Category: Activity

Delek, Noble sue the gov’t for $15m. over gas royalties

Subsidiaries of Israel’s Delek Group and the Houston-based Noble Energy are suing the state for some $15 million, claiming the government has collected more royalties than permissible on natural gas sales. Accusing the National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Ministry of calculating royalty revenues based on the higher Tamar reservoir gas… – Continue reading

Banks Say “Thanks for the Bailout,” Now We’ll Park our Profits in Overseas Tax Havens

Giant financial institutions that benefitted from federal bailouts during the depths of the recession have repaid the American people’s largesse by hiding profits overseas to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. According to a report (pdf) commissioned by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), four big banks—Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Bank of… – Continue reading

Cayman’s tax exchange portal ready to run

(CNS Business): After months of preparation, the exchange of tax information from the Cayman Islands to other jurisdictions will become more efficient with the launch of a new online system. The Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) Portal will be launched this month and will be used by Cayman’s financial institutions… – Continue reading

Union whistleblowers spark OPPA fraud investigation in Barrie

Martin McNamara had his suspicions. An OPP officer and executive officer of the provincial force’s union, McNamara was the first to complain to authorities about unusual financial transactions involving the union’s top brass. When McNamara, who had signing authority for the 6,000-member union, was asked to authorize a $5,000 cheque… – Continue reading

Tax evasion: Arab contractors, Tower Aluminium, Stabilini, 112 others face probe

Senators and members of the House of Representatives under the auspices of Anti- Money Laundering and Cyber Security Coalition are working with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission to prosecute about 115 tax offenders. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Pensions, Senator Aloysius Etok, (PDP-Akwa Ibom),… – Continue reading

HMRC approach to tax penalties for businesses is “garbled and illogical”, says expert

The UK’s HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is increasingly unwilling to believe that any error in a tax return can be the result of an ‘innocent error’, said Fiona Fernie, a tax investigations expert at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-law.com. New powers introduced in recent years to allow… – Continue reading

Canadian documentary probes corporate tax-avoidance schemes

The Price We Pay argues that profit-shifting by corporations is undermining democracies A new Canadian documentary draws attention to the profit-shifting tactics used by multinationals to avoid billions of dollars of taxes. Directed by Montrealer Harold Crooks, the film The Price We Pay opens this Friday in Toronto and Montreal,… – Continue reading

Disparity between the US and Brazil’s approach to royalties increases risk of double taxation

TP Week As a result of Brazil’s unique policy to prevent erosion of the tax base, companies often face double taxation. The pending case before the US Tax Court (Docket 5816-13), 3M Co. et al. v. Commissioner, brings this issue into the spotlight. In this case the US Internal Revenue… – Continue reading

Pakistan and China renegotiate accord to avoid double taxation

Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Tariq Bajwa has said that Pakistan and China are re-negotiating agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. On the conclusion of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) at the Parliament House here on Thursday,… – Continue reading

Recent Developments – Australian Transfer Pricing (TP) Rules: Time To Step Up

With the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) escalating focus on international profit shifting, it is essential for multinational taxpayers (MNEs) to properly understand the new Australian Transfer Pricing (TP) rules, assess the implications of these rules on their operations/transactions, what documentation they need to prepare and when, and what penalties may… – Continue reading

Cayman Islands: Extension Of FATCA Notification Deadline

On 23 February 2015, the Cayman Islands Department for International Tax Cooperation (“DITC”) announced that the Governor in Cabinet of the Cayman Islands had approved an extension to the notification deadline contained in Regulation 14(3) of the Tax Information Authority (International Tax Compliance) (United States of America) Regulations, 2014 (the… – Continue reading

Passports for cash: the countries selling citizenship to tax havens

Citizenship has been turned into a commodity by countries including Cyprus, Grenada, Antigua, Malta and St. Kitts in the Caribbean, which is now the most popular place in the world to buy a passport – for as little as $250,000. The draw? Little or no tax. New citizens of St…. – Continue reading

Public sector wages the main budget issue

OPPOSITION spokesman on finance and planning, Audley Shaw, believes that the failure of the Government to make any progress in wage-related discussions with its employees could make it the major challenge for 2015/16, as the budget debate commences this afternoon at Gordon House. “There is nothing in the budget which… – Continue reading

Customs seeks technical support from EDB in tax evasion case against Paramount Corporation

KARACHI: The customs authorities have referred the case of importer Paramount Corporation to the Engineering Development Board (EDB) for seeking technical view point into the case. The sources informed Customs Today that the authorities concerned of Customs Adjudication-II have forwarded the case of Paramount Corporation to the EDB for seeking… – Continue reading

New tax avoidance offence expected in Budget

Accountancy firms predict that a new offence of aiding and abetting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance will be announced in next week’s Budget It is expected that George Osborne will outline proposals to introduce special measures, aimed at professional service firms, to deter serial avoiders and scheme promoters. The… – Continue reading

Narendra Modi: India, Mauritius will work to avoid tax treaty abuse

Port Louis, March 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday assured that India would work with Mauritius to avoid the “abuse” of the double taxation avoidance agreement and added that the destinies of both nations are “linked by the currents of the Indian Ocean”. Addressing the National Parliament of… – Continue reading

