Digital Economy

OECD releases IT-format to support exchange of tax information on digital platform sellers: OECD→

March 29, 2022

Africa

As of April, Ghana will require all e-commerce and digital platforms without physical presence in the country to file tax returns, pay monthly taxes at an 18.5% rate: Jonas Nyabor / The Africa Report→

March 25, 2022

Digital Economy

Switzerland opens public consultation on OECD/G20 minimum tax plan for multinationals (in French): Swiss Federal Council→

March 14, 2022

Africa

Kenya: embracing the two-pillar approach

February 23, 2022

Samuel Okumu, Rödl & Partner Limited, discusses the OECD-Kenya Revenue Authority’s three-day workshop in Naivasha, Kenya in late January to assess Kenya’s efforts in enacting the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS).

Americas

USTR prods Canada to scrap digital services tax: Office of the US Trade Representative→

February 23, 2022

Digital Economy

EU consults on adapting VAT rules to digital age

January 21, 2022

The European Commission on January 21 announced the launch of a consultation on how the value-added tax (VAT) system can be updated to adapt to the digital economy and new business models while also reducing burdens and costs for businesses; the consultation is being held in advance of . . .

Americas

Canada advances digital services tax bill despite OECD pact, US objections

December 15, 2021

Canada introduced draft legislation on December 14 to implement its planned digital services tax – with a built-in delay and contingency deferring to implementation of the OECD multilateral agreement; however, if the OECD agreement under Pillar 1 is not timely implemented . . .

Accounting

Seychelles to amend business tax rates, expand transfer pricing capacity

December 9, 2021

The government of Seychelles plans to reduce its business tax rates beginning in January 2022, according to the national budget delivered November 12, and is working on other business and international tax reforms, including expanding transfer pricing . . .

Americas

India and US agree on transition from India’s ‘equalization levy’ digital tax

November 29, 2021

The US and India have reached a compromise on a transition from India’s “equalization levy” digital services tax towards the terms of the October 8 multilateral agreement on new international taxing rules, according to a November 24 . . .

Asia-Pacific

Turkey and US agree on phase-out of digital tax

November 23, 2021

The US Treasury announced on November 22 that it has reached an agreement with the Turkish government on Turkey’s transition from its digital services tax to the new taxing rules under the . . .

Digital Economy

Irish Finance Bill 2021 adopts transfer pricing, international tax changes

October 22, 2021

The Finance Bill 2021 released by the Irish government on October 21 sets out legislative changes related to transfer pricing, anti-tax avoidance measures, planned tax treaty ratifications, and various . . .

Accounting

European digital services taxes to stay for now, with offsetting credits, countries agree

October 21, 2021

Under an October 21 agreement between the United States and Austria, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK, the European countries can keep their existing digital services taxes in place pending implementation of Pillar 1 of the OECD global tax deal; however, multinational groups . . .

Customs

European Commission work programme 2022 includes tax projects

October 21, 2021

The European Commission will work to ensure “swift and consistent” implementation within the EU of the two-pillar global tax agreement to show “EU’s leadership in global tax fairness,” according to its work programme 2022 released October 19, including a new . . .

Americas

Trinidad and Tobago proposes tax incentives for R&D, digital, foreign investment

October 11, 2021

The 2022 budget statement presented by the finance minister of Trinidad and Tobago on October 4 includes several business tax measures, including incentives for digital sector start-ups, a research and development (R&D) capital allowance, and a reduced . . .

Africa

Global tax talks reach ‘critical mass’ for landmark deal by tweaking details

October 8, 2021

The historic October 8 agreement on a global minimum tax and new rules for allocating taxing rights for large multinationals both firms up issues left open in the initial July statement and reflects concessions that were made to bring into the deal a few new countries, including . . .

Digital Economy

Digital taxes should remain for companies outside Pillar 1, BEPS Monitoring Group says

October 6, 2021

The BEPS Monitoring Group contends in October 5 comments that multinational enterprises that are not in-scope of the global tax deal’s Pillar 1 partial reallocation of taxing rights to market jurisdictions should remain subject to . . .

Asia-Pacific

Philippines introduces digital services tax

September 22, 2021

The Philippines House of Representatives on September 21 approved a 12% value-added tax (VAT) on digital transactions that will apply to foreign corporations selling digital services in . . .

Americas

Asia to see disparate impacts from global digital tax reforms, IMF reports

September 15, 2021

Global tax reform efforts to address digitalization of the economy would likely have modest revenue effects in Asia, on the whole, according to a September 14 report from the International Monetary Fund; however, the effects would be uneven . . .

Asia-Pacific

Australian bill introduced to require tax reporting by digital platforms

August 26, 2021

Legislation introduced in Australia’s House of Representatives on August 25 would require digital platform operators to report to the Australian Taxation Office certain information on . . .

Americas

Japan releases study group report on international taxation in the digital economy

August 19, 2021

Takato Masuda, Nishimura & Asahi, discusses the August 19 release of the “Study Group on International Taxation in the Digital Economy,” assembled by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, providing insight into how the Japanese business sector views the OECD’s two-pillar solution, a digital services tax and . . .

Asia-Pacific

India’s first year of ‘faceless’ tax assessments runs into legal issues

August 3, 2021

Suranjali Tandon from the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi, analyzes several court decisions issued in June and July that highlight implementation issues with India’s new “faceless” – i.e., digital – tax assessment scheme, which was intended . . .

