The OECD has welcomed efforts by the Dutch Government to tackle base erosion and profit shifting but called for the overall tax regime to be simplified, including in area of value-added tax. In its latest Economic Report on the Netherlands, the OECD said that the Government is attempting to change… – Continue reading
A vote by the UK parliament to insist that Britain’s Overseas Territories introduce publicly available beneficial ownership registers by December 31, 2020, has sparked anger and dismay within these autonomous, mainly small island, jurisdictions. An amendment to a UK Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill requires the British government to impose… – Continue reading
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
THE Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said the legal treatment of tax evasion and loopholes involving real estate brokers are keeping the country from achieving full compliance with international standards for money laundering regulation. AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Mel Georgie B. Racela made the remarks to BusinessWorld on the sidelines of… – Continue reading
France has made adequate fiscal consolidation efforts to exit the EU’s excessive deficit procedure, the EU Council recently agreed, while calling on Hungary and Romania to adopt tax or expenditure measures to shore up their finances. The findings came alongside the release of “country specific recommendations” for each of the… – Continue reading
KARACHI: The central bank’s rules to restrict access of the non-filers to foreign currency accounts would gradually clean up untaxed money from the banking system, although it may hurt much-needed forex inflows in the short run, analysts and bankers said. Analysts said foreign currency accountholders have been facing intensifying scrutiny… – Continue reading
The European Commission’s proposal for a digital services tax would be “deeply harmful” to the EU business environment and may lead to double taxation, a coalition of business and technology groups has warned EU leaders. An open letter published by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) ahead of the European… – Continue reading
Most of the 3.2m EU citizens in the UK will be granted permission to stay after Brexit in “a matter of days” following simple data checks, the Home Office says. Information held by the tax or benefit authorities will be enough to confirm residence – and eligibility for the new… – Continue reading
The federal government has introduced sweeping new reporting rules for private trust funds, which have been accused of hiding wealthy Canadians’ money from tax collectors. Going forward, trusts that fail to file a tax return will face fines equalling 5% of its total value. The Canadian government still has no… – Continue reading
Growing tax compliance demands have not impacted the Bahamian financial services industry as badly as anticipated, the Central Bank is arguing, despite the sector’s continued contraction. The regulator, in its 2017 survey of the sector’s economic contribution, said there were signs that international banks and trust companies were “retaining a… – Continue reading
KARACHI: Dubai is the offshore destination of choice for Pakistanis to park untaxed money as bulk of funds against declaration of foreign assets under the amnesty scheme were received from the Emirates, a top tax official said on Saturday. “We will disclose more details regarding declarations of foreign assets on… – Continue reading
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is poised to receive information about offshore financial accounts in September 2018. This was stated by the spokesperson and member policy Dr Muhammad Iqbal while addressing a press conference on the ongoing Tax Amnesty Scheme on Friday. Due to the initiatives by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and… – Continue reading
Macau and Portugal have signed a deal allowing the Secretary for Economy and Finance to alter a double taxation law between the two jurisdictions Macau (MNA) – A deal has been signed between the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong Vai Tac, and the Portuguese Government giving Macau the… – Continue reading
CBDT issues draft notification on interest computation NEW DELHI, JUNE 20 The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) proposes to provide a relief to MNCs on the interest payable by them on the untaxed profits stashed abroad, requiring to be repatriated back to India under the transfer pricing regime. It… – Continue reading
THE TURKS and Caicos Islands has managed to avoid being placed on the European Union’s tax haven black list. Although the territory was on the anti-corruption watchdog’s grey list in 2017, prudent financial measures including tax transparency and compliance have prevented international sanctions. The EU’s grey list consists of jurisdictions… – Continue reading
Australian tax experts have confirmed that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is cracking down on cryptocurrency investors this year, local news outlet The New Daily reports Friday, June 15. The ATO had said in early March that they would be using a combination of data matching and “100-point identification checks”… – Continue reading
The Mauritius Revenue Authority on June 11, 2018, warned those financial institutions required to report information on the accounts of US persons under the US Financial Account Tax Compliance Act that declarations are required by Jule 31, 2018. The statement said: “FATCA information in respect of the year 2017 will… – Continue reading
