Category: OECD

OECD pushes for corporate tax rules overhaul

The 36-member state OECD has revealed that there is growing consensus behind a US proposal for an overhaul of global corporate tax rules, which would limit the ability of multinational companies to shift profits to low-tax jurisdictions. Earlier this year, the organisation put forward four different proposals to redesign corporate… – 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

Pakistanis’ assets abroad: Government requests 10 more countries for info exchange

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has made formal requests to 10 more countries under the OECD mechanism as well as Switzerland separately for exchange of information about those Pakistanis who stashed their assets abroad to evade taxes. “We have made requests to 10 more countries for getting automatic exchange of information and so… – 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

Barbados OECD compliant

Barbados is no longer under threat of a negative listing by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Minister of International Business and Industry, Ronald Toppin, made this disclosure during an international tax conference with stakeholders in New York on Thursday. Minister Toppin said his Ministry had received confirmation… – Continue reading

Ukraine, Switzerland sign protocol on avoidance of double taxation

Ukraine and Switzerland have signed a protocol on the introduction of amendments to the convention on the avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and capital, and its protocol, concluded in Kyiv on October 30, 2000. Ukrainian Finance Minister Oksana Markarova and newly appointed Swiss President Ueli… – Continue reading

France to propose world business tax at G7: minister

DAVOS, Switzerland: French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday that France would plead for global minimum corporate tax as a priority of its presidencyof the G7 nations group this year. “We need an effective minium corporate tax in all developed countries,” the minister said at a press conference… – Continue reading

Banks may declassify expatriate client data

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 13: The Fatwa and Legislation Department has submitted to the Council of Ministers a draft law that allows banks to declassify the data of their customers, as provided by the CRS Convention on Join Reporting, reports Al-Rai daily quoting sources. The Common Reporting Standard (CRS) is an… – 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

FBR probes undeclared offshore assets of resident Pakistanis

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has sought explanations from the resident Pakistanis regarding their undeclared foreign assets, sources said on Tuesday. These assets were identified under the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEoI), they added. Large Taxpayers Unit (LTU) Karachi summoned around 100 people from Sindh Region to appear… – Continue reading

New EU rules on tax avoidance now effective

FIRST proposed by the European Commission (EU) in 2016, a set of new tax rules aimed at eliminating most common corporate tax avoidance practices came into force on 1 January 2019. The commission posted on its website on 30 December 2018 that the new tax rules known as Atad (anti-tax… – Continue reading

GOV’T SAYS DUTCH BLACKLIST “UNJUSTIFIED”

Cayman’s leaders return fire on the Dutch government describing its blacklist as “unjustified” and “wholly lacking in fairness and credibility.” In a statement Friday (4 January) the Office of the Premier said the Dutch blacklist does not take into account Cayman’s adherence to international standards for tax transparency nor its… – Continue reading

Anti-tax avoidance measures come into force

A new raft of anti-tax avoidance measures came into force across the EU yesterday, as part of an ongoing effort to combat corporate abuse of tax systems. The Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive, first proposed in 2016, features rules based on global standards laid out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and… – Continue reading

Central Bank Official: Oecd Tried To ‘Hobble’ Permanent Residency

A top Central Bank official has accused the OECD of trying to “hobble” the competitiveness of The Bahamas’ economic permanent residency regime by including it in an arbitrary “quasi-blacklist”. Charles Littrell, the regulator’s inspector of banks and trust companies, in a speech to a Turks & Caicos financial services conference,… – Continue reading

Low Paid Don’t Need Pension Tax Breaks, Claims Think-Tank

Don’t give pension saving tax breaks to the poor – they can’t afford to take advantage of them, says an international think-tank that comes up with financial policy for governments. Instead of wasting the retirement incentives on the poor, they should be aimed at high earners who struggle to save… – Continue reading

Argentina, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay to share tax information with each other

The governments of Argentina, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay have joined forces to create a Latin American initiative to tackle tax evasion and corruption by making sharing and making better use of the information exchanged under international tax transparency standards. The countries have agreed to “consider the possibility” of making a… – Continue reading

Argentina, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay to share tax information with each other

The governments of Argentina, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay have joined forces to create a Latin American initiative to tackle tax evasion and corruption by making sharing and making better use of the information exchanged under international tax transparency standards. The countries have agreed to “consider the possibility” of making a… – Continue reading

Cayman drafts law requiring substance tests for offshore businesses

The Cayman Islands government has published draft tax legislation that will have far-reaching impact for the offshore finance industry operating in the jurisdiction by demanding that certain Cayman-registered companies have an adequate level of economic substance locally. The International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Bill 2018 introduces a substance test for… – 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

FBR drags feet over action on untaxed offshore investment

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is dragging its feet over actions against Pakistanis who couldn’t declare offshore investments to evade taxes despite that the tax authority has stumbled upon critical financial data under an international treaty, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Insiders said the apex… – 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 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

Tax transparency watchdog urges Israel to step up moves against money laundering

After global index puts Israel in top third of most financially secretive countries, NGO calls for more public scrutiny and regulations to stop rich from hiding their assets Israel must immediately move to pass regulations against tax evasion and money laundering if it is to protect its credit rating and… – Continue reading

Worldwide: UK Tax Round Up – November 2018

General UK Tax Developments Finance Bill The Finance (No 3) Bill 2018-19 (which will become the Finance Act 2019) was published on 7 November and includes legislation to enact the changes highlighted in our UK Budget blog post ( UK Budget Blog). Another key area covered by the Finance Bill… – 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

Canada: Common Reporting Standard Is Now Fully In Effect – If You Have Been Hiding Funds Or Assets Offshore, Now Is The Time To Disclose