Articles – Budget 2015 predictions: EY’s runner and riders

The Chancellor will take credit for the improving state of the economy and public finances, but real policy changes will have to wait until after the election. Chris Sanger, Head of Tax Policy at EY, comments: “With this Budget announced in the dying embers of the coalition, next week’s event… – Continue reading

India offers $ 500 million credit to Mauritius, negotiations on tax treaty to continue

Port Louis: India offered US dollar 500 million concessional line of credit to Mauritius for key infrastructure projects even as the two countries agreed to continue negotiations on hammering out a revised double tax treaty to prevent its “abuse”. The two countries also signed five agreements, including one on developing… – Continue reading

Dutch, German firms urge fair patent box changes

Two business federations from the Netherlands and Germany have urged the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to ensure that there is a level playing field under new international rules proposed for preferential regimes for intellectual property (IP) income, reports Tax News. The two organizations’ statement concerns the development of… – Continue reading

Nowhere to hide

The call for tax transparency is being echoed around the globe, with ‘midshore’ centres like Bahrain and the UAE emerging as reputable, regulated and tax efficient jurisdictions A 2012 book entitled Offshore Apocalypse – The Collapse of the Tax Haven Industry, written by a team of tax-law academics, auditors, compliance… – Continue reading

The voters hate Google. Heeeeyyyy… how about a ‘Google Tax’?

You may have noted there’s an election in the offing Worstall on Wednesday As the tech news outlet of record has told us, UK chancellor George Osborne is preparing to bring in the “Google Tax”. Properly known as the Diverted Profits Tax, it is supposed to be a way of… – Continue reading

FIs may have their hands full with FATCA provisions

Ever since the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) was enacted in 2010 by the US Congress to target non-compliance by taxpayers using foreign accounts, the hallucination effect has come into force. Banks and financial intuitions are related with US treasury accounts in some way or the other just like… – Continue reading

Transfer pricing customs duty refund applications – let’s do it right

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has informed the Canadian importing community that importers may be entitled to obtain customs duty refunds in connection with downward transfer pricing adjustments having the effect of correcting/reducing invoiced prices that served as the basis of customs valuation of imported goods. On January 19,… – Continue reading

Canada: Case Study: Temporary Assignment Of An Employee From Canada To The United States

This article is the first in a series of four parts that will examine the Canadian and U.S. income tax implications when an employee employed by a Canadian entity is assigned temporarily to work in the U.S. This first article focuses on the importance of the determination of “residency” for… – Continue reading

Multinationals should be made to pass “common sense” test on where they get taxed

The Australian Taxation Office should be given the power to ignore multinational transactions that fail to pass the “common sense test” and ensure that technology company profits are taxed where they are earned, the Australia Institute submission to the inquiry into corporate tax avoidance says. The submission takes a swipe… – Continue reading

Expert Global Commission Responds to One-sided Tax Debate

Responding to widespread anger about corporate tax avoidance, the impacts of such avoidance on inequality and poverty, and concerns that current tax reform processes are inadequate, a new nonpartisan body-the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT)-has been established to propose reforms from the perspective of the… – Continue reading

Malta features in poker giant’s €300 million tax avoidance route

Rome police accuse PokerStars.it managing director over €300 million of undeclared monies that were traced to Malta and the Isle of Man The managing director of PokerStars in Italy, a leading online poker brand, has been accused of fraud and tax evasion of some €300 million by Rome’s finance police… – Continue reading

Will There Be An Increase In State Transfer Pricing Audits?

Transactions between related entities are common and engaged in for both business and tax purposes. Management fees, factoring fees, loans, and other intercompany transactions can be beneficial from a tax planning standpoint, provided the transactions are properly structured and supported by adequate documentation, which often includes a transfer pricing study…. – Continue reading

Anti-avoidance powers to hunt multinationals 'ineffective': ATO

The main legal weapon used by the tax office to hunt down multinationals trying to avoid paying tax often doesn’t work, a problem that could cost the federal government billions a year. A Tax Office internal document, Offshore hubs mitigation strategy overview, said that Australia’s general anti-avoidance rule, Part IVA,… – Continue reading

Seychelles: Seychelles Company – Corporate Environment Summary

Seychelles is one of the most popular offshore jurisdiction, with favourable business regulations, a prosperous economy and a stable political situation. Seychelles IBC, is a limited liability company which conducts its trading and business outside the Seychelles and is intended for offshore activities. It takes up to 2 days to… – Continue reading

Breaking: PokerStars’ Italian Subsidiary Under Investigation for Alleged Tax Evasion

According to Italy’s financial police, the Halfords Media Italy S.r.l., one of the companies used by PokerStars for marketing activities in the country, is currently under investigation for a €300 million tax fraud. Contacted by PokerNews, Head of Corporate Communication at PokerStars Eric Hollreiser said to be confident that the… – Continue reading

Project Wickenby’s seven-year hunt lifts lid on dubious trades

NEIL CHENOWETH The raids unfolded across the city at 8.40 on a Tuesday evening. Squads of federal police descended on Point Piper, Chatswood, city offices and the departure lounge of Sydney International Airport. Accountant Vanda Gould was up when police arrived to arrest him. Across town officers scooped up his… – Continue reading