Dividend payment by an overseas company with related assets in India will not be taxable in India, the govt says New Delhi: The income tax department on Thursday clarified that dividend payment by an overseas company with related assets in India will not be taxable in India, as part of… – Continue reading
Chose not to prosecute HSBC despite money-laundering documentation NEW YORK – President Obama’s attorney-general nominee, Loretta Lynch, admitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee that her investigators in the money-laundering probe of HSBC were aware of evidence compiled by whistleblower John Cruz but she chose, nevertheless, not to bring criminal charges…. – Continue reading
(Bloomberg) — South Africa’s Financial Services Board said it’s helping regulators in Mauritius and Guernsey investigate the affairs of Cobus Kellermann, a Cape Town-based money manager. “The regulators in the foreign jurisdictions have asked us to assist them in tracking particular investments” made into South Africa, Caroline da Silva, the… – Continue reading
Except for a few family members and a dwindling number of those who consider him a dissident, most people who have followed the Mukhtar Ablyazov story have nothing good to say about him. They see him as an embezzler, swindler and con man par excellence – a guy whose theft… – Continue reading
DIAMOND mining companies operating in Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond fields are reportedly on a last minute looting spree ahead of a loathed mandatory consolidation exercise. As government peruses through various consolidation proposals submitted by seven companies operating in Marange and prepares for an audit, miners are reportedly exploiting the existing loopholes… – Continue reading
Irish economy set to receive financial boost by world number one golfer’s decision to pay tax on earnings. World number one Rory McIlroy is moving his vast business interests to Ireland’s capital city Dublin, according to a report in the Irish Independent. The newspaper says that McIlroy’s decision will boost… – Continue reading
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has approached Finance Minister Ishaq Dar seeking withholding tax exemption on the payments made or transactions carried out by the IFC, through an amendment in the Second Schedule of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 along with an exemption certificate from withholding tax provisions from July… – Continue reading
Margaret Hodge and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today urged HMRC to further its efforts to crack down on big businesses that evade tax In a new report issued by the PAC, Hodge criticised the disparity in ways that SMEs and big businesses are treated by the Revenue. “HMRC needs… – Continue reading
(CNS Business): Cayman’s leader, Premier Alden McLaughlin, was joined by the COO of Dart Enterprises at the House of Lords this week in promoting Cayman when he delivered a key-note address at the Caribbean Council reception. As McLaughlin sold the crowd on the benefits of investing in Cayman and the… – Continue reading
All too often, changes to tax legislation happen at a glacial pace. As a nation, we can’t afford to let that happen with the GST changes required to modernise the law and processes to capture GST from overseas online purchases. Budget 2015 provides a suitable time for the government to… – Continue reading
Modi’s government is focused on expanding manufacturing, lightening the regulatory burden on companies NEW DELHI—Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has a simple message for critics pushing for deeper change in the economic policies of the world’s largest democracy: It’s coming, be patient. In an interview Thursday, Mr. Jaitley, a corporate… – Continue reading
(Reuters) – Australia’s medicine subsidies, Canadian films and culture, and capital controls in Chile would be carved out from investment protection rules being negotiated in a Pacific trade pact, according to a draft text released by Wikileaks on Wednesday. An investment chapter, dated Jan. 20, from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership… – Continue reading
(Bloomberg) — Japan is stepping up pressure on companies to use their near-record cash stockpiles to help drive growth, with Finance Minister Taro Aso saying Thursday the government should consider a tax to prod businesses into action. “Japan should carefully consider issues like this,” Aso said in Parliament in response… – Continue reading
The Saguier family, majority shareholder in the La Nación newspaper since the 1990s, is the subject of numerous court cases which are trying to determine the legality of the origen of those funds used in the transaction which left the Mitres outside of the management of the media outlet founded… – Continue reading
TRANSFER pricing is the most lucrative money generator for the Revenue Department because it largely concerns multinational companies with large sales volumes. A 1-per-cent adjustment to revenue or costs can res This article discusses how new Revenue Department administrative changes will affect many multinational companies from a transfer-pricing perspective. In… – Continue reading
Virgin Care has won a £280m contract to run NHS healthcare for frail and chronically ill people in the Midlands, it was revealed today. Virgin Care have won a £280 million contract to run NHS healthcare in East Staffordshire, it was revealed today. Virgin will now provide (or sub-contract to… – Continue reading