Introduction – Offshore funds and Canada Revenue Agency’ reach Gone are the days when offshore bank accounts were outside the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)’s reach. With the advent of the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), CRA automatically receives financial information of Canadian taxpayers who own bank accounts or assets in other… – Continue reading

KPMG event to shed light on tax developments

The Peninsula KPMG in Qatar will be holding a complimentary event to brief the country’s tax and finance practitioners on recent and upcoming developments in tax processes and regulations, on December 4. The event will see Senior Tax and Advisory leaders from KPMG, along with Salah Gueydi, Director of Tax… – 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 overhauls corporate tax regime, slashes tax rate on local companies more than 20 per cent

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Thursday November 22, 2018 – Barbados will harmonize its domestic and international corporation tax regimes, by December 31, 2018, slashing the tax burden for some local companies by up to 29 per cent. Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced in the Barbados Parliament on Tuesday, November 20, the ambitious… – Continue reading

Cyprus: Entry Into Force Of The Protocol Amending The Convention On The Avoidance Of Double Taxation Between Cyprus And Mauritius

The Cyprus Tax Department has announced that the procedures for ratification of the protocol dated 23 October 2017 amending the Convention on the Avoidance of Double Taxation between Cyprus and Mauritius have been completed, and the protocol entered into force on 2 May 2018. The protocol replaces text of article… – Continue reading

PM announces tax ease for businesses

Prime Minister, Mia Mottley has announced a major tax break for local business. In her mini-budget presentation made earlier this year, she had announced that come July 1, corporation tax will increase from 25 per cent to 30 per cent which was expected to raise $57M in a full year…. – Continue reading

Corporate America flees zero-tax Caribbean havens after crackdown

Many U.S. multinational corporations have packed up or are choosing to open subsidiaries in low-tax, rather than no-tax, countries that are seen as more legitimate than the formerly popular island destinations of the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas. They’re fleeing in response to regulations from the European Union that require… – 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

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

Bahamas Developers Blast Oecd’s ‘Cynical’ Targeting

Bahamas-based developers have blasted the OECD’s “cynical” attempt to “”de-legitimise” this nation’s key investment product by suggesting it threatens the global fight against tax evasion. The newly-formed Bahamas Developers Association (BDA), in a recent statement, argued that the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) was wrong to list this… – Continue reading

Australia targets offshore banking units

Under pressure from international organisations, the Australian government has flagged that it is getting ready to reform the concessionally-taxed offshore banking unit (OBU) regime, a move that will hit big banks and hedge funds. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) forum on harmful tax practices has raised concerns… – Continue reading

Pakistanis pose high risk to global financial system: IMC

KARACHI: A global investment migration association on Wednesday termed Pakistanis among high-risk nationalities who could exploit loopholes in the OECD’s common reporting standard (CRS) developed to curb offshore tax evasion and avoidance. “Of those nearly one million citizenships granted by the EU each year that are not related to CBI… – Continue reading

British Virgin Islands: BVI AEOI Update And Introduction Of Country-By-Country Reporting

As part of the British Virgin Islands’ (“BVI”) ongoing commitment to international tax transparency pursuant to the Common Reporting Standard (“CRS”), the BVI Mutual Legal Assistance (Tax Matters) Act, 2003 has been amended by the BVI Mutual Legal Assistance (Tax Matters) (Amendment) Act, 2018 (the “Amendment Act”). The Amendment Act… – Continue reading

BIBA head confident Barbados can make tax law deadlines

Officials in the international business sector here are in somewhat of a wait and see mode as Barbados continues to make necessary legislative and regime changes governing the sector. This means companies seeking to attract new international business to Barbados have not been as robust in their efforts as they… – Continue reading

OECD comes to PNG’s aid to chase tax dodgers

Internal Revenue Commission is now in partnership with an international auditing organisation to help tackle multinationals that are avoiding paying taxes, Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Charles Abel, pictured, says. He said that Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), under its ‘tax inspectors without borders’ programme, would help IRC… – 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

Legislative Assembly approves bill to revoke offshore law

Macau (MNA) – The Macau Legislative Assembly (AL) has approved a bill revoking the current offshore law, with several legislators warning the government over the future of the local workers in the sector. The bill approved on Thursday had been proposed by authorities in order to comply with standards of… – Continue reading

Government prepared to amend laws to prevent tax evasion

The Antigua and Barbuda government is willing to amend the necessary laws to ensure that local financial institutions are able to share banking information of dual citizenship holders with the relevant authorities in their original country of birth, if this becomes necessary. Prime Minister Gaston Browne made the disclosure following… – Continue reading

OECD report shines a light on how the wealthy dodge tax rules

On the list of countries operating CBI/RBI schemes, that the OECD feels have the potential to be used for tax dodging, are 2 tax havens that are popular with wealthy Canadians and large Canadian companies. These are Barbados and Panama. Ottawa (19 Oct. 2018) — New information from the Organization… – Continue reading

Malta’s residency, citizenship schemes ‘pose high-risk to integrity of Common Reporting Standard’

The Organisation for Economic and Social Development named and shamed 22 countries out of over 100 it studied that have either residency or citizenship programmes, for having lax rules that potentially pose high-risk to the integrity of Common Reporting Standard’. Malta, which has long cited the OECD’s endorsement of its… – Continue reading

Cryptocurrencies Could Emerge As Top Save Haven For Chinese Investors Amidst Govt Crackdown

The Chinese government has decided to tight policies that target investors in the country and that hold their wealth overseas with the intention to avoid paying taxes. However, these investors that are now threatened by the government might move to cryptocurrencies and avoid being investigated by Chinese authorities. Most of… – 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