The Government of India brought in a retrospective amendment in 2012 to nullify the Supreme Court judgement in the case of Vodafone International Holdings B.V. to tax capital gains arising from transfer of shares or interest in a foreign company deriving its value ‘substantially’ from Indian assets. However, the Government… – Continue reading
Research highlights the money pipeline between political parties and private equity houses A tax loophole is being used by the executives at private equity firms to save huge amounts on their personal income tax, according to research published today. An investigation, published by campaign group 38 Degrees, uncovers the private… – Continue reading
On February 3, 2015, the PRC State Administration of Taxation (“SAT”) released the Announcement of SAT Concerning Several Matters Relating to Corporate Income Tax on Indirect Transfer of Properties by Non-tax Resident Enterprises, Announcement [2015] No. 7 (国家税务总局关于非居民企业间接转让财产企业所得税若干问题的公告, 国家税务总局公告2015年第7号; “Announcement 7”). Below is a brief summary and discussion of the… – Continue reading
Mumbai: As a probe continues into the misuse of stock markets for evading taxes and laundering black money, 4-5 cartels of market operators have been identified for making illicit gains or showing fictional losses of several thousands of crores of rupees over last 2-3 years. According to sources, both ‘bull’… – Continue reading
CHINA China Releases GAAR Administrative Measures Courtesy of Mr Glen Wei, an attorney at law, certified tax adviser, and CPA based in China.China’s State Administration of Taxation (SAT) on December 12 issued Decree 32 (dated December 2) introducing administrative measures for applying the domestic general anti-avoidance rule to special tax… – Continue reading
UNTIL NOW, many British expatriates have been able to sell UK property without having to pay any capital gains tax in the UK. This changes from April when new rules come into effect. The concept of charging UK capital gains tax on the disposal of UK residential property owned by… – Continue reading
Some of your well-to-do clients may be thinking of moving to the “51st state.” Puerto Rico is quickly becoming a tax haven for U.S. citizens fed up with paying higher taxes on the mainland. If you qualify, the tax rate on much of your investment income – including certain capital… – Continue reading
Labour too has received cash and loans from bank’s clients, while leaked documents also reveal many donors with HSBC accounts had non-dom tax status Conservative donors, peers and a high profile MP are listed among the wealthy who legally held accounts in Switzerland with HSBC’s private bank, for a wide… – Continue reading
Bond trader Ben Eiler swapped life in suburban Georgia for an island in the Caribbean, and he didn’t even have to apply for a visa. The towering 38-year-old native of Arkansas is one of at least 250 people who’ve accepted Puerto Rico’s invitation to well-heeled U.S. citizens to move to… – Continue reading
In 2014, China continued to develop its taxation system affecting domestic and crossborder transactions. This “Legal Flash – Special Edition 2014” highlights the most significant tax updates of the year. Please see our monthly legal flashes for more information and analysis here. Taking a step-forward on anti-avoidance provisions, the State… – Continue reading
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released revised versions of its Tax Guide for Aliens, providing guidance for resident and nonresident aliens for use in preparing their 2014 tax returns, and of its Tax Guide for Individuals Receiving Income from the United States Possessions – American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the… – Continue reading
From 6 April 2015 any individual, whether UK-resident or non-UK-resident, owning property in the UK and abroad, will need to ensure they comply with the new rules if they are to benefit from the relief when selling their PPR On 15 December 2014 the Government issued draft legislation to implement… – Continue reading
Capital Gains tax and inheritance tax should be merged to prevent wealthy homeowners being taxed twice, IoD suggests Capital gains tax and inheritance tax should be merged to prevent wealthy homeowners being taxed twice, according to the Institute of Directors. Taxes raising less than £5billion a year should be merged… – Continue reading
The tax regime applicable to non-UK investors in UK commercial real estate continues to be relatively generous. The tax on acquisition is low and there is generally none on disposal. Moreover, tax on income would generally be charged at the basic rate of 20% and this liability is capable of… – Continue reading
This edition of the Tax-News monthly feature takes in noteworthy events in the international tax arena, including attempts to inject new life into the campaign for comprehensive tax reform in the United States, and developments in the areas of free trade, indirect taxation, BEPS and tax transparency and compliance. US… – Continue reading
While President Barack Obama’s new tax proposals may never see the light of day, given the Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, they have generated discussion among cross-border tax practitioners. Dual citizens living in Canada or Canadians who own U.S. properties may wonder whether they need to reopen… – Continue reading