G7 countries are committed to working towards a consensus-based solution to the tax challenges of the digital economy, according to the final communique issued at the conclusion of the G7’s summit in Charlevoix, Canada. Expressing support for the OECD’s work in this area, the communique states that the impact that… – Continue reading
The walls continue to close in on Offshore property holding companies in Portugal. Once a popular solution for home ownership, these structures are based in low-tax jurisdictions that allow shareholders to take advantage of certain “loopholes” to avoid paying Capital Gains tax when selling. Over the past 15 years, successive… – Continue reading
Liberia has signed the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, as amended by the Protocol amending the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) The Convention provides a multilateral basis for a wide variety of administrative assistance including… – Continue reading
The IMF has said that the recent changes to the US tax system could make Canada a less attractive destination for investment. The IMF has published the report from its latest Article IV mission to Canada, in which it noted that “external risks are more acute than in the recent… – Continue reading
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (Fatca) is a US legislation that is part of the 2010 Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, and forming part of four new sections incorporated into the US Internal Revenue Code. It is a law designed to improve offshore US tax collection by… – Continue reading
A delayed tax agreement between Portugal and Macau will be signed later this year, according to Mr António Mendonça Mendes, the Portuguese Secretary of State for Tax Affairs on Sunday Macau (MNA) – A delayed tax agreement between Portugal and Macau will be signed later this year, Mr António Mendonça… – Continue reading
For the next long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the Commission is proposing measures to make tax and customs cooperation between Member States better and more efficient. Continued funding of these programmes will help the EU to progress in offering businesses unfettered and easy access to the EU’s Single Market so that… – Continue reading
Peru has completed the necessary steps to become a party to the OECD Multilateral Convention on Mutual Assistance in Tax Matters and also the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. On May 28, 2018, Peru’s Minister of Economy and Finance, David Tuesta, deposited… – Continue reading
The OECD has released the first peer reviews of the country-by-country (CbC) reporting initiative, reporting that practically all countries that serve as headquarters to large multinationals have introduced new transfer pricing documentation requirements to improve transparency. Country-by-country reporting will see tax administrations worldwide collect and share detailed information on all… – Continue reading
Stepping up efforts to curb illicit fund flows, Switzerland plans to amend its anti-money laundering law wherein financial intermediaries will be required to verify information on beneficial owners. The Alpine nation, known for its banking secrecy practices, has been taking various measures in the fight against black money amid intense… – Continue reading
The OECD has endorsed New Zealand’s crackdown on multi-national tax evasion, despite significant criticism from local businesses that it departs from OECD standards, Thomas Coughlan reports. David Bradbury, head of the OECD’s tax policy and statistics division, told Newsroom that the OECD was “very pleased with the strong support that… – Continue reading
Ever since the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Council approved the OECD’s Common Reporting Standard (CRS) in 2014, the international economic community has been gradually moving closer to a smoother and more transparent global exchange of financial account data. It is widely acknowledged that the CRS is long… – Continue reading
KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will hire foreign experts to conduct tax auditing and eliminate evasion and avoidance, officials said on Tuesday. The officials said the Commissioner of Inland Revenue was authorised to call for record and conduct audit of taxpayers. The commissioner is also empowered to set… – Continue reading
Existing penalties aren’t enough to stop businesses using software to hide sales and reduce their tax, a federal government minister says. Kelly O’Dwyer says tougher penalties, including fines up to $1 million, will deter those who take part in the black economy. Legislation to create offences and introduce penalties for… – Continue reading
In recent months, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been hauled before lawmakers in the United States and the European Union to respond to criticism of the company’s privacy policies and sharing of user data. Now the company’s dodgy tax practices are facing increased scrutiny from an even more important source:… – Continue reading
Norway’s parliament, the Storting, has rejected a legislative proposal for the introduction of a tax on digital business models, labeled the “Google tax,” recommending instead that the Government explore the issue of digital taxation in partnership with the OECD. In rejecting the proposal, introduced by parliamentary commissioner Une Bastholm of… – Continue reading
The Australian federal government has proposed a tax on digital advertising that could raise up to $200 million each year but could have serious consequences for corporate Australia. Scott Morrison, Australia treasurer, mentioned in his budget speech that the $7 billion in sales from Australians to United States owned media… – Continue reading
