Category: South America

Offshore Tax Haven Marshall Islands to Issue National Cryptocurrency

A small island nation with less than 60,000 inhabitants best known internationally as a former test site for nuclear weapons is joining the hottest new trend – issuing a national cryptocurrency. The planned Marshall Islands’ Govcoin is expected to be issued later this year. Marshall Islands Govcoin ICO The Republic… – Continue reading

There Is a Raging Battle of Tax Codes with China and the US Starting the Race

The GOP tax bill that was signed into law by the white house late last year, significantly reduced corporate taxes which has piled pressure on other significant economies around the world to adjust so as not to lose investors to the United States. Just hours after President Trump signed the… – Continue reading

Peru moves forward in tax evasion fight

Peru takes one step further in the eradication of tax avoidance and evasion after signing the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Deputy Director of the OECD‘s Centre for Tax Policy and Administration Grace Perez-Navarro affirmed these two crimes… – Continue reading

Neymar Fined $1.2 million Over Tax Case Delays

New Delhi: Star striker Neymar Jr is fined 3.8 million reais ($1.2 million) by a Brazilian court for attempting to “obstruct the continuity” of a tax evasion case. The penalty applies to the Paris Saint-Germain player, his parents and three companies that manage his finances, according to the federal regional… – Continue reading

Guyanese businessmen warned of global crackdown on offshore tax evasion

Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Godfrey Statia warned Guyanese businessmen against offshore tax evasion, saying that global systems are being increasingly networked to weed out tax cheats and report them to their home-countries. Addressing a luncheon organised by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) at the Georgetown… – Continue reading

Mexico: New Substance-Over-Form Litigation Procedures In Mexico

Mexico has introduced new substance-over-form procedures that change the country’s formal approach into one more compliant with the BEPS Project. Taxpayers should take note of these developments as they may impact tax disputes, writes Bernardo Ramírez and Valentín Ibarra of Chevez, Ruiz, Zamarripa y Cía. Resulting from a G20 world… – Continue reading

Ecuador endorses double taxation agreement with Belarus

The National Assembly of Ecuador endorsed the agreement on cooperation in taxation with Belarus by a majority vote. The document is meant to avoid double taxation and prevent property and real estate tax evasion. The agreement was endorsed by the Belarusian and Ecuadorian governments in 2016. The Special Permanent Commission… – Continue reading

Colombia criminalizes Tax Evasion

On 12/29/2016, Colombia’s Congress approved “Law 1819 of 2016”. The new legislation is a structural tax reform primarily aimed at increasing revenues for Colombia. Colombia suffered a loss of revenues when crude oil prices plummeted beginning in 2014. The loss of revenue created a negative impact on its economy; creating… – Continue reading

Sao Paulo Property Secrecy Exposes Continuing Role of UK Tax Havens

A new report from Transparency International has revealed that more than US$2.7 billion worth of property in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city, is hidden behind shell companies, many of which have close links to the United Kingdom, which has many offshore tax havens in its overseas dependencies. Using newly released… – Continue reading

Sao Paulo Property Secrecy Exposes Continuing Role of UK Tax Havens

A new report from Transparency International has revealed that more than US$2.7 billion worth of property in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city, is hidden behind shell companies, many of which have close links to the United Kingdom, which has many offshore tax havens in its overseas dependencies. Using newly released… – Continue reading

Chile Leads Region to Test Companies’ International Tax Links

Chile is leading a regional push across Latin America to clamp down on tax avoidance and profit-shifting by multinational and local firms, with the country’s tax authority making companies with interests and assets one of its priorities for inspections this year. Outlining its tax enforcement plan for 2017 on March… – Continue reading

Brazil’s Petrobras Loses Appeal of Double Taxation

For the second time in 14 months, Brazil’s state oil company Petrobras has lost a dispute over Brazil’s recognition of tax treaties. On March 24, a federal revenue service appeals court ruled against Petrobras in a $510 million case (16682.721067/2014-01) involving the company’s profits in the Netherlands for 2010. Although… – Continue reading

Brazil Outlines Process for Asking International Tax Questions

Brazil’s federal revenue service is continuing to adapt the country’s tax rules to OECD recommendations, as shown in recent guidance on how companies should seek help from the government on international tax questions. Normative Instruction 1689, issued Feb. 21, spells out the requirements for companies to request a consultation on… – Continue reading

