Spain Slashes Labor Taxes To Create Jobs
Spain has announced plans to significantly lower social security contributions for employers who recruit permanent members of staff. The Prime Minister has suggested that an upwards revision of the growth forecast for this year and next will enable
See MoreNew Zealand: Convention on tax assistance enters into force
From 1st March 2014, the multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters will become effective for New Zealand. The Convention, which New Zealand ratified in November, will greatly enhance the country’s ability to combat
See MoreNetherlands – Advocate General’s opinion on sister company tax consolidation
The Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has found that the Dutch tax rules are in breach of the freedom of establishment in that the rules deny tax consolidation (fiscal unity) between— A Dutch parent company
See MoreNetherlands Simplifies Individual Tax Filing
Commencing from March 1 2014, the Netherlands tax administration will issue approximately six million pre-completed tax forms to individuals, and around four million tax returns that have been completed in part. The taxpayers are requested to verify
See MoreLuxembourg to apply automatic information exchange in 2015
The Luxembourg Government has adopted a bill implementing its April 10, 2013, decision to apply compulsory automatic information exchange to savings income covered under the current European Union (EU) Savings Tax Directive from 1 January
See MoreItaly: Prime Minister Explains ‘Double-Digit’ Cut to Italian Taxes
The Italian Prime minister has issued a clarification about a statement made earlier in respect of a double digit reduction in the tax burden. The reduction would amount to tens of billions of Euros and in this respect was a double digit
See MoreItalian Government Empowered To Push Through Tax Overhaul
The Italian parliament has now approved the "Legge Delega," the tax reform law granting special powers to the Government to introduce a series of measures within the next year. The Legge Delega sets out general reform principles, which are to be
See MoreItalian Government Introduces Withholding Tax on Inbound Wire Transfers
Italy has recently introduced legislation instructing banks to withhold 20% on certain inbound wire transfers. The inbound wire transfers affected by this measure include income earned from foreign investments, financial gains, interest, dividends
See MoreIreland- Announcement of LPT Amnesty
Irish residential property owners who have so far failed to pay their 2012 Household Charge or 2013 and 2014 local property tax (LPT), or have undervalued their property or claimed an exemption they were not entitled to, will be given until March 31
See MoreHungary and Bahrain sign a DTA
On 24 February 2014, Hungary and Bahrain signed a Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income. A number of agreements pertaining to the economic and technical co-operation
See MoreGerman federal state of NRW will issue new tax assessments to taxpayers to clarify their actual tax burden
From March 2014, the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) will issue new tax assessments to taxpayers to clarify their actual tax burden for 2013, expressed as a percentage of gross income. The tax assessments will provide details of
See MoreFrance- Bank Account Regularization Requests
Almost 16,000 residents with undeclared foreign bank accounts have elected to regularize their tax situation in the last eight months, through a voluntary declaration of non-compliance. As of February 7, 2014 the tax authorities had received 15,813
See MoreFrance and Germany to cooperate on tax projects
France and Germany have jointly declared that they will cooperate on key tax agendas in Europe and internationally. A working group is to be set up and the group will consider how to harmonize regulations on incoming and outgoing cross-border
See MoreEU – Irish Opposition Questions EU on Corporate Tax Probe
Ireland's Fianna Fáil party has expressed its concern over the slow progress being made by the European Commission in its preliminary probe of the country's corporate tax regime. Six months after the report of the preliminary probe the European
See MoreEU: Mercosur-EU FTA Close To Completion
The Latin American economic bloc Mercosur is close to concluding a free trade agreement with the European Union (EU). Mercosur, which consists of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela, has been negotiating the deal with the EU for
See MoreEU: Parliament Backs Standard VAT Return
The EU Commissioner for Taxation has welcomed the European Parliament's strong support, expressed on February 26, 2014, for a Standard VAT Return. The Standard VAT Return is one of the Commission's key proposals to reduce the burden of compliance
See MoreDTA signed between Cyprus and Norway
The Government of Cyprus confirmed the signing of a double taxation agreement (DTA) with Norway on February 24,
See MoreDTA between India and Malta enters into force
The new Income Tax Treaty and protocol between India and Malta entered into force on 7 February 2014 and will apply in India as from 1 April 2014 and as from 1 January 2015 in Malta. The new treaty was signed on 8 April 2013 and replaces the old
See More