Category: Digital Services

Tax cheats no longer safe from Australian Taxation Office

The good old days of buying and acquiring cryptocurrency without having to worry about government intervention have come to an end. This is the case in Australia, where cryptocurrency investors will likely soon receive a letter from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) informing them that they owe back taxes on… – Continue reading

Int’l group to finalize digital tax plan in 2020

Objective is to limit ability of multinational corporations to book taxes in countries with lowest tax rates BERLIN A global effort to revamp international tax rules for the digital economy will be completed by the end of 2020, said the secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)…. – Continue reading

Mauritius, first jurisdiction globally to legally protect crypto

The Mauritius International Financial Centre (IFC) claims to be the first jurisdiction globally to offer a regulatory landscape for the custody of digital assets. This is according to communication from the country’s integrated regulator for the non-bank financial services sector and global business, the Financial Services Commission (FSC). The FSC… – Continue reading

OECD moves toward consensus on taxing multinational tech companies

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is making progress on dealing with the tax challenges of the digital economy with a goal of arriving at a new consensus-based long-term solution in 2020. The OECD announced last week that the countries and jurisdictions participating in the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on… – Continue reading

Apple settles 10-year tax battle with France, paying a reported €500M ($570M)

Apple has settled a ten-year tax battle with France, agreeing to pay a reported half a billion Euros ($570M) in back tax. The French government had accused Apple of evading or avoiding tax due on sales made in France. The line between tax evasion, which is illegal, and aggressive tax-avoidance,… – Continue reading

Chile May Tax eCommerce Companies 19 Pct

Chile is considering a 19 percent tax on multinational eCommerce companies like Amazon, Netflix and Uber. Finance Minister Felipe Larrain made the announcement on Thursday (Jan. 10), and if it comes to fruition, the rate would be almost double what was originally proposed, Reuters reported. The Chilean Chamber of Commerce,… – Continue reading

Austria to Introduce Tax on Tech Giants With Annual Revenues Over $864Mln – Kurz

VIENNA (Sputnik) – The Austrian government will introduce a 3-percent tax on international tech giants with an annual turnover exceeding 750 million euros ($864 million), Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Thursday. “Europe currently does not have taxation of digital Internet giants and Austria intends to become a pioneer in… – Continue reading

EU finance ministers need to deliver: Digital companies must pay tax

When European finance ministers meet on Tuesday (4 December), they should swiftly adopt the digital service tax: a levy on turnover for very large digital firms such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Booking and Spotify, write Udo Bullmann and Paul Tang. Udo Bullmann is president of the Socialist and Democrats… – Continue reading

Is this the end of the road for the EU’s digital services tax?

Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany block digital services tax plan in Brussels. The spectre of a 3pc digital services tax (DST) levied by the EU against multinationals has been vanquished for now after Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany joined forces in what is being heralded as a coup for diplomacy…. – Continue reading

Government, European Union in talks over looming blacklist

Government officials have devised what they believe is a solution to the looming European Union blacklist threat, according to Neil Smith, the executive director of government’s Office of International Business (Regulations). The EU has threatened to place the Virgin Islands on an anti-tax avoidance blacklist at the end of the… – Continue reading

European Union digital tax levy could be delayed until 2020

Arriving at the meeting Tuesday in Brussels, the Danish minister of Finance, Kristian Jensen, said of his side: “Everything is possible in politics but I think that it is very hard to reach an agreement on the taxation of the digital economy”. Under the proposal, a 3pc levy would be… – Continue reading

Britain to start taxing big internet companies

LONDON — Britain’s Treasury chief unveiled Monday a new tax on big internet companies’ revenues, insisting it is time that the global tech giants with profitable business in the United Kingdom pay their fair share for public services. Philip Hammond made the announcement as he outlined his budget, explaining that… – Continue reading

Gibraltar targets crypto funds

Having established a groundbreaking regulatory framework for companies using distributed ledger technology, Gibraltar is now poised to publish draft legislation for initial token offerings and is setting its sights too on the market for crypto funds. These were among the key messages signalled at a breakfast briefing for fund managers… – Continue reading

Germany urges global minimum tax for digital giants

FRANKFURT AM MAIN: German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz in an interview said he backed a global minimum fiscal regime for multinationals as Europe looks to levy tax notably on US tech giants. “We need a minumum tax rate valid globally which no state can get out of (applying),” Scholz, a… – Continue reading

India planning to launch its own cryptocurrency?

