Medtronic Inc’s Chief Executive Omar Ishrak has insisted that the company’s USD42.9bn deal to acquire Dublin-based Covidien Plc, and, thereby, move its tax residence from the United States to Ireland in a “corporate inversion,” is based on business logic and not corporate tax reduction. Medtronic is among a number of… – Continue reading
Never heard of FATCA? You will. FATCA—the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act—is America’s global tax law. It was quietly enacted in 2010, and after a four-year ramp up, it’s finally in effect. What is most amazing is not its impact on Americans—although that is considerable—but its impact on the world…. – Continue reading
A tax avoidance scheme that routed a film financing venture’s profits via Employee Benefit Trusts at the behest of the venture’s owner, an ex-accountant, has been blocked by a tribunal. Operated by John Dryburgh, a former partner with Deloitte & Touche, the scheme involved extracting profits from a series of companies named… – Continue reading
LONDON: Scottish explorer Cairn Energy plc today said it is working with the newly elected government to resolve a tax dispute that has stalled sale of its 10 per cent stake in Cairn India Ltd. “Cairn continues to seek resolution of the tax issue in India and will take all… – Continue reading
High Court supports Tax Appeal Tribunal’s decision on SBI High Court has approved the decision made by the Tax Appeal Tribunal, which supports the decision made by Maldives Inland Revenue Authority’s (MIRA) for State Bank of India (SBI) to pay MVR 55.6 million in the form of additional tax. The… – Continue reading
For years, chief executives have complained bitterly about the United States corporate tax code, arguing that it is too complicated and that rates are too high. The issue has reached a near boiling point this summer as many large American companies have sought to buy smaller foreign rivals so they… – Continue reading
Northern Ireland looks set to be handed the power to slash corporation tax in a move with the potential to significantly boost our stuttering economy. In a development which could transform international investment, senior sources in London and Belfast predict that an announcement will be made no later than October… – Continue reading
To some, US companies switching their tax residency to gain a tax advantage are economic “traitors.” To others, they are victims of a United States tax code that effectively punishes them for investing at home and encourages them to look for opportunities overseas. In this Tax-News Topical Focus, we try… – Continue reading
SRINGFIELD — Republican Bruce Rauner not only has personal investments in the Cayman Islands, but he presided over his former private equity firm as it set up other investment vehicles in the Caribbean tax haven known for its secrecy. The Chicago Sun-Times verified through the Cayman Islands’ government-run online business… – Continue reading
The Canada Revenue Agency is speeding up the frequency of reassessments of Cameco’s tax returns in what may be an attempt to pressure Cameco to settle out of court. Cameco’s cash is being tied up as they are required to remit 50% of each disputed bill. Cameco could ultimately be… – Continue reading
Urges Illinois-Based Hospira Not To Turn Its Back On America To Dodge Taxes Senator warns of another potential corporate inversion at U.S. taxpayer expense [CHICAGO, IL] – In a letter to the CEO of Lake Forest, Illinois-based Hospira, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged the company not to turn its… – Continue reading
Nobody likes paying taxes, but just how far would you go to avoid them? For some companies who market themselves as homegrown American brands, it’s better to move cash overseas than to pay federal taxes on billions of dollars of earnings. According to the New York Times, U.S. law states… – Continue reading
Swiss Banks Return To The United States by Julie Zaugg in New York, swissinfo.ch A handful of Swiss banking institutes have started to re-engage with the United States off-shore market – entirely within the law. Their assets under management (AUM) are seeing a spectacular increase. At UBS the AUM has risen… – Continue reading
NEW YORK – According to industry insiders there is a battle waging over Software-Defined Networking (SDN) that is a way to build corporate networks without the networking gear built by companies such as Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) and Juniper Networks (NYSE:JNPR). The battle pits network equipment manufacturers against a string of companies… – Continue reading
THE FINANCE CHIEF of Aviva has suggested the UK insurer is paying more tax than it needs to after it paid out around a third more than its fdour biggest FTSE 100 rivals in the past five years. Research by the Financial Times found Aviva paid 30% of its profits… – Continue reading
(Reuters) – Auto parts supplier Delphi Automotive Plc (DLPH.N) said it would “vigorously contest” pressure by U.S. tax authorities to file taxes in the United States as a domestic company, when its tax base is in the UK. Delphi, which operates out of Detroit, is one among several American companies… – Continue reading
Bank of America’s projected $16 billion settlement for selling toxic mortgages is expected to be the largest in the history of corporate America, but it’s also likely to include some hidden, and significant, financial benefits for the giant bank. With some $7 billion of the total likely to come in… – Continue reading
