Category: Individuals

Mauritius ‘Reinventing Itself,’ With Refocused Tax Breaks

Prospects for Mauritius’s economy remain “robust,” with the Government undertaking a number of initiatives to improve the attractiveness of the domestic tax regime for businesses, the International Monetary Fund said. Amadou Sy, who led an IMF mission to the territory, said that the economy remains “robust” but that “Mauritius is… – Continue reading

Pakistan Sees Leap In Taxpayer Numbers

Launching the taxpayer directory for the 2016 tax year, Pakistan’s Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar, revealed that government efforts to broaden the country’s taxpayer base have been successful. The number of registered taxpayers, he said, has increased by nearly 50 percent from four years ago, when the first “directory” was released…. – Continue reading

Labor tries to force hundreds of Australian companies to publish secret tax data

Bill would require private companies with more than $100m in turnover to publicly release tax information Six hundred of Australia’s biggest private companies could finally be forced to publish their high-level tax information, under a new push by Labor to repair a notorious piece of legislation. Labor will introduce a… – Continue reading

US Think Tank Says Earning Stripping Regs Should Be Retained

Contrary to calls from businesses from the regulation’s withdrawal, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy has called on the US Treasury to fully implement and strengthen its final Section 385 anti-earnings stripping debt-equity regulations, designed to reduce the benefits of corporate tax inversions. The final regulations, released in October… – Continue reading

Tech-based tax services gain pace to ensure businesses comply with global digital transparency standards

Global consultancy EY among firms now offering advanced services that redefine how companies face new developments in tax, audit and compliance Rigid new global initiatives to increase transparency of business data are giving rise to more advanced professional tax services, which employ innovative tools that include cloud computing, financial technology… – Continue reading

Multinationals Warned on Coke’s $41 Million Israel Tax Claim

Israel’s $41 million tax demand from the Coca-Cola Co. on royalties from its Israeli licensee could mark the start of a wave of claims against U.S. and other multinationals with similar business operations in the country. That could lead to a conflict with U.S. and other authorities about which country… – Continue reading

Cuba Worries About Tax Evasion

HAVANA – Tax evasion and smuggling have forced the government of Cuba to stop issuing new licenses for some businesses. The government of Cuba is ceasing the issuance of business licenses until the problems associated with self-employment have been perfected. Previously, Cubans who wanted to strike out and be self-employed… – Continue reading

Black money: Switzerland finds India’s data security laws ‘adequate’ for auto-sharing banking info

The notification follows hectic parleys between India and Switzerland for introduction of AEOI (Automatic Exchange of Information) under guidance of G20, OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) and other global organisations. Switzerland found India’s data security and confidentiality laws “adequate” for entering into an automatic exchange of information pact,… – Continue reading

Company-tax cuts make trusts more attractive as tax minimisation strategy – experts

An ATO ruling is being interpreted as allowing ‘bucket companies’ linked to trusts to be eligible for lower tax rate The federal government’s company-tax reforms are making the use of family trusts even more attractive as a tax minimising strategy, experts have warned. The Coalition’s company tax rate cut from… – Continue reading

Deloitte: Multinationals believe there is a radical global change in tax, tax control

Representatives of most multinational companies believe that there is a radical global change in both tax and tax control. Accordingly, the global tax model is undergoing a process of alignment with other principles, and the approach of the tax authorities during controls becomes stricter, a survey by Deloitte published in… – Continue reading

Irish FinMin Considers Impact Of Brexit On Taxes

As part of the Irish Budgetary process, officials from the Finance Department have published a paper on the implications of Brexit for Ireland’s tax system. The paper was prepared for consideration by the Tax Strategy Group (TSG), an interdepartmental committee chaired by the Finance Department. The papers produced by the… – Continue reading

Multi-dollar tax evasion discovered in import companies

HÀ NỘI — A number of enterprises have taken advantage of technology used for tax collection to avoid paying taxes. The Law on Value Added Tax (VAT) regulates that unprocessed, or preliminarily processed, agricultural, forestry and aquatic products imported from foreign countries are not subject to VAT. However, if these… – Continue reading

Bankers in Lebanon cry foul over ‘double taxation,’ look to President

BEIRUT: The Association of Banks in Lebanon and other private sector leaders are weighing the few options open to them as recently approved new tax measures, poised to be implemented soon, threaten to have a detrimental effect on their businesses and the overall economy. The few available options include trying… – Continue reading

Ibec Publishes Irish Budget Wish List

Business group Ibec has said that the Irish Government must “Brexit proof” its 2018 Budget, improve its foreign direct investment model, and implement a range of tax reforms to compete with the UK. Publishing the group’s pre-Budget submission, Ibec Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Fergal O’Brien said: “The Irish… – Continue reading

Worldwide: Italy And Greece Among Most Complex Places In The World For Accounting And Tax Compliance

Italy is the most complex jurisdiction in Europe and comes in first place globally for ‘tax’ complexity, while Greece is most complex in the world for ‘compliance.’ Italy and Greece are among the five most complex jurisdictions in the world for Accounting and Tax compliance, according to TMF Group’s inaugural… – Continue reading

Push to draw up Cambodia-Thai tax treaty

Representatives from the tax authorities of Cambodia and Thailand have agreed in principle to speed up a proposed double taxation agreement that would protect their nationals from dual taxation and encourage bilateral investment. The agreement was made last week during a two-day consultation workshop in Bangkok for tax officials from… – Continue reading

