Using the code name Hot Lips with Swiss banking representatives, an 83-year-old Delray Beach man conspired to hide more than $1 million from the Internal Revenue Service in foreign bank accounts. Bernard Kramer pleaded guilty Tuesday in New York federal court before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, admitting he… – Continue reading
Reasons given by the bank for refusing to publish findings of an investigation into alleged tax evasion remain unconvincing When commodities giant Glencore publishes its half-yearly report on Wednesday, it is unlikely to mention what may be a significant victory for the firm. This relates to an investigation into allegations… – Continue reading
Companies with links to John George Russell are accused of entering into “tax avoidance” arrangements and are in a $3.5 million fight with the IRD. Russell – who developed a template that the Court of Appeal called a “blatant tax-avoidance scheme” – is a 79-year-old accountant being chased by the… – Continue reading
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) was enacted in 2010 by the US to target non-compliance by US taxpayers using foreign accounts. FATCA essentially requires foreign financial institutions to report information about financial accounts held by US taxpayers, or by foreign entities in which such taxpayers hold a substantial… – Continue reading
Manila (AFP) – Philippine world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has won a Supreme Court reprieve in his battle to avoid paying tens of millions of dollars in extra taxes, authorities said Thursday. Pacquiao will not have to post a cash bond of 3.3 billion pesos ($75.2 million) and the government… – Continue reading
If I say that Spain is a country in love with bureaucracy, your response might be: “Really…I don’t believe you for a minute?!” Sarcasm is rarely better suited to a statement than here. Yes, unfortunately a good proportion (not all) of the 2.7 million Spanish civil servants need to move… – Continue reading
Aug 21 (Reuters) – Leumi, Israel’s second-largest bank, reported a smaller-than-expected decline in quarterly net profit, as the lender’s bottom line was hit by a provision to settle a U.S. tax probe. Leumi said on Thursday it earned 290 million shekels ($82 million) in the second quarter, compared with 474… – Continue reading
A new section 1305A of the UK Corporation Tax Act 2009 (CTA 2009) has been introduced by the UK Finance Act 2014 that applies to payments made from March 19, 2014 under avoidance schemes involving the transfer of corporate profits within a group. This new measure applies if: two companies… – Continue reading
Despite the political and media pressure on offshore financial centers, new incorporations of offshore companies worldwide continue to grow. A new report on offshore company incorporations by law and fiduciary firm Appleby shows that new company registrations increased in most offshore jurisdictions in the second half of 2013. “As the… – Continue reading
The Cayman Islands, an important international business competitor for Bermuda, is expressing “consternation” that they have been included on a new list of high risk jurisdictions for financial crime. There are a total of 95 countries listed including Brazil, Afghanistan, Cuba, Russia, China, Iraq, the Republic of Congo and Jamaica…. – Continue reading
The government will strengthen taxation standards for foreigners as part of efforts to stem tax evasion. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance said Sunday that it will submit a revised tax law to the National Assembly next month. The National Tax Service taxes foreigners residing in Korea based on the… – Continue reading
Legislation which will establish Scotland’s first tax collection system for 300 years will be approved today by Holyrood. MSPs are expected to pass a bill from the Scottish Government which will set up Revenue Scotland – the new body which will collect two newly-devolved taxes. Finance Secretary John Swinney said… – Continue reading
Switzerland is cooperating with French tax authorities over an investigation of alleged tax fraud involving former French footballer Marcel Desailly. The notice of Swiss cooperation was published on Tuesday in the Federal Gazette. Desailly, captain of the French football team from 2000 to 2004, allegedly holds or has held assets… – Continue reading
Most expats forget about their tax status once they have left Britain and assume they pay taxes in the country where they live. To some extent this is true – but HM Revenue & Customs regularly challenges the validity of non-residence claims and the long-arm of the tax man can… – 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
U.S.-China Agreement Requires Financial Institutions to Increase Transparency and Enhance Reporting Wolters Kluwer Financial Services recommends that financial institutions in China should take steps toward enhancing their data and reporting capabilities on financial accounts held by U.S. taxpayers in China as part of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. This recommendation… – Continue reading
