continue reading

On the lookout for US taxpayers in Cambodia

The General Department of Taxation called last week on banks, insurance companies and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to accurately report the taxpayer identification numbers (US-TIN) of clients with US citizenship. The statement, issued on January 3 and signed by GDT’s general director Kong Vibol, said reporting accurate US-TIN numbers is necessary… – Continue reading

The tide continues to turn for offshore companies.

The case of Development Securities (No. 9) Ltd and other v HMRC [2017] UKFTT 0565 is the latest in a line of cases concerning the UK corporate tax residence of offshore companies. The case once again highlights the difficulties in preserving an offshore company’s non-UK tax resident status, whilst giving… – Continue reading

Taxation agreement with Singapore in effect

The double tax avoidance agreement (DTA) between Cambodia and Singapore came into effect this month, helping clarify taxation rights on all forms of income arising from cross-border business activities, while minimising double taxation. On January 1 the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) issued an announcement stating that the DTA… – Continue reading

There Is a Raging Battle of Tax Codes with China and the US Starting the Race

The GOP tax bill that was signed into law by the white house late last year, significantly reduced corporate taxes which has piled pressure on other significant economies around the world to adjust so as not to lose investors to the United States. Just hours after President Trump signed the… – Continue reading

Irish Revenue’s Tax Enforcement Work Yields Results

Non-compliance “interventions” by the Irish Revenue yielded EUR492m (USD594m) last year, according to the latest figures published by the tax authority. Revenue has published its preliminary results for 2017. They show that Revenue completed 646,633 compliance interventions during the year. There were 24 criminal convictions for serious tax and duty… – Continue reading

Singapore Urged To Enhance Tax Offering

Ernst and Young Solutions LLP, Singapore, has released its wish list for the Singapore Budget 2018, calling for reforms to sharpen the territory’s competitiveness. The firm said that Singapore should maintain its 17 percent corporate income tax (CIT) rate, which is one of the lowest in the world, but recommended… – Continue reading

China toughens rules on overseas cash withdrawals

BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) — China’s foreign exchange regulator on Saturday toughened the rules on overseas cash withdrawals from personal bank cards to curb money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said in a circular that the total amount of overseas cash withdrawals… – Continue reading

Digital residency pays off big for Estonia

Estonia is expected to get a 100-to-one-euro return on investment for its e-Residency program, which lets anybody start a business from afar. It is even planning to launch ‘estcoins,’ its own cryptocurrency. Becoming a ‘digital resident’ of Estonia, Michael M. Richardson says, was “as easy as getting a fishing license… – Continue reading

China to offer tax breaks to foreign companies after GOP tax bill

A 10% tax that China has slapped exclusively on foreign companies’ profits from equity investments will temporarily be waved if the earnings are plowed into government-targeted sectors, according to a statement issued Thursday by four central government ministries. The move will help retain foreign investment and stabilize cross-border capital flows,… – Continue reading

Top 10 tax developments 2017

Calendar 2017 saw significant advances in the Australian Tax Office armoury, both through Court wins and new or pending legislation. The Tax Commissioner openly now claims the upper hand in corporate and multi-national tax compliance. The Senate seems almost becalmed!? This note outlines our selection of 10 key things that… – Continue reading

Tax advice under scrutiny: Halsall v Champion Consulting

Introduction As the government continues to grapple with a budget deficit and strained public finances, there remains considerable pressure on HMRC to crack-down not only on tax evasion, which is illegal, but tax avoidance, which HMRC refers to as “bending the rules of the tax system to gain a tax… – Continue reading

Thousand billions in lost tax from foreign enterprises

Vietnam has lost thousands of billions of dong in taxes as foreign enterprises, especially large-scale ones, refuse to pay based on the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement. Massive revenue without having to pay taxes The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Taxation has recently issued an ultimatum for Uber B.V Netherlands… – Continue reading

VAIDS: FG Amnesty On Tax Defaulter Ends March 2018 – Fowler

The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowler has said federal government tax defaulters have until March 2018 to declare assets and income via the Voluntary Assets and Income declaration Scheme (VAIDS) or face the consequence. Fowler speaking at the media workshop programme in Lagos, recently, said… – Continue reading

Bahamas Faces Major Tax, Exchange Control Shake-Up

The Bahamas may have to completely overhaul its corporate and taxation structure to escape European Union/OECD ‘blacklisting’ threats, the Attorney General revealed yesterday. Carl Bethel QC told Tribune Business that the Government was “looking very carefully” at whether compliance with European (EU) demands will require this nation to eliminate the… – Continue reading

Capital Markets Union: Commission announces new tax guidelines to make life easier for cross-border investors

The Commission has today put forward new guidelines on withholding taxes to help Member States reduce costs and simplify procedures for cross-border investors in the EU. The new Code of Conduct offers solutions for investors who, as a result of how withholding taxes are applied, end up paying taxes twice… – Continue reading

Nigeria is getting more people to pay taxes by not punishing them for tax evasion

For a nation of nearly 200 million people, not many Nigerians pay taxes. Indeed, as of May 2017, only 14 million—or one in five—of Nigeria’s estimated 70 million economically active citizens were paying taxes. As such, Nigeria’s government has typically earned much less than it could have from taxes. Back… – Continue reading

Cristiano Ronaldo May Be Fined at Least $35.3Mln for Tax Evasion – Reports

A Real Madrid star footballer will have to face a court hearing on December 22, accused of evading taxes from 2011 to 2014. MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Real Madrid football club striker and Portuguese national football team forward Cristiano Ronaldo may be fined 30 million euros ($35.3 million) for tax evasion,… – Continue reading

Australian Tax and Cryptoassets

Australian tax rules relating to cryptoassets remain in their infancy, comprising largely of antiquated rules for fiat currency transactions, with impractical attempts at guidance from revenue authorities. This practical guide summarises the Australian tax issues for some typical cryptoasset transactions. In this innovative sector, no two transactions are the same…. – Continue reading

Lagos shuts hotels over N354.75m tax evasion

The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service ( LIRS ) on Thursday shut 11 hotels, restaurants and event centres over alleged failures to remit their taxes under the Hotel Occupancy and Restaurant Consumption Laws of Lagos State 2009. Mr Seyi Alade, Director, Legal Services of the LIRS, said this after a… – Continue reading

Kazakhstan: President Demands Return of Offshore Funds

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev has threatened companies stashing money abroad with ominous consequences unless they repatriate their funds, media reported. The president’s latest sally against the prevalent use of offshore banking accounts is, however, undermined by his own family’s predilection for salting away their riches overseas. Speaking on December 6… – Continue reading

AmCham EU Speaks Out Against EU Digital Tax Proposals

The American Chamber of Commerce in the European Union has criticized the proposals put forward in the European Commission’s recent consultation on options for new tax rules or a new tax on digital firms. The aim of that consultation is to help the Commission to define an approach to the… – Continue reading

UK Releases Guidance On Royalties WHT Proposal

The UK Government has released a consultation on the royalty withholding tax targeting digital firms announced in the UK’s most recent Budget. Under the proposal, the Government intends to introduce legislation in Finance Bill 2018-19 to broaden the circumstances in which certain payments made to non-UK residents have a liability… – Continue reading