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Hong Kong Intends to Join the OECD’s Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement

Published: 09/02/2018 | news

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#BEPS #Hong Kong

On February 2, 2018, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region officially formalized the process of ratifying the OECD’s Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA). That means that the jurisdiction will join soon the existing multilateral network of data exchange between the tax authorities of many countries and territories around the world. The Hong Kong Tax and Fees Department introduced the Ordinance on Automatic Exchange of Information on Financial Accounts (AEOI), which will optimize the process of obtaining information by the countries with which the jurisdiction agrees to exchange. This refers to the exchange both under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and the intercountry reporting exchange under the BEPS Plan. After joining of Hong Kong the Multilateral Agreement, the authorities of the country will be able to pass a rather formal procedure for finalizing the relations with other participants through the OECD secretariat. If we compare this process with the conclusion of separate bilateral agreements with a number of the countries, it is much faster and easier. It is important to note that until the end of this year, the old (bilateral) rules for...

Another 6 Countries Have Joined the BEPS Multilateral Convention

Published: 31/01/2018 | news

Tags:

#BEPS #Offshores #Taxation

On January 24, 2018, another six states signed the Multilateral Convention for the Implementation of Activities under the BEPS Plan (MLI Convention). In this regard, the countries were able to amend promptly their agreements on avoidance of double taxation, taking into account the recommendations developed by the OECD in the framework of the plan of action to counteract the base erosion and withdrawal of profits from taxation. Barbados, Côte d'Ivoire, Jamaica, Malaysia, Panama and Tunisia joined the MLI Convention, after which the total number of signers reached 78. It is also worth noting that Algeria, Kazakhstan, Oman and Swaziland have announced their intention to sign the Convention in the near future. In addition, other jurisdictions are actively working on signing the agreement in June this year, as the press service of the OECD reports. To date, four jurisdictions - Austria, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Poland - have ratified the Convention, which will enter into force three months after the fifth part of jurisdictions transfers the instruments of ratification to storage. The Convention, developed as part of large-scale negotiations involving more than 100 countries and...

NBU Has Mitigated Conditions for Business for Selling Foreign Currency

Published: 29/01/2018 | news

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#Currency control #NBU

The National Bank of Ukraine has simplified the conditions for the sale of foreign currency by the clients of the banks in the interbank foreign exchange market. The amendments to the legislation are enshrined in the NBU Resolution No.7 of January 25, 2018 “On Amending certain normative legal acts of the National Bank of Ukraine” and entered into force on January 27, 2018. The innovations provide mainly the following: Clear definition of the client’s right to apply for the sale of foreign currency to any authorized bank by his choice (regardless of the availability of a current account in foreign currency in this bank). Clarification of the terms of sale of foreign currency of the clients by the bank. We remind that an authorized bank is required by proxy of the client to sell its own funds in foreign currency no later than 5 banking days, starting from the day of writing off these funds from the client’s current account. The NBU clarified that in case of transfer of funds for sale by the client from another authorized bank, the sale of this currency is carried out within 5 days from the date of transfer of these funds to the correspondent account of the authorized...

A Number of Agreements on Automatic Exchange of Tax Information Entered into Force in Switzerland

Published: 12/01/2018 | news

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#Switzerland #Tax planning #Tax reporting #Taxation

A number of agreements on Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) on taxation issues, concluded by Switzerland with other jurisdictions, entered into force on January 1, 2018. Data exchange will be carried out in accordance with the Common Reporting Standard of the OECD, which provides for the possibility of automatic exchange of information between the territories that have agreed to such an exchange. Switzerland starts to exchange tax information this year with respect to data on accounts collected for some partners under previously signed agreements, namely Australia, Canada, the European Union, Guernsey and Jersey, the Isle of Man, Iceland, Japan, Norway and South Korea . More complete list of jurisdictions with which Switzerland plans to establish automatic exchange of information since 2019 was published on the website of the State Secretariat for International Finance. In order to fulfill its obligation to exchange information automatically with these territories, Swiss financial institutions will be demanded to comply with the new requirements on information collection from January 1, 2018 for the accounts of taxpayers from such countries as Andorra, Argentina,...

Concept of Cryptocurrency Has Been Introduced in the Legislation of the European Union

Published: 29/12/2017 | news

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#Cryptocurrency #EU #Legislation

Over the past few years, the development of Bitcoin has been increased, which is actively discussed by the governments of different countries. In this regard, the European Union raised some concerns about funding of terrorism, money laundering and tax evasion, which might be related to cryptocurrencies. This is the reason why the European legislator has introduced the concept of cryptocurrency into the Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, where Bitcoin is defined as a “monetary instrument”. As the European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici notes, to date Bitcoin is not considered as an alternative currency along with dollar or euro due to volatility and much speculation. It is noteworthy that the differences between the definitions of Bitcoins in the EU Directive and in the US legislation are not significant. Details of the political discussions regarding the cryptocurrency in the European Parliament and the further legislative prospects for electronic money are still...

