Category: Tax Reform

IRS issues guidance on excess business loss limitations and NOLs

The IRS has issued guidance on excess business loss limitations and net operating losses following changes post-reform. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act modified existing tax law by limiting losses from all types of business for non-corporate taxpayers. An excess business loss is the amount by which the total deductions… – Continue reading

Wealthy Chinese Rushing to Establish Overseas Trusts

Consultants, private bankers and lawyers are seeing more business from PRC clients as they seek to shelter assets and income in overseas trusts ahead of new tax laws, which will be introduced in January. China’s tax law reforms that target high net worth individuals, set to come into force on… – Continue reading

Tax reforms will improve UAE’s investment status

Once the UAE fully implements the BEPS minimum standard, it will become a very good location, say tax experts The UAE’s position as an attractive destination for foreign investment will substantially improve once it fully implements minimum standards for base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), tax analysts said on Saturday…. – Continue reading

Gov’t targets to lower corporate tax rate

The government is targeting to increase tax compliance among Micro Small and Medium Sized Enterprises by offering them lower corporate tax. East African Affairs Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohammed says various government agencies are working closely in integrating all tax payment regimes to ease tax payment and boost compliance. Tax avoidance… – Continue reading

Switzerland: Revised Swiss Corporate Tax Reform Will Keep Switzerland A Top Corporate Location

I. The background of the tax reform In connection with the international pressure on the Swiss corporate tax location, especially in relation to the Cantonal exemption of income for holding companies as well as the status privileged companies (“status privilege”) and the need of Switzerland to recover global recognition as… – Continue reading

EU Details Action Plan On Money Laundering

European Union finance ministers worked out a plan for combating money laundering and also made a deal on major bank reform on Tuesday (Dec. 4), according to reports from Reuters. The money laundering plan is a response to highly visible cases of alleged criminal activity at EU banks in countries… – Continue reading

Ireland, Malta Close ‘Single Malt’ Tax Avoidance Structure

Ireland and Malta have agreed to close the “Single Malt” – an aggressive tax planning structure in which some multinational corporations use a company incorporated in Ireland but tax-resident in Malta. The Competent Authority Agreement – entered into as per the provisions of Article 24 (mutual agreement procedure) of the… – Continue reading

Caribbean Banks support passage of tax bill amendments

THE Caribbean Association of Banks (CAB) has joined the growing list of advocates for the expedited passage of urgent legislation to strengthen this country’s international tax compliance. “Non-compliance with Global Forum Standards and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations increases the sovereign risk profile of not only the jurisdiction (TT)… – Continue reading

Barbados minister foresees OECD compliance by year-end

Barbados is to scrap its international business company (IBC) regime in response to the OECD labeling the policy as “harmful” to competition, and being in breach of rules governing international taxation. Last year the OECD included Barbados on its list of jurisdictions with a “harmful” preferential tax regime, and said… – Continue reading

UK lawmakers seek removal of 12-year offshore investigation limit

Britain’s parliamentary upper house has requested the current investigation limit set out in the Draft Finance Bill 2018 be scrapped. The House of Lords’ request to HMRC would, if passed, remove the 12-year offshore investigation limit from the Draft Finance Bill 2018 – a proposal that has seen an outcry… – Continue reading

Ministers meet with EU, OECD to discuss ending tax watchlist

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, K. Peter Turnquest, led a delegation to Brussels and Paris this week, for frank discussions with high-ranking officials within the European Commission and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on The Bahamas’ compliance with international standards on tax governance. The meetings… – Continue reading

Jersey puts forth economic substance legislation

Jersey has tabled new laws to address the EU’s concerns over ‘economic substance’, the degree of real business activity carried out by companies registered in the Island. The new proposed requirements for an economic substance test for Jersey tax-resident entities have been published and are set to come into force… – Continue reading

BIR may defer notice of foreign tax probe

THE BUREAU of Internal Revenue (BIR) may now notify taxpayers that their information was sent to a requesting foreign tax authority as investigation reaches the final stages. Revenue Regulation No. 22-2018 states that the Commissioner of Internal Revenue can opt to notify the taxpayer in writing that a foreign tax… – Continue reading

