South Africa: MoF presents revised 2025 budget, scraps proposed VAT hike
Finance Minister delivered 2025 revised budget speech on 21 May 2025. Key tax changes include scrapping proposed VAT rate hikes, removing additional zero-rated items, and increasing the inflation-linked fuel levy. South Africa’s Finance
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Brazil introduces consumption tax, selective tax as part of VAT reforms
Brazil’s President, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, signed Complementary Law No. 214/2025 into law on 16 January 2025. It introduces and defines new taxation frameworks in Brazil: Tax on Goods and Services (IBS), the Contribution on Goods and Services
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Nigeria: Senate approves tax reform bills, rejects 10% VAT proposal
Nigeria’s Senate passed the Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill and the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill on 7 May 2025 after they had been considered for third reading and passed by the Senate. The Senate passed both bills but rejected the
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South Africa court halts April 2025 VAT rate hike
The Western Cape High Court has issued a ruling to officially halt the planned rise in South Africa's VAT rate on 27 April 2025. A ruling has resolved a disagreement between the two largest parties in South Africa’s coalition government over a
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Philippines amends VAT rules for digital services
The Philippines' Department of Finance has announced an amendment to the VAT requirements for non-resident digital services providers (DSPs) operating in the Philippines. Starting 1 June 2025, non-resident digital service providers (DSPs) must
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South Africa withdraws proposed VAT increase
The South Africa's Minister of Finance will shortly introduce the Rates and Monetary Amounts and the Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill (Rates Bill), which proposes to maintain the Value-Added Tax (VAT) rate at 15% from 1 May 2025 instead of the
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Nigeria: House keeps corporate tax at 30% and VAT at 7.5%
Nigeria’s House of Representatives has approved and adopted the recommendations of its Committee on Finance, which retains the value added tax (VAT) rate at 7.5%. The previous proposal was to increase to 12.5%, which was set for 2026. The House
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Ghana: 2025 budget to ease economic pressures on households, businesses
Ghana's Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, presented the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy on 11 March 2025 outlining tax policies and proposals designed to restore fiscal discipline, boost revenue generation, and ease economic
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Spain issues resolution on VAT rates for bread
The Spanish Directorate General of Taxes issued a resolution (BOE-A-2025-3950) regarding the VAT rates applied to bread on 24 February 2025. The resolution, which was published in the Official Gazette on 27 February 2025, clarifies the VAT
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Slovak Republic: Parliament considers restoring 20% VAT rate
The Slovak Parliament is reviewing four proposed amendments to the VAT Act. The first bill expands the 5% reduced VAT rate to include certain mixes and doughs for baked goods. The second bill extends the 5% rate to menstrual hygiene products like
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Norway publishes overview of tax changes for 2025
Norway’s government has released an overview outlining key tax changes which took effect on 1 January 2025. Some of the main changes include: Natural resource tax for hydropower The natural resource tax for hydropower plants has been
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Indonesia to implement planned 12% VAT rate increase in 2025
Indonesia's Finance Minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, has confirmed that the country will increase its standard VAT rate from 11% to 12%, effective 1 January 2025. The VAT adjustment aligns with the nation's Tax Regulation Harmonization Law,
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Egypt implements new VAT rules for exported services
Egypt’s tax authorities issued Instruction No. 78 of 2024, which amends the criteria for applying the 0% value-added tax (VAT) on exported services under Circulars (5) and (6) of 2019. Instruction No. 78 repeals Circulars 5 and 6 of 2019, where
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Philippines proposes VAT rules for digital services
The Philippines Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has released draft revenue regulations on 8 November 2024 to implement the Republic Act No. 12023. This act introduces a 12% VAT on all digital services used in the Philippines, including those
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Slovak Republic gazettes bill amending corporate tax and VAT, and bill introducing financial transaction tax
The Slovak Republic has gazetted the bill that amends various tax laws, including corporate tax and VAT rate changes, and the bill enacting the financial transaction tax. The bills are aimed at improving the country’s public finances. The
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Philippines imposes 12% VAT on non-resident digital service providers, includes Netflix, HBO, Disney
Philippines' Department of Finance announced that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. enacted Republic Act (RA) 12023 on 2 October 2024, imposing a 12% value-added tax (VAT) on non-resident digital service providers (DSPs), including streaming
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Philippines backs 12% VAT on foreign digital service providers
The Philippines’ Ministry of Finance announced that Finance Secretary Ralph Recto had met with senior Netflix officials on 20 August 2024, to discuss the bill on value-added tax for foreign digital service providers, which is currently pending
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Tax Authority Approach to Business Fragmentation: Lessons from a Recent Russian Case
Traditionally, countries like Russia, Kazakhstan, and others in their vicinity have created highly advantageous conditions for small businesses by setting a substantially high ceiling for qualifying for reduced tax rates. For instance, in Russia, a
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