Category: Tax Laws

How to Apply for CIT Incentives in China

China offers a number of preferential corporate income tax (CIT) policies for businesses operating in the country. Businesses that qualify for these preferential policies can benefit from incentives like CIT rates lower than the standard 25 percent rate and other CIT exemptions and deductions. These preferential tax treatments, however, do… – Continue reading

Receipts from Web Hosting Services to Indian Entities can’t be treated as FTS under Indo-US Tax Treaty: ITAT [Read Order]

The Mumbai bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal ( ITAT ) has held that the income earned from the web hosting services cannot be treated as fee within the meaning of Article 12 of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between India and US. In the instant case, the… – Continue reading

Facebook, Coke could face tax hit after ruling against Medtronic

Last week, Medtronic Plc suffered a legal setback in its bid to avoid a $1.4 billion U.S. tax bill — a ruling that may have costly implications for other multinationals battling the Internal Revenue Service over the use of overseas payments to lower their taxes. Companies including Facebook Inc. and… – Continue reading

Nigeria Concludes Double Tax Treaties With Ghana, Cameroon

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) concluded the negotiation of Double Taxation Agreements (the DTAs) with the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of Cameroon on 26 July 2018 and 3 August 2018, respectively. While this is a welcomed development, it is expected that efforts will now be directed towards… – Continue reading

Uber withdraws lawsuit against HCMC tax man

Ride-hailing firm Uber has withdrawn its lawsuit over HCMC’s demand for $2.3 million in back taxes and fines. A tax department official said Friday that the HCMC People’s Court has suspended the case in which the Netherlands-based Uber B.V. had sued the department over its demand that the firm pays… – Continue reading

Sri Lanka And Oman Sign Agreement On Avoidance Of Double Taxation, Tax Evasion

An agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion between Sri Lanka and Oman was signed during the Second Meeting of the Sri Lanka-Oman Bilateral Consultations, held on August 15, 2018 in Colombo at senior officials’ level by the leaders of the respective delegations. The Sri Lankan… – Continue reading

FATF delegation urges Pakistan to toughen anti-terror financing laws

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the global financial watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has urged Pakistan to toughen its laws and implementation against terror financing and money laundering, media reports said. The Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering, which is currently in Pakistan, will submit a report to the… – Continue reading

Thailand’s Private Trust Act

Baker McKenzie (Thailand) discuss how the proposed trust law aims to bring more wealth back to the country as both Thai and overseas assets (including real estate properties) can be used to set up a trust and promote Thai private banking business. Preserving a faily business for the next generation… – Continue reading

Bitcoin Hedge Funds Caught in IRS Crypto Tax Crosshairs Amidst Unclear Regulations

Hedge Funds Are Struggling to Correctly Tax Crypto Holdings Amidst Unclear Regulations According to US law, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are taxed like property – similar to real estate. Amidst unclear regulations, however, hedge funds are struggling to correctly pay their taxes, which is a problem because the IRS just… – Continue reading

IRS regs on Sec. 199A look ‘taxpayer-favorable’

Long-awaited and highly anticipated proposed regulations for Code Section 199A, the new 20 percent deduction on “qualified business income” of pass-through entities, were released August 8 by the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service, and experts are saying they’re broadly taxpayer-friendly. “The government did a good job of responding… – Continue reading

Property Tax U-Turn Played To The Privileged, Says Davis

OPPOSITION leader Phillip Davis yesterday slammed the Minnis administration’s over its recent decision to revert to the previous definition of owner-occupied properties, arguing that this was a “stark contrast” to the treatment of Bahamians. Despite the insistence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance K Peter Turnquest that the… – Continue reading

Booksellers urge government to ‘act quickly’ on ‘Amazon tax’

News that the government may bring in an ‘Amazon tax’ to help “rebalance the playing field” between physical and online retailers has been welcomed by booksellers. After department store retailer House of Fraser became the latest high street chain to go into administration on Friday (10th August) Philip Hammond said… – Continue reading

FBR slaps notices on 400 Karachi residents holding UK properties

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has served notices to around 400 residents of the port city owning properties in the UK, asking to clarify if they availed the recently floated amnesty scheme or not, sources said on Friday. “A tax department issued around 300-400 notices to Karachiites for… – Continue reading

Nigeria-Singapore income tax treaty to take effect Jan. 1

A bilateral double taxation agreement between Nigeria and Singapore generally is to take effect Jan. 1, 2019, although in Singapore, provisions regarding income taxes other than withholding taxes are to take effect Jan. 1, 2020. The treaty, also known as a DTA, is to affect how each country’s income tax… – Continue reading

