Austria: Reduced VAT rate increase in 2016
Austrian government announced in the 2016 Budget that the reduced VAT rate will increase to 13% from 10% on the following services: Cultural events, including entrance to public museums and galleries Domestic air travel Sales of certain
See MoreUK: HMRC issues updated guidance on accelerated payments
On 20 August 2015 the UK tax authority HMRC published on its website a fact sheet containing updated information on the requirement to make accelerated payments in connection with tax avoidance schemes. A tax avoidance scheme is defined for this
See MoreChina: Tax incentives for small and low-profit enterprises
On August 19, State Council of China decided to improve the tax breaks available for small and low-profit enterprises. Small and low-profit enterprises can pay their income taxes at the rate of 20% with following conditions: any industrial
See MoreRomania: Parliament confirmed VAT rate cut to 20% 2016
The Romanian Parliament yesterday agreed the standard VAT rate would be reduced from 24% to 20% on 1 January 2016. The rate would be reduced again to 19% in January 2017. The Government plan to cut VAT rate 19% in 2016 but IMF and EU was opposed to
See MoreUK: taxation of dividend income of individuals
On 17 August 2015 the UK tax authority HMRC issued a fact sheet explaining the new rules for taxation of dividends received by individuals. With effect from April 2016 the current dividend tax credit is to be scrapped and a dividend allowance of
See MoreSpain: IMF conference call considers tax policy issues
On 14 August 2015 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published the transcript of a conference call held to clarify issues arising from the discussions with Spain under Article IV of the IMF’s articles of agreement. As Spain’s public debt is
See MoreUK: Increase in tax cases going to litigation
The number of tax disputes going to litigation in the UK has hit record levels, with the number of tax cases waiting to go to a tribunal more than doubling over the last five years. The statistics for 2014 show that there were 29.566 appeals to the
See MoreSaudi Arabia: IMF comments on economic and fiscal policy
On 17 August 2015 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a report following the conclusion of consultations with Saudi Arabia under Article IV of the IMF articles of agreement. Real GDP growth is estimated to slow to 2.8% in 2015 and to 2.4%
See MoreKazakhstan: Tax treatment liabilities provided by non-resident’s head office
The State Revenue Committee of Kazakhstan has issued a Letter No. КГД-07-3-ЮЛ-Е-14-КГД-14754 on 15th July 2015 regarding tax treatment of bad debts provided by a non-resident company's head office to its Kazakh branch. In accordance with
See MoreArgentina-Deadline for issuance of VAT electronic invoices and records
The tax administration of Argentina published General Resolution No. 3,793 in the Official Gazette on 10 August 2015. According to the resolution 31 March 2016 is the deadline for the electronic issuance and storage of VAT receipts by taxpayers
See MoreUK: Capital gains tax treatment of carried interest
Legislation was included in the Summer Finance Bill 2015 published on 15 July 2015 to make technical changes to the capital gains tax treatment of carried interest. A summary of the changes was issued by the UK tax authority HMRC on 20 July
See MoreChile: Bill to amend the tax reform of 2014
The Finance Ministry has declared that the Government submitted a bill on 10th August 2015 to amend the tax reform of 2014. The main features of the bill will be as follows: The combined income tax regime with income attribution would be
See MoreSlovak Republic: VAT rate on meat products reduced
Slovakia cut 10% VAT rate on fresh meat products from the standard rate of 20%. Hopefully, this new rate will entry into force from 1st January
See MoreUK: HMRC comments on reduced VAT rate for installation of energy saving materials
On 31 July 2015 the UK tax authority HMRC published Revenue and Customs Brief 13 (2015) on the reduced rate of VAT on the installation of energy saving materials. The European Commission commenced proceedings in the European Court of Justice as in
See MoreECJ: Advocate General’s opinion on whether units of a municipality can be taxable persons
The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has delivered an opinion in the case of Gmina Wroclaw. The municipality of Wroclaw applied to the Polish Finance Minister on the issue of whether a budgetary unit of a municipality could be
See MoreUkraine: Electronic VAT administration begins from August 2015
The President of Ukraine signed the Law on Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine concerning improvement of the administration of value added tax 643-VIII on July 28, 2015. The new electronic system will enter into force on August 1, 2015. The
See MoreUK: Consultation on the taxation of termination payments
On 24 July 2015 the UK issued a consultation document in respect of the reform of income tax and national insurance on termination payments by employers. This follows a report from the Office of Tax Simplification on ways in which the complexity of
See MoreRussia: Input VAT deductibility on imported goods
The Finance Ministry has issued letter no. 03-07-15/31200 on 29th May 2015 to clarify the deductibility of VAT input tax on goods imported into Russia if the taxpayer has received a hard copy of the electronic customs declaration from the customs
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