Category: Interest

From Israel to Canada: New Tax Treaty to Help Structure Investments

On December 21, 2016, the new Canada–Israel tax treaty entered into force. The new treaty was signed on September 21, 2016 in New York, and replaces the existing treaty that dates from 1975. For most purposes, the provisions of the new treaty took effect as of January 1, 2017. Overall,… – Continue reading

New tax regime for Ukrainian loan participation notes issued on international capital markets

January 2017 – On 21 December 2016, Ukraine’s parliament adopted the Law “On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine Concerning Improvement of the Investment Climate in Ukraine” No. 1797-19. With effect from 1 January 2017, the legislation introduces new rules for the taxation of interest payable by Ukrainian economic… – Continue reading

New Double Tax Treaty signed between Montenegro and Portugal

Montenegro has concluded double taxation treaties with more than 35 countries, and this number continues to grow. The most recently signed treaty is the one concluded with Montenegro. The agreement affects persons who are residents of one or both of the contracting states and applies to the Portuguese personal income… – Continue reading

Budget 2017: Tax Reform For Financial Services

Given the recent developments in the Indian economy, the upcoming Union Budget will certainly be critical and important in determining the future outlook of the economy. The financial services industry has been one of the key drivers of growth due to its strong cause and effect relationship with the economy…. – Continue reading

Britain may become tax haven after hard Brexit, Hammond says

British chancellor Philip Hammond has infuriated German politicians for implying a “hard” Brexit would see London adopt a new role as a tax haven before the gates of the EU. Driving speculation ahead of Tuesday’s Brexit address by prime minister Teresa May, Mr Hammond said he preferred seeing Britain remain… – Continue reading

Netherlands ‘will block UK-EU deal without tax avoidance measures’

Trade agreement would have to include strict rules to prevent Britain becoming offshore haven, Dutch deputy PM says The Netherlands will block any EU trade deal with the UK unless it signs up to tough tax avoidance regulations preventing it from becoming an attractive offshore haven for multinationals and the… – Continue reading

India may leave tax treaty with Netherlands unchanged

India is unlikely to amend its tax treaty with the Netherlands as it did with Mauritius, Singapore and Cyprus and this could shape the investment strategy of foreign portfolio investors (FPI) and private equity (PE) funds investing in India, said three people in the know. “There were talks to amend… – Continue reading

In Slovakia, 2017 brings new tax legislation

The Slovak Government and Parliament made several changes to the tax system with effect from 1 January 2017. The recently adopted amendments concern – among others – corporate and personal income tax, value added tax, special levy in regulated industries, as well as social security and health insurance contributions. Here… – Continue reading

Hong Kong Needs Measured BEPS Response: Report

Hong Kong’s Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) has issued a paper setting out key recommendations for the Government to consider in the area of international tax law. The paper, which was issued on December 29, 2016, recommends that the Government should issue clearer guidance on appropriate transfer pricing methodologies for… – 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

A Classic Case Of Double Taxation?

The Central Board of Direct Taxes in India issued Circular Number 41 on December 21, 2016 providing clarifications on applicability of ‘indirect transfer’ provisions under the Indian Income Tax Act, 1961 to investors of Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) – earlier known as Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) in India. The circular… – Continue reading

Singapore Goes The Mauritius Route, Loses Right To Tax Equity Capital Gains Arising In India

Starting April 1, 2017, India will have the right to tax capital gains arising on Indian equity shares sold by a Singapore resident. The governments of India and Singapore have amended the double taxation avoidance treaty between the two countries, in line with the changes India recently made to a… – Continue reading

South African Tax Bills Approved By Parliament

South Africa’s Ministry of Finance has published the 2016 Taxation Laws Amendment Bill (TLAB), which has received parliamentary approval and gives effect to the tax changes announced in the Budget in February this year, together with legislation confirming the final details of the Special Voluntary Disclosure Program (SVDP). With changes… – Continue reading

Govt asks tax cheats to come clean by March, releases mail id for black money tip-offs

The government announced on Friday details of a more stringent income declaration scheme, a “last chance” for tax evaders who will have to cough up 50% of their unaccounted-for wealth in tax. The scheme– called the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) – was announced last month and will be… – Continue reading

MOF rejects claim of Singapore as tax haven

A recent report has revived claims Singapore is a tax haven but the Singapore Government and experts here reject the label emphatically. They say the report contains inaccurate assertions and fails to recognise recent steps here to crack down on tax evasion. The Republic ranked fifth on a list of… – Continue reading