The findings of a two-year investigation into possible tax avoidance by a Zambian copper operation of Swiss commodities giant Glencore (LON:GLEN) will not be made public by The European Investment Bank. In 2005, the EIB – which is owned by EU member states and in 2013 provided some $75 billion… – Continue reading
Stellar Group is at the centre of a probe by HM Revenue and Customs into its financial affairs, but there is no suggestion Gareth Bale is under suspicion Agents behind some of the biggest transfers in British football are being investigated for alleged tax avoidance. Stellar Group – which helped… – Continue reading
DALLAS, TX, Jul 29, 2014 (Marketwired via COMTEX) — This week, the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing to question leaders of major banks and hedge funds about an alleged tax avoidance strategy. According to the Senate’s report, these entities have used basket options to skirt billions in… – Continue reading
This June the IRS modified its offshore disclosure programs to encourage U.S. citizens to come forward and report their assets and mitigate risk of penalty or prosecution. To help your clients avoid running afoul of FATCA, a bulletin from PwC advises them to: Determine citizenship. In some cases, non-resident Americans are… – Continue reading
The mobile phone company was targeted by UK Uncut on Twitter for allegedly avoiding £6bn of corporation tax Vodafone has accused critics of its dealings with HMRC of failing to understand “even the most basic” aspects of corporate taxation, as shareholders raised concerns about its stores being repeatedly targeted by… – Continue reading
Spain has passed a new law requiring websites that link to news stories first published by the Spanish newspaper association to pay a tax for that hyperlink, a law that targets Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) and other Internet newsfeeds that feature journalism that originates elsewhere and make it available to a wider… – Continue reading
Swiss banking giant UBS has agreed to pay Germany a hefty fine for its involvement in helping German clients hide money from tax authorities. It’s the biggest fine ever paid to the country by a Swiss lender. Zurich-based UBS confirmed Tuesday it had settled investigation charges of aiding German clients… – Continue reading
Seychelles News Agency) – The Seychelles islands and Singapore have concluded a double taxation avoidance agreement, which will allow businesses operating in the two countries to pay tax in one of the jurisdictions and avoid taxation in the other, which is expected to encourage trade and investment between the two… – Continue reading
It’s the results reporting season over in my native UK again and once again, as regular as the seasons themselves roll around, we’ve spluttering pieces in the press about how Google avoids all of this tax that it should justly and righteously pay. Which means it must be the time… – Continue reading
France charged UBS with tax fraud on Wednesday for allegedly helping French clients hide money in Switzerland, judicial sources said. The Swiss bank is also suspected of using dual accounts to hide the flow of capital into Switzerland. The judicial source said the charges relate to money kept in accounts… – Continue reading
A COMPANY whose chief executive is a significant donor to the Better Together campaign has been accused of avoiding paying billions of pounds in tax. Oil trader Ian Taylor, who heads up the controversial firm Vitol, gave half a million pounds to the pro-Union group, which faced calls to hand… – Continue reading
World banking giants Barclays and Deutsche Bank have been accused by the US of helping more than a dozen hedge funds in tax evasion. Addressing a news conference, US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations chairman Carl Levin said the banks sold complex option products to Renaissance Technology that saved them… – Continue reading
New Delhi: The government on Tuesday said it is effectively using the information received from various countries to combat the menace of tax evasion and avoidance. “Effectively utilising the information received from treaty partners to combat tax evasion and avoidance,” Minister of State for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman said in a… – Continue reading
HM Revenue & Customs has recovered £135m from 24,000 clients named on a list of HSBC’s Swiss private banking operation, which were revealed in a leak by a former employee. Lin Homer, chief executive of HMRC, told a hearing at the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee last night that… – Continue reading
Net-A-Porter have apparently been a little naughty with their tax returns. Uh oh, have Net-A-Porter taking a naughty book-keeping tip or two from Dolce & Gabbana? After the famous designer duo got done for tax evasion, the online designer handbag retailer has been accused of the same thing. According to… – Continue reading
The latest proposed tax inversion deal just got even bigger. U.S. bidder AbbVie hiked its offer for Dublin-based Shire PLC Sunday after four days of talks in a deal that could now reach $31.35 billion, underscoring what it sees as the benefits of a tie-up that will also give it… – Continue reading
Another day. Another inversion. This one, though, with a twist. On Tuesday evening, U.S.-based Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd.SLXP -1.52% announced plans to merge with a unit of Cosmo Technologies Ltd.’s and take up residence in Ireland for tax purposes. What makes this different from a typical inversion deal is the fact… – Continue reading
