International
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July 23, 2024
India Eyes End Of Digital Tax For E-Commerce, But Not Ads
Foreign e-commerce companies would be exempted from India's equalization levy, a 2% digital tax, but online advertisers would continue to pay a 6% rate on gross revenues sourced to Indian customers under a budget bill presented Tuesday by the government.
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July 23, 2024
Australia Mulling Higher Foreign Resident Capital Gains Tax
The Australian Treasury said Tuesday it is seeking feedback on a plan to increase the country's capital gains withholding tax rate for foreign residents, among other plans it said will strengthen the country's foreign resident capital gains tax regime.
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July 23, 2024
EU Seeking Comments On Digital VAT Exemption Certificate
The European Commission is seeking public comments on a proposal to replace the current paper version of certificates for value-added tax exemptions with a digital version, the European Union's executive branch said Tuesday.
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July 23, 2024
Former Doctor To Be Released From Jail In FBAR Fight
A former doctor will be released from U.S. custody after a Michigan federal court lifted Tuesday an order of civil contempt against him for failure to pay about $1 million in foreign account reporting penalties.
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July 23, 2024
Orrick Hires Ex-Winston & Strawn Tax Partner In Chicago
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP announced the hiring of a former partner at Winston & Strawn LLP for its renewables tax equity and tax credit team.
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July 23, 2024
5-Hour Energy Partner Owes No Tax On Sale, DC Circ. Says
The D.C. Circuit found Tuesday that a Canadian citizen's $6.5 million in gains from her sale of a U.S. partnership interest in a company that sold 5-hour Energy drinks was not federally taxable as inventory income, reversing a U.S. Tax Court ruling.
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July 23, 2024
Hungary's EU Leadership Could Slow Tax Progress
Hungary's six-month term leading meetings of European Union ministers could hinder progress toward agreement on tax legislation, as the country's position on the war in Ukraine alienates other bloc members.
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July 23, 2024
EU Parliament's New Tax Group Head Has Eye On Evasion
The newly elected chair of the European Parliament's subcommittee on tax affairs said Tuesday that a major committee goal would be to examine the issue of tax fraud and evasion at a multinational level.
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July 22, 2024
3 Policies Tax Pros Want Congress To Pass This Year
As momentum around the House-passed tax break bill has fizzled and election season ramps up, tax experts hope lawmakers use what little time they have left to extend expired research tax breaks, approve the Taiwanese tax agreement and pass disaster relief before the end of the year. Here are three policy changes tax professionals think Congress should make before the end of the year.
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July 22, 2024
HMRC Wins Appeal Over Taxation Of Partnership Rewards
Financial rewards from a partnership were taxable as income even though they were made at the partnership's total discretion and the partners had no legally enforceable right to receive them, a London court ruled, siding with HM Revenue & Customs.
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July 22, 2024
US Treasury Working To Extend Pillar 1 DST Compromise
As OECD-led negotiations continue on a taxing rights overhaul known as Pillar One after a missed June deadline, the U.S. Treasury Department is working to extend the political agreement between it and several countries to nullify their digital services taxes once the rights overhaul is implemented.
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July 22, 2024
Pension Plans Slam Biz Docs In $2B Danish Tax Fraud Case
Denmark's tax agency has produced experts who are relying on unauthenticated documents in litigation accusing U.S. pension plans of participating in a $2.1 billion fraud scheme, the pension plans claimed in urging a New York federal court to exclude the testimony.
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July 22, 2024
Argentina Broadens Access To Beneficial Ownership Info
Argentina is opening up access to its collection of beneficial ownership information in what it is calling a "significant advance" in transparency and anti-money laundering and terrorist financing measures in line with international standards.
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July 22, 2024
UN Aims Tax Convention At Digital Economy, Rich Individuals
The United Nations General Assembly should take aim at taxation of the digital economy and wealthy individuals in a framework convention on international tax cooperation, according to a U.N. committee's revised draft term of reference released after a consultation.
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July 22, 2024
Spain Busts €100M Hydrocarbon VAT Fraud Scheme
Spanish authorities said they busted a suspected tax fraud scheme involving the sale of large quantities of hydrocarbons at below-market prices that ultimately defrauded Spain out of more than €100 million ($109 million) in corresponding value-added tax payments.
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July 22, 2024
South Korea, Turkey Amended Tax Treaty Takes Effect
An amended version of the treaty to avoid double taxation between South Korea and Turkey, which features lower maximum tax rates on dividend and interest income earned by those covered by the treaty, has taken effect, South Korea said.
