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EU Council approves the following actions of international tax reform

Published: 09/12/2016 | news

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#EU #Reforms

On December 6 meeting, the EU's Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) approved a number of measures for improvement international observance of the tax legislation. Specifically, the ECOFIN provides access for tax authorities to information, held by authorities responsible for prevention of money laundering; reached a consensus on the Directive project that aimed at closing of “hybrid mismatches” with the taxation systems of three countries; also made the decision concerning the offer to recommence the common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB). The Directive on exchange of information on beneficial owners of the companies it is intended to support tax authorities controlling the correct application of tax rules, thereby helping to prevent tax avoidance and tax fraud. At the second stage after the intensive discussions, Council agreed to stabilize the document for the majority of provisions Directive's plan about hybrid mismatches, leaving only two questions to solve them on the next weeks: rules that would allow Member States to apply the limited benefits and date of realization. “This directive will prevent corporate taxpayers for exploiting...

“Successful” year for the tax of transferred property in Scotland

Published: 07/12/2016 | news

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#Real estate #Scotland

Transition of Scotland to a new Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) was "operationally successful", according to the Scottish Parliament's Finance and Constitution Committee, which analyzed the impact of the tax on the real estate market. The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax replaced British stamp duty land tax (SDLT) in Scotland from April 1, 2015 within the agreement with Great Britain which transfers responsibility for some taxes to Scotland. LBTT of Scotland is based group with 145,000 pounds sterling (184,550 US dollars) with a free limit on the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax. In the amount of two percent the price is paid for a share of inheritance of real estate to 250,000 pounds sterling; five percent for a share to 325,000 pounds sterling; 10 percent to 750,000 pounds sterling; and 12 percent from the price above 750,000 pounds sterling. In the report of Committee said that in spite of the fact that implementation of a tax was successful, it is too early to draw any final conclusions concerning influence of LBTT rates and groups after one year of operational management of the entity, and also due to the lack of consistency in the forecast and in data of...

New Zealand seeks tax transparency from MNEs

Published: 24/11/2016 | news

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#New Zealand

The Commissioner of New Zealand tax management, Naomi Ferguson turned to local and multinational corporations belonging to a foreign owner to be more transparent in their international tax matters. Ferguson made the call Chartered Accountants of Australia during the launch of the 2016 edition of the Document of Compliance the center of transnational corporations and in Auckland on November 18 held a tax conference of New Zealand. The document of compliance describes in detail as the tax authority continues to increase amount of a research of large corporations, increasing number of the companies which will receive closer attention. The New Zealand large companies will be obliged to represent the Main Packet of Compliance which will include annual information on their structure of group, the financial reporting and tax coordination while the companies belonging to the foreign owner are obliged to finish the intended International Questionnaire. According to the internal income, nearly 600 New Zealand and foreign groups were under observation since 2012. From next year this number increased almost to 900 groups, including all the multinational companies belonging to foreign...

Ireland is the most efficient place in the EU, for the payment of taxes for businesses

Published: 23/11/2016 | news

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#EU #Ireland

Ireland remains the most efficient country in the EU, in which it is possible to pay taxes for businesses, according to the latest PwC / World Bank survey of tax. The report dealt with 189 economies around the world and take into account that all taxes was paid by companies. He analyzed the bureaucratic and administrative burdens imposed on businesses, when it comes to time spent on compliance, payment and registration of taxes, as well as the amount of tax imposed. Ireland took the 6th place in the world. PwC and the World Bank found that a typical Irish company spends about a quarter of the total volume of commercial profit in taxes. This figure was 12.4 percent of the income taxes, 12.1 percent of labor taxes and 1.4 percent in other taxes. In addition, the company spends a little more than two weeks, on their tax affairs and makes the payment almost every six weeks. PwC stressed that the statutory corporate tax rate in Ireland 12.5 percent, very close to the rate of "income tax" 12.4 percent. In the report explained that within the EU and the European free trade area, company will pay 40.6 percent of its commercial profit in taxes, including income taxes of 12.6 percent,...