Ecuador Referendum Blazes Trail in Fight Against Tax Havens

If the referendum passes, all public servants and elected officials in Ecuador will be barred from holding wealth in offshore accounts. As Ecuador heads to the polls Sunday to elect a new president and National Assembly, deciding the fate of President Rafael Correa’s 10-year Citizens’ Revolution, the small South American… – Continue reading

Armenia and Argentina to exchange taxation-related information

YEREVAN, February 9. /ARKA/. The Armenian parliament ratified today an agreement between the governments of Armenia and Argentina on exchange of taxation-related information, signed in 2015 July. According to the deputy head of Armenian State Revenue Committee Vakhtang Mirumyan, this agreement, initiated by the Argentine side, is aimed at providing… – Continue reading

New transfer pricing requirements in Latin America under BEPS

Several countries in Latin America have established new transfer pricing documentation obligations associated with the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative. In this new year, Mexico, Colombia and Peru have included in their local legislation new documentation requirements that follow a three-tiered approach: country-by-country (CbC) report, master file,… – Continue reading

The G77 will push for ‘tax justice’ through a UN tax body, says Ecuador’s foreign affairs minister

The creation of a new United Nations tax body to clamp down on tax dodging, which experts say could cost developing countries more than $200 billion a year in missed revenues, will be a key priority of the Group of 77 and China under Ecuadorian leadership, according to the country’s… – Continue reading

UK/Uruguay double taxation convention takes effect

The comprehensive Double Taxation Convention between Uruguay and the United Kingdom has taken effect from 1 January 2017. The United Kingdom and Uruguay signed a convention to avoid double taxation and prevent fiscal evasion related to taxes on income and on capital on 24 February 2016 in Montevideo. The document… – Continue reading

Argentina: Argentina And The United States Of America Signed An Exchange Of Information Agreement

On December 23, 2016, the US ambassadors and Alberto Abad signed an agreement for the exchange of tax information on request. 1. Introduction For the past few years, Argentina has been an active participant in the progress of exchange of international tax information. More than seventeen agreements have been signed… – Continue reading

Proponents of online sales tax hope to deliver revenue to N.M.

Cyberspace may not be a tax haven for New Mexico shoppers much longer. As bipartisan support grows among state lawmakers for tax collections on internet sales to bring in more revenue and help level the playing field for local businesses, major internet companies are becoming increasingly willing to comply and… – Continue reading

Brazil and Switzerland agree to automatic exchange of financial account information in tax matters

The Governments of Brazil and Switzerland have released a joint declaration expressing their intent to introduce, on a reciprocal basis, an automatic exchange of financial account information in tax matters based on the OECD Common Reporting Standard, beginning in the year 2018. The first transmission of data will take place… – Continue reading

Double taxation: Ecuador, Italy sign agreement to foster private investements

Ecuador signed an agreement with Italy to define the tax obligations of the citizens of the two countries, in order to avoid double taxation on income taxes and equity and prevent tax evasion, the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry said. “This protocol modifies the agreement signed in Ecuador and Italy in 1984… – Continue reading

Switzerland eyes AEOI with 21 countries

Switzerland, which has been working to end its years-long practice of banking secrecy, on Thursday said it aimed to dramatically increase the number of countries it cooperates with toward international fiscal transparency. The Swiss government said in a statement that it wanted to extend the automatic exchange of information (AEOI)… – Continue reading

Andorra to renounce banking secrecy as it sheds tax haven status

Pyrenees principality approves automatic sharing of information on accounts held by non-residents from EU countries Andorran lawmakers have agreed to end banking secrecy in the Pyrenees mountains principality, approving automatic sharing of information on accounts held by non-residents. The General Council, Andorra’s unicameral parliament, approved a measure that will come… – Continue reading

Taxman targets Real and Barca over fraud, says report

Giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are among five La Liga clubs from whom the Spanish taxman is looking to recover €52 million (RM244 million), online newspaper El Confidencial claimed yesterday. Alongside Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Valencia, the big two are accused of having avoided tax by paying player’s agents directly…. – Continue reading

