New Zealand: OECD Economic Survey for 2022 Recommends Tax Adjustments
On 31 January 2022 the OECD published the New Zealand Economic Survey 2022. The report notes that more consolidation measures are necessary to stabilise the fiscal position, and emphasises the need to increase productivity, increase the housing
See MoreIMF: Report on the Economy of Hong Kong SAR
On 20 January 2022 the IMF published a report on the economy of Hong Kong SAR (China) following discussions under Article IV of the IMF’s articles of agreement. Hong Kong SAR's economy has recovered strongly from a number of domestic and
See MoreOECD: Revisiting Alcohol Prices for Healthier Lives
An OECD blog post of 13 January 2022 is entitled Revisiting Alcohol Pricing Policies for Healthier Lives. The blog post notes that decisions on alcohol policy involve a balance between health objectives and broader economic aims, and examines the
See MoreNigeria: President signs Finance Bill 2021 into Law
On 31 December 2021, the President, Muhammadu Buhari, signed the Finance Bill 2021 into Law at an event at the state house. The Act introduces various changes to 12 different laws in Nigeria. On 21 December 2021, Senate passed this Finance Bill
See MoreIMF: Report Looks At Jordan’s Fiscal Position
On 20 December 2021 the IMF released a report following the third review under Jordan’s extended arrangement. The report noted that Jordan has remained on course with the reform program supported by the IMF, with macroeconomic stability
See MoreIMF: Excise Taxes to Fight Obesity
On 10 December 2021 the IMF issued a note entitled How to Apply Excise Taxes to Fight Obesity. Measures to fight obesity have been complex to design owing to the complexity of food supply chains and the difficulty of targeting consumption of
See MoreOECD: Revenue Statistics 2021
On 6 December 2021 the OECD released Revenue Statistics 2021, containing a detailed summary of internationally comparable tax data for the OECD countries. The statistics present the data for the year 2020, a year affected by the pandemic. The
See MoreIreland: Finance Department releases amendments to Finance Bill 2021
On 12 November 2021, the Finance Minister, Paschal Donohoe T.D., appreciated the approval by Government to a number of Government amendments to be put down at Committee Stage of the Finance Bill 2021. The Minster has decided not to proceed with
See MoreItaly: Council of Ministers Approves Budget for FY 2022
28 October 2021, Italian Council of Ministers has issued a release declaring its approval of the Budget for FY 2022. The key tax measures include plastic tax and sugar tax is postponed until 2023, the VAT rate on feminine hygiene products is
See MoreUK: Soft Drinks Industry Levy Statistics
On 30 September 2021 the UK government published the latest statistics on revenue collected from the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL). The UK introduced the SDIL in April 2018 after public consultation with the industry and other interested
See MoreWorld Bank: Taxation of the Digital Sector
On 1 October 2021 the Third World Bank Tax Conference discussed the taxation of the digital sector. Value added tax collection The growth of the digital economy has changed business models and has presented new problems for tax assessment and
See MoreWorld Bank: Conference looks at implementation of new tax instruments
On 1 October 2021 the second day of the Third World Bank Tax Conference looked at the practical implementation of new tax instruments. Sugar tax in South Africa The sugar-sweetened beverage tax in South Africa was first announced in the 2016
See MoreOECD: Use of Energy Taxes to Strengthen Developing Country Finances
On 25 January 2021 the OECD issued a document entitled Taxing Energy Use for Sustainable Development: Opportunities for energy tax and subsidy reforms in selected developing and emerging economies. The report looks at energy taxation in a sample
See MoreNigeria: President signs the Finance Bill 2020 into Law
On 31 December 2020, the President, Muhammad Buhari, signed the Finance Bill 2020 and made it into law, which introduces significant changes to a number of tax and regulatory laws in Nigeria including the introduction of COVID-19 incentives
See MoreOECD and IMF: Report on Analysis of Tax Expenditures in Chile
A report was issued on 23 November 2020 following a mission conducted by staff from the IMF and the OECD from April to October 2020. The main purpose was to provide technical support in relation to the methodology for reviewing Chile's tax
See MoreBangladesh: National Budget for FY 2020-21
On 11 June 2020, Mr. AHM Mustafa Kamal, the Finance Minister of Bangladesh has presented the national budget of Tk. 568,000 crore with an ambitious target of 8.2 percent GDP growth for the FY 2020-21 in Parliament. The revenue collection
See MoreUkraine: Parliament adopts law on tax benefits and the moratorium on tax audit
On 28 May 2020, the Ukrainian Parliament has published Law No. 591-IX “On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine and Other Laws of Ukraine on Additional Support to Taxpayers for the Period of Measures to Prevent the Occurrence and Spread of
See MoreZambia: Tax measures in response to COVID-19
On 27 March 2020, the Ministry of Finance of Zambia has published a Statement by the Hon. Minister of Finance on COVID-19. The tax relief measures taken to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 include: Suspend excise duty on ethanol for use in
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