Digital Economy

UK consults on tax information reporting by digital platforms

July 30, 2021

On July 30, the UK HMRC opened a consultation on rules to require digital platforms to report to the tax authority information relating to the . . .

Americas

G20 reaffirms tax deal while EU delays digital levy, US eyes legislation

July 12, 2021

The communique issued by the G20 finance ministers at the conclusion of their July 9–10 meeting did not break substantial new ground in international tax talks, but the discussions seemed to help clear a hurdle in helping to . . .

Africa

130 nations endorse global tax overhaul, nine nations hold out

July 1, 2021

Following virtual talks between 139 nations represented in the OECD’s “Inclusive Framework,” 130 nations signed onto a detailed statement on July 1 for adopting new international tax rules, including . . .

Americas

US tells EU countries digital levy could jeopardize global tax talks

July 1, 2021

The Biden Administration has been reaching out to several European countries, according to June 30 reports, asking them to press the European Commission to put off a digital levy proposal that could. . .

Digital Economy

G7 global minimum tax deal leaves open questions

June 30, 2021

Vasiliki Koukoulioti, PhD researcher at Queen Mary University of London, discusses the questions that still surround the details of the global minimum tax agreement that G7 finance ministers reached on June 5 . . .

Digital Economy

OECD develops exchange framework for digital platform tax reporting

June 22, 2021

The OECD sets out in a June 22 report a multilateral competent authority agreement for the automatic exchange of information relating to income derived by . . .

Digital Economy

Professor says source taxation of nonresident digital businesses is justified because value creation is partly derived from infrastructure and other benefits provided by market jurisdiction: Craig Elliffe / SSRN→

June 8, 2021

Americas

G7 tax breakthrough sets stage for G20 talks in July, issues remain

June 7, 2021

G7 finance ministers reached a momentous agreement on June 5 on a global corporate minimum tax and changes to the allocation of taxing rights between . . .

Americas

Professor assesses Pillar One Amount A impact per country, industry: Lorraine Eden / SSRN→

June 7, 2021

Digital Economy

Ukraine passes ‘Google tax’ law impacting non-resident digital service providers

June 7, 2021

Iryna Kalnytska, GOLAW, discusses the Ukrainian parliament’s June 3 adoption of a bill introducing the so-called “Google tax,” which directly affects large non-resident companies that provide electronic and digital services in Ukraine . . .

Americas

UK finance minister says US plan to break global tax deadlock could work: William Schomberg / Reuters→

June 4, 2021

Americas

US plans tariffs against six nations as digital tax talks heat up

June 2, 2021

The US Trade Representative on June 2 announced and then immediately delayed implementation of new tariffs on goods from six countries – Austria, India, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the UK – in response to . . .

Belgium

EU Tax Observatory’s first report predicts amounts to be collected under a minimum tax

June 2, 2021

The European Commission on June 1 announced the launch of the European Tax Observatory, an independent, EU-financed research laboratory to study and advise . . .

Digital Economy

Self-assessment of Spain’s digital services tax postponed until July

May 27, 2021

Alma Delia Virto Aguilar, Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Valencia and Professor, International Taxation LLM, UNIR, discusses the status of Spain’s digital services tax . . .

Africa

Hungary, Ireland, UK reiterate resistance to global minimum tax while Germany remains optimistic

May 26, 2021

Hungary, Ireland, and UK officials have again warned that their countries will not accept the global minimum . . .

Americas

New Zealand will levy digital services tax on locally-derived revenues of Google, Facebook if no OECD accord is reached, Revenue Minister says: Jonathan Milne / newsroom.pro→

May 20, 2021

Americas

Canadian officials again warn US that they plan to impose a digital services tax in 2022 unless global tax agreement is reached: Reuters→

May 20, 2021

Digital Economy

Ambitious EU tax agenda includes new common corporate tax base proposal

May 18, 2021

The European Commission on May 18 announced several proposals that would dramatically alter the taxation of multinational groups, including proposals to allocate MNE profits among EU states using formulary apportionment and require MNEs to publish their effective tax rates . . . .

Khaled Al Zaabi on Spanish government proposes digital services tax: “We are seeking assistance with Digital Assets and International Tax Consulting to help Abu Dhabi UAE Oil Company navigate the…” October 24 ,2024

Emma Hinson Sims on The Pillar One blueprint — the potential future of international taxation and transfer pricing: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A VERY SMART, BEAUTIFUL, YOUNG LADY ON JANUARY 13TH.” January 6 ,2024

David Valdez on US Tax Court resolves Whirlpool tax dispute involving Mexican maquiladora structure: “Greetings Whirlpool Mexico, I’m trying to contact someone involved with the decision making for transportation from all of your Mexican…” October 20 ,2023

Jose Dominguez on The new US international tax rules: what you need to know about GILTI, FDII, BEAT etc.: “Very informative article. Question. Do you have a software to compute these US International Calcs to make them in house?” April 12 ,2023

Ciro César Soriano de Oliveira on Danish High Court rules on beneficial ownership of dividends for tax purposes: “Dear Ms Susi, This article is immensely clarifying. I’d like to know whether Danish Supreme Court has already granted its…” March 24 ,2023

May 19 – 20	Tax Council Policy Institute Conference	Washington, D.C.
May 19 – 20	IFA Second European Region Conference	Milan, Italy
May 24	IFA Webinar Series Pillar Two: An Update	Virtual Event
Sept. 4 – 8	IFA Congress	Berlin