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July 22, 2024
Kyocera Failed To Back R&D Credits With Records, US Says
Multinational electronics maker Kyocera AVX Components Corp. failed to back up its claim to research tax credits with the required paperwork, the U.S. government told a South Carolina federal court in asking it to stop part of the company's nearly $9 million refund suit from going to trial.
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July 22, 2024
Challenge To Romanian Trading Tax Referred To ECJ
Europe's highest court has been handed a challenge to trading tax in Romania, as a national court seeks guidance on whether EU law would prevent a member country from creating an extra tax liability for some participants in the wholesale energy market.
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July 19, 2024
Edwin Coe Adds To Team Ahead Of Planned UK Tax Changes
Edwin Coe LLP is preparing for an expected surge in disputes following the U.K.'s planned tax changes by hiring as a partner a Harbottle & Lewis lawyer with expertise in litigation and tax planning, according to a news release.
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July 19, 2024
Luxembourg Floats Corp. Tax Cut To Boost Attractiveness
Corporations in Luxembourg may see their income tax rate drop by a percentage point in a bid to make the country more attractive to businesses as part of a larger proposed tax package presented by its finance minister.
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July 19, 2024
6 Nations Must Improve Transparency Measures, OECD Says
Six countries were found largely compliant with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's tax transparency and exchange of information measures due to needed improvements to their beneficial ownership information mechanisms, the organization said Friday.
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July 19, 2024
Attorney Denied Separate Trial In $2.1B Danish Tax Fraud
An attorney facing trial alongside his clients for alleged ties to a $2.1 billion Danish tax fraud has been denied a separate hearing by a New York federal court, which remained unconvinced that his co-workers' advice to the clients could rebound on him prejudicially in a joint trial.
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July 19, 2024
Taxation With Representation: A&O Shearman, Gibson Dunn
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. buys Stelco Holdings Inc., KBR acquires LinQuest Corp., Blue Owl Capital Inc. purchases Atalaya Capital Management LP, and Amphenol Corp. buys two mobile networks units from CommScope.
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July 19, 2024
2 Arrested In €8.8M VAT Fraud Involving Cleaning Products
Italian financial police arrested two people Friday who are suspected of leading an €8.8 million ($9.6 million) value-added tax fraud scheme involving cleaning products and beverages, the European Public Prosecutor's Office said.
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July 19, 2024
Gov't Floats Draft Proposal For OBR 'Fiscal Lock' Powers
HM Treasury proposals for a new "fiscal lock" in a draft Budget Responsibility Bill will allow the Office for Budget Responsibility to scrutinize any tax-and-spend decisions with a cost factor of 1% of gross domestic product or more.
Expert Analysis
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How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
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Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices
The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.
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Enforcement Of International Tax Reporting Is Heating Up
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s February decision in Bittner v. U.S. changed how penalties for failure to report offshore accounts are calculated, recent developments suggest the government is preparing to step up enforcement and vigorously pursue the collection of resulting penalties, say Daniel Silva and Agustin Ceballos at Buchalter.
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IRS Notice Clarifies R&E Amortization, But Questions Remain
The IRS and Treasury Department’s recent notice clarifying the treatment of specified research and experimental expenditures under Section 174 provides taxpayers and practitioners with substantive guidance, but it misses the mark in delineating which expenditures are amortizable, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Preparing Your Legal Department For Pillar 2 Compliance
Multinational entities should familiarize themselves with Pillar Two of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s BEPs 2.0 project and prepare their internal legal tracking systems for related reporting requirements that may go into effect as early as January, says Daniel Robyn at Ernst & Young.
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What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
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Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues
Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
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How Taxpayers Can Prep As Justices Weigh Repatriation Tax
The U.S. Supreme Court might strike down the 2017 federal tax overhaul's corporate repatriation tax in Moore v. U.S., so taxpayers should file protective tax refund claims before the case is decided and repatriate previously taxed earnings that could become entangled in dubious potential Section 965 refunds, say Jenny Austin and Gary Wilcox at Mayer Brown.
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OFAC Designation Prosecutions Are Constitutionally Suspect
Criminal prosecutions based on the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s sanctions-related listing decisions — made with nearly unfettered discretion through an opaque process — present several constitutional issues, so it is imperative that courts recognize additional rights of review, say Solomon Shinerock and Annika Conrad at Lewis Baach.