Bulgaria’s Cabinet approves the signing of a new DTA with Romania
Bulgaria’s Cabinet has agreed to a proposal to amend the double taxation agreement (DTA) with Romania, to apply in place of the current DTA that was signed in 1994. The Cabinet has authorized the Finance Minister to negotiate the new DTA. This
See MoreEuropean Union: JTPF presents transfer pricing profiles of EU Member States
The EU Joint Transfer Pricing Forum (JTPF) has presented the transfer pricing profiles of all EU Member States. The profiles contain information about domestic transfer pricing frameworks, competent authorities’ contact details and other useful
See MoreEU Parliament Considers Change to EU Funding
The members of the European Parliament have given their support to planned measures to lower the share of VAT receipts of member states that go towards the funding of EU projects. According to plans adopted on 16 April 2014, the amount of funds
See MoreUK – Spain DTA to Enter into Force
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced that the new convention for the avoidance of double taxation (DTA) signed between the United Kingdom and Spain will enter into force on June 12, 2014. The agreement provides for a 10 percent maximum
See MorePoland – Belgium DTA
Poland and Belgium concluded a double taxation agreement (DTA) on April 14, 2014. No further details of the agreement are currently
See MoreEU – Directive on pension rights
The European Parliament has given its approval to an EU Directive that aims to improve the arrangements relating to the maintenance of supplementary pension rights. The existing EU regulations only permit individuals to transfer their statutory
See MoreSpanish Tax Cuts to Favor Low Income Workers
The Spanish government has emphasized its intention to lower the personal income tax for all individuals and in particular for lower income groups. The Spanish government is to raise the tax incentives in respect of savings and investment and will
See MoreProtocol to treaty between Belgium and Switzerland signed
On 10 April 2014, Belgium and Switzerland signed an amending protocol to the double taxation treaty originally concluded between the two countries in 1978. No further details of the Protocol are currently
See MoreLuxembourg – Real Estate CGT Deferral Abolished
Luxembourg has issued draft legislation to scrap the regime permitting the deferral of the taxation of real estate capital gains provided that these are reinvested in another property within Luxembourg. The draft legislation takes account of the
See MoreLuxembourg set for bigger losses on 2015 EU electronic VAT rule change
Luxembourg considers that it could lose €800 million per year as a result of the change in the rules used to determine the place of supply of consumer electronic services. This change in the EU VAT regulations is due to take effect from 1 January
See MoreLuxembourg Lowers Shipping Registration Levy
Luxembourg has issued a draft regulation that would reduce shipping registration duties. The duties are computed by reference to a vessel’s tonnage, determined when the ship is first registered in Luxembourg. Although Luxembourg is a landlocked
See MoreItaly: New Risk-based System of Tax Enforcement
The Italian Revenue Agency is attaching great importance to its examination of taxpayers in certain areas under a newly devised risk-based system. The risk-based approach is designed to take into account the area of the country where the taxpayer
See MoreItaly Confirms Tax Cuts
The Italian Government has issued a three-year Economic and Financial Document (DEF), which includes both individual and corporate income tax reductions. The individual income tax reductions will benefit lower income taxpayers. With effect from 1
See MoreIreland – Online Portal to Administer Home Tax Break
Ireland’s revenue agency is using an online portal to manage a new property improvement tax relief called the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI). This provision is intended to give value-added tax (VAT) relief, but the HRI is to be managed through an
See MoreIreland – Corporate Tax Rate Effectively Below 11 Percent
A recent technical note issued by the Department of Finance indicates that Ireland has maintained an effective corporate tax rate of about 11 percent since 2003. Enterprises operating in Ireland are liable to corporation tax at 12.5 percent on
See MoreGermany and the EU Agree Energy Tax Break Revision
Germany is being allowed by the European Commission to continue to give energy tax incentives to 65 sectors under the renewable energy tax rules. There has been a long discussion as to whether the measures constitute illegal state aid under EU
See MoreFrance’s FTT Experience Should Warn Europe of Risks
France’s financial market regulator AMF has calculated that the introduction of a financial transactions tax (FTT) in 2012 led to a ten percent decrease in the volume of shares traded on the stock market. This study was based on an analysis of the
See MoreFrance Confirms EUR10bn Tax Cuts For Corporates
The French Prime Minister has set out plans for reducing wage costs for businesses in addition to the CICE tax credit that has already been introduced. The CICE tax credit has provided relief through a credit of 6 percent of gross payroll for
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