Category: Isle of Man

Bahamas’ Corporate Tax World’s Most ‘Corrosive’

The Bahamas yesterday received no credit for laws said to have raised compliance costs by 75-80 percent after its corporate tax policies were rated as the world’s most “corrosive”. This nation achieved a “perfect” 100 out of 100, a score matched only by the Isle of Man, Turks & Caicos… – Continue reading

Isle of Man removed from EU grey list

The Isle of Man has been removed from the EU’s grey list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions, along with the other Crown Dependencies, Jersey and Guernsey, after the three worked together with the EU to develop proposals to address the concerns raised. Chief Minister Howard Quayle tweeted he was “delighted” with… – Continue reading

Crown Dependencies oppose UK ‘public register’ proposals

The chief ministers of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are united against the recent proposals from Westminster to force public registers of company beneficial ownerships in the Crown Dependencies. More than 40 MPs have signed an amendment attempting to force the Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories to… – Continue reading

France to propose world business tax at G7: minister

DAVOS, Switzerland: French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday that France would plead for global minimum corporate tax as a priority of its presidencyof the G7 nations group this year. “We need an effective minium corporate tax in all developed countries,” the minister said at a press conference… – Continue reading

Dutch add Guernsey, Belize and Isle of Man to tax evasion blacklist

The Dutch finance ministry is expanding its official list of places it considers to be involved in tax evasion by a further 16 low tax jurisdictions, including the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, the Isle of Man, and Belize. The list contains five jurisdictions currently blacklisted by the EU: American… – Continue reading

Isle of Man approves law to avoid EU blacklist

The Isle of Man’s parliament has approved tax legislation that will allow the jurisdiction to avoid being put on the European Union’s blacklist. Tynwald gave the green light this week to the Income Tax (Substance Requirements) Order 2018. This means that from January 2019, companies engaging in “relevant activities” will… – Continue reading

‘Double taxation arrangement’ renegotiated

Document to be presented to Tynwald after summer recess The Isle of Man has agreed a renegotiated ‘double taxation arrangement’ with the UK. Howard Quayle met with Mel Stride MP yesterday, who is Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General across, to sign the document which replaces the agreement… – Continue reading

BVI: Financial services workers mull relocating to Crown Dependent countries

(BVI NEWS) – Stakeholders in the local financial services sector are said to be considering Crown Dependent countries such as the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey to relocate their businesses. That’s according to Executive Director of BVI Finance, Lorna Smith. Smith made the disclosure during a public forum at… – Continue reading

Regulator nods GEN Singapore domicile switch to home

Genting Singapore Ltd has gained formal approval from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore to transfer its legal domicile from the offshore tax jurisdiction of the Isle of Man, to Singapore. Genting Singapore runs the Resorts World Sentosa casino resort (pictured) in Singapore. The company made a net… – Continue reading

EU launches formal Paradise probe

MEPs follow UK Treasury approach Allegations the Isle of Man was used as a base for international tax evasion have triggered a fresh investigation in the European Parliament. It comes precisely three months after the Paradise Papers claimed to expose widespread exploitation of VAT loopholes facilitated by the Island’s aircraft… – Continue reading

Isle of Man complies with international standards

The Isle of Man’s critics ignore the great progress it has made in keeping its business above board. Last week the island received a ringing endorsement from the OECD. We have retained the top ’compliant’ rating by the global body reviewing tax transparency – one of only six countries worldwide…. – Continue reading

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

Treasury ratifies OECD’s tax avoidance treaty

The Treasury says the Isle of Man has become one of the first countries to sign a new international treaty against tax avoidance. The Island joins Austria in agreeing to the OECD’s Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treasury Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting. The agreement aims… – Continue reading

KPMG offshore tax dodge a ‘facade’ designed to hide money, ex-client says

Accounting firm’s contracts with federal government questioned. A former client of the accounting giant KPMG says a tax dodge that involved wealthy people gifting their money to an offshore jurisdiction was a “facade” designed to hide money from the taxman. The client, who spoke to CBC’s the fifth estate and… – Continue reading

Canada To Ramp Up Efforts Against Tax Evasion

The Canadian Government has said that it will review its tax ruling process and voluntary disclosures program as part of its response to recommendations made last year by a parliamentary committee. In October 2016, the Standing Committee on Finance released its report on the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA’s) efforts to… – Continue reading