A Winnipeg auto-financing company has been slapped with a large fine for years of tax evasion. Barbara Reimer Auto Financing Ltd. was fined $152,000 in provincial court this morning. Barbara Reimer, as director of the company, entered guilty pleas on its behalf to Income Tax Act violations for evading paying… – Continue reading
NEW DELHI: Vodafone Thursday said it will continue the process of international arbitration initiated under the India-Netherlands Bilateral Investment Treaty to resolve the ongoing Rs 20,000-crore tax dispute against India, while a local tax official said the department will continue with its tax demand on the telecom major. Earlier today, Finance Minister Arun Jailtey… – Continue reading
DETROIT — Delphi Automotive plc is in the crosshairs of a battle between the IRS and many large American companies over the use of offshore tax shelters. Delphi is the latest corporation in dispute with the federal government over its tax practices. The IRS notified the supplier last month it… – Continue reading
(Reuters) – European officials have asked Luxembourg to hand over documents relating to U.S. online retailer Amazon’s tax affairs in the country, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing official sources. The EU’s competition commission has requested information from the Grand Duchy, where the online retailer’s main European operating company… – Continue reading
Amazon’s Luxembourg-located tax affairs are under the scrutiny of the EU’s Competition Commission as regulators and lawmakers in the bloc widen an investigation into tax avoidance strategies carried on at the European headquarters of big companies. Amazon looks likely to join Apple, Starbucks and Fiat Finance and Trade, all of… – Continue reading
Amid a global crackdown on tax avoidance, EU competition regulators last month opened a probe into suspected tax breaks for Apple Inc. in Ireland, Starbucks Corp. in the Netherlands and Fiat Finance & Trade SA in Luxembourg. Microsoft Corp, the world’s biggest software maker, is among companies embroiled in a… – Continue reading
The judges who found Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana guilty of tax evasion in April have spoken up, saying that they believe the designers were aware of the dealings. “It is not at all believable that the designers, once made aware of the project [to avoid Italian taxes], could feel… – Continue reading
Belgian investigators detained the head of UBS Belgium on Thursday for questioning in connection with an alleged multi-billion euro tax fraud by the Swiss bank’s Belgian unit. Belgian police carried out raids on Thursday morning at the bank and at the homes of a client and of UBS Belgium chief… – Continue reading
The European Commission has opened an investigation to examine whether the taxes paid by Starbucks in the Netherlands comply with the EU rules on state aid. The investigation is one of three, with Apple being investigated in Ireland and Fiat in Luxembourg. This comes after revelations that the Netherlands is… – Continue reading
NIA CHARLESTOWN Nevis (June 13, 2014) — The Nevis International Banking Ordinance 2014,received safe passage in the Nevis Island Assembly on June 12, 2014, at a sitting which commenced just after 10 a.m. and concluded at 7:15 p.m. The Ordinance replaces the Nevis Offshore Banking Ordinance Cap. 7.05., a key… – Continue reading
EC launches Apple tax investigation The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into Apple’s tax arrangements in Ireland The EC has announced three “in-depth investigations” into the transfer pricing arrangements on the corporate taxation of Apple, Starbucks in the Netherlands and Fiat in Luxembourg, as to whether they comply… – Continue reading
Apple Operations International, the principal Irish holding company for foreign subsidiaries, was not always stateless for tax purposes based on the last filed accounts in Ireland. It stopped paying tax in Ireland from 2006, based on US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations evidence. The most explosive revelation in the May… – Continue reading
Google Australia and New Zealand managing director Maile Carnegie has urged governments across the world to address the inconsistencies of the global tax system rather than shaming individual companies for their profit-shifting activities, The Australian Financial Review reports. “I am actually incredibly empathetic to why people want to talk about this. I… – Continue reading
The European Commission is set to open formal investigations into Apple’s tax arrangements with Ireland. Last year, the US Senate accused the country of functioning as a “tax haven for Apple.” By funnelling profits into Irish subsidiaries that had no declared tax residency, the company was able to pay just… – Continue reading
Apple Operations International, the principal Irish holding company for foreign subsidiaries, was not always stateless for tax purposes based on the last filed accounts in Ireland. It stopped paying tax in Ireland from 2006, based on US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations evidence. The most explosive revelation in the May… – Continue reading
Tax breaks for Apple Inc. (AAPL:US), Starbucks Corp. (SBUX:US) and Fiat Finance & Trade SA in three European Union countries are under investigation by EU competition regulators in a clampdown on special treatment for companies. The EU is checking whether the tax deals in Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are illegal state aid, according to… – Continue reading
