Poland Announces Six-Year Tax exemption for Shale Industry
The government of Poland has put forward a proposal for an exemption from special taxes for the shale gas industry until the year 2020, and this is now being considered by parliament. This follows a complaint from the Supreme Audit Office that the
See MoreNigeria – verification exercise for VAT and WHT
The Nigerian tax authority the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is to perform a verification exercise in respect of withholding tax and value added tax. The exercise which will continue from 12 March 2014 until 11 April 2014 is to look at these
See MoreNew Zealand: Plans for an active income exemption for branches are to be deferred
On 14 March 2014, New Zealand’s Minister of Revenue stated that consideration of an active income exemption for branches is to be deferred for the time being. The reason for the deferral is to allow the government's main tax policy focus to be
See MoreNew Zealand: Changes to Financial Reporting Requirements
The Financial Reporting Act, which changes financial reporting obligations for most companies, comes into effect on 1 April 2014. Small and medium-sized companies in New Zealand will need to make sure they understand how the changes made by the
See MoreItaly – Details of Italian Tax Cuts Agreed
Italy's new Prime Minister, has provided extra detail on cuts to reduce the tax burden in Italy which that are intended to provide an immediate boost to the country's economy. Resources totaling EUR10bn (USD13.9bn) have been allocated by the
See MoreIndonesia to amend rules concerning tax holidays and allowances for investors
The Indonesian Deputy Minister of Finance has announced that the Government is planning to amend the rules concerning tax holidays and allowances for investors, possibly as early as April 2014. The changes to tax holidays are expected to include
See MoreChina’s Finance Minister considering more tax reforms
At a press conference held at the National People's Congress, China's Minister of Finance suggested that there would be more tax reforms in the following year after the recent expansion of the value added tax pilot scheme. The Finance Minister
See MoreAzerbaijan- Recounts tax reform progress in IMF meeting
On March 11, 2014, there was a meeting between an International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation and Azerbaijan's deputy minister of taxes. In recent years Azerbaijan’s tax revenues have been increased due to the establishment of a durable,
See MoreAustralian Tax Break for Supporting Mining Activities
The Australian Government has introduced a consultation on plans to provide investors with a refundable tax offset for Greenfield mineral exploration costs incurred from July 1, 2014. Under the proposed program, a tax credit will be provided to
See MoreUS: IRS publishes annual statistics on foreign tax credits
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has published a statistical report with data of corporations that claim the US foreign tax credit (FTC). The report was published by the IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) Division based on sampling of corporate
See MoreTaiwan- Proposal to increase business tax rates
Taiwan’s Ministry of Finance (“MOF") has recently spoken about efforts to improve Taiwan’s financial prospects. The proposals include plans to raise business tax rates on the banking and insurance industries, reduce the imputation credit ratio
See MoreSwitzerland urged to approve IHT agreement with France
The French Finance Minister has informed Switzerland that France will not renegotiate the revised inheritance tax (IHT) agreement the two countries have drafted if it is rejected by Swiss lawmakers. The revised Franco-Swiss IHT accord was signed in
See MoreSouth Korea: mergers and acquisitions activity and rental market
South Korea’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance presided over a Ministerial Meeting on the Economy on March 5 that discussed tax measures to stimulate mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in South Korea and to fine-tune
See MoreSouth Africa: SARS Enhances TCC Application Process
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has introduced an enhanced Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) application process available through eFiling and at SARS offices, as part of a series of initiatives to modernize tax compliance due to be rolled
See MoreMexico – Government and taxpayers reach agreement on tax certainty
The 2014 tax reform provisions have brought significant changes to the tax system in Mexico. New changes will affect both business and individual taxpayers. In response, taxpayers have filed for injunctive relief against certain measures under the
See MoreMalta seeks to attract Small Businesses
Malta’s Finance Minister has stated that the country wants to ensure that the country's taxation system is as business friendly and streamlined as possible to facilitate and attract investment. The statement was made at the MIM Malta International
See MoreKenya Issues TCC Application Guidelines
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has issued guidelines for those businesses applying for a Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC). This certificate is mandatory for businesses wishing to conduct transactions with government agencies and public bodies. A
See MoreIrish coalition honoring tax promises
The Irish Prime Minister has suggested that Ireland has now implemented more than 90 percent of the tax measures and spending cuts needed to bring its public finances under control. Ireland’s 12.5 percent corporate tax rate has played a central
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