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Cyprus Imposes 19% VAT on Building Land

Published: 19/01/2018 | news

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#Cyprus #Taxes #VAT

From January 2, 2018 in Cyprus, the new VAT Law has entered into force, providing for changes in the main VAT Law No.95(I)/2000. The document introduces VAT at a standard rate for the sale of building land, as well as leasing/rental of business premises on the conditions specified in the law. It also introduces the reverse charge mechanism for VAT-subject supplies of land and property under a loan restructuring/force-sale arrangement, which will mostly influence financial institutions. Imposition of VAT at the standard rate of 19% on building land The standard VAT rate of 19% will be applied in the following cases: transfer of ownership; transfer of indivisible land portion; transfer of ownership via contract or sale agreement or agreement which specifies that the ownership will be transferred in the future or leasing agreement with buyout option. The above shall apply to non-developed building land which is meant for the construction of one or more structures in the course of carrying out a business activity. More clarifications are still needed for the application of the law, such as the circumstances whereby a transfer is not considered to be a part of a person’s...

Ministry of Finance Reforms Institution of Financial Liability for Tax Violations

Published: 30/11/2017 | news

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#Cyprus #VAT

Recently the Ministry of Finances of Ukraine, together with the experts from the interactive tax platform TaxLink, has developed a bill “On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine regarding the improvement of the prosecution system for violation of tax laws”. The essence of the document is to reform the liability for tax violations provided by the current legislation. First of all, the bill introduces more effective mechanisms for the settlement of tax disputes in cases when the violation of tax law happened not due to the fault of the payer. In addition, it is proposed to introduce the principle of fault liability of taxpayers which is inherent in all branches of Ukrainian legislation, in contrast to the current liability of the payer without fault. Therefore, the last one will be considered guilty if found guilty that he was able to comply with the relevant rules and regulations, but did not take the necessary measures for this. In this regard, when considering the verification materials by the supervisory authority, the documents of the taxpayer may be subject to the examination that show his due diligence. Another significant innovation is the introduction of the system of...

Undistributed profit in Latvia is exempt from CIT

Published: 01/09/2017 | news

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#CIT #CIT #Dividends

On the 4th and 11th of July, 2017 the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia approved a number of draft laws providing for the significant changes in the tax legislation of the country which will enter into force on January 1, 2018. The most significant of them will be the application of the CIT 0% rate for the reinvested profits. In other words, the enterprise will be subject to the corporate income tax only if it pays dividends or other payments for the purpose of actual distribution of the profits (conditionally distributed profit). Therefore since 2018, the company's profits are exempted from CIT, but it has to pay 20% of the income tax from the amount of dividends. At the same time, the shareholders will not have to pay personal income tax (PIT). Although, according to the bill, the CIT rate is 20%, and the tax base should be divided by a factor of 0.8, the effective tax rate actually equals 25%. It is notably that CIT will be applied not only to the dividends in the traditional sense, but also to the "deemed dividends", which are considered a new concept in Latvian tax legislation, and comparable with the dividends to the costs. Here it is important to note that the last ones...

Germany and Costa Rica in order to avoid double taxation on January 1

Published: 07/11/2016 | news

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#Costa Rica #Double taxation #Germany

German Ministry of Finance of 24 October confirmed that the double tax avoidance, the contract between Germany and Costa Rica, will be applied from January 1, 2017. The agreement, which was signed on 13 February 2014, is the first such agreement between Germany and Costa Rica, and contains the OECD standard for the exchange of information between the tax authorities of the two countries. The tax on dividends will generally be limited to 15 percent. However, the rate of five percent would apply if the dividend recipient is a company (other than partners), which directly owns at least 20 percent of the shares of the paying company. Income tax on the interest payments, as a rule, is limited to five per cent. At the same time, the withholding tax on royalties will be capped at 10 percent. Author: Olena Kutova senior lawyer of the Finance Business Service company ...

The German parliament approved the reform of inheritance tax

Published: 18/10/2016 | news

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#Germany #Reforms

The upper house of the German parliament, the Bundesrat (Federal Council) approved a bill to tighten eligibility criteria for inheritance tax incentives for family businesses. These changes mean that the tax exemption will be abolished inheritance in excess of EUR 90 million (USD 98.7 million). In total, the exemption from inheritance tax will be applied in most cases, but only if the company has been working for at least seven years, and retains the same level of employment. Companies in which five employees are working, or less, will be automatically exempt from inheritance tax without any limitation, as compared to 20 employees in accordance with the existing rules. The new law will be applied retrospectively (ex-post), with the July 1, 2016. Changes in the rules of inheritance tax in Germany, was caused by the decision of the Constitutional Court in 2014, stating that the existing rules violate the principle of fiscal equality. Inheritance tax benefited thousands of family firms, which employ more than 50 percent of the German workforce. However, they also talk about the consolidation of inequality and the accumulation of wealth among a relatively small number of...