The Isle of Man’s Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital with Luxembourg is now in force. The agreement was signed on April 8, 2013 in London between Eddie Teare MHK, the Isle of Man’s… – Continue reading
(MENAFN – Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) A double-taxation avoidance agreement between Japan and Oman is expected to enter into force next month, the Japanese Foreign Ministry announced Monday.Japan notified Oman on Sunday of the completion of its internal ratification procedures for the treaty on the avoidance of double taxation and… – Continue reading
Two women have challenged the constitutionality of a Canada-U.S. agreement to share the tax information of U.S. citizens resident in Canada, with the IRS. But an expert in U.S. tax law says that these individuals, most of whom consider themselves Canadians, could be worse off if the lawsuit succeeds. “If… – Continue reading
Minister of Finance Bob Richards confirmed this week that under the Bermuda-UK FATCA Intergovernmental Agreement [IGA] model 2, Bermuda and the UK have agreed the inclusion of a Limited Capacity Exempt Beneficial Owner Category in Annex II of the IGA. The effect of this amendment will mean that there will… – Continue reading
On July 21, 2014 the OECD released the full version of a new global standard for the exchange of financial information in tax matters “OECD\Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information in Tax Matters” The new standard which will be presented for formal adoption by the OECD Members in… – 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
On 20th of June, the double tax treaty (DTT) between Cyprus and Norway was published in the official Government Gazette. Double taxation avoidance between the two countries is regulated by the 1951 DTT in place between Norway and the UK extended in 1955 to include several British colonies, including Cyprus. The… – Continue reading
On 20th of June, the double tax treaty (DTT) between Cyprus and Norway was published in the official Government Gazette. Double taxation avoidance between the two countries is regulated by the 1951 DTT in place between Norway and the UK extended in 1955 to include several British colonies, including Cyprus…. – Continue reading
USA Today published a story last week entitled “20 big profitable companies paid no taxes.” Using data provided by S&P Capital IQ, the newspaper identified 20 firms that paid no federal taxes in the second quarter of this year despite reporting $4.4 billion in second quarter profits. Collectively, these 20… – Continue reading
With new laws in place, recovery from Swiss banks can be little easier provided the government shows sincerity in taking action against tax dodgers Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar in recent days has expressed the government’s firm conviction to bring back untaxed money of “US$ 200 billion” stashed in… – Continue reading
The sharemarket has settled into a consolidation phase at between 5400 and 5600 index points, mirroring changes in overseas markets. While analysts are confident the current reporting period will not produce unexpected changes to their forecasts, international political instability makes further upward movement in prices unlikely. Compared with overseas markets… – 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
August 1 — Monaco and the Czech Republic signed a tax information exchange agreement, the Monaco government announced. The agreement was signed on July 31 by Monaco’s Government Counsellor for External Relations and Cooperation José Badia and the Czech Republic Ambassador to Monaco Marie Chatardova. The agreement is in line with… – Continue reading
In its October 4, 2013 decision, no. 351065, Mr. Clive Worms, the French Administrative Supreme Court reiterated that, under domestic tax law, an indemnity received by a French tax resident in compensation of his cancelled stock options qualifies as a compensation for work. On the day the options were granted, the… – Continue reading
Summary HMRC have announced that the new capital gains tax (“CGT”) charge on non-residents disposing of UK residential property, due to come into effect in April 2015, will not extend to institutional investors and companies with diverse ownership. Background In the Autumn Statement last year, the Chancellor announced the new… – Continue reading
While the IRS is trying to find Lois Lerner’s emails and revising its rules governing inversions — the practice of multinational corporations (MNCs) moving their headquarters to avoid paying taxes — it has also endorsed a maneuver that will cut taxes for major telecom companies by billions of dollars. In… – Continue reading
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has announced changes to the terms of the Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility (LDF), restricting the most favourable treatment to new tax irregularities with a “significant” offshore connection. Tax Disputes and Investigations Tax Private wealth tax Reg Day, a tax expert at Pinsent Masons, the law firm… – Continue reading