Government targets 16.6% tax revenue growth in 2019

The government is targeting Rp 1.51 quadrillion (US$99.29 billion) in tax revenues for 2019, or 16.67 percent higher than this year’s target. Meanwhile, it has set a 12.11 percent tax-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio. “We have implemented tax amnesty. It was an initial step. We also have access to banking… – Continue reading

Nigeria seeks IMF’s support on tax collection

The Federal Government is seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on modalities for improving tax collection, especially from the International Oil Companies (IOCs), Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed, has said. She told reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing 2018 International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Group Meetings, in Bali,… – Continue reading

Among wider reforms, Bahamas pledges to enact beneficial ownership bill by year-end

The Bahamas has drafted new legislation to ensure the jurisdiction achieves the right balance of business, economic sustainability, and compliance with international standards. Uppermost among the Bahamas’ priorities include compliance with the OECD and EU criteria on tax governance which has led to the Bahamas implementing sweeping changes to the… – Continue reading

Council of EU Cuts Liechtenstein, Peru From ‘Gray’ List of Tax Havens

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Liechtenstein and Peru are compliant with EU laws on tax after implementing necessary reforms and were therefore removed from EU “gray” list of tax havens, the Council of the European Union said Tuesday in a statement. In late 2017, Brussel released two lists, a blacklist of non-cooperative… – Continue reading

IRS bank secrecy program has little impact on tax compliance

The Internal Revenue Service’s Bank Secrecy Act program, in which it is supposed to safeguard against money laundering, is having only a minimal impact on tax compliance, according to a new report. The report, from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, noted that the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting… – Continue reading

IN UKRAINE A NUMBER OF TAXES IS TOO HIGH – EXPERT

In Ukraine in some areas taxes are too high, and entrepreneurs simply can’t pay, so toughen system of tracking defaulters only after tax cuts. Comments about this correspondent of ГолосUA said political analyst Nikolai Spiridonov. “In Ukraine, a number of taxes too high. Businesses simply can’t pay. And is double… – Continue reading

Macron signals historic French income-tax change may be delayed

French President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted “precise answers” before deciding whether to introduce pay-as-you-earn income tax withholding as planned next January. Speaking at a press conference in Helsinki, Macron said he wanted to be “demanding about the proper implementation” of what would be a major change for employers and… – Continue reading

Shanghai Business Registration: Online Platform for Foreign Invested Enterprises Launched

Shanghai recently launched a new online platform to facilitate the business registration of foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) in the city. Launched on June 30, 2018, the platform makes it easier for foreign investors to report their business information to the Administration of Industry and Commerce (AIC) if their projects do not… – Continue reading

Sri Lanka And Oman Sign Agreement On Avoidance Of Double Taxation, Tax Evasion

An agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion between Sri Lanka and Oman was signed during the Second Meeting of the Sri Lanka-Oman Bilateral Consultations, held on August 15, 2018 in Colombo at senior officials’ level by the leaders of the respective delegations. The Sri Lankan… – Continue reading

FATF delegation urges Pakistan to toughen anti-terror financing laws

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the global financial watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has urged Pakistan to toughen its laws and implementation against terror financing and money laundering, media reports said. The Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering, which is currently in Pakistan, will submit a report to the… – Continue reading

Lyford Cay Blasts 500% Hike In Tax

The Government is moving to reinstate the $50,000 property tax “cap” after The Bahamas’ wealthiest community slammed “punitive taxation” that threatens “500 percent or greater” tax hikes. KP Turnquest, deputy prime minister, yesterday told Tribune Business that the Government was “actively reviewing” recent Real Property Tax Act reforms that could… – Continue reading

BEPS Project Has Triggered Near-Global Tax Reform: OECD

The OECD has committed to providing proposals to fix the taxation of the digital economy by 2020, in an update to G20 leaders on international efforts to mitigate base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). In the newly released Second Annual Progress Report of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS, the… – Continue reading

Profit shifting a regional issue: Palaso

Profit shifting by large companies is a regional issue that can be addressed through improved information sharing between tax authorities of economies, says Internal Revenue Commission commissioner-general Betty Palaso. She said this at the opening of the Advancing Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS) and Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI)… – Continue reading

Tax, investment changes concern foreign firms

Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – The changes in tax policy and investment incentives are the issues of greatest concern for foreign investors in Vietnam, said Bui Ngoc Tuan, Deputy General Director of the Audit and Advisory firm Deloitte Vietnam at a workshop on in Hanoi on July 10. Themed “Investment incentives, related… – Continue reading

