International

Expert Analysis

• The Highs And Lows Of Tax Controversy In 2021

  

  Lawrence Hill at Steptoe & Johnson reviews the ups and downs of tax controversy practice in 2021, including the continued effects of the pandemic, troubling decisions on attorney-client privilege and an IRS comeback on transfer pricing.

• Lessons From IRS For A New HMRC Whistleblowing Model

  

  Andrew Park at Andersen considers whether the public interest would be better served in allowing the U.K.'s tax enforcers, HM Revenue & Customs, to offer larger and more certain cash incentives to people blowing the whistle on tax misdemeanors — similar to the IRS model for whistleblowers.

• The Benefits Of Competent Authority In Int'l Tax Disputes

  

  Multinational enterprises seeking relief from double taxation in a changing international tax landscape should consider utilizing the competent authority process, which provides both taxpayers and domestic tax regulators an efficient and effective means of dispute resolution, say David Farhat and Eman Cuyler at Skadden.

• How OECD Transfer Tax Initiative Affects Smaller Businesses

  

  Small and midsize enterprises with cross-border transactions need to consider redefining tax strategies and operational models in light of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's base erosion and profit shifting initiative, even though the agency's new tax guidelines are aimed at large multinational enterprises, says Ganesh Ramaswamy at Kreston Rangamani.

• What The New OECD Double-Tax Procedure Statistics Tell Us

  

  Monique van Herksen and Clive Jie-A-Joen at Simmons & Simmons consider the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s recent report on double taxation cases resolved in 2020 under the mutual agreement procedure process, and examine whether the process has improved dispute resolution mechanisms since its implementation five years ago.

• Navigating FCPA Risks Of Minority-Owned Joint Ventures

  

  The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will likely continue to focus on third-party risks under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, so companies with minority-owned joint ventures should take several steps to mitigate related compliance challenges, say Ben Kimberley at The Clorox Company and Addison Thompson at Covington.

• Questions To Ask If Doing Business In A Corruption Hot Spot

  

  Businesses facing new scrutiny after the U.S. Department of Justice's recently announced task force for combating human trafficking in Central America, the release of the Pandora Papers and continuing fallout from 2019's Panama Papers, should address compliance risks by having employees ask three questions about every transaction, say attorneys at White & Case.

• How The Global Tax Agreement Could Backfire For Biden

  

  If the $3.5 trillion spending package fails, the federal tax code will not conform to the recent 15% global minimum tax agreement spearheaded by the U.S., which would embarrass the Biden administration and could lead to retaliatory tax measures by other nations, says Alex Parker at Capitol Counsel.

• Pandora Papers Reveal Need For Greater Tax Enforcement

  

  The recent Pandora Papers leak is a reminder of the importance of transparency laws and proper funding for enforcement efforts against tax evasion as bad actors increasingly operate in the shadows, says Daren Firestone and Kevin Crenny at Levy Firestone.

• Parsing New Int'l Tax Reporting Rules For Pass-Throughs

  

  Attorneys at Grant Thornton unpack the Internal Revenue Service’s new pass-through entity reporting requirements for international tax matters and the accompanying guidance for penalty relief, and suggest how companies should prepare for what may be the most significant change to the partnership compliance function in decades.

• A Look At Global Tax Enforcement Developments: Part 2

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Sean Craig at LexisNexis examines recent investigations by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement and their impact on U.S. taxpayers, as well as the growing significance of transfer pricing disputes and policies for future enforcement.

• A Look At Global Tax Enforcement Developments: Part 1

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Sean Craig at LexisNexis looks at how international initiatives, such as the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement, are addressing cryptocurrency-related tax evasion, and how the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing demands for governmental welfare programs are driving global tax policy.

• EU Climate Plan Should Involve Taxing Pollution, Not Borders

  

  In order to crack down on greenhouse gas emissions, the European Union proposes to levy carbon emissions at its borders and to overhaul its long-standing energy tax framework, but the latter would hold polluters directly accountable, giving it the better chance for success, says Rebecca Christie at Bruegel.