In the wake of blowing hot and cool on bitcoin, the government of India is thinking about drawing out its very own cryptocurrency. A board comprised by India’s finance ministry suggested that the nation launch a government-backed cryptocurrency. “We are assessing the government-backed cryptocurrency and crypto-token,” said a senior government… – Continue reading

Australia Mulls Fresh Regulations on Crypto Exchanges

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) said it would create a team to monitor initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrencies. Australia’s market regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is considering a new tactic in regulating digital currency exchanges and raising the monitoring of initial coin offerings (ICOs)… – Continue reading

New Zealand Law Foundation Report suggests accepting cryptocurrency

A recent report published by the New Zealand Law Foundation on regulating cryptocurrencies in New Zealand suggests the regulators of the country to start taking tax in crypto and trial a CBDC. The report, that is commissioned by the New Zealand Law Foundation and written by the University of Auckland… – Continue reading

Government mulls e-tax

The government is considering imposing taxes on companies’ digital revenue as a way of increasing public coffers by capitalising on the rapidly expanding digital commerce sector. Plans to establish a so-called ‘e-tax’ are in line with the government’s strategy to prepare for the fourth industrial revolution, said Aun Pornmonirath, Deputy… – Continue reading

Confusion Over Bitcoin Taxation Leads to Poor Reporting of Gains and Losses

With Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies making huge sums of money for those adept at timing the market, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is keen to make sure it receives its cut of the profits. However, a lawyer from Morgan Lewis & Bockius states that many users do not realise… – Continue reading

Bitcoin Hedge Funds Caught in IRS Crypto Tax Crosshairs Amidst Unclear Regulations

Hedge Funds Are Struggling to Correctly Tax Crypto Holdings Amidst Unclear Regulations According to US law, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are taxed like property – similar to real estate. Amidst unclear regulations, however, hedge funds are struggling to correctly pay their taxes, which is a problem because the IRS just… – Continue reading

Booksellers urge government to ‘act quickly’ on ‘Amazon tax’

News that the government may bring in an ‘Amazon tax’ to help “rebalance the playing field” between physical and online retailers has been welcomed by booksellers. After department store retailer House of Fraser became the latest high street chain to go into administration on Friday (10th August) Philip Hammond said… – Continue reading

How Will the UK Deal With Crypto After Brexit: Expert Take

The United Kingdom and the European Union failed to reach an agreement on an orderly uncoupling, which is a major geopolitical and strategic event, with global implications. Uncertainty about the outcome of the Brexit referendum has already started to weaken growth in the U.K. — which is expected to get… – Continue reading

Slovakia is pushing on digital platforms, including booking.com, to pay taxes here

One digital platform has registered on its own and others are being registered ex officio. Foreign digital platforms, which mediate services in transport and accommodation in Slovakia, are obliged to launch so-called permanent establishments in Slovakia. The Finance Ministry wants to force them to pay corporate tax. So far only… – 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

Which Countries is The Cryptocurrency Taxed In?

The cryptocurrency industry is still at a very early stage of its development, so there are no single international rules yet. The governments of individual countries independently try to regulate digital assets. The tax on the cryptocurrency varies in different countries. Within the framework of this article, we will try… – Continue reading

European Leaders Press for New Digital Tax at G20 Meeting

European finance officials just wrapped up a G20 summit in Argentina where they pressed for new global rules to better collect tax on digital giants like Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL 1258.15 0.04%), Facebook (NASDAQ:FB 214.67 0.02%), and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN 1829.24 0.02%), among others. The European Commision is the executive (read: tasked with… – Continue reading

Tech Groups Raise Concerns About EU Digital Tax

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

Foreign Investors Council focuses on modernisation efforts

ASTANA – The 31st plenary session of Kazakhstan’s Foreign Investors’ Council themed “Accelerated modernisation” discussed digital transformation, new technologies and prospects for further economic growth at a June 6 meeting here. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev briefed the session on Kazakhstan’s efforts to ensure the stability of the national economy in… – Continue reading

Norway’s Parliament Rejects ‘Google Tax’ Proposal

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

Australian Government planning on digitally taxing Google and Facebook

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

Thailand: Legal Framework For Cryptocurrencies Comes Into Force

A regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies has come into effect by royal decree in Thailand, the Bangkok Post reported Sunday, May 13. The 100-section law, published yesterday in the country’s Royal Gazette, defines cryptocurrencies as “digital assets and digital tokens,” and brings them under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Thai Security… – Continue reading

Senate body rejects FBR proposal to tax offshore digital services

Islamabad : Pakistan’s tax authorities on Friday informed the Senate panel that Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) placed one dozen action plans for making part of tax laws in Pakistan so the FBR made all-out efforts to expand its jurisdiction outside the country in line with best international… – Continue reading

Bermuda Reveals Draft Crypto Regulations, Plans to Embrace ICOs

The Bermuda Monetary Authority has issued a consultation paper on draft regulations pertaining to “virtual currency businesses” and initial coin offerings (ICOs). The proposed bill seeks to create a framework that encourages and fosters the development of Bermuda’s nascent cryptocurrency industry. Bermuda Reveals Regulatory Proposals for Crypto Industry The minister… – Continue reading

VAT compliance driving digital capabilities in the GCC

Muscat: Tax authorities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are starting to use sophisticated digital platforms that require taxpayers to submit data in real time or near-real time prompting companies in the GCC to enhance their digital capabilities. This is changing the way businesses collect, format and report tax information,… – Continue reading

Kazakhstan May Ban Cryptocurrencies Citing Money-Laundering Concerns

Kazakhstan’s National Bank is considering banning cryptocurrency use, exchanges, and mining, saying virtual currencies are an ideal vehicle for fraud, money-laundering, and tax evasion. “In Kazakhstan, the National Bank is taking a very conservative approach toward the matter, and it welcomes nothing but extremely tough restrictions,” Daniyar Akishev, the chairman… – 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

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