Hungary plans the lowest corporate tax of the EU

Published: 21/11/2016 | news

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#EU #Hungary

Mihaly Varga, Hungary's Minister of National Economy, announced about decision of government to reduce the corporate tax rate lower than 10 percent next year. On November 18, behind the scenes of the Regional Digital Conference in Budapest, he made the announcement during which he unveiled the plan of the government to impose a single rate for nine percent of the corporate tax. Now, the headline shows, that the rate of Hungary of the corporate tax constitutes 19 percent, and there is lower level of the income tax of 10 percent on the first 500 million Hungarian forints (1.7 million US dollars) of the income. Dramatic movement would give Hungary one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world and one of the lowest in the European Union "onshore" jurisdictions. Varga said that this measure will save companies about 145 billion HUF (500 million US dollars) a year tax. The Government expects to compensate the shortfall through controlled growth to increase tax revenues. The government plans to introduce a new tax rate of 1 January 2017. Author: Olena Kutova senior lawyer of the Finance Business Service company ...

European Union heads “Revolution” of taxes

Published: 17/11/2016 | news

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#EU

The tax commissioner Pierre Moscovitchi says that the European commission something reached in fight "revolution of tax transparency" against prevention and avoidance of taxes. This week Moscovici gave a keynote speech at a conference in 2016 on the future of Europe at Harvard University. He said that the event, which the Commission approved the events surrounding Luxleaks, Panama Papers, and the Bahamas Leaks, is now forcing EU members "to perform their duties." He told with hope: "The bank secrecy will disappear in Europe soon, and the companies won't have any more an opportunity to play with borders it isn't enough to pay a tax or in general not to pay it. Besides, the Commission plans to publish "black list" of the tax havens as 'naming and shaming' is a powerful tool which we shall be ready to use. Moscovici said that the EU "should unite the problem of a stronger tax administration into negotiations with uncooperative territories." Author: Olena Kutova senior lawyer of the Finance Business Service company ...

The European Council endorses the exchange of beneficial ownership data

Published: 15/11/2016 | news

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#EU

The European Council confirmed the offer to provide to the tax authorities access to information, the contents of the authorities responsible for the prevention of money laundering. If the owner of the financial account is an intermediary of structure, then Directives of the EU 2014/107/EU requires that financial institutions reported about the beneficial property right of the enterprise. The application of this provision relies on the information, the contents of the authorities responsible for the prevention of money laundering, in accordance with Directive 2015/849 / EU. The Council said: "Access to this information will ensure that the tax authorities are better prepared to fulfill its monitoring obligations, so it helps to prevent tax evasion and tax fraud." The proposal is one of many measures set out by the European Commission in July 2016, in connection with the leak Panamanian newspaper, and it will be apply 1 January 2018. According to the Commission, the measure "guarantees, that tax authorities have provided access to the data provided by rules of anti-money laundering EU, especially consumer information on financial inspection and information in their national...

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 ...

EC – Canada: free trade agreement in question

Published: 25/10/2016 | news

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#Canada #EU

President of the European Council Donald Tusk warned that comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA) with Canada may be the last with the EU if the government "is not able to convince people that the trade agreements on their behalf." Pinned hopes that CETA will be formally signed on Thursday 27 October. However, despite approval by 27 of the 28 EU Member States, the Belgian region of Wallonia refused to give their support. The Federal Government of Belgium gave their support to end on 24 October. Andre Antoine, Walloon parliament speaker, said that it is impossible to adhere to this "ultimatum." It was to be a meeting last week after the European Council, where Tusk said "all member states, except one, approved the deal." Commenting on the event, Tusk said: "Firstly, our citizens are increasingly concerned at the expense of trade agreements, leading the negotiations to their advantage, and I'm afraid that we can not continue negotiations for free trade agreements (FTA), if we do not will prove in practice that we are very serious about the protection of European consumers, workers and businesses." "We have made some progress in this direction. Leaders have committed...

The European Parliament began inquiries in Panama

Published: 29/09/2016 | news

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#EU #Panama

The European Parliament began its investigation following the hearing Panamanian documents. Committee of the European Parliament to investigate money laundering, tax evasion (Panama) held its first full meeting on 27 September. It consists of 70 members, including the chairman and four deputies. It will investigate the allegations of wrongdoing and improper administration in the application of European legislation on money laundering, tax evasion and tax avoidance by the European Commission or Member States. Its creation was due to a leakage of 11.5 million documents relating to Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. Data relating to the ownership of bank accounts and offshore companies in 21 jurisdictions, and cover a period of almost 40 years, until the end of 2015. Parliament said that the journalist Frederic Obermayer suggested that Panama's documents represent only the tip of the iceberg, and argued that EU banks are actively helping their clients evade taxes. Parliament added that the Swiss journalist Oliver Zilmen described the use of the system, including intermediaries, such as, for example, Swiss lawyers who actually run companies, Russian money and banks in Cyprus...

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