The European Commission’s long-awaited state aid decision on tax rulings issued by Ireland to US-multinational Apple has created a political typhoon. It has invited an unprecedented response from all involved parties, with some hailing the decision as a victory and others criticising the tax charge as excessive or even unwarranted. Anjana Haines and Amelia Schwanke report on the recent developments.
As businesses look to the presidential candidates for an indication of how tax policy may evolve under their leadership, many companies were left disappointed after the first Presidential debate provided limited detailed discussions.
Egypt has published the VAT Act, replacing the general sales tax (GST) with a VAT regime. Among a host of new rules, the law introduces new compliance provisions for non-residents that provide goods and services to Egyptian businesses or individuals.
India’s goods and services tax (GST) reform is taking shape as plans to establish a GST Council and secretariat were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on September 12, the same day that the 122nd Constitutional Bill for GST implementation entered into force.
Tax authorities worldwide are increasingly relying on digital technologies to gather and analyse tax data, and implement intelligent systems that provide real-time tax collections and assessments. Moreover, tax data sharing among tax authorities, which will become an automated process from 2017, will help tax authorities complete more audits and investigations, creating a world where there will be nowhere to hide from the tax man. Amelia Schwanke investigates how authorities and taxpayers are adjusting to digital tools and systems and what the future holds.
