UK: Updated guidance on PAYE penalties confirms continuation of penalty easement

26 May, 2016

HMRC has issued updated guidance on penalties for late filing and non-filing of PAYE returns and how to avoid them. The revised guidance confirms that employers filing their full payment within three days after the due date will not have to pay a

See More

UK: Guidance on income tax exemption for trivial benefits in kind

11 February, 2016

Draft legislation on the income tax exemption for trivial benefits in kind is to be included in the UK Finance Bill 2016. Draft regulations have also been published to extend this exemption to benefits in kind provided to former employees and to

See More

UK: Consultation on changes to National Insurance Contributions

22 December, 2015

On 9 December 2015 the UK issued a consultation document proposing changes to Class 2 and Class 4 national insurance contributions. These are payments made by self-employed people in respect of entitlement social security benefits including the

See More

Malaysia: Budget 2016

25 October, 2015

The Malaysian Prime Minister announced Malaysia's 2016 budget on 23 October 2015 highlighting some tax measures including corporate and personal income taxation changes. Corporate taxation A special reinvestment allowance of 60% of qualifying

See More

Kazakhstan: Bill regarding social health insurance sent to Senate

13 October, 2015

A bill about compulsory social health insurance contributions has been introduced and was sent to Senate on 8th October 2015. This bill is about a new social health insurance system to be launched from 2017. In calculating social health insurance

See More

Kazakhstan: President signs a Law on pensions

06 August, 2015

The President has signed a law on 4th August 2015 to amend the process of obligatory pension contributions and budget funded state pension payments. The main amendments are given below: Employers Employers are obliged to withhold from salary and

See More

Turkey: Personal Tax Allowances Increased

04 May, 2015

Law no. 6645 has been published in the official gazette on 23rd April 2015. The law amends the individual income tax law. Article 8 of this law raises the minimum living allowance rate approved for the third child to 10% from 5%. The basic

See More

UK: Budget Announcements for 2015/16

18 March, 2015

The UK budget announcements were delivered on 18 March 2015. The detail of the announcements is as follows: Business tax measures As already announced the UK corporation tax rate is 20% from 1 April 2015. The budget announcements include the

See More

Venezuela: Monthly minimum salary increases

06 February, 2015

The President has declared an increment in the monthly minimum salary (MMS) from VEF 4,889.11 to VEF 5,622.47 on 21st January 2015, and it should have been applicable as from 1st February 2015. But, the Decree announcing the increase has not yet

See More

OECD: report on encouraging entrepreneurship

03 February, 2015

In December 2014 the OECD published a study entitled “The Missing Entrepreneurs 2014: Policies for Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Europe”. This looks at the possibilities for entrepreneurship and self-employment for groups in Europe that are

See More

Spain: Amendment of Social Security Contribution Rules

02 February, 2015

Spain amended the social security contribution rules through the Ministerial Order ESS/86/2015 of 30 January 2015. The Order implements the social security contribution rules established in the Budget Law for 2015, including unemployment, protection

See More

GCC average salaries in 2015 are set to rise 5% as per latest pay forecast

25 October, 2014

Salaries of GCC countries are set to rise next year as per the pay forecast of Hay Group, the global management consultancy. The forecast is based on over 1,600 organizations representing 1 million employees in the GCC countries. It shows that the

See More

US: Four Charitable Tax Breaks for 2014

18 July, 2014

“America Gives More Act of 2014” has been passed in the House on July 17, by the vote of 277-130. Two old charitable giving tax breaks that have expired and two new ones have passed the House, leaving charities delighted. Among the Four

See More

Nigeria: New system regarding pension plan has enacted

03 July, 2014

The Legislation has signed into law that provides new measures for a contributory pension plan system in Nigeria. The new law naming “Pension Reform Act, 2014” repeals a 2004 law, and provides for a high threshold number of employees for

See More

Russia: Withholding tax for pensions has reimbursed under certain situations

03 July, 2014

The Federal Law that adopts the amending tax code has entered into force with effect from June 24, 2014. On the basis of Federal Law No. 166-FZ, pensions paid to individuals under non-state pension insurance agreements signed by their employers with

See More

Chile: Claim for education tax break rise of 16%

13 June, 2014

Chile's Internal Revenue Service (SII) reported that 284,494 taxpayers have claimed a tax rebate for expenses regarding children’s education this year, an increase of 16% from previous year. The total amount claimed was CLP25.45bn (USD45.84m),

See More

Canada -Australia ITT regarding income of employee on a short-term secondment

02 June, 2014

The Australian Taxation Office has published Interpretative Decision ATO ID 2014/20 on May 30, 2014 regarding the income of a non-resident individual engaged by a resident employer resident in Canada is taxable in Australia despite that the employee

See More

New Zealand Funding Increased Tax Compliance Drive

25 May, 2014

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is to receive an additional NZD132m in government funding over five years to increase its tax compliance drive. Some of this is for investing in compliance enforcement, while some will cover tax that must be

See More