Russia to ease business interests hit by tax treaty suspension

Russia will pass legislation to ease consequences for Russian businesses resulting from recent suspension of certain tax treaty provisions, the Finance Ministry has said.Continue Reading

Azerbaijan signs BEPS Convention to implement tax treaty reform

Azerbaijan has become the 102nd tax jurisdiction to sign the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the BEPS Convention).Continue Reading

UK tax leaders bracing for global minimum tax impact

A majority of UK tax leaders expect their tax planning and business operations to experience moderate to significant change once the global minimum tax is implemented, according to a EY Tax and Finance Operations Survey.Continue Reading

New UN report on inclusive international tax co-operation

The United Nations (UN) Secretary General has published an advance, unedited report highlighting the role of the UN in promoting effective and inclusive international tax cooperation.Continue Reading

International Tax Law Student Essay Writing Competition 2023

TP News is announcing its first annual International Tax Law Student Essay Writing Competition 2023.

We are now inviting original submissions from students enrolled in a full-time undergraduate law course around the world. Co-authorship is possible.

The submission must seek to identify and answer a point of law that involves interpretation of one or more provisions of a tax treaty. The essay should not be descriptive in nature and must show outstanding analysis, while adding to the existing tax treaty jurisprudence.

We will not accept submissions over 3,000 words. We do not accept footnotes or endnotes, use hyperlinks instead.

All submissions will go through two rounds of selection process. Based on an initial screening by TP News team, shortlisted submissions will be sent out for blind peer review. We, therefore, encourage students to avoid mentioning their names/affiliations anywhere in their essays. Please note that all submissions will be put through our standard plagiarism detection process.

The top three entries will be published on TP News.

Submissions must be emailed to us as Microsoft Word documents by 11:59 pm UTC on November 7, 2023. We expect to receive a high number of entries and would be unable to respond individually.

Winners will be announced on our website and social media handles in January 2024.

For questions or clarifications, please contact: editor@transferpricingnews.com

NFTC urges Canada to reconsider digital services tax

Canada’s decision to levy a digital services tax despite OECD’s moratorium is shortsighted, Anne Gordon, Vice President for International Tax Policy, National Foreign Trade Council, has said.Continue Reading

Australian thin capitalization tax bill flawed: CA ANZ

Australia’s Treasury Laws Amendment (Making Multinationals Pay Their Fair Share – Integrity and Transparency) Bill 2023, which includes thin capitalization measures, is flawed in several respects, Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CA ANZ) has said.Continue Reading

Exercise caution in implementing Pillar One tax proposals: WATAF

West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) has issued an advisory asking its members to carry out revenue impact analysis to ensure that the OECD’s proposed Pillar One, Amount A rules deliver positive revenue outcome before committing to its implementation.Continue Reading

Tax leaders preparing for Pillar Two impact

A vast majority of tax leaders from multinational enterprises (MNEs) are preparing for the impact of international tax changes resulting from OECD’s Pillar Two project, Deloitte’s 2023 Global Tax Policy Survey has revealed.Continue Reading

Biden Administration rebuked over global minimum tax plans

Members of the Ways and Means Committee, the chief tax-writing committee of the US House of Representatives, have expressed deep concerns about the Biden Administration’s ongoing negotiations with the OECD on the global minimum tax.Continue Reading

Germany to benefit ‘moderately’ from OECD’s international tax reform

The increase in additional tax revenue from OECD’s international tax reform would be rather moderate for Germany, Florian Neumeier, Head of the ifo Research Group Taxation and Fiscal Policy, has said.

The increase in additional tax revenue from OECD’s international tax reform would be rather ‘moderate’ for Germany, Florian Neumeier, Head of the ifo Research Group Taxation and Fiscal Policy, has said.Continue Reading

OECD cannot decide US international tax policy: Columbia law professor

International tax policy of the United States should be set by the United States, not by other countries, David Schizer, Dean Emeritus, Columbia Law School, has said.Continue Reading

Don’t impose digital services tax: US Chambers to Canada

The US Chamber of Commerce has urged the Canadian government to refrain from unilaterally imposing a digital services tax pending international agreement.Continue Reading