Property owners and pensioners who face losing their personal tax allowances can take steps now to protect themselves, say experts Expats facing the possibility of losing their personal allowance under a tax raid proposed by George Osborne should not panic but look carefully at where their UK sources of income… – Continue reading
A “yes” vote for Scottish independence could leave the drinks industry out of pocket either side of the border, an excise specialist has warned. Alan Powell, consultant to the UK Warehousing Association, said goods could be taxed in both Scotland and Britain if they were counted as separate EU member… – Continue reading
August 5 — Honduras signed an agreement with Ecuador on mutual administrative assistance and cooperation and the exchange of tax information, the Honduran Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced on July 31. The agreement was signed in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa by Miriam Estela Guzman, the head of the… – Continue reading
The CEIB has “disseminated” the data of these 600 cases to the Income Tax dept, Enforcement Directorate (ED) etc. In another instance of suspected black money stashed by Indians abroad, investigative agencies are probing a set of 600 new names and identities which have been provided to India by a… – Continue reading
Since the global financial crisis struck in 2008, offshore financial centres (OFCs) have come under sustained attack. As the world’s leading economies struggled to balance their books in the face of massive declines in tax revenue, the lowest fruit was seen to be hanging from the offshore tree. Estimates of… – Continue reading
A former manager of a credit union was sentenced on Tuesday for bank fraud and tax evasion, announced U.S. Attorney Danny C. Williams, Sr. for the Northern District of Oklahoma and R. Damon Rowe, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Dallas Field Office. Eva Barroso, 54, Broken Arrow, was sentenced… – Continue reading
Just as financial institutions started to come to grips with the fact that the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) went into effect last month in the U.S., the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) unwrapped a new global version. The OECD proposal is called the Global Standard for… – Continue reading
An international bank executive formerly of Naperville has pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges and faces up to three years in prison at sentencing later this year. Aamir H. Khan, 43, was the managing director of a Middle Eastern bank based in Bahrain when he filed false income tax… – Continue reading
Two women in Ontario are suing the federal government for complying with a new U.S. law that forces banks to turn over financial information of Canadian citizens to the IRS upon request. The women are American-born dual citizens of Canada and the U.S who left the states in childhood and have… – Continue reading
KUALA LUMPUR: All local financial institutions will be required to declare their American customers to the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under a new agreement to catch its tax evaders who hide their money overseas. Malaysia will be entering into an inter-governmental agreement with the US in line with… – Continue reading
August 8th, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) Costa Rica will delay plans to raise taxes until 2017 as the government of President Luis Guillermo Solis focuses on cracking down on tax evaders to narrow the country’s widening fiscal deficit instead. Solis, on the campaign trail prior to his May election, vowed to not… – Continue reading
Changes to the way that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) taxes loans secured by non-domiciled persons (“non doms”) using foreign income and gains will lead to disputes over the true interpretation of the law, the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has warned. HMRC has announced that it is to withdraw… – Continue reading
A lawsuit has been filed by several Canadian citizens against the Canadian Attorney General in Federal Court in Canada. The legal claim challenges the constitutionality of the agreement the Canadian government struck with the United States. The controversial deal between nations was inked under FATCA—the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act…. – Continue reading
Cyprus and Guernsey have signed a comprehensive double taxation agreement. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus on 15 July and on behalf of the States of Guernsey on 29 July. The agreement will enter into force once the necessary ratification procedures have been completed and… – Continue reading
India: Delhi Government’s Revenue Department has fined Holcim India US$11m for evasion of stamp duty. It also directed the company to pay stamp duty of US$36m and a penalty of US$11m within 30 days for violation of stamp duty. Collector of Stamps (HQ) Lalit Mohan told local media that Holcim… – Continue reading
