Australia: Under carbon tax emissions would Rise
The Ministry of Environment of Australia has said that the Australia’s projected emissions for the period from 2010 to 2020 would go up from 560m to 637m tones under the carbon tax. The Minister’s argument is that the carbon tax would damage
See MoreAustralia: Start date to offshore banking unit reforms delayed
The Government of Australia has delayed the start date (1 October) for the reforms to the offshore banking unit (OBU) regime. In the 2013 budget, the Australian government reported the proposition to change some OBU provisions to address existing
See MoreCanada: Tax cuts for Manufacturers
The Ministry of Finance of Canada has declared the tax deductions provided to the manufacturing and processing sector on September 18, 2013 to write off investments in new equipment and machinery will be prolonged by two years. An extension to the
See MoreCyprus amends Property Tax
The Government of Cyprus has declared details plans to amend the country’s Immovable Property Tax (IPT), exempting the lowest-valued properties. At present, the property tax in Cyprus is based on valuations made on 1 January 1980. If the
See MoreChina: Consumption tax on more luxury goods
China is considering broadening the scope of its consumption taxes to cover more luxury goods. This announcement comes as Chinese consumers are set to make up a third of luxury consumption globally by 2015, up from 27 percent in 2012. China already
See MoreFrance announces plans for a Carbon Tax
The government of France has announced to initiate a “climate energy contribution”. The new plans will fall within the framework of finance bill 2014. The Government is expected to put forward further environmental tax initiatives in its
See MoreLithuania: Real estate tax exemption relating to agricultural activities
The tax law of Lithuania has been modified to arrange for an exemption from real estate tax for an entity’s real property when the entity is involved in agricultural activities. The amendment will become effective from January 2014. An exemption
See MoreMalaysia: Hike in Property Gains Tax
Malaysia is considering a hike in the real property gains tax (RPGT), which is imposed on the profits from the sale of properties within certain periods after their purchase. This would be done to restrict what is seen as too much speculation in the
See MoreUK: Corporation tax statistics
On 30 August 2013 HMRC released the latest corporation tax statistics. The publication shows the statistics for corporation tax receipts for 2012/13 and some revised figures in relation to corporation tax liabilities of previous years. Also shown
See MoreUK: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) revises SDLT group relief regulations
The UK tax authority HMRC has introduced a clarification confirming that intra-group transactions are eligible for group relief related to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). The declaration follows a meeting by HMRC with representative bodies concerning
See MorePakistan: Tax law changes enacted in Finance Act 2013
Pakistan’s Finance Act 2013 implements the tax changes proposed in the budget for 2013. The changes came into force from 1 July 2013. The Finance Act 2013 includes following tax provisions: Change the rules on the taxation of property income,
See MoreHungary- Amendments to Tax Law
Hungary’s Act CXXIII of 2013 on the modification of Certain Laws on Public Burdens was announced on 30 June 2013. According to the amendments mining fee will increase from 1 August and 16% of the charge of the mineral oil and natural gas exploited
See MoreHong Kong: Tax laws introduced for Islamic Finance
The Inland Revenue and Stamp Duty Legislation (Alternative Bond Schemes) (Amendment) Ordinance 2013 was gazetted and came into operation on July 19, 2013 in Hong Kong. It amends the Inland Revenue Ordinance and Stamp Duty Ordinance to provide a
See MoreCzech Republic: Flood-related tax relief and proposed payroll tax changes
New tax measures in the Czech Republic provide tax relief to flood damage and introduce a new payroll tax regime. The Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic is providing tax relief to companies and individuals affected by floods this year. The
See MoreRussia: Variation in mineral tax rates
The upper chamber of Russian parliament approved draft Law No. 297807-6 on July 10, 2013 which changes the Federal Law on Customs Tariff and introduces a differentiation in mineral tax rates. The law changes the previous flat rate of tax on natural
See MoreFrance: Carbon tax to be included in budget 2014
The committee for ecological taxation (CFE) of France emphasized that a carbon tax is an effective instrument to modify production and consumption behavior. The CFE suggested that the rate of the tax should be progressively increased until
See MoreEU: ECJ Rules on Denmark’s exit tax rules
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) on 18 July 2013 issued a decision in a case concerning Denmark’s exit tax. The case was brought by the European Commission. At the point where a person leaves Denmark an exit tax is calculated on the person’s
See MoreVietnam: Preferential customs treatment made more accessible
Under business policy in force in Vietnam since 2011 companies have had access to preferential customs treatment only if they have annual revenue of at least USD 350 million. A new Circular issued by the Ministry of Finance has lowered this
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