Ireland consulting on tax changes to tackle double non-taxation

Ireland’s Department of Finance is consulting stakeholders on new tax measures that would prevent double non-taxation arising from outbound payments to low or no tax jurisdictions.Continue Reading

Canada will enact digital services tax from 2024: Chrystia Freeland

Canada will enact digital services tax from 2024: Chrystia Freeland

Canada’s Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has said that the government will implement its domestic digital services tax measures from January 2024 in the absence of any multilateral agreement on Pillar One.Continue Reading

Updated database launched to apply BEPS MLI to tax treaties

The OECD has launched an improved version of the BEPS MLI matching database that will allow tax authorities and other interested parties to make projections on how the MLI modifies a specific tax treaty.Continue Reading

Transfer pricing rules in UAE explained

Federal Decree Law No (47) of 2023 on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses enforces transfer pricing rules and documentation requirements in the UAE to ensure that the pricing of transactions between related parties and connected persons, such as companies that are part of the same multinational enterprise (MNE) group, are not influenced by their relationships.Continue Reading

OECD notes progress on tackling harmful tax practices

OECD notes progress on tackling harmful tax practices

Almost 50,000 exchanges of tax information have taken place to date in respect of 23,000 tax rulings, as per a new OECD report.

The 2021 Peer Review Reports on the Exchange of Information on Tax Rulings includes the latest peer review assessments for 131 jurisdictions in relation to the compulsory spontaneous exchange of information on tax rulings.

Released on December 14, this is the sixth annual peer review of the implementation of the BEPS Action 5 minimum standard on tax rulings, which aims to provide tax administrations with the necessary information concerning their taxpayers to efficiently tackle tax avoidance and other BEPS risks.

The new peer review results show that 73 jurisdictions are fully in line with the BEPS Action 5 minimum standard, with the remaining 58 jurisdictions receiving a total of 61 recommendations to improve their legal or operational framework to identify the relevant tax rulings and exchange information.

Platform for Collaboration on Tax releases progress report

The Platform for Collaboration on Tax (PCT) has released its Progress Report 2022, which provides an update on the world’s four leading multilateral organizations’ collaboration in the area of revenue mobilization since October 2021.

The Platform for Collaboration on Tax (PCT) has released its Progress Report 2022, which provides an update on the world’s four leading multilateral organizations’ collaboration in the area of revenue mobilization since October 2021.

The PCT is a joint initiative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United Nations (UN), and the World Bank Group (WBG).

The four PCT Partners continued their support to countries seeking to strengthen their tax systems through the development of joint products, dissemination of their toolkits, and exchanges on critical issues.

The PCT remained active throughout the pandemic as the world transitioned into hybrid working modes. The platform will continue to serve as a mechanism for exchange and collaboration among the four Partners in their efforts to support tax system reform, particularly for developing countries, beyond 2024.

This Progress Report is part of PCT’s commitment to operating transparently and to making its workplan and outputs widely available, through its publicly accessible website, to governments, capacity development providers and their donors, civil society organizations, and the general public.

The report gives a snapshot of PCT activities under five workstreams with new priorities identified in light of global challenges: tax and SDGs with a primary focus on tax and environment, international taxation, medium-term revenue strategy (MTRS), resilience to and preparedness for shocks, and stakeholder engagement, information dissemination, and internal exchanges.

Spain, Ireland fastest in closing MAP cases under tax treaties

Spain has been awarded for taking the shortest time in closing transfer pricing cases under the mutual agreement procedure (MAP) set out in tax treaties.

The 2021 MAP Statistics were presented during the OECD Tax Certainty Day, where tax officials and stakeholders took stock of the tax certainty agenda and discussed ways to further improve dispute prevention and resolution. The MAP Award is given in recognition of efforts by competent authorities in dealing with MAP cases.Continue Reading

Australia gets over AUD 68 billion in corporate income tax

Australia gets over AUD 68 billion in corporate income tax

This year’s report represents 2,468 corporate entities, who paid a combined AUD 68.6 billion in income tax, AUD 11.4 billion or 19.8 percent more than the previous year and the highest since reporting began.Continue Reading

Biden administration rebuked over Hungary tax treaty termination

Biden administration rebuked over Hungary tax treaty termination

The letter calls upon the Biden administration to withdraw its termination of the tax treaty and promptly consult with Congress on a bipartisan basis to address any concerns with the tax treaty or any other of the United States’ current bilateral tax treaties.Continue Reading

