Category: Government Bodies

India Defers Surrogate Entity CbC Reporting Deadline

The Indian Central Board of Direct Taxes has issued a statement to defer the filing obligation on surrogate parent entities with regards to country-by-country reporting. Section 286 was inserted into the Income Tax Act 1981 through the 2016 Finance Act to introduce a requirement to furnish a country-by-country report. The… – Continue reading

Australian Tax Office Seeks Input On Cryptocurrency Tax Obligations

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has launched a community consultation to seek feedback on practical compliance issues arising from complying with taxation obligations in relation to cryptocurrency transactions. On March 13, the ATO updated its web guidance tax treatment of cryptocurrencies to address some of the common enquiries in relation… – Continue reading

Foreign groups in India have to provide country-by-country report, clarifies govt

All international groups operating in the country will have to provide a country-by-country (CbC) report as per the revised Income tax Act, the government clarified in a finance ministry release issued today. The CbC report is to be furnished by the ultimate parent entity of an international group in the… – Continue reading

Financial institutions must file accounts reports

HEADS of financial institutions face a fine of up to $10,000 or two years in prison if they fail to make the necessary accounts reports. The reminder came in a statement from the Ministry of Finance, Trade and Investment this week. It stressed that the deadline is approaching for filing… – Continue reading

Ibcs Face ‘Much Damage’ Through Blacklisting Bill

THE Bahamas’ ‘blacklisting’ response threatens to “cause a lot of damage” to its IBC business and create “much less certainty” for the financial services industry, a top attorney is warning. Michael Paton, a former Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) chairman, told Tribune Business that the proposed Multinational Entities Reporting Bill… – Continue reading

IRS Reminds Taxpayers to Report Virtual Currency Earnings

The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently published a document reminding taxpayers that income derived from virtual currency transactions must be reported on income tax returns. The IRS states that taxpayers who fail to report virtual currency earning may be audited or made liable for “penalties and interest.” IRS… – Continue reading

BEPS Multilateral Instrument To Enter Into Force

The OECD has announced that its multilateral convention to implement tax treaty-related measures to counter base erosion and profit shifting will enter into force on July 1, 2018. The Convention, negotiated by more than 100 countries and jurisdictions under a mandate from G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, will… – Continue reading

Corporate Taxation On The Way For Bahamas

The Government’s planned legal reforms pave the way for the introduction of “corporate taxation” on a wide range of Bahamian financial services products, it was revealed yesterday. Carl Bethel QC, the Attorney General, confirmed to Tribune Business that legislation intended to address the European Union’s (EU) ‘blacklisting’ concerns was designed… – Continue reading

EU Announces Sanctions For ‘Blacklisted’ Countries

The European Commission is to take steps to ensure that EU external development and investment funds cannot be channelled or transited through entities in countries included on the EU’s “blacklist” of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions. The Commission has published guidelines which set out the applicable legislation on how EU funds should… – Continue reading

Cyprus, UK sign updated double taxation treaty

Cyprus and the UK on Thursday signed an updated agreement on double taxation avoidance on income and capital, which will contribute to further develop commercial and financial relations between the two countries. The agreement, signed in Nicosia by Finance Minister Harris Georgiades and British High Commissioner Matthew Kidd, is based… – Continue reading

Brussels raises new 3% tax on technology sales

The assessment to companies like Google, Facebook or Apple would raise 5 billion a year Google, Facebook and Apple have specialized in locating in a fictitious way their operations in microaffiliates located in territories or countries where corporate tax is low or even practically nil. And they have thus turned… – Continue reading

Malta Backs EU Crackdown On Aggressive Tax Planning

Malta has reiterated its commitment to fighting aggressive tax planning, joining other EU member states who have unanimously agreed to amend the EU’s tax information sharing law, the Directive on Administrative Cooperation. The amendments to the Directive, which were agreed last week by EU finance ministers, will require intermediaries, such… – Continue reading

Ambassador To Eu Proposal In Wake Of Blacklisting

IN THE aftermath of The Bahamas’ blacklisting by the European Union for being a tax haven, Financial Services Minister Brent Symonette says it might be time for The Bahamas to consider appointing an ambassador to the EU to increase dialogue on matters concerning this country. The St Anne’s MP said… – Continue reading

Ghana Revenue Authority to fix a 7% VAT withholding tax

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) would, this year, start charging seven per cent VAT Withholding Tax on individuals and entities that transact business with the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). “What we are seeking to do is that as a person is charging the 17.5 VAT on build-up cost of… – Continue reading