Amended tax treaty with the Isle of Man comes into force

The amended double taxation agreement between the UK and the Isle of Man has entered into force, effective from 5 January 2017, following the latest arrangements signed on 8 March 2016. The bilateral agreements between the UK and the Isle of Man concern cooperation in tax matters through the exchange… – Continue reading

Juncker accused of blocking EU efforts against tax avoidance

Jean-Claude Juncker deliberately blocked the EU’s efforts to fight tax avoidance while in office as prime minister of Luxembourg, according to documents revealed by The Guardian and the International Consortium of Journalists. EurActiv France reports. Member states have supposedly spent the last two decades cooperating in the committee on business… – Continue reading

Tax Agreement with The Turks & Caicos Islands enters into force

The Isle of Man Government’s Agreement for the Exchange of Information relating to Tax Matters with the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands enters into force on 29 December 2016. The Agreement was signed by His Excellency Peter Beckingham, Governor to the Turks and Caicos Islands, on 30 June… – Continue reading

Final opportunity to disclose offshore assets before 1 May 2017 introduced by Finance Bill 2016

1. Why was a new offshore provision introduced by this year’s Finance Bill? Following revelations in the “Panama Papers” of major worldwide tax evasion in April 2016 (which included certain Irish Resident account holders), the Minister for Finance announced on budget day, 12 October 2016 that this year’s Finance Bill… – Continue reading

France’s honest tax system crusader convicted for hiding millions of euros

Jérôme Cahuzac, appointed by Hollande to lead clampdown on wealthy avoiders, hid cash in a secret Swiss account for 20 years Jérôme Cahuzac, the minister who led François Hollande’s drive for a more honest tax system, has been sentenced to three years in prison for tax fraud and secretly stashing… – Continue reading

Switzerland eyes AEOI with 21 countries

Switzerland, which has been working to end its years-long practice of banking secrecy, on Thursday said it aimed to dramatically increase the number of countries it cooperates with toward international fiscal transparency. The Swiss government said in a statement that it wanted to extend the automatic exchange of information (AEOI)… – Continue reading

Time for U.K. to Get Tough on Offshore Transparency?

With the exception of British Antarctica, the U.K.’s overseas territories and offshore dependencies are all surrounded by sun-winking ocean water. But that’s not their only common feature—they are all under increasing political pressure to become more transparent with their financial information. In a parliamentary report on tackling overseas corruption, the… – Continue reading

Deal signed to counter profit shifting Read more at: http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/deal-signed-to-counter-profit-shifting-1-8198001

New Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK has restated the island’s commitment to tax transparency at an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development event in Paris. Mr Quayle was in Paris for the Manx government’s signing of a new OECD agreement on automatic exchange of country by country reporting by large… – Continue reading

100 Financial Centres Start Swapping Tax Data

Expats who have money or assets outside Britain can expect to start receiving letters from the UK tax man soon. Hundreds of thousands of letters are being drafted for expats who have returned to the country after spells abroad and for expats considered UK taxpayers who have had overseas assignments…. – Continue reading

European Parliament Begins Panama Papers Probe Despite Tax Haven Splits

Members of the European Parliament, September 27, have begun their investigation into the Panama Papers scandal, which exposed the sheer extent of rich people and companies using offshore tax havens to reduce their tax liabilities in EU member states. However, the latest probe comes on the back of another investigation… – Continue reading

UK overseas territories could be affected by EU tax crackdown

Eight British overseas territories and crown dependencies, including Jersey, the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands, could face EU economic sanctions after Brussels identified them as having low or no corporation tax. Experts have published a scorecard showing red flag warnings set against a list of the 81 countries that… – Continue reading

India to get tax, banking related info from Seychelles

NEW DELHI: Aiming to curb tax evasion and avoidance, India has operationalised the Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) with Seychelles, one of the major sources of foreign investment into the country. The agreement will enable the authorities of both nations to provide assistance through exchange of tax and banking information,… – Continue reading

Tax Agreements: From Double Taxation To Double Evasion

The issue of tax havens is inherently international in scope. As a result, the government can use tax agreements to fight tax avoidance schemes. Unfortunately, tax agreements haven’t been used for that purpose. On the contrary, they have facilitated the outflow of Canadian money to offshore financial centres, and have… – Continue reading

Treasury proposal may fine tax evaders up to 200% of amount owed

Tougher stance follows Theresa May’s leadership campaign promise to be more punitive of tax evasion and avoidance The Treasury is proposing new rules to punish offshore tax evaders who fail to come clean about their finances before September 2018, with fines of up to 200% of the amount owed. Published… – Continue reading