African Tax Administration Forum responds to ‘historic’ international tax reform

African Tax Administration Forum

The two-pillar package aims to ensure that large multinational enterprises (MNEs) pay tax where they operate and earn profits, while adding much-needed certainty and stability to the international tax system.Continue Reading

EU Commission asks Bulgaria, Sweden to address tax issues

Under this tax scheme, interest deductibility is denied in relation to loan arrangements between affiliated companies established within the EU, irrespective of whether the terms and conditions of those arrangements remain at arm’s length or not.Continue Reading

Tax administrations discuss transfer pricing issues

The WCO facilitator focused on the Customs valuation treatment of related-party transactions and instruments adopted by the Technical Committee on Customs Valuation. The OECD facilitator elaborated on the arm’s length principle and its application, comparability analysis, and transfer pricing documentation.  Continue Reading

Cyprus extends DAC6 penalty relief

Cyprus extends DAC6 penalty relief

On March 18, 2021, the Government approved Law to require taxpayers/ intermediaries to report information on certain tax arrangements. 

Cyprus extend DAC6 penalty relief

The Cyprus Tax Department will not impose administrative fines for overdue submission of DAC6 information that will be submitted until the September 30, 2021.

The penalty relief applies to:

  • Reportable cross-border arrangements that have been made between 25 June 2018 and 30 June 2020 and had to be submitted by 28 February 2021.
  • Reportable cross-border arrangements that had been made between 1 July 2020 and 31 December 2020 and had to be submitted by 31 January 2021.
  • Reportable cross-border arrangements made between 1 January 2021 and 31 August 2021, that had to be submitted within 30 days from the date they were made available for implementation or were ready for implementation or the first step in the implementation has been made, whichever occurred first.
  • Reportable cross-border arrangements for which secondary intermediaries provided aid, assistance or advice, between 1 January 2021 and 31 August 2021 and had to submit information within 30 days beginning on the day after they provided aid, assistance or advice.

On March 18, 2021, the Government approved Law to require taxpayers/ intermediaries to report information on certain tax arrangements. 

EU Commission launches research lab to tackle aggressive tax planning

EU Commission launches research lab to tackle tax planning

The Observatory will be fully independent in conducting its research, objectively informing policymakers and suggesting initiatives that could help to better tackle tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning, among other things.Continue Reading

African Tax Administration Form submits revised Pillar One proposals

African Tax Administration Form submits revised Pillar One proposals

The revised proposals respond to both the Inclusive Framework blueprint report released for public consultation in October 2020 and the recent proposals from the US to revise the blueprint proposals.Continue Reading

Hungary dismisses 15% global minimum corporate tax rate

Hungary dismisses 15% global minimum corporate tax rate

Tállai emphasized that Hungary would not relinquish one of the most important elements of its economic sovereignty, the right to set taxes. According to him, the idea of a global minimum tax is in the interests of several high-taxing economic powers, because they were disadvantaged by international tax competition.Continue Reading

OECD releases MAP peer review reports for eight tax jurisdictions

These reports evaluate the progress made by these eight tax jurisdictions in implementing any recommendations resulting from their stage 1 peer review. The results from the peer review and peer monitoring process demonstrate positive changes across all eight jurisdictions, although not all show the same level of progress.Continue Reading

OECD releases new MAP peer review reports

The reports evaluate the progress made by these eight jurisdictions in implementing any recommendations resulting from their stage 1 peer review. They take into account any developments in the period January 2018- August 2019 and build on the MAP statistics for 2016-2018.Continue Reading

OECD releases MAP arbitration profiles of 30 tax jurisdictions

OECD releases MAP arbitration profiles

The Arbitration Profiles have been developed to provide taxpayers with additional information on the application of Part VI of the MLI for each jurisdiction choosing to apply that Part. The Arbitration Profiles also allow those jurisdictions to make publicly available clarifications on their position on the MLI Arbitration.OECD releases MAP arbitration profiles of 30 tax jurisdictions
Continue Reading