Kazakhstan Amends Its Tax Code

General On 30 November 2016, Kazakhstan adopted certain amendments to its Tax Code (the Tax Amendments). Most of the Tax Amendments take effect on 1 January 2017. Below we summarize some of the most important Tax Amendments: VAT Registration Threshold Under the Tax Amendments, the existing VAT registration threshold (i.e.,… – Continue reading

DOUBLE TAXATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN SWITZERLAND AND OMAN

MUSCAT -The Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) between Switzerland and Oman aiming to increase economic ties officially came into force last month, according to the Swiss government. Its provisions will be applicable from January 1, 2017, according to the government. The agreement was originally signed on May 22, 2015 before going… – Continue reading

Pak-China avoidance of double taxation treaty inked

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and China signed third protocol to the avoidance of double taxation agreement that would allow a Chinese bank and a state-owned investment fund to avail income tax exemption on interest income from loans for energy projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman… – 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

Planning for the Use of the United States as a Financial Haven: Part One

The United States has not agreed to participate in the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), relying instead on the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) regime enacted in 2010 and initiated in 2014. United States participation in CRS is highly unlikely. Even with a change in control of Congress, CRS may… – Continue reading

Implementation of Common Reporting Standard in Hong Kong – Implications for Family Trust with a Private Trust Company as Trustee

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) issued the Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Information in Tax Matters (Standard for AEOI) in July 2014, which aims to prevent offshore tax evasion and maintain the integrity of tax systems. Over 100 jurisdictions have committed to comply with the Standard… – Continue reading

Australia’s Google Tax may be the second in the world but it’s too early to tell if it’s the ‘toughest’

When introducing the draft legislation for the Diverted Profits or so-called “Google Tax”, Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison claimed it would: …reinforce Australia’s position as having amongst the toughest laws in the world to combat corporate tax avoidance. Australia is the second country to introduce this type of tax, after the… – Continue reading

Tax benefits of using Malta as an IP regime

For myriad reasons, Malta has over the years established itself as an ideal jurisdiction to hold intellectual property rights. The country offers many tax benefits on income derived from Intellectual Property. Apart from the tax exemption on income derived from patents, copyrights and trademarks as will be further explained below,… – Continue reading

U.K. Seeks to Incorporate Nonresident Companies Into Tax Regime

The U.K. government said it would investigate bringing nonresident companies’ income into the country’s corporation tax regime. The consultation on the move is expected to begin at Budget 2017 in March, the Treasury said in its Autumn Statement Nov. 23. “The government wants to deliver equal tax treatment to ensure… – Continue reading

Ukraine officially joins BEPS project

On November 22, 2016, the Minister of Finance of Ukraine handed an official letter on Ukraine’s accession to the BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) plan to the Secretary-General of OECD. Being the final stage in the process of joining the project, Ukraine is to become a member of the… – Continue reading

MEPs back automatic exchange of bank data

Tax authorities across Europe will be able to automatically share information about bank account holders, according to a Council position approved by the European Parliament on November 22. It was passed by 590 votes to 32 votes, with 64 abstentions. According to a European Parliament press release, the new rules… – Continue reading

HMRC ‘puts people on notice’ with duty to correct tax return

Advisers will need to inform clients of new changes to offshore tax disclosure as the government introduces a new legal requirement to correct past failures, experts warn. As part of the Autumn Statement today, the Government said it would put in place a new legal “requirement to correct” a past… – Continue reading

The coming abolition of cash

The Indian Government’s dramatic cancellation of large banknotes on the same day as the US election last week looks like the drastic solution to a very Indian problem with tax avoidance and the black economy, but it might turn out to be a harbinger of things to come everywhere. In… – Continue reading

Govt looks to resolve 100 transfer pricing agreements by March next year

MUMBAI: With a hope of improving India’s image on ease of doing business, the government has increased the pace of resolving transfer pricing issues and is looking to sign around 100 advance pricing agreements by the end of March 2017, people in the know said. Central Board of Direct Taxes… – Continue reading

Trump’s Corporate Tax Reforms: What CFOs Need to Know

While Trump wants to close loopholes, many of them stem from public policy concerns — not “special interests.” After a dramatic upset victory in one of the most bitterly contested presidential races in recent history, Donald Trump now has some serious work to do. His corporate tax policies—which are vital… – Continue reading

New Zealand Planning More BEPS Measures

New Zealand’s tax agency has set out the international tax initiatives it intends to pursue, in particular in response to the OECD’s base erosion and profit shifting plan. It said it will undertake further work on a package of BEPS initiatives, which will include hybrid mismatch rules to prevent companies… – Continue reading