OECD Welcomes Dutch Efforts To Counter BEPS

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

France Exits EU’s Excessive Deficit Procedure

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

China’s top legislature reviews draft amendment to Individual Income Tax Law

BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) — The Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) has begun reviewing a draft amendment to the Individual Income Tax Law at its bimonthly session that opened Tuesday. The draft amendment raises the minimum threshold for personal income tax from 3,500 yuan (about 544 U.S…. – Continue reading

Irish Corporate Tax Reform Pushed By MPs, To Shore Up Tax Base

The highly concentrated nature of Ireland’s corporation tax receipts represents “an unacceptable level of risk,” according to parliament’s Public Accounts Committee. The PAC has published a new report on Ireland’s corporation tax receipts. Corporation tax accounted for 15 percent of total tax receipts in 2016, with 70 percent of all… – Continue reading

Surveys Suggest Taxpayers Satisfied With TCJA, Says Hatch

Both large and small businesses in the United States expect the measures included in the recently enacted tax reform legislation, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, to have a positive effect on their operations, according to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT). In a recent statement, Hatch… – Continue reading

Jordan to launch nationwide dialogue over controversial income tax bill

AMMAN, June 3 (Xinhua) — A Jordanian official said on Sunday that a nationwide dialogue will be launched to reach a consensus on the controversial income tax bill. “The dialogue will include all segments of the society including professional associations and stakeholders from all segments of society,” the official told… – Continue reading

Govt to maintain investment climate, tax reform in setting 2019 tax target

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said the government will consider several scenarios in determining its 2019 tax revenue target while adhering to its commitment to maintaining a conducive investment climate and pushing for tax reform. “The tax revenue target will be set in consideration of current global and national… – Continue reading

Tax Competitiveness in India: Changing Rules, Trends in Taxation

Ease of doing business and tax reforms are at the center of India’s growth agenda as the country pitches itself as the leading investment destination among global emerging markets. Yet, India’s tax competitiveness record remains mixed. At a time when the U.S., U.K., and Japan have slashed their corporate tax… – Continue reading

Cabinet finalises income tax bill after ‘taking feedback into account’

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

Singapore Legislates For IP Tax Concession Reform

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

World Bank urges Uganda to improve taxation to finance development, sustain growth

KAMPALA, May 16 (Xinhua) — The World Bank in its new report has urged Uganda to improve its tax revenue if the east African country is to sustain economic growth. The Bank in its 11th Uganda Economic Update issued on Tuesday said while the economic growth has rebounded from 4.5… – Continue reading

Lithuania invited to join OECD

VILNIUS, May 3 (Xinhua) — Lithuania has been formally invited to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with a planned signing of the accession agreement during the OECD ministerial meeting on May 30 and 31 in Paris, Lithuanian authorities announced Thursday. The invitation “is a result of… – Continue reading

UK to force Cayman, territories to make company owners public

Britain’s 14 overseas territories, including the Cayman Islands, will have to introduce public registers of beneficial ownership by the end of 2020. If they do not, the U.K. government will issue an order in council to force Cayman and other territories to do so. The U.K. Conservative Party government did… – Continue reading

‘We’ll Lose The Plot’ If Eu/Wto Dictate Taxation Reforms

The Bahamas will have “lost the plot” if it allows external pressures to dictate tax reform, a top accountant yesterday warning against any “knee jerk” changes. Gowon Bowe, the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) president, told Tribune Business that this nation must avoid reform merely for the sake of… – Continue reading

Roskam bills to protect taxpayers from unjust seizures clears House as part of IRS revamp package

Legislation led by U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) to reform Internal Revenue Service (IRS) civil asset forfeiture tools and his other priorities to protect taxpayers cleared the U.S. House last week as part of a larger IRS modernization initiative. The House on April 18 passed the Taxpayer First Act, H.R…. – Continue reading

Even the CBO Says the GOP Tax Reform Will Incentivize Corporate Offshoring

The Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of the new tax law suggests it could incentivize companies to offshore investments and jobs, which is directly at odds with GOP claims about the tax law. After the release of the GOP’s tax reform plan, several outlets, including the Prospect, noted that new tax… – Continue reading