Ireland updates corporate tax roadmap

According to the update, Ireland will seek to implement interest limitation rules in accordance with the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) standard; legislate for new international tax transparency rules for digital platforms; legislate for reverse hybrids aspect of ATAD anti-hybrid rules; adopt the authorized OECD approach for transfer pricing of branches; and consider actions that may be needed in respect of outbound payments from Ireland and our wider withholding tax regime.Continue Reading

Platform for Collaboration on Tax releases toolkit on transfer pricing documentation

Platform for Collaboration on Tax releases toolkit on transfer pricing documentation

The toolkit aims to help countries implement effective transfer pricing documentation requirements so that they can protect their tax bases, reduce profit shifting, and raise much-needed revenues for the recovery phase.Continue Reading

Portuguese EU Presidency to focus on digital economy taxation

Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union

In particular, the Presidency will address the challenges of European taxation, including the model for taxation of the digital economy, under the principles of fairness and tax efficiency.Continue Reading

OECD releases agenda for public consultation on Pillar One, Pillar Two Reports

The Blueprints reflect the convergent views of the Inclusive Framework on many of the key policy features, principles and parameters of both Pillars, and identify remaining technical and administrative issues as well as policy issues where divergent views among Inclusive Framework members remain to be bridged.Continue Reading

UK to repeal DAC6 in 2021

The UK tax authority, HM Revenue and Customs, has announced that it will repeal the DAC6 reporting requirement in 2021 and replace it with the OECD’s mandatory disclosure rules (MDR).

The announcement was made after completion of the negotiations between the UK and the EU on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

In a letter sent to stakeholders on December 31, HMRC said that reporting under DAC6 will still be required for a limited time, but only for arrangements which meet hallmarks under Category D, in line with the UK’s obligations under the FTA.

Category D sets out specific hallmarks concerning automatic exchange of information and beneficial ownership.

The International Tax Enforcement (Disclosable Arrangements) (Amendment) (No. 2) (EU Exit) Regulations, 2020 – laid before the House of Commons on December 30 – state that “(5) For the purposes of these Regulations, the DAC is to be read as if— (h) in Annex IV, Part 1 [the Main Benefit Test] and hallmark categories A, B, C and E in Part II were omitted.”

In the coming year, the UK will consult on and implement the OECD’s MDR as soon as practicable, to replace DAC6 and transition from European to international rules, HMRC told stakeholders.

Germany, Pakistan ratify BEPS MLI to tackle tax avoidance

Germany, Pakistan ratifies BEPS MLI to tackle tax avoidance

Germany and Pakistan have deposited their instrument of ratification for the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI).Continue Reading

OECD reveals country practices on hard-to-value intangibles

OECD reveals country practices on hard-to-value intangible

The information provides with a better understanding of the extent to which the HTVI approach described in Chapter VI of the Transfer Pricing Guidelines has been adopted and is applied in practice by countries around the world. Continue Reading

Singapore to participate in International Compliance Assurance Programme from 2021

Singapore to participate in International Compliance Assurance Programme

The MNE’s suitability for ICAP will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The MNE may propose for participating tax administrations it wishes to involve in its ICAP risk assessment, which will be subject to the participating tax administrations’ agreement.Continue Reading

OECD issues MAP peer review reports for further eight jurisdictions

OECD issues MAP peer review reports for further eight jurisdictions

The reports highlight how well these jurisdictions are implementing BEPS Action 14 minimum standard on making tax treaty dispute resolution more timely, effective, and efficient.Continue Reading

BVI to accept country by country report filings from March 2020

BVI to accept country by country report filings from March 2020

International Tax Authority informs BVI Constituent Entities, that are part of Multinational Entity Group, that it will soon be ready to receive filings for CbC reporting.Continue Reading

OECD issues further guidance on country-by-country reporting

OECD issues further guidance on CbC reporting

The additional interpretative guidance contains complete set of guidance concerning the interpretation and operation of BEPS Action 13 issued so far.Continue Reading

EU Commission warns Austria, Ireland to transpose interest limitation rules

EU Commission warns Austria, Ireland to transpose interest limitation rules

The Commission may bring the cases before the Court of Justice of the EU if Austria and Ireland do not act by February 1, 2020.Continue Reading