Germany is preparing to publish the tax cuts

Published: 10/10/2016 | news

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#Germany

The German government is expected to soon announce the details of the reduction in the amount of tax in excess of EUR 6 billion (USD 6.7 billion), both in 2017 and in 2018. According to "Handelsblatt", a political agreement on the details of the proposed tax cuts was reached between the two main parties in the ruling coalition, paving the way for the tax reduction. Chancellor Angela Merkel also confirmed that the government has given permission for moderate tax benefits in 2017 and 2018 during a performance of business leaders on 6 October. Outlining the federal government's budget plan for 2017 in the Bundestag, the lower house of the German Parliament, 6 September, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that the tax cuts mainly comes from the weakening effect "bit transition", as a result, income tax It keeps pace with inflation, wages, so pushing people on relatively modest incomes in higher tax framework. Schaeuble also said that payroll taxes would be cut, despite the fact that more data is still awaited. Author: Sergey Panovmanaging partner Finance Business...

German bankers enter tax plea

Published: 22/08/2016 | news

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#Banks #Germany

The head of German Banks Association asked to government to improve tax range for banks operating in Germany. Michael Kemmer, the general manager of Germann Banks Association made announce and in his announce he asked the government to take a clear political improvement to Frankfurt as financial center, in consequence of the voting of the United Kingdom they left the EU. "We need bright signal that Frankfurt, financial center of Germany is ready take on board the services and the supplier of services from Great Britain. It will make possible to create a new jobs and economic growth," Kemmer stressed. In the tax area, Kremmer said that the government could make German banking sector more competitive by allowing banks to deduct bank levy payments from the their taxable income. All credit institutions in Germany were as objects of every-year levy balances since January 2011. The levy starts at 0.02 percent for banks with a balance between EUR300m (USD340m) and EUR10bn, and rises in stages to 0.06 percent on balances in excess of EUR300bn. "As any other European country the banking levy must be tax as operation expenses", Kemmer said. He also ask Germany...

Germany agrees with stricter IHT rules

Published: 24/06/2016 | news

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#Germany

Germany's main political parties have reached an agreement on long-awaited inheritance tax reforms, with the proposed changes expected to be passed by Parliament by July. Amendments to Germany's inheritance tax law are required after the country's Constitutional Court ruled in 2014 that existing rules breach the principle of fiscal equality. Under Germany's 2009 inheritance tax law, heirs of assets from companies with more than twenty employees are exempt from inheritance tax provided that the business remains operational for at least ten years and that jobs are maintained. It is a system that many argue helps Germany to maintain high levels of employment and enables small and medium-sized businesses to use assets for growth rather than for paying potentially large inheritance tax bills. Inheritance tax rates in Germany can be as high as 43 percent, depending on the relationship between the deceased and the heir. However, others argue that these tax breaks are unfair as they benefit mainly wealthy individuals, while also helping to concentrate large amounts of wealth among a relatively small number of families. Under the changes agreed by the coalition parties,...

Changes in order payment of dividends by joint stock companies

Published: 03/06/2016 | news

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#Dividends #Ukraine

May 27, 2016 came into force The order payment of dividends by joint stock company, which is approved by the National Commission on securities and stock market from 12.04.2016 number 391. In particular, on the relevant general meeting of shareholders is defined by a specific method of payment of dividends concerning the entire issue of shares - through the depository system of Ukraine or directly to shareholders. Implementation of dividend payments by joint stock company is going through the payment of the entire amount in full or in part, certainly if it is provided by the general meeting of shareholders or the supervisory board of the company. At the same time, in the case of decision-making by the joint stock company to pay dividends to shares, the payment could made proportionally and simultaneously to all persons who are entitled to receive dividends. Regarding the payment of dividends directly to shareholders. Payment of dividends to shareholders who are entitled, namely the transfer of the amounts of funds to all shareholders shall be effected by the transfer of funds to the shareholders during the relevant time and date that does not exceed six...

Puerto Rico’s VAT plans was declined by lawmakers

Published: 31/05/2016 | news

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#Puerto-Rico

Puerto Rico will no longer accept the value added tax, after lawmakers in the Senate voted in favor of the overthrow of the attempts of the governor of Puerto Rico, Alejandro Garcia Padilla, to veto the previously adopted law on the abolition. Puerto Rico was to introduce value added tax at the point of sales and use tax from 1 of June The Senate of Puerto Rico, May 5, 2016, unanimously supported the earlier legislation with the support of the lower house of Parliament on 2 May to prevent value-added tax from being introduced.. The governor then vetoed the legislation. However, the legislation is only necessary to collect two-thirds support to override this veto. May 26, 2016, the Senate voted to abandon plans for VAT 21 votes to 1. Author: Sergey Panovmanaging partner Finance Business...

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