FRESH fears have been raised over the future of almost 300 jobs at the tax office in Swansea, after a Westminster Government minister admitted that Cardiff would be the most ‘suitable’ location for a regional centre in Wales. Uncertainty has surrounded the future of the HMRC office at Ty Nant,… – Continue reading
Introduction Every non-US entity has FATCA status Passive NFFEs report substantial US owners Trustee of trust or its sponsoring entity will report US persons Other reporting FFIs in structure will carry out FATCA due diligence Reporting when US account holders are identified Enforcement Comment Introduction The policy statement in the… – Continue reading
Greece and Switzerland were to hold a new round of talks Thursday on a deal designed to help the cash-strapped Mediterranean country recover billions of euros in unpaid taxes, reports Europe Online. The visit to Athens by Jacques de Watteville, who heads the international financial and tax affairs unit in… – Continue reading
It has been said taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. So what happens when some of the wealthiest companies in the world don’t pay toward the upkeep of the societies they operate in? No one likes paying taxes. In my opinion taxes should be as low… – Continue reading
Digital currency businesses will have to comply with the Isle of Man’s anti-money laundering (AML) laws from 1st April and will likely fall under the remit of the Financial Services Commission from the summer. The Isle of Man government has amended the Proceeds of Crime Act 2008 so it covers… – Continue reading
SINGAPORE, March 27 (IFR) – China’s Bank of Communications said it would raise up to Rmb60bn (US$9.7bn) in Additional Tier 1 capital through onshore and offshore offerings. It will sell preference shares of up to Rmb45bn onshore to not more than 200 investors and up to Rmb15bn offshore. The bank… – Continue reading
Attorney General Eric Holder will leave office with a perfect record of not having busted a single senior banker The bank, HSBC, has been involved in criminal enterprises from dealing with terrorists and drug dealers to advising clients how to escape paying taxes. Yet no HSBC banker has gone to… – Continue reading
Irish firm featured in Luxleaks coverage has set up a new company: Glanbia Cheesip Ltd In the wake of the Luxleaks controversy last year, then chair of the Revenue Commissioners Josephine Feehily said that a company’s tax policies contained the potential for reputational risk if the strategies they were implementing,… – Continue reading
On March 6 Luxembourg’s government adopted the draft legislation transposing into national law the grand duchy’s intergovernmental agreement with the US and facilitating compliance by the country’s financial institutions with the requirements of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. FATCA, which was signed into law in 2010 but only took… – Continue reading
In our alert ” FATCA Notification and Reporting – Are you ready?” we reported that Cayman Islands Financial Institutions (“Cayman Islands FIs”) must notify the Cayman Islands Tax Information Authority, Department for International Tax Cooperation (“TIA”) on or before 30 April 2015 and report on U.S. Reportable Accounts on or… – Continue reading
HMRC’s reporting of tax reliefs does not enable Parliament to scrutinise them effectively to determine whether they are providing value for money and the complexity of tax law and the constraints on HMRC’s resources mean that it is fighting an uphill battle against those who are determined to cheat the… – Continue reading
There are over 100 countries around the world that are now “FATCA-compliant.” Mexico is one of the earlier Latin American countries to comply. This means that Mexican banks will be sending to the IRS specific information regarding accounts held by U.S. persons. In this article, we discuss how FATCA is… – Continue reading
The tiny island nation of Dominica in the Caribbean is positioning itself as another offshore banking facility. However, its prime minister warns that if one is thinking of parking ill-gotten gains in his country, to think again. “We are open for business but at the same time we have rules,”… – Continue reading
Taxation is an extremely important source of funding for any state to finance the running of the Governmental functions. Even the oil-rich Arab states are now beginning to recognise the importance of this and starting to shift towards a lasting economy with citizens contributing to the national treasury with their… – Continue reading
Former Greek Finance Minister Giorgos Papakonstantinou has been handed a one-year suspended sentence after a court found him guilty of helping three people dodge millions in tax. One of Greece’s previous legislatures was offered by IMF head Christine Lagarde a list of Greek citizens holding offshore accounts, in a move… – Continue reading
Senate hearings to question alleged links between firm behind Queensland’s Abbot Point coal port, a Cayman Islands company and a $1bn rorts investigation The Greens will use Senate hearings to question the Foreign Investment Review Board (Firb) about alleged links between Australia’s biggest proposed coal venture, a Cayman Islands company… – Continue reading
Timatex Vietnam Co. Ltd. has taken legal action against the HCMC Tax Department over the collection of US$2.8-million tax arrears but it is still open for negotiation to solve the problem. Speaking at a dialogue with the tax department yesterday, a representative of the company demanded an explanation of the… – Continue reading