Hong Kong tax authority notes CbC reporting deadline details

Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department has clarified that starting from April 2019, the Department will not accept voluntary filing of a country-by-country (CbC) report for an accounting period ended on or before March 31, 2018.Continue Reading

BEPS MLI to enter into force in Australia in January 2019

BEPS MLI to enter into force in Australia in January 2019
From January 1, 2019, the BEPS MLI will operate to modify six of Australia’s 44 bilateral tax treaties. These include tax treaties with France, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and the UK.Continue Reading

OECD issues second peer review report on BEPS Action 5

OECD issues second peer review report on BEPS Action 5

The OECD has made 60 jurisdiction-specific recommendations on issues such as improving the timeliness of the exchange of information and ensuring that exchanges of information are made with respect to preferential tax regimes that apply to income from intellectual property.Continue Reading

India, Hong Kong tax treaty to take effect from April 2019

India, Hong Kong tax treaty to take effect from April 2019

The tax treaty provides for a low withholding tax rate of five percent for dividend payments. Interest, royalties, and fees are subject to a low withholding tax rate of ten percent.Continue Reading

Global Solution Needed to Tax Digital Economy: DIGITALEUROPE

Global Solution Needed to Tax Digital Economy: DIGITALEUROPE

DIGITALEUROPE, which represents the digital technology industry in Europe, has called upon governments to negotiate a comprehensive, global, long-term tax solution at the OECD-level to address the tax challenges of the digital economy.
Continue Reading

Google, Facebook to Appear Before EU Tax Committee

Google, Facebook to Appear Before EU Tax Committee
European Parliament’s Special Committee on Tax Avoidance (TAX3) is going to hold a hearing on November 27 with representatives from the Kering Group, Google, and Facebook.
 

The aim of the hearing is to assess the progress made by these multinational enterprises in the implementation of the base erosion and profit shifting project.Continue Reading

Ireland Consulting on Corporate Anti-Tax Avoidance Measures

Ireland Consulting on Corporate Anti-Tax Avoidance Measures

On November 14, 2018, Ireland’s Department of Finance published for public comments a consultation document on the hybrid mismatch and interest limitation measures to be introduced as part of the implementation of the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directives (ATAD and ATAD2).
Continue Reading

OECD Seeks Input on MAP Peer Reviews of Further Eight Jurisdictions

OECD Seeks Input on MAP Peer Reviews of Further Eight Jurisdictions

The OECD is seeking taxpayers’ input for the seventh round of base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) Action 14 Stage 1 peer reviews of further eight jurisdictions.
Continue Reading

OECD Issues Guidance on the Impact of BEPS MLI

OECD Issues Guidance on the Impact of BEPS MLI

The OECD has published new guidance for the development of synthesised texts to facilitate the interpretation and application of tax agreements modified by the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS MLI).Continue Reading

Countries Discuss Implementation of BEPS Minimum Standards

Countries Discuss Implementation of BEPS Minimum Standards

More than 60 delegates from 16 countries met recently at the regional meeting of the Inclusive Framework on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to discuss implementation of the BEPS measures.Continue Reading

Tax Officials Discuss BEPS Implementation Challenges

Tax Officials Discuss BEPS Implementation Challenges

Senior tax experts met at an event in Portugal on October 23 to discuss the strategic importance of the OECD’s work on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) and the challenges faced by tax administrations in implementing the BEPS proposals.Continue Reading

Further Three Jurisdictions Join BEPS Inclusive Framework

Further Three Jurisdictions Join BEPS Inclusive Framework

Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have newly joined the OECD’s Inclusive Framework on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS).

The Inclusive Framework on BEPS allows interested countries and jurisdictions to work with the OECD and Group of Twenty nations on monitoring the implementation of the BEPS proposals.Continue Reading

Switzerland Expands Country List for Exchange of CbC Reports

Switzerland Expands Country List for Exchange of CbC Reports

The Swiss Federal Council on October 17 decided to expand the list of countries with which Switzerland would exchange country-by-country (CbC) reports.

The legal basis for the exchange of CbC reports entered into force for Switzerland on December 1, 2017. Switzerland had then submitted to the OECD a list of 108 countries with which the Government will exchange CbC reports.Continue Reading

Mutual Agreement Procedure Statistics Published for 2017

Mutual Agreement Procedure Statistics Published for 2017

The OECD on October 10 published its 2017 mutual agreement procedure (MAP) statistics covering 85 tax jurisdictions.