Automatic exchanges signed with three countries

Switzerland has signed declarations to exchange tax information automatically with Brasil, Mexico and Uruguay and Mexico in coming years, but the deals must still go before Swiss parliament for approval. Under the declarations, banking information would be collected from 2018 and exchanged by 2019, the State Secretariat for International Financial… – Continue reading

UK, Colombia In Double Tax Deal

The UK and Colombia signed a double tax agreement (DTA) on November 2, which is intended to support trade and investment by capping withholding tax on cross-border income. The agreement was signed by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Jane Ellison, and the Colombian Finance Minister, Mauricio Cardenas, during President… – Continue reading

UAE, Argentina sign deal on double taxation

The UAE has signed an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation with Argentina with the aim of boosting expanding joint economic partnerships. The agreement was signed by Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, and visiting Argentina’s Vice President Gabriela Michetti, in the presence of Fernando… – Continue reading

BANKING UPROAR LINGERS

The row between commercial banks in the Caribbean and the larger ones on the American mainland just would not go away. In the past week, finance officials from across the globe and from multilateral institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) flew to Antigua for a conference on the… – Continue reading

Ecuador a Step Closer to Ending Politicians’ Use of Tax Havens

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa wants the country to consider a novel approach to limit the use of tax havens: preventing politicians from using them. Accompanied by leaders from social movements and political allies, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa made the case before the constitutional court for a plebiscite to give lawmakers… – Continue reading

Deal signed to counter profit shifting Read more at: http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/deal-signed-to-counter-profit-shifting-1-8198001

New Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK has restated the island’s commitment to tax transparency at an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development event in Paris. Mr Quayle was in Paris for the Manx government’s signing of a new OECD agreement on automatic exchange of country by country reporting by large… – Continue reading

Pakistan to seek offshore companies information from nine tax havens

Pakistan’s authorities are making efforts to seek information about tax details of 270 offshore companies from nine known tax havens around the globe where 444 individuals have invested billions of dollars, and, finally, their names appeared through PanamaLeaks, The News has learnt. The cases of 444 individuals involving nine jurisdictions… – Continue reading

OECD sets timeline for country profiles for cross-border tax disputes

The OECD has set the minimum standards it requires from countries submitting Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) profiles, with only 41 countries currently having a completed profile, which will be used as a tool for resolving cross-border tax disputes The MAP falls under Action 14 on the Base Erosion and Profit… – Continue reading

Gov’t, Chile agree deal to end ‘double taxation’

Argentina and Chile yesterday announced the implementation of a long-awaited agreement to eliminate double taxation for residents of both countries in order to encourage investment and prevent tax evasion. Chile’s Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz, Public Works Minister Alberto Undurraga, and Finance Minister Rodrigo Valdés met with Argentina’s Finance Minister Alfonso… – Continue reading

Guyana formally agrees to share US persons’ bank account info with IRS

Guyana and the United States (US) on Monday inked an agreement, clearing the way for this country to share bank account information about American citizens and permanent residents with the US to help stamp out offshore tax evasion. “Today’s signing makes a significant step forward in our countries’ efforts to… – Continue reading

Saudi joins talks on VAT, selective tax in GCC states

The Saudi Council of Ministers has authorized minister of finance or his deputy to discuss two draft uniform agreements on value added tax (VAT) and selective tax for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The agreements shall be discussed within the framework of the GCC financial and economic committee, and sign… – Continue reading

Tax havens are under attack

Ireland, accused of being a tax haven for multinationals such as Apple to pay nearly zero tax on the bulk of its profits earned outside the United States, finds itself with a new adversary in the global fight against unfair tax practices — Brazil. As of October 1, Brazil will… – Continue reading

US, Argentina Negotiating Comprehensive Double Tax Pact

During his remarks at a September 26 meeting with Argentine Finance Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay in Buenos Aires, US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew disclosed that the two countries are to negotiate a comprehensive double taxation agreement, to include provisions for the exchange of tax information. “To accelerate the process of sharing… – Continue reading

Ecuador Fights for Global Rules to Clamp Down on Tax Evasion

Ecuador’s foreign minister, leading economists and campaigners call for a new U.N. body to root out tax evaders and crack down on offshore havens. Ecuador ramped up its fight against tax dodging Wednesday as the South American country proposed a plan on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in… – Continue reading