Exchange of information agreement between Belgium and Guernsey
According to a communication of 11 March 2014, published by the Guernsey tax authorities, Belgium and Guernsey have initialed a tax exchange of information agreement (TEIA). Guernsey has recently been negotiating TIEAs as part of a commitment to
See MoreEU- To Cut Tariffs On Ukrainian Exports
The European Union (EU) is to temporarily cut tariffs on Ukrainian exports until November 1, 2014. The EU has announced that it hopes in the meantime to sign the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement with Ukraine. The College of
See MoreEU – Frequently asked questions on EU Savings Taxation Directive
Recently the European Commission provided a discussion of frequently asked questions (FAQs) concerning the EU Savings Taxation Directive. The Savings Directive aims to address cross-border tax evasion by creating an information exchange system for
See MoreEU-European Parliament Backs New Money Laundering Law
The problem of money laundering has received increasing attention in recent years. Although many countries have their own money laundering laws the problem can be tackled more successfully with international cooperation. The European Parliament has
See MoreEU: JTPF presents comments received on the discussion paper on the Arbitration Convention
The Joint Transfer Pricing Forum (JTPF) held a meeting in Brussels on 6 March 2014at which the following items were discussed: – Information by the European Commission on ongoing issues; and – Arbitration
See MoreEstonia – Amendments to VAT law
Estonia’s parliament (Riigikogu) has passed amendments to the value added tax (VAT) law that will be effective in 2014 or in 2015. Among the most significant amendments effective as from 1 March 2014 include the following: The amendments
See MoreBelgium: VAT rate change in 2014
Belgium has suggested that it plans to raise its standard VAT rate from the current rate of 21% to fund cuts to the labour tax regime. The Finance Minister has stated that the rise would be agreed after May’s general election. The amount of the
See MoreBelgium: Reform of taxation after the May elections
Belgium's main political parties have agreed that a reform of taxation must be carried out after the May elections, to modernize and simplify the country's tax law. The Belgian Finance Minister has underlined the need to reduce the number of tax
See MoreBelgium and Jersey signed a TIEA
On 13 March 2014, Belgium and Jersey signed a tax information exchange agreement (TIEA) in London. Jersey has recent concluded a number of agreements on the exchange of tax information as part of its commitment to international standards of
See MoreRomania: Information regarding late penalty payment provisions
After arising from 1st March 2014, the late tax payment penalty relating to liabilities is 0.03% per day of delay in addition to the payment of interest at the applicable
See MoreUS: DTA Protocols between the United States and various countries
The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held talks on February 26, 2014, on the double taxation agreement (DTA) Protocols between the United States and Switzerland and Luxembourg, and DTAs with Hungary and Chile, as part of the nation's
See MoreUS: Finland and Chile Sign FATCA Pacts
On March 5, 2014 the United States signed intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) with Finland and Chile to implement the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). To date, twenty four of these bilateral agreements have been signed between the US and
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 MoreSpain – Refund opportunity for retail sales tax on hydrocarbons
The Court of Justice for the European Union (CJEU) in late February 2014 issued a judgment, finding that Spain’s tax on retail sales of certain hydrocarbons is contrary to EU law. The CJEU rejected a request of the Spanish tax authorities that
See MoreRomania: no abrupt change in fiscal policies this year
The Romanian Prime Minister has confirmed that there will be no abrupt change in the government’s fiscal policies this year, rejecting speculation that an incremental income tax could be introduced. The 16 per cent flat tax was introduced in
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 MoreLuxembourg –VAT shortfall
In the recent Luxembourg budget, it was announced that the estimated annual VAT shortfall following the changes will total €600m to €1.1bn. This amounts to between 4.9% and 9.1% of the current annual VAT take. Due to the significance of this
See MoreLuxembourg – No VAT rise in the 2014 Budget
Luxembourg's Finance Minister has presented the 2014 Budget to the Chamber of Deputies. The 2014 budget does not include plans to raise value-added tax (VAT) in 2014 as had initially been predicted. The Finance Minister has however indicated that
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