According to the 2017 MAP statistics, new transfer pricing MAP cases are up by 25 percent and other MAP cases by 50 percent. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the increase in new MAP cases is due to a range of factors including the effects of the new reporting framework and increased awareness of and expectations from taxpayers about MAP, the OECD noted.Continue Reading

Countries Share Ideas on Country by Country Reporting Implementation

Countries Share Ideas on Country by Country Reporting Implementation

Senior tax officials from over 20 countries recently met at a workshop to share experiences from the first year of country-by-country (CbC) reporting and explore how information can be used most effectively in the tax risk assessment of MNE groups.Continue Reading

Aruba Newest to Join BEPS Inclusive Framework

Aruba Newest to Join BEPS Inclusive Framework

Aruba has now joined the OECD’s Inclusive Framework on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS).

The Inclusive Framework on BEPS allows interested countries and jurisdictions to work with the OECD and Group of Twenty nations on monitoring the implementation of the BEPS proposals.Continue Reading

More Countries Ratify BEPS Convention

More Countries Ratify BEPS Convention

Australia, France, Japan, and the Slovak Republic have deposited their instruments of ratification of the OECD’s Multilateral Convention to implement tax treaty-related measures to prevent base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS).

For these four countries, the BEPS Convention would enter into force from January 1, 2019. The Convention entered into force last month for New Zealand, Serbia, Sweden, and the UK.Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia Signs OECD’s BEPS Multilateral Instrument

Saudi Arabia Signs OECD’s BEPS Multilateral Instrument

Saudi Arabia has become the 84th tax jurisdiction to sign the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) Multilateral Convention.

The BEPS Convention, negotiated by over 100 countries and jurisdictions, updates the existing network of 1,400 bilateral tax treaties and reduces opportunities for tax avoidance by multinational enterprises.Continue Reading

ICC Welcomes OECD Draft on Transfer Pricing Aspects of Financial Transactions

ICC Welcomes OECD Draft on Transfer Pricing Aspects of Financial Transactions

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has largely welcomed the OECD’s public discussion draft on the transfer pricing aspects of financial transactions.

The discussion draft deals with follow-up work in relation to base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) Actions 8-10, on assuring that transfer pricing outcomes are in line with value creation.Continue Reading

BEPS Instrument to Enter into Force in January 2019 for Israel, Lithuania

BEPS Instrument to Enter into Force in January 2019 for Israel, Lithuania

Israel and Lithuania have newly deposited with the OECD their instrument of ratification for the Multilateral Instrument to implement tax treaty-related base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) measures.Continue Reading

Transfer Pricing Aspects of Financial Transactions: Read TEI’s Comments

Transfer Pricing Aspects of Financial Transactions: Read TEI’s Comments

The Tax Executives Institute has responded to the OECD’s public discussion draft on the transfer pricing aspects of financial transactions.

The discussion draft deals with follow-up work in relation to base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) Actions 8-10, on assuring that transfer pricing outcomes are in line with value creation.Continue Reading

OECD Transfer Pricing Profiles for 7 More Countries Published

OECD Transfer Pricing Profiles for 7 More Countries Published

The OECD has published new transfer pricing country profiles for Costa Rica, Greece, Republic of Korea, Panama, Seychelles, South Africa, and Turkey. The OECD has also updated the information contained in Singapore’s profile.Continue Reading

Countries Lowering Corporate Income Tax Rates

Countries Lowering Corporate Income Tax Rates

A new OECD report reveals that countries have used recent tax reforms to lower corporate income tax.