SENATOR Dion Foulkes yesterday forecast the country would soon face more pressures from the European Union and should be ready to act quickly to avoid further reputational damage. On Friday, Finance Minister K Peter Turnquest announced the Bahamas had been removed from the European Union’s “blacklist” of non-cooperative jurisdictions for… – Continue reading
The Bahamas must now focus on leveraging the European Union’s (EU) demands to “set our own table” and boost GDP growth and employment, a well-known attorney is urging. Michael Paton, also a former Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) chairman, said this nation has the opportunity to design an “economic substance”… – Continue reading
TT may soon be the lone Caribbean country on the European Union’s (EU) list of tax havens (blacklist). The Bahamas and St Kitts are expected to be removed when EU finance ministers meet in Brussels next week. However government is one step closer to resolving the issue through legislation being… – Continue reading
Brussels, May 25 The EU on Friday removed the Caribbean nations of the Bahamas and Saint Kitts and Nevis from a blacklist of tax havens, bringing the number of jurisdictions to seven. The nations, struck off from the list after providing good conduct commitments to the EU authorities, will now… – Continue reading
Defying a warning from the Internal Revenue Service, the Illinois Senate has overwhelmingly approved a bill intended to give local taxpayers a workaround for new federal caps on state and local tax deductions. […] The Senate action came yesterday afternoon when, by a 51-1 margin with one abstention, the Senate… – Continue reading
Attorney General Carl Bethel QC. Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff Legislation to create a central Beneficial Ownership Registry is “not set in stone”, the Attorney General has revealed, with the Government seeking “urgent” consultation on the issue. Carl Bethel QC, addressing a Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB)-sponsored seminar, said the… – Continue reading
The Ministry of Finance has embraced a software solution from Vizor AEOI Software to help meet its automatic tax information exchange (AEOI) commitments. The Bahamas will use Vizor’s solution to meet its obligations under the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)’s Common Reporting Standard (CRS), and its Foreign Account… – Continue reading
The Bahamas slipped slightly in its latest OECD “peer review”, although it maintained its “largely compliant” ranking amid beneficial ownership and tax information exchange concerns. The just-released full Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) report, produced by its Global Forum on transparency and tax information exchange, showed The Bahamas… – Continue reading
Romania will be able to count less on the low taxation advantage in order to attract investments due to growing competition, after eight EU member states have reduced their corporate tax rates since 2017, according to a study released by Deloitte Romania. “Even in the new context, the Romanian corporate… – Continue reading
AMMAN — The government on Monday endorsed the income tax draft law and said it will refer it to the Lower House on Tuesday to get it through constitutional channels towards enactment. Meanwhile, the government reasserted that it was earnestly carrying on with economic reforms according to schedule. During a… – Continue reading
The International Monetary Fund, an arm of the World Bank Group tells Nigeria to double her tax compliance to GDP ratio from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. Amine Mati, head of IMF in Nigeria, said this in Lagos, at the presentation of the IMF Regional Economic Outlook for… – Continue reading
The country introduced the tax on January 1 The UAE’s Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has set new requirements for Emiratis to receive a value added tax refund related to construction of a new home. The FTA said in a Saturday statement to news agency WAM that applicants must be UAE… – Continue reading
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s tax authorities have placed standardised software for receiving first batch of around 50,000 cases of Pakistanis owning assets and bank accounts abroad through automatic exchange portal from Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with effect from October 1. Top officials in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)… – Continue reading
BRUSSELS, Germany (CMC) — Two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries are likely to be removed from the European Union list of tax havens next week, when European finance ministers meet here. The Bahamas and St Kitts-Nevis had in the past strongly objected to be included in the list put out by… – Continue reading
The Internal Revenue Service has issued a new template that corporate taxpayers need to use when asking for an advance pricing agreement with the IRS. Advance pricing agreements are prior agreements between multinational companies and the IRS on the appropriate transfer pricing method to use for a given set of… – Continue reading
Singapore has gazetted a law to repeal the income tax concession for intellectual property income derived by companies benefiting from the Pioneer Service Companies Incentive (PC-S) or the Development and Expansion Incentive (DEI) schemes. The removal of this tax concession was first announced in Singapore’s 2017 Budget at the same… – Continue reading