The ‘Peril And Promise’ Of Blockchain

“The important thing to remember here is this is a brand-new, very complicated space,” warned John Oliver on last weekend’s episode of “Last Week Tonight.” “Literally nobody knows how it’s going to develop, so you need to be careful.” Oliver was discussing cryptocurrencies and blockchain on his show, highlighting the… – Continue reading

Indian Master File, First CbC Report Due March 31

The deadline for multinationals to submit a master file and CbC report in India is March 31, 2018, in respect of the 2016-17 financial year. A “master file” must be furnished by multinationals if the total consolidated group revenue exceeds INR5bn and either the aggregate value of international transactions as… – Continue reading

EU states agree on transparency rules to curb tax avoidance

European Union countries have agreed on new rules to crack down on cross-border schemes that help companies evade taxes. Tax professionals who fail to inform authorities about these ploys will be hit with penalties. European Union finance ministers on Tuesday backed transparency measures requiring financial advisors, accountants, lawyers and banks… – Continue reading

Bahamas ‘Failed To Read Tea Leaves’ On Corporate Tax

THE Bahamas’ failure “to read the tea leaves” and introduce a corporate income tax “for ourselves” has contributed to Europe’s planned ‘blacklisting’, a financial executive argued yesterday. Paul Moss, Dominion Management Services’ president, told Tribune Business that implementing such a tax would mean the European Union (EU) “cannot accuse us… – Continue reading

Luxembourg Says EU’s Digital Tax Must Be Lawful

Luxembourg Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna has said that any special tax measures against large digital companies should respect European Union law. Gramegna made the comments during an official visit to Paris earlier this month where he held a series of working meetings with French government counterparts. “Pierre Gramegna stressed that… – Continue reading

Last-Ditch Bid To Halt Eu Blacklist

The Deputy Prime Minister and minister of financial services were yesterday travelling to Europe in a last-ditch bid to plead the Bahamas’ case against being ‘backlisted’. Carl Bethel QC, the Attorney General, confirmed to Tribune Business that both K P Turnquest and Brent Symonette are leading a government delegation that… – Continue reading

Egypt To Receive Tax Information Exchange Support

Egypt is to receive international support to implement new measures in the area of tax transparency and information exchange. Unveiled at a meeting on international tax reform in Cairo on March 7, the OECD and Egypt agreed a new project entitled “Enhancing Domestic Resource Mobilization in Egypt through a better… – Continue reading

Mauritius Finalizes CbC Reporting Regulations

Mauritius last month released the Income Tax (Country-by-Country Reporting) Regulations 2018, setting out the jurisdiction’s rules concerning the filing by multinational groups of transfer pricing documentation. The CbC report is one element of a new three-tiered standardized approach to transfer pricing documentation proposed under BEPS Action 13. Under the framework,… – Continue reading

LUX RULES “MAY FACILITATE AGGRESSIVE TAX PLANNING”

The European Commission has criticised Luxembourg and six other EU member states for overly favourable tax treatment of multinational corporations. “The @EU_Commission is today stressing the issue of aggressive tax planning in seven EU countries: #Belgium, #Cyprus, #Hungary, #Ireland, #Luxembourg, #Malta and The #Netherlands. #FairTaxation,” Pierre Moscovici, the European finance… – Continue reading

India-Iran DTAA – A Step Forward in India’s Economic Engagement with Central Asia

India and Iran signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) in February, during Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s official visit to India. The ‘Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income’ aims to encourage the movement of investments and services… – Continue reading

Hong Kong Launches CbC Reporting Portal

Hong Kong’s Inland Revenue Department on March 5 launched its new Country-by-Country Reporting Portal. Groups can now register to file CbC reports for accounting periods beginning between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2017, using the online portal. The CbC report is one element of a new three-tiered standardized approach… – Continue reading

Hong Kong’s New Transfer Pricing Regime

On December 29, 2017, Hong Kong gazetted the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (No. 6) Bill 2017 (the Amendment Bill). The Amendment Bill, which was formally introduced into the Legislative Council on January 10, represents a crucial step in the development of Hong Kong’s transfer pricing regulatory and enforcement regime. The objectives… – Continue reading

Gov’t agrees to meet international tax standards

THE GOVERNMENT recently held bilateral talks with the Code of Conduct Group (COCG) to discuss tax transparency and fair taxation in the territory. A press release from the Office of the Premier issued on Tuesday (February 27), said Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson and other TCI representatives met with the COCG… – Continue reading