HK-New Zealand protocol to tax treaty in force

Hong Kong (HKSAR) – The second protocol to the Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between Hong Kong and New Zealand (CDTA) entered into force yesterday (August 9), a government spokesman said. The second protocol was signed in June last year and amends the CDTA to pave the way for… – Continue reading

Spanish Officials Lop 2 Million Euros Off Ronaldo’s Tax Evasion Settlement

In July, the 33-year-old football superstar accepted an 18.8 million euro fine and a suspended two-year prison sentence as he pleaded guilty to tax fraud in a Spanish court. According to the documents seen by El Mundo daily, football ace Cristiano Ronaldo, 33, who had to pay 18.7 million euros… – Continue reading

China decides to impose additional tariffs on 16 bln USD of U.S. imports

BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) — China has decided to impose additional tariffs on imported products from the United States worth about 16 billion U.S. dollars, according to an official statement released Wednesday. Approved by the State Council, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council has decided to impose additional… – Continue reading

E-tax system will burden us – KAM

Manufacturers have accused the Kenya Revenue Authority of bulldozing the planned roll out of the e-tax stamp duty system despite numerous concerns. Their main concern is that the Excise Goods Management System will push up the cost of doing business. The Kenya Association of Manufacturers yesterday made a passionate appeal… – Continue reading

Switzerland To Hand Over HSBC Data To India

India is to receive bank account information from HSBC, after Switzerland’s highest court ruled that the bank is obligated to provide data requested where the leaked data has not been purchased. The information was leaked in 2008 by Herve Falciani, who worked for HSBC’s Swiss private bank. The Indian authorities… – Continue reading

Pakistanis’ hidden foreign assets worth around $350bn

ISLAMABAD: Authorities probing illegal foreign accounts and properties of thousands of Pakistanis made shocking revelations on Tuesday that the volume of these assets hidden in different tax havens abroad reached up to US$350 (Rs43 trillion). Interestingly, the authorities also revealed for the first time that only accounts and properties worth… – Continue reading

Intra-group Service Fee Treatment in China

Most multinational corporations (MNCs) charge their subsidiaries for services like human resources (HR) or information technology support. The subsidiary’s payment for these services is classed as intra-group service fees when they are made within same enterprise group. Because some businesses use this method to avoid tax and shift profits, tax… – Continue reading

Properties in UK: 75pc FBR notices issued to people from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The people belonging to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad are on top on account of receiving 75 percent tax notices from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for owning expansive properties in UK out of total 600-700 properties. This information has been shared by the UK tax authorities in a… – Continue reading

Outrageous tax incentives harming local businesses – ECG Chairman

The current tax incentives arrangement for foreign investors looking to invest in key sectors of the economy ends up financing multinationals to the detriment of local businesses who continue to wobble under severe taxation, Marwan Ansah, Western Regional Chairman, Senior Staff Union of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has… – Continue reading

Malaysia To Phase Out ‘Harmful’ Tax Regime

Malaysia has suspended its MSC Malaysia tax regime, pending changes to bring it into line with recommendations from the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting initiative. Under the regime, domestic and foreign information and communication technology-related businesses can apply for “MSC Malaysia Status,” which allows them to benefit from tax… – Continue reading

Warning to declare foreign income before September deadline

UK taxpayers who receive any foreign income or profits from offshore assets have been urged to contact HMRC and disclose this income before 30th September 2018 to avoid being hit by higher penalties. David Redfern, tax preparation specialist and director of DSR Tax Claims, warned those affected to contact HMRC… – Continue reading

How Will the UK Deal With Crypto After Brexit: Expert Take

The United Kingdom and the European Union failed to reach an agreement on an orderly uncoupling, which is a major geopolitical and strategic event, with global implications. Uncertainty about the outcome of the Brexit referendum has already started to weaken growth in the U.K. — which is expected to get… – Continue reading

FBR to send tax notices to 600-700 potential tax evaders in UK

ISLAMABAD: After expiry of the tax amnesty scheme that had failed to lure owners of offshore assets abroad in a big way, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided dispatching tax notices to 600-700 individuals having rental income from possessing expensive properties in the UK in a bid to… – Continue reading

VN, Croatia sign agreement on double taxation avoidance

Viet Nam News HA NOI — Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Finance Do Hoang Anh Tua’n and Croatian Minister of Finance Zdravko Maric on Wednesday signed an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to income taxes. According to Tua’n, the agreement is… – Continue reading