Spain increases the burden of the corporate tax

Published: 06/12/2016 | news

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#Spain #Taxation #VAT

The government of Spain declared growth of a budget income on December 2, that will increase tax revenues from corporations. In spite of the fact that recently created government decided to leave the 25 percent corporate tax rate untouched, Spain will limit the corporate tax deductions. They will contribute the most part of 7 billion euros in the new income at which the government is aimed. The Budget imposes new limits on loss carry backs and restrictions for use of the pecuniary losses connected with shareholdings in the companies located in "tax harbors or in the territories with not appropriate level of a tax" in number with other changes. New measures of the corporate tax, as expected, raise the additional amount of 4.65 billion euros in revenue for the government. Besides, real estate value will be updated for property tax to increase revenues. Also, the government intends to lift a number of "guilty" taxes, including on alcohol, tobacco, and sweet drinks. Other changes are directed on modernization VAT and the fight against fraud VAT. It includes a new reporting system of the VAT in real time which announced in 2014. Taxpayers will be obliged to report about...

Switzerland and Austria dissolve the agreement withholding tax

Published: 14/11/2016 | news

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#Austria #Switzerland #Taxation

Agreement withholding tax (WHT) between Switzerland and Austria, will be phased out from 1 January 2017, when the agreement between Switzerland and the EU on the automatic exchange of tax information comes into force. 11 November 2016, Switzerland and Austria signed an agreement to ensure a smooth transition between the two modes. Austrian authorities, it regulates the arrangements for the transmission of the final amount of taxes and shipping the latest voluntary agreement. "The provisions of a tax treaty withholding will be applied on all the facts and legal rights that materialize during the period of its validity," said the Swiss Federal Council.Withholding tax agreement between Switzerland and Austria came into force on 1 January 2013. It provided for the regularization of assets held in Switzerland Austrian taxpayers and taxation of income derived from these assets. Austrian taxpayers have been an option either to pay by WHT, imposed directly on their accounts and transferred anonymously to the Austrian authorities, or to make a voluntary disclosure. The Swiss Federal Council said that this model is "generally loses its sense of existence with the introduction of an...

The Swiss government supports corporate tax reform

Published: 31/10/2016 | news

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#Reforms #Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Council announced its support for the proposed changes to the corporate tax base in Switzerland, known as - Corporate Tax Reform III (CTR III), on the eve of a referendum on the issue, which will be held early next year. CTR III cancel corporate tax arrangements, which are no longer in line with international standards. These primarily include the cantonal tax status, for possession of residential and mixed companies. "With regard to measures of tax legislation, the focus is on the promotion of innovation," said Federal Department of Finance on 27 October. "In general, the reform will allow Switzerland to remain an attractive location for companies, and for each canton, the ability to adapt their fiscal policies in the economic and financial situation," said a department statement. "Reform will prevent a mass exodus of existing companies with the status and thus, the possible tax losses amounting to more than CHF 5 billion (USD 5 billion) for the Federation, the cantons and communes." Author: Sergey Panovmanaging partner Finance Business...

The changed tax rules for Swiss banks

Published: 04/10/2016 | news

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#Banks #Switzerland

Switzerland has amended the "too large to fail" legislation to reduce the tax burden in some banks. The Swiss Federal Council requested the Federal Department of Finance to prepare a draft consultation document on changes to the position of participations in the deductions TBTF legislation. He noted that the proposed reform would "not allow the tax load of the leading holdings of systemically important banks from raising together with the conditional issuance of convertible securities (CoCos), written off bonds and bail bonds." The Federal Council has proposed that the interest payments on cocos, decommissioned bail bonds and bonds, were not taken into account when calculating the deduction. In accordance with current regulations, the deduction is reduced, because the interest in cocos, written off bonds and bail bonds, regarded as financing costs. The Federal Council said: "The deduction - a system associated with the current legislation, ie all interest on debt capital lead to a reduction in the gross income of all corporations and cooperatives This can lead to a higher tax burden.". The Federal Council said that some banks are required by supervisory law circulate such...

Switzerland amends for keeping tax resolution

Published: 27/09/2016 | news

Tags:

#Switzerland

Swiss Federal Council proposed an amendment to the tax deduction management, maintenance is easier finance group. The Council noted that the group created in Switzerland often carry out targeted measures to finance overseas, thus avoiding any deductions that would be related to funding issues, conducted by a group of companies established in Switzerland. The Council added that the Swiss economy as "pass some of the value added in this sector." The proposed amendment to the Retention Tax Resolution can affect groups in which the Swiss group companies (guarantor) provides a guarantee for bonds of foreign companies and groups (the issuer), belonging to the same group. According to the amendment, interest payments within the group made Swiss guarantee will no longer be subjected to withholding taxes. In December 2014, the Federal Council proposed move to a paid agent of the system under which the debtor will transfer all worth paying agent (usually a bank). Implementation of the proposals but has been suspended pending the results of the referendum on popular initiative. Federal Council announced that its 2014 proposal would solve the issue of improving the financing of the...

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