Blog

The SAF-T Series Part 1: Periodical Tax Reporting in Poland

At Sovos, we often find ourselves researching many different areas of compliance. Periodical tax reporting is one of the areas we’ve had reason to keep a close eye on. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to argue that tax authorities are getting increasingly more creative when it comes to finding new areas to come down hard […]

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Malaysian Minister of Finance Grants Relief from GST for Certain Supplies of Services

Effective July 1, 2017, the Minister of Finance in Malaysia announced that four groups of supplies will now be exempt from GST. The supplies that no longer apply GST include: The supply of services directly in connection with goods for export, to an overseas customer who belongs in a country other than Malaysia (for tax purposes), and […]

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Australia Amends GST Act to Include Another Category of Drugs and Medicine Preparations that are now GST-Free

The Australian Parliament recently amended the GST Act of 1999, to add an additional category of drugs and medicine preparations, which are now included in the list of GST-free goods seen in section 38-50(6)(b) of the Australian GST Act. The new section, 38-50(6)(ba), states that a supply of a drug or medicinal preparation is GST-free, if […]

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United Kingdom Announces Change in Timetable for “Making Tax Digital” Initiative for Businesses

On July 13, 2017, the parliament of the United Kingdom, along with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), announced that the roll-out of the ‘Making Tax Digital for Businesses’ will be delayed until April of 2019. This initiative, first decided upon in December of 2015, is an effort by the government of the U.K., to digitize […]

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Singapore Publishes Updates to CRS Frequently Asked Questions

Singapore recently published an update to their CRS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Last updated in February 2017, the July 2017 update provides clarity and additional guidance in a number of areas that concern Singaporean financial institutions reporting under the Common Reporting Standard. These updates include the following sections. Section B.5, Reserved Investment Power Trusts: This […]

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SII Reporting to be Adopted in the Basque Region

Organizations operating in the Basque region of Spain will soon be required to comply with SII reporting requirements. As reported in this forum, effective July 1 most companies operating in Spain are now required to transmit information to the Spanish Tax Administration (AEAT) regarding purchase and sale transactions within a few days of invoicing. Today, […]

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Tax Reform on the Horizon in Puerto Rico

The Secretary of the Treasury for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico announced they plan on encouraging the local legislature to adopt significant tax reform measures, including a number of items that will impact sales tax (locally known as IVU). The details of the proposed reforms have not been released but the Secretary has indicated that […]

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United Kingdom to Modify Place of Supply Rules for Telecommunications Services

The United Kingdom has announced plans to eliminate its “use and enjoyment” provision for VAT on business-to-consumer (B2C) telecommunications services used outside of the European Union. Schedule 4A of the VAT Act of 1994 currently treats telecommunication