Thursday, October 29, 2026
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Vietnam will sign a comprehensive free trade agreement today, 15 October 2026, in Hanoi, Vietnam. The deal brings close to negotiations that began in 2012 and finally concluded in July this year. Global trade tensions, particularly surrounding US tariff policies, prompted both sides to accelerate talks that had...
Taiwan’s Southern Region National Taxation Bureau clarified, on 14 October 2026, that business entities selling virtual assets, including Bitcoin and Ether, and stablecoins are exempt from business tax. The exemption applies to assets defined under Subparagraphs 1 and 6 of Article 3 of the Virtual Asset Service Act, following a Ministry of Finance ruling issued...
The German government approved proposals, on 14 October 2026, to eliminate tax advantages for Deutsche Post and competing postal operators. An amendment to the Postal Act would remove VAT exemptions currently granted to business mail services, while aligning VAT regulations with European Union law. The government says the exemption creates an unequal playing field. Deutsche...
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive in Council approved six Orders on 6 October 2026 to put into effect Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements (CDTAs) with Barbados, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Norway and Rwanda, according to a press release by the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department on 14 October 2026. The Orders will be published in the...
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on 14 October 2026 that it will not impose penalties when dyed diesel fuel is sold or used on highways. The decision follows a presidential executive order on emergency tax relief for diesel fuel. The relief period retroactively runs from 1 October 2026 through 31 December 2026. Any...
The Czech lower house of parliament backed a proposed windfall tax, on 14 October 2026, on the country’s refinery sector. Lawmakers approved the measure in its first of three readings. The legislation will now move to a parliamentary committee for further review. Tax terms: 50% of margin gains The extraordinary tax would apply in 2026...
Kenya’s Income Tax (Transfer Pricing) Rules, 2026 (the 2026 TP Rules) took effect on 12 August 2026, replacing the Income Tax (Transfer Pricing) Rules, 2006 (the 2006 TP Rules). The rules were made by Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury John Mbadi Ng’ongo. He acted under section 18(8) read with section 130 of the Income...
The French government tabled Amendment I-3734 to the 2027 Finance Bill (Projet de loi de finances pour 2027, No. 3210) on 10 October 2026, introducing significant updates to France’s Pillar Two global minimum tax framework. The proposal transposes global agreement frameworks adopted by the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on 5 January 2026, modifying the French General...
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) announced, on 15 October 2026, that large corporations reporting tax information for 2025 now have until 29 January 2027 to publish their public country-by-country reports. The ATO initially set the deadline for 31 December 2026, but extended it for entities with reporting periods from 1 January 2025 to 31 December...
Sri Lanka’s Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has reminded individual and corporate taxpayers that income tax returns for the Year of Assessment 2025/2026 must be submitted by 30 November 2026. The department called on all those obliged to file returns to complete their submissions before the cut-off date so that they meet their tax obligations. Taxpayers...