President Obama reopened a fiscal can of worms with his proposal to increase the capital gains tax to 28 percent, a plan Republicans said they would not adopt. The administration has tried to paint it as a mainstream idea, noting that the rate was 28 percent under President Ronald Reagan,… – Continue reading
Kansas Governor Sam Brownback had championed the largest tax cuts in the state’s history, eliminating taxes on non-wage earnings for nearly 200,000 small businesses. Just like all Republicans these days, Brownback had made cutting taxes and shrinking government the centerpieces of his government. Now the great State of Kansas has… – Continue reading
Introduction Malta is increasingly becoming a financial services centre of repute looked at by a number of financial services operators as the ideal platform to set up their private pension schemes. Malta’s success is attributable to the flexible and prudent manner in which the industry is regulated, providing the desired… – Continue reading
The Chamber of Commerce believes the new regime will have an adverse effect on the recently recovering property market The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry has expressed its strong disagreement with the new Property Tax announced by Government in the Budget for 2015. The new regime, it says,… – Continue reading
Americans residing in Canada may not realize the extent to which the U.S. government’s tax-filing rules for non-resident citizens hit home. There’s been a lot of attention in recent years on how U.S. citizens in Canada are being targeted by the Internal Revenue Service. Lost in all the commotion is… – Continue reading
In its recent Asia-Pacific Residential Review, global property consultancy Knight Frank has said that Hong Kong and Singapore have the highest tax burdens on foreign property investors. It notes Singapore and Hong Kong have imposed taxes on foreign property buyers, such as additional duties, as a “macro-prudential tool … to… – Continue reading
(Bloomberg) — Australia is set to become the newest entrant to the Islamic debt market this year as a solar-power joint venture seeks to sell a debut sukuk in Malaysia’s offshore tax haven of Labuan. SGI-Mitabu, run by The Solar Guys International and Mitabu Australia Pty, has revived a plan… – Continue reading
CBDT to make provisions for MAT and reduce tax liability on Reits Jayshree P Upadhyay | New Delhi January 9, 2015 Last Updated at 00:50 IST Real estate investment trusts (Reits), notified last year, have so far found few takers due to taxation-related issues. To address this, the Central Board… – Continue reading
Many factors influence a foreign buyer’s decision to purchase residential real estate in the United States. Generally, most of these decisions tend to be driven by concerns over political and economic uncertainty in the buyer’s home country. Most foreigners do not leave their home country, family, and friends for trivial… – Continue reading
Overseas property buyers have to pay significantly more tax than domestic buyers in Singapore and Hong Kong, making them the most costly places for foreigners to invest in residential real estate in Asia Pacific, says Knight Frank Singapore and Hong Kong are the most costly places for a foreigner to… – Continue reading
You may have heard in the news about Boris Johnson. He’s a flamboyant politician in the U.K. with an unruly mop of blonde hair. Recently, he made news by publicly saying he absolutely won’t pay his U.S. taxes. And yes, he is the mayor of London (the “real” London, where… – Continue reading
“The religion of socialism is the language of priorities,” said Nye Bevan, Labour saint and creator of the National Health Service. Now we have discovered the principal priority of one of his heirs, Ed Balls; taxing the homes of the rich. The shadow Chancellor, once so relaxed about the wealth… – Continue reading
More countries are requiring an exchange of client information In 2014, we saw a marked increase in transparency regarding foreign assets. The United States took the lead, and other countries followed suit. It looks like we’ve reached the tipping point, that is, “the magic moment when an idea, trend, or… – Continue reading
KOTA KINABALU: For Malaysian property investors, especially in the London property market where some Malaysian developers, welcomed by Mayor Boris Johnson are active in projects, the United Kingdom Government will introduce new Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on the sale of UK residential property with effect from April 6, 2015. Following… – Continue reading
Mumbai: In its biggest ever crackdown for suspected tax evasion and laundering of black money through stock trading platforms, Sebi Friday barred 260 entities, including individuals and companies, from the securities markets. While Sebi would further probe these cases, it has also decided to refer the matter to the Income… – Continue reading
Rules relating to the payment of CGT by non-resident UK property owners will change in April and expats will be affected. Significantly sneaky draft legislation was published last week that will affect the way capital gains tax (CGT) is charged on the sale of UK property assets owed by expats. … – Continue reading
Coalition plan for stripping ‘cloak of secrecy’ from shell firms that leaves housing loophole slated by politicians and other critics Business minister Matthew Hancock unveiled ‘the first UK anti-corruption plan bringing action across the government’. Photograph: Jack Taylor/Barcroft Media Government plans to rip “the cloak of secrecy” from corrupt officials… – Continue reading