Tax Policy Reforms 2018 highlights the continuation of a trend toward corporate income tax rate cuts, which has been largely driven by significant reforms in a number of large countries with traditionally high corporate tax rates.Continue Reading

Indian Tax Authority Extends ‘Significant Economic Presence’ Consultation Deadline

Indian Tax Authority Extends ‘Significant Economic Presence’ Consultation Deadline

India’s tax authority has extended the earlier deadline of August 10 to submit comments on the newly introduced “significant economic presence” test to tax profits of foreign businesses.Continue Reading

Australian Taxation Office Issues Draft Guidance on Related Party Financing Arrangements

Australian Taxation Office Issues Draft Guidance on Related Party Financing Arrangements

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has published for public comments Schedule 2 to Practical Compliance Guideline (PCG) 2017/4DC, which discusses the tax authority’s  compliance approach to tax issues relating to cross-border, related-party financing arrangements and related transactions.Continue Reading

Taiwan Begins International Tax Training for 2018

Taiwan Begins International Tax Training for 2018

Taiwan’s Finance Ministry is holding the 2018 International Tax Academy from July 30 to August 17 this year.

The event was launched in 1984 and is conducted every year in cooperation with the School of Law of Southern Methodist University.Continue Reading

Report on Taxation of Offshore Indirect Transfer of Assets Issued

Report on Taxation of Offshore Indirect Transfer of Assets Issued

The Platform for Collaboration on Tax – a joint initiative of the IMF, the OECD, the UN, and the World Bank Group – has published for public comments a revised version of its report on taxation of offshore indirect transfers of assets.Continue Reading

OECD Consulting on Transfer Pricing Aspects of Financial Transactions

OECD Consulting on Transfer Pricing Aspects of Financial Transactions

The OECD today called for stakeholders’ input on a discussion draft on financial transactions, which deals with follow-up work in relation to base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) Actions 8-10, on assuring that transfer pricing outcomes are in line with value creation.
Continue Reading

ATO Issues Draft Tax Guidance on Hybrid Mismatch Rules

ATO Issues Draft Tax Guidance on Hybrid Mismatch Rules

On June 21, 2018, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) published for stakeholders’ comments draft Practical Compliance Guideline (PCG 2018/D4) to assist taxpayers who may be affected by the country’s hybrid mismatch rules and wish to unwind or restructure out of existing hybrid arrangements.Continue Reading

Accountants Concerned About New Zealand’s BEPS Tax Bill

Accountants Concerned About New Zealand’s BEPS Tax Bill

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA-ANZ) has stressed that by implementing the Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill in its current form, the New Zealand Government would be “going further than most other OECD countries.”Continue Reading

New Zealand to Modify Transfer Pricing Rule in BEPS Bill

New Zealand to Modify Transfer Pricing Rule in BEPS Bill

By Alex Cooper

The New Zealand Inland Revenue is seeking to rectify a drafting error in a new rule to limit the rate of deductible interest on related-party, cross-border debt (the restricted transfer pricing rule) in the Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill.Continue Reading

Bermuda Updates CbC Reportable Tax Jurisdictions List

Bermuda CbC Reporting Tax Jurisdictions

On January 31, 2018, Bermuda’s Finance Ministry released an updated list of tax jurisdictions that will be treated as “reportable jurisdictions” for the purposes of the country-by-country (CbC) reporting standard for the 2016 and 2017 reporting periods.Continue Reading

Greece, Bulgaria Discuss Ways to Address BEPS Concerns

TP News Bulgaria-Greece

Senior officials from Greece and Bulgaria met on January 18, 2018, to discuss ways to tackle base erosion and profit shifting by certain Greek businesses, who transfer their headquarters to Bulgaria to benefit from a low corporate tax rate in Bulgaria.Continue Reading

Hong Kong, French Tax Administrations to Exchange CbC Reports

Hong Kong Bill implements transfer pricing, BEPS rules

On January 15, 2018, the Government of Hong Kong announced that it has entered into a bilateral arrangement with France to automatically exchange country-by-country (CbC) reports filed by multinational corporations.Continue Reading

Indian IT Giant Infosys Signs APA with US

TP News India Tax

Indian IT giant Infosys Limited has announced the successful conclusion of an advance pricing agreement (APA) with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a move that will enhance predictability of the company’s tax obligations in respect of its US operations.Continue Reading

Mongolia Joins BEPS Inclusive Framework

Mongolia joins BEPS Inclusive Framework on BEPS

Mongolia has joined the OECD’s Inclusive Framework on BEPS, bringing the total number of countries participating in the project on an equal footing to 111.

Members of the framework work together with other OECD and G-20 countries on implementing the BEPS package consistently and on developing further standards to address BEPS issues.