MEPs Back Plans To Tighten Tax Planning Reporting Rules

EU MEPs have supported plans to require intermediaries promoting aggressive, cross-border tax schemes to report those plans to the authorities. Under the proposal, service providers who design or promote such plans would be required to provide details of their schemes in a central directory. The disclosed information would then be… – Continue reading

Belgian Tax Authority To Search For Taxpayers Using Foreign Crypto Exchanges

The Belgian Special Tax Inspectorate (STI) is looking for Belgian individuals who have invested in cryptocurrencies in foreign exchanges, local news outlet De Standaard reported Friday, March 2. After receiving information from Finnish authorities that several Belgian taxpayers had been trading on Finnish crypto exchanges, the STI started looking into… – Continue reading

FG to Name, Shame, Prosecute Tax Evaders From March 31 ― Adeosun

The Federal Government is ready to prosecute, name and shame tax evaders that fail to utilise the tax amnesty programme, the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), to regularise their tax profiles, Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, declared on Thursday. She also disclosed that the Federal Government would… – Continue reading

BUSINESSES MUST NOW REPORT CROSS-BORDER TAX AVOIDANCE UNDER NEW EU RULE

Businesses must report to a central EU database which will pass information onto their respective national tax authority THE EU has dealt a blow to businesses contributing to cross-border tax avoidance. MEPs overwhelmingly voted to back a new proposal which states that companies must now report their plans for any… – Continue reading

OECD Consults On Tackling Common Reporting Standard Circumvention

The OECD has recently launched a consultation on tackling the circumvention of its latest international tax transparency standard, the Common Reporting Standard, through the use by individuals of residency by investment (RBI), or citizenship by investment (CBI) schemes. These schemes typically entitle individuals to reside or gain citizenship through making… – Continue reading

Australia Announces Upcoming Guidance On Int’l Tax Matters

The Australian Tax Office has updated and added to its list of the guidance on international tax matters it intends to release this year. This month, the ATO intends to release a guide on corporate residency – central management and control in Australia [reference code 3838], to provide the ATO’s… – Continue reading

Dutch Cabinet Approves Anti-Evasion Measures

The Government of the Netherlands has announced a comprehensive package of tax anti-avoidance proposals designed to bring the jurisdiction’s rules into line with new European Union anti-avoidance laws and fulfill its obligations under the international BEPS agenda. The plans were detailed in a parliamentary paper sent by State Secretary for… – Continue reading

OECD Urges Countries Not To Go It Alone On Digital Tax

The problems posed by the digitalization of the economy should be addressed collectively and any interim measures taken by countries unilaterally should be “as little damaging as possible,” the OECD’s Director of Taxation has said. Pascal Saint-Amans told the Irish Independent that to “find a long-term solution, you need to… – Continue reading

Indonesia, Singapore to Exchange Financial Data in September

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Directorate General of Tax stated that financial data exchange and Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) for taxation purposes with Singapore will begin in September 2018. “We will begin information exchange with Singapore in September 2018,” said international taxation director at the tax DG John Hutagaol in Jakarta… – Continue reading

India, Iran ink pact to avoid double taxation, prevent fiscal evasion

India and Iran today signed an agreement for Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with regard to taxes on income. The agreement is on similar lines as entered into by India with other countries, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in a statement. “The agreement… – Continue reading

Puerto Rico markets its “Tax haven” to attract cryptocurrency investors

Puerto Rico’s Governor, Ricardo Rossello in a move to attract crypto investors and holders to live in its land made an open call to everybody to come and take advantage of the tax haven. Puerto Rico recently got devastated by hurricanes Maria and Irma and is trying to recover slowly… – 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

India Clarifies Capital Gains Tax Changes

India’s Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has released further information on the long-term capital gains tax announced in the recent budget, in the form of a list of answers to frequently asked questions. Explaining the change, the CBDT noted that, under the existing regime, long-term capital gains arising from… – 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

Australia Adds To Diverted Profits Tax Guidance

The Australian Tax Office on February 7 released draft Practical Compliance Guideline 2018/D2 on the operation of Australia’s Diverted Profits Tax for consultation. In the 2016-17 Budget, the Government announced that it would introduce a diverted profits tax (DPT), intended to ensure that the tax paid by significant global entities… – 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

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

European Commissioner: Bank Secrecy No Longer Exists in Europe

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Pierre Moscovici said Monday that bank secrecy was no longer a reality in Europe since EU tax authorities automatically exchanged information about bank accounts opened within the bloc. “Bank secrecy no longer exists in Europe. If anyone has a bank account in Switzerland we are immediately being… – Continue reading