MUMBAI: The capital market regulator has plugged the loophole that allowed savvy mutual fund investors to lower tax by bonus stripping. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has spelt out that it’s not in favour of fund houses launching new schemes with bonus option in their arbitrage funds…. – Continue reading
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is suffering massive revenue loss of Rs 361 billion per annum on account of estimated tax expenditure in direct taxes, ie, equivalent to 1.6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a result of exemptions and concessions to various sectors. Former Finance Minister… – Continue reading
Just how the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is impacting on the lives of Americans in sometimes unintended is illustrated in the tax troubles of the Mayor of London. Boris Johnson, a former British MP, has dual British and US nationality. He was born in New York but… – Continue reading
While some Owners create their own bespoke site to publicise their Local Lodging offering, most rely on the major websites that have become popular in recent years. However, not all Operators work in the same way. The nature of their business can influence the way the activity is classified by… – Continue reading
A Dublin-based amusement arcade operator, a Co Sligo farmer and a Dublin company director topped the latest list of tax defaulters. The 107-strong list, published by the Revenue Commissioners, made settlements totalling €19.64 million. The largest settlement was made by fair and amusement arcade operators Groundview Limited, of 15 Lower… – Continue reading
NEW YORK (InsideBitcoins) — Federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office in Manhattan are suing Deutsche Bank, stating that the German bank owes the US Government roughly $190 million in unpaid taxes. The claims of tax evasion stem from gains related to the sale of Bristol-Meyers shares in 2000. Prosecutors… – Continue reading
Ambassador to London Matthew Barzun says US citizens must pay up Boris Johnson was born in New York so faces a tax bill in America London Mayor has branded the Transatlantic rules ‘outrageous’ Barzun defends US firms like Amazon and Google over tax dodging Insists they are just playing by… – Continue reading
The Property Council of Australia has joined efforts by the broader business community to lobby the federal government to implement significant tax reforms next year. Members of the Business Coalition for Tax Reform (BCTR) will meet with the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) on December 15 to commence discussions… – Continue reading
The Lima Stock Exchange urged Peru to eliminate a 5 percent capital-gain tax on equities, saying it has deterred investors and contributed to a drop in trading volume over the past five years. The country’s weighting in global portfolios has fallen 40 percent since 2010, and the tax has helped… – Continue reading
In yesterday’s Autumn Statement, the UK Chancellor announced several measures that will directly affect non-UK individuals who live or own property in or are considering moving to the UK. Although in many cases the measures will mean that such individuals are liable to pay more tax in the UK than… – Continue reading
Late yesterday afternoon the Government published its response to the consultation on extending Capital Gains Tax (CGT) to non-UK resident owners of UK residential property. This is the latest step in a series of significant changes in the last couple of years to the tax treatment of UK residential property…. – Continue reading
The mayor of London’s refusal to comply with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) by paying his American taxes has been labelled “noble” by Nigel Green, chief executive at deVere. Green said Boris Johnson’s claim that it is “outrageous” for the US to tax expat American citizens, made in… – Continue reading
Bill Dodwell comments: “Chancellor George Osborne will deliver the final Autumn Statement of this parliament. We expect that most of the announcements will concentrate on the outcomes from proposals launched at earlier Budgets, together with some technical changes. There will also be the first consultation on how the UK should… – Continue reading
Non-resident UK homeowners that have spent less than 90 days in their UK property in the previous tax year will be liable to pay capital gains tax (CGT) on any gains when they sell that property from next year, the UK government has confirmed.02 Dec 2014 Private wealth tax Tax… – Continue reading
The refusal by the Mayor of London to pay his American taxes has been hailed as “noble” and “brave” by the CEO of independent financial advisor, deVere Group. The comments from Nigel Green, founder and chief executive of deVere Group, which operates in 100 countries and has $10 billion under… – Continue reading
Stock award is a popular method of rewarding talented and industrious employees. However, employees who render services across different jurisdictions may trigger a taxable presence in two or more jurisdictions. Such employees at times need to deal with the issue of double taxation on such benefits. A normal stock incentive… – Continue reading
The founder of a prominent wealth management firm says the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is noble and brave to refuse to pay his US tax bill under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (Fatca). Johnson, who was born in New York, has a US passport as well as a… – Continue reading
