Western Australia increases first homeowner duty concessions
The Western Australian Parliament has approved a bill to increase duty concessions for first-time homeowners. The Duties Amendment (First Home Owner Concessions) Bill 2024 amends the state's Duties Act 2008 so that: Properties valued up to
See MoreGermany: Tax revenue falls by 7.9% in July 2024
Germany’s Ministry of Finance revealed that the federal and regional governments’ tax revenues significantly dropped in July 2024, compared to July 2023. The findings were published in a report on Tuesday, 22 August. This decline was
See MoreSlovak Republic proposes three-year property capital gains tax exemption
Slovak Republic’s parliament is considering a draft bill to amend the Income Tax Act concerning capital gains tax exemptions on the sale of immovable property for individuals. This proposed legislation aims to reduce the minimum holding period for
See MoreIMF Report Looks at China’s Economy
On 2 August 2024 the IMF released a report following consultations with China under Article IV of the IMF’s articles of agreement. The report notes that China’s economy has remained resilient even though there is continuing weakness in the
See MoreIMF Looks at the Contribution of China’s Service Sector to Economic Growth
An IMF country focus published on 2 August 2024 noted that reforms to further open China’s service sector can promote sustainable growth and help create jobs. The report notes that China’s growth has been rapid in recent decades and will remain
See MoreItaly dismisses speculations of imposing new taxes on bank profits
Giancarlo Giorgetti, Economy Minister, Italy, said that the government has no plans to introduce new additional taxes on profits on banks and other companies on Wednesday, 7 August, 2024. In August 2023, there was an unprecedented disposal of
See MoreEstonia announces security tax, delays tax-free income increase
Estonia's new coalition government, formed by Prime Minister Kristen Michal, has published details of the Coalition Agreement 2024-2027, which was approved on 22 July 2024. One of the key tax measures proposed in the agreement is the introduction of
See MoreNigeria passes 70% windfall tax on bank foreign exchange profits
Nigeria’s Senate passed the Finance (Amendment) Bill 2024 on 25 July 2024, which introduces a windfall tax on bank profits from foreign exchange transactions for the 2023 fiscal year. The newly sanctioned windfall tax is set at 70% on foreign
See MoreUS: Washington increases sales tax rates
The Washington District of Columbia has increased the sales tax rate from 6% to 6.5%, effective 1 October 2025. The sales tax rate will be further to 7% on 1 October 2026. The increase follows the district's 2025 budget by the City Council and is
See MoreUS: Nebraska governor to reduce property taxes up to 50%
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, in a release, has convened a special legislative session to discuss the possibility of reducing local property taxes by 40-50% on 30 July 2024. This significant property tax reduction plan is part of Pillen’s
See MoreUAE: Dubai Customs releases voluntary disclosure policy
Dubai Customs has announced Customs Policy No. (58/2024) regarding the Voluntary Disclosure System (VDS). This initiative is aimed to encourage importers and exporters operating in Dubai to amend past errors in their customs declarations. The
See MoreVenezuela implements 0% tax on select large financial transactions
Venezuela published Decree 4972 in the Official Gazette on 12 July, 2024, which reduces the tax rate to 0% from 2% for large financial transactions. The 0% tax rate applies to specific transactions which are mentioned in paragraphs one to four
See MoreNigeria proposes windfall tax on banks’ foreign exchange profits
Nigeria’s National Assembly has raised the windfall tax on banks' foreign exchange (FX) gains to 70%, up from the initially proposed 50%. The increase is part of Nigeria’s revised Finance Act of 2024. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu signed the
See MoreIMF Issues Report on the Economic Situation of Lithuania
On 24 July 2024 the IMF issued a report following discussions with Lithuania under Article IV of the IMF’s articles of agreement. The Lithuanian economy has begun a recovery with lower inflation reflecting lower commodity prices, tighter
See MoreIMF: Policies to Avoid Prolonged Slow Growth and Inequality
In an IMF blog on 23 July 2024 the IMF Director General noted that long periods of slow growth can increase inequality, but this outcome can be avoided if the correct policies are pursued. Referring to the upcoming meeting of the G20 finance
See MoreCanada: Digital platforms to report seller information by January ‘25
Canada enacted the Digital Services Tax Act (DSTA) on 20 June 2024, which came into effect by Order in Council on 28 June 2024. Starting in the 2024 calendar year, new tax reporting requirements mandate digital platforms to collect and verify
See MoreHungary raises financial transaction tax
Hungary has raised the financial transaction tax (FTT) from 0.3% to 0.45% with the maximum tax per payment transaction increasing from HUF 10,000 to HUF 20,000. The FTT rate on cash withdrawals has increased from 0.6% to 0.9%. The new FTT at a
See MoreATAF: Project to support improved tobacco tax strategies
A communication of 9 July 2024 from the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) announced that the organisation aims to support member countries in implementing robust tobacco tax strategies by means of workshops, seminars and technical
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