Michael Wilson rants that a long-cherished distinction between avoidance (OK) and evasion (not OK) is being eroded by political doublespeak. And that the demise of the 1936 ‘Duke of Westminster’ legal principle has gone sadly unnoticed. Where will it end? You hardly need telling that there’s an election on the… – Continue reading
Juan Ovelar made a quick decision when he heard the US government had accused his Andorran bank of money-laundering, and immediately withdrew most of his funds, reports Bloomberg. “I’m worried that everyone will do the same as I did and there will be a knock-on effect that could affect other… – Continue reading
Following a period of consultation, legislation is to be included in the 2015 Finance Bill which will extend capital gains to gains accruing to a non-resident person on the disposal of a UK residential property. The charge will apply from 6 April 2015 to gains arising on or after that… – Continue reading
Five years after paying $413.7 million to settle a huge tax avoidance claim, ANZ bank is under fire for a $1 billion deal that appears to “double dip” on trans-Tasman tax benefits. The criticism follows the Australian bank’s issue this month of A$970 million ($995 million) of hybrid securities to… – Continue reading
The India-Mauritius Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) may see some headway with the island nation promising full cooperation with India to address outstanding issues relating to their bilateral tax treaty. The development comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mauritius. Its Finance Minister Seetanah Lutchmeenaraidoo in his Budget speech… – Continue reading
Appleby’s Gavin Ferguson examines how Guernsey has evolved to provide clients from all over the globe with innovative advice. The mandates that cross the desk of a Guernsey private client lawyer have changed considerably in the past decade, as the jurisdiction and its fiduciary offering have evolved and adapted, whilst… – Continue reading
Nairobi — The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) wants tax incentives offered to foreign investors withdrawn. The proposal to eliminate tax incentives and concessions offered to foreign investors is aimed at boosting revenue collection to accelerate national development. Speaking at the ongoing Biennial Ambassadors/High Commissioners conference in Kwale, KRA Commissioner General… – Continue reading
Tackling tax evasion should be a top EU priority. EU countries and the European Commission should play a leading role in discussing how to fight tax fraud and aggressive tax planning in the OECD and other relevant fora, says Parliament in its resolution on tax, voted on Wednesday. The resolution,… – Continue reading
Michael Betley, group chairman of Trust Corporation International looks at how Guernsey has coped in an increasingly transparent and regulated world and how it can adapt to further change in the future. Is Guernsey positioned to navigate its way successfully through the maze of initiatives designed to penetrate the legal… – Continue reading
Ghana and the Netherlands have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Automatic Exchange of Information to help in efforts to fight tax evasion. The agreement would allow the tax authorities of the two countries to automatically provide each other with information about income from immovable property earned by… – Continue reading
The recent release of Ireland’s major strategy paper, ‘IFS2020 – A strategy for Ireland’s financial services sector 2015-2020’ addresses Ireland’s five year strategy in further developing the country as a global leader in the financial services sector. Over the past 25 years, Ireland’s international financial services sector has grown dramatically,… – Continue reading
Bulgaria’s Cabinet approved on March 25 the draft of the updated treaty with United Kingdom on avoiding double taxation of income and property, the Government press service said in a statement. The existing double-taxation agreement between the two countries dates back to 1987, when economic relations between the two countries… – Continue reading
How to ensure landowning clients do not have shortfalls and exposure to penalties Landowners in Queensland should expect increased scrutiny of their affairs for land tax purposes. It is expected the Queensland Office of State Revenue (Queensland OSR) will increase its land tax audit activity in 2015 so landholders and… – Continue reading
Attorney-at–Law and Compliance Specialist We are living in a time where the tax landscape facing the Bahamian financial services industry is changing and evolving rapidly. On November 3, 2014, the Government executed a Model 1 Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the US government to implement the latter’s Foreign Account Tax Compliance… – Continue reading
China tax authority, the State Administration of Taxation (SAT) issued an announcement on March 18, in which it outlines a number of transfer pricing transactions which would no longer be eligible for tax deductions. The decision is effective immediately. The move follows an investigation into transfer pricing that first started… – Continue reading
Finally. It’s official. The poor in Arizona get screwed on taxes and the rich make out like bandits. Howie Fischer says so, mainly citing a piece on WalletHub. Fischer is right. WalletHub is right. Arizona is a tax haven for the rich and a tax hell for the poor. That… – Continue reading
The Revenue Department estimates it will miss its tax collection target by no more than 160 billion baht for fiscal 2015 after it was off target by 35 billion in the five months through February. The government’s largest revenue contributor has striven to collect new taxes such as those on… – Continue reading