Taxation of foreign companies regarded as ‘resident’ in India

Tax liability under the Income-tax Act, 1961 (‘the Act’) of any person is determined based upon his residential status. A person resident of India is taxable on his income accruing across the globe [see End Note 1] while a non-resident is taxable only on the income accruing or arising or… – Continue reading

HMRC tops £4bn in tax avoidance scheme crackdown

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has collected more than £4bn through its controversial ‘pay now, dispute later’ accelerated payment notices rules, for people who have used a tax avoidance scheme. HMRC said that more than 75,000 accelerated payment notices (APNs) have been issued to people under enquiry for tax avoidance… – Continue reading

‘Netflix’ tax fury boils over as locals seek level playing field

Australian small businesses are frustrated over the introduction of the “Netflix tax”, with claims the government is failing to properly crack down on multinational tax avoidance. As Australian consumers prepare to fork out up to 20 per cent more for digital services, business owners are calling foul, declaring the tax… – Continue reading

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Taxes purchases Thomson Reuters tax solutions

Among the products purchased by the Ministry are: Onesource Benchmark and Onesource TP Loan Module. Thomson Reuters and Ministry of Taxes of the Republic of Azerbaijan have signed an agreement under which the Ministry will use Thomson Reuters tax solutions aimed at implementing tax control in the sphere of transfer… – Continue reading

Drazen Turujlija: «Loopholes in Data-Sharing Pact»

New data-sharing rules aren’t without pitfalls for clients of private banks, as authorities race to shut loopholes, Bank Reyl lawyer Drazen Turujlija told finews.asia-TV. Switzerland is set to begin exchanging data with other countries from next year, a move which has fundamentally shifted the dynamic in Switzerland’s trillion-Swiss franc offshore… – Continue reading

Family trusts could be eligible for ‘mind-boggling’ tax cut

The Australian Tax Office has tweaked its view about whether companies linked to family trusts are eligible for tax relief, but industry veterans say the situation remains “utterly confused” and “mind-boggling”. A new statement on the ATO website says companies will be eligible for the lower 27.5 per cent rate… – Continue reading

Tax Rule Aimed at Corporate ‘Earnings Stripping’ Under Review

Obama-administration regulation drew criticism as overbroad Trump ordered review of tax rules that may pose undue burdens A federal rule aimed at limiting corporate “earnings stripping’’ for tax-avoidance purposes may pose an undue burden on taxpayers and may be changed or rescinded, according to a U.S. Internal Revenue Service notice…. – Continue reading

EU challenges Trump on tax avoidance ahead of G20 summit

The European Union has published a letter to EU heads of state, laying down a direct challenge to the Trump administration, on the issues of tax avoidance ahead of the G20 summit this weekend. The joint letter, sent by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council president Donald Tusk… – Continue reading

Indonesia, Switzerland Agree to Tax Information Exchange

Indonesia and Switzerland have signed a joint declaration on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (AEOI) yesterday. The signing was held at the Directorate General of Tax in Central Jakarta. At the signing ceremony, Indonesia was represented by Director General of Tax for the Finance Ministry Ken Dwijugeasteadi and Switzerland… – Continue reading

More clarity on reporting requirements for multinationals

Who is required to file, how it should be filed and what is necessary to disclose. Several South African-based multinational companies have less than six months to prepare their country-by-country reports for exchange with other tax jurisdictions. Many have realised the magnitude of the information expected and have been setting… – Continue reading

EU lawmakers pass new rules to tackle multinationals’ tax avoidance

The European Parliament on Tuesday passed a directive requiring big multinationals to report tax and financial data separately in all countries where they operate, a measure aimed at tackling tax avoidance and profit shifting to countries with lower taxes. The new rules are part of a wider overhaul of tax… – 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

Cyprus: Saying Goodbye To Back To Back Loans And Welcoming Transfer Pricing Regulations

A. Introduction In February 2017 Cyprus Tax Department has announced that the current practice regarding profit margins between related Company loans will be abolished by the 30th June 2017. The announcement indicates that the minimum acceptable margins will apply up to 30th June 2017, and as from 1st July 2017… – Continue reading

$1.5 trillion of assets move through the British Virgin Islands — twice as much as previously thought

A new report shows the offshore jurisdiction is home to assets of $1.5tn, double an estimate by the International Monetary Fund in 2010. Assets held offshore in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are worth $1.5 trillion (£1.19 trillion), double the International Monetary Fund’s 2010 estimate. That’s according to a new… – Continue reading

Footballers’ advisers under scrutiny over tax evasion

Madrid (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo under suspicion, Radamel Falcao investigated, Lionel Messi sentenced… Spain’s courts have been busy tackling the alleged and real multi-million-euro tax evasion of football’s greatest stars. But while they may be aware of what they are doing, footballers rely on expert go-betweens like big banks to… – Continue reading

Tax officers cannot directly access bank account information: Official

The Directorate General of Taxation has given assurances that the government will strictly regulate the accessing of banking information by tax officers to avoid irregularities. Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) No. 1/2017 on financial information access for tax purposes has ended the country’s bank secrecy regime as it allows… – Continue reading