CRA convicts a fraction of offshore tax evaders: Exclusive

As worldwide pressure grows to fight offshore tax evasion, new statistics obtained by the Star show the Canadian government has convicted only 49 people and levied just $13.4 million in fines for what it calls offshore activity since 2010. These numbers are far lower than in comparable countries and show… – Continue reading

CRA has double standard for tax cheats

The CRA won’t divulge the identities of people convicted for stashing millions offshore, but it names and shames those caught owing small amounts of tax. The Canada Revenue Agency claims at least nine people have been convicted of offshore tax evasion over the last two years, receiving $4 million in… – Continue reading

CRA has double standard for tax cheats

The CRA won’t divulge the identities of people convicted for stashing millions offshore, but it names and shames those caught owing small amounts of tax. The Canada Revenue Agency claims at least nine people have been convicted of offshore tax evasion over the last two years, receiving $4 million in… – Continue reading

UK To Close Property Developer Offshore Tax Loophole

The United Kingdom has legislated to stop property developers from using offshore structures in the Crown Dependencies to avoid UK tax on profits. The UK has published legislation to bring into force amendments to the tax treaties between the UK and the Crown Dependencies – Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle… – Continue reading

Tax havens accuse US of ‘hypocrisy’ over tax avoidance

A group of tax havens have accused larger countries like the United States of “hypocrisy” when it comes to cracking down on tax avoidance. With the issue of offshore finance high on the agenda in light of the fall out from the so-called Panama Papers scandal, world leaders convened in… – Continue reading

Canada’s record on finding tax evaders is dismal

Only a week after the so-called Panama Papers burst into the media spotlight early last month, the Canadian government issued a news release vowing to “crack down on tax evasion and tax avoidance.” The leak of a staggering 11.5 million documents from a Panama City law firm promised to reveal… – Continue reading

U.S. launches ‘criminal investigation’ involving Panama Papers

A federal prosecutor in New York has opened a criminal investigation involving the Panama Papers — a trove of materials from a Panamanian law firm that show a massive, secretive world of offshore industry. In a letter to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara wrote… – Continue reading

Lawmakers Quiz Apple, Google, IKEA and McDonald’s Over Tax Avoidance

In their latest attempt to try to stamp out tax avoidance by multinationals in the European Union, lawmakers are set to question Apple, Google, IKEA and McDonald’s over their tax affairs as EU member states fail to agree a common tax policy. Lawmakers in the EU have struggled to prevent… – Continue reading

Vijay Mallya’s secrets buried in offshore tax havens

It’s not just the Indian banks that business tycoon Vijay Mallya has taken for a ride. The chairman of United Breweries (UB) group and promoter of now defunct Kingfisher Airlines also concealed in his election affidavit, filed before the Rajya Sabha, his business interests in offshore tax havens elsewhere. dna… – Continue reading

Canada Revenue offered amnesty to wealthy KPMG clients in offshore tax ‘sham’

Federal authorities demanded secrecy in no-penalty, no-prosecution deal to high net worth Canadians The Canada Revenue Agency offered amnesty to multi-millionaire clients caught using what’s been called an offshore tax “sham” on the Isle of Man — a reprieve that was supposed to remain secret and out of the public… – Continue reading

Call to tighten UK’s new property law to crack down on ‘dirty money’

Rules should require foreign owners of prime London homes to come clean about beneficiary owners, say anti-corruption groups Large parts of London’s Baker Street, including the Beatles store, are owned by offshore trusts. New laws that aim to stop the UK being a magnet for money launderers – by forcing… – Continue reading

The towns taking on the taxman for a fairer tax deal

A group of businesses in the Welsh town of Crickhowell have gone offshore as part of a campaign to try and get HMRC to change tax laws. The Welsh town of Crickhowell is spearheading a unique campaign to get HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to change the laws so companies… – Continue reading

HMRC to rebate tax to thousands of contractors using offshore schemes

HMRC is set to repay tax to around 2,000 banking and IT contractors who used an offshore scheme because of a flawed process around issuing payment notices. The tax office issued so-called accelerated payment notices to individuals who used Isle of Man-based schemes to limit their income tax during the… – Continue reading

HMRC to repay tax to thousands of banking and IT contractors

Banking and IT contractors forced to stump up tens of thousands of pounds to settle contested tax debts last year are now in line to be repaid, after the UK tax authority accepted it should not have issued payment demands. HM Revenue & Customs has withdrawn so-called accelerated payment notices… – Continue reading