Australian Practitioners Urge Zero Withholding for Pooled Funds

Practitioners in the managed funds industry are calling for a zero-rate for withholding tax in Australia amid the government’s proposals for new tax concessions to boost it, saying the proposed measures don’t go far enough. The government released a consultation paper Nov. 3 on non-resident withholding taxes for pooled funds—or… – Continue reading

IRD delayed multinational tax crackdown

New Zealand has delayed cracking down on multinational tax avoidance due to private sector concerns over timing and concerns about “scaring away” foreign investment, the Inland Revenue Department says. Wide-ranging reforms to corporate tax rules proposed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), known as the base erosion… – Continue reading

UK, Colombia In Double Tax Deal

The UK and Colombia signed a double tax agreement (DTA) on November 2, which is intended to support trade and investment by capping withholding tax on cross-border income. The agreement was signed by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Jane Ellison, and the Colombian Finance Minister, Mauricio Cardenas, during President… – Continue reading

Multinationals Dodged Bullet on ‘Earnings Stripping’ Rules

Many kinds of U.S. multinational companies, including S-corporations, REITS, and financial services companies apparently dodged a bullet last month when the U.S. Treasury Dept. issued its final, substantially revised rules aimed at curtailing “earnings stripping.” The revised regulation represents an attempt by Treasury to help “narrow the rule and avoid… – Continue reading

It will promote greater economic cooperation between Latvia and Switzerland

Wednesday, 2 November, Finance Minister Dana Reizniece-oak and Swiss Ambassador Latvian Marcus Niklauss Paul Dutli ( Markus Niklaus Paul Dutly ) signed the Latvian Republic and the Government of the Swiss Federal Council Protocol amending the two parties on 31 January 2002 concluded the Convention for the Avoidance double taxation… – Continue reading

Romania plans to join project for fighting big companies’ tax avoidance

Romania plans to join the Base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) program as an associate member. The program equips governments with domestic and international instruments to address tax avoidance. The program’s objective is to have profits taxed where economic activities generating the profits are performed. The Finance Ministry has published… – Continue reading

CBDT signs 5 Unilateral APAs with Indian taxpayers

The APA scheme was initiated in 2012 in the IT Act and in 2014, rollback provisions were introduced. The Dollar Business Bureau The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Thursday signed five Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) with Indian taxpayers, making the total number of APAs to 108. “The… – Continue reading

New EU corporate tax rules announced

After five years of negotiations, the European Commission has finally announced its plans to overhaul the way in which companies are taxed in the Single Market. The revised Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB) is aimed at making it easier and cheaper to do business in the Single Market and… – Continue reading

Cambodia on alert for US taxpayers

With the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the tax-collection arm of the United States government, stepping up its global sweep to catch American individuals and corporations hiding their overseas earnings, the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia yesterday held a presentation for investors and financial institutions to make sure they are… – Continue reading

India-Korea DTAA notified, capital gains to be taxed at source

India has notified the revised double tax avoidance agreement with South Korea under which capital gains tax will be levied at the source with effect from April 1, 2017. The existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention, which has been in vogue for three decades, provides for residence-based taxation of capital gains… – Continue reading

Ecuador a Step Closer to Ending Politicians’ Use of Tax Havens

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa wants the country to consider a novel approach to limit the use of tax havens: preventing politicians from using them. Accompanied by leaders from social movements and political allies, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa made the case before the constitutional court for a plebiscite to give lawmakers… – Continue reading

IRS Offshore Voluntary Compliance Tops $10 Billion

As international compliance efforts pass several new milestones, the Internal Revenue Service reminds U.S. taxpayers with undisclosed offshore accounts that they should use existing paths to come into full compliance with their federal tax obligations. Updated data shows 55,800 taxpayers have come into the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) to… – Continue reading

Japan, Austria Agree MAP Arbitration

The Governments of Japan and Austria have agreed in principle to amend their double taxation avoidance agreement to further promote trade and investment between the two countries. The new agreement would enable arbitration under the mutual agreement procedure to ensure settlement of double tax disputes. The new agreement will also… – Continue reading

Experts dismiss HMRC’s shrinking tax gap estimate

The narrowing figure of £36bn roundly condemned for ignoring estimated tens of billions lost in profit shifting and tax avoidance by multinationals Tax experts warned that HM Revenue & Customs was underestimating the size of Britain’s tax avoidance problem after the agency claimed that Britain’s annual tax shortfall was only… – Continue reading

Chinese dual tax burden relieved

An extensive tax treaty that would shield Chinese businesses operating in the Kingdom from double taxation, and vice versa, has been drafted and is expected to be approved imminently, according to a senior Cambodian tax official. Experts said yesterday the double taxation agreement (DTA) would create a clear legal framework… – Continue reading