Putin Signs ‘Tax Havens Bill’ to Shield Russian Companies From Foreign Sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a package of laws allowing Russia-controlled foreign offshore companies to be re-registered in offshore financial centers (OFCs) established in Russia’s Kaliningrad Region and Primorsky Territory in order to minimize the possible consequences of sanctions and political risks from foreign countries. The legislation establishes the procedure… – Continue reading

Lyford Cay Blasts 500% Hike In Tax

The Government is moving to reinstate the $50,000 property tax “cap” after The Bahamas’ wealthiest community slammed “punitive taxation” that threatens “500 percent or greater” tax hikes. KP Turnquest, deputy prime minister, yesterday told Tribune Business that the Government was “actively reviewing” recent Real Property Tax Act reforms that could… – Continue reading

French request for UBS banking data stopped by Swiss court: report

GENEVA, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) — Switzerland’s Federal Administrative Court has ordered the country’s tax administration not to provide France with details about 40,000 UBS bank clients with French addresses, Swiss media reported Thursday. In May 2016, the French tax authorities requested administrative assistance from the Federal Tax Administration (FTA), Swiss… – Continue reading

A Caribbean Perspective: Tax Rules We Can’T Meet, Unity We Must Not Avoid

The financial services sector of Caribbean jurisdictions – and other parts of the developing world – have been under continuous assault by the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) since the mid-1990s. This assault will peak again in a month’s time when financial institutions… – Continue reading

VN-Cambodia agreement on double taxation avoidance ratified

The Government has ratified the agreement on double taxation avoidance and income tax evasion prevention between Vietnam and Cambodia. The Government assigned the Ministry of Finance to coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies of Vietnam and Cambodia in implementing the agreement. The agreement was officially signed on the occasion of… – Continue reading

Angola’s General Tax Administration guarantees introduction of VAT in 2019

Value Added Tax (IVA) will replace the Consumer Tax in Angola in 2019, the coordinator of the Technical Group for the Implementation of IVA, Adilson Sequeira, said according to a report published on the website of the Angolan Ministry of Finance. “The introduction of IVA is the result of a… – Continue reading

Crackdown on overseas tax avoidance

Draft laws stopping multinational companies leveraging their Australian assets with debt, to reduce their tax burden have been released for public comment. The “thin capitalisation” rules prevent multinationals from shifting profits offshore by using excessive levels of tax-deductible debt to fund their Australian operations. “This will further reinforce the government’s… – Continue reading

Corporate America now knows how to tally its repatriation taxes

U.S. companies that had been unsure of how to calculate a new tax on profits they’ve stashed offshore now have official answers. The Internal Revenue Service issued proposed regulations on Wednesday on Section 965, governing the so-called repatriation tax, detailing which corporate taxpayers are subject to the tax, which assets… – Continue reading

Slovakia is pushing on digital platforms, including booking.com, to pay taxes here

One digital platform has registered on its own and others are being registered ex officio. Foreign digital platforms, which mediate services in transport and accommodation in Slovakia, are obliged to launch so-called permanent establishments in Slovakia. The Finance Ministry wants to force them to pay corporate tax. So far only… – Continue reading

HMRC warn UK taxpayers it’s time to declare offshore assets

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging UK taxpayers to come forward and declare any foreign income or profits on offshore assets before 30 September to avoid higher tax penalties New legislation called “Requirement to Correct’ requires UK taxpayers to notify HMRC about any offshore tax liabilities relating to UK… – Continue reading

Macau | City to comply with OECD tax information exchange from September 1

Macau financial authorities announced today that starting from September 1 the city will start complying with automatic financial exchange regulations devised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Macau (MNA) – The Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong Vai Tac, has announced this Tuesday that… – Continue reading

Nigeria’s Tax Law obsolete, overdue for review —Oruaze Dickson

A legal practitioner cum entrepreneur, Moses Oruaze Dickson, has called for the review of the legislative framework for tax and taxation in the country, describing the existing law as obsolete for a progressive society like Nigeria. According to Dickson, who is also Managing Solicitor, Triax Solicitors, the law is long… – Continue reading

Tax Hike ‘Shockwaves’ Hit High-End Properties

Foreign investors were yesterday said to have halted construction projects, with some threatening to sell their high-end properties, as the “shockwaves” from Budget tax changes hit home. Robert Myers, the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) principal, told Tribune Business that much of the Bahamas’ second home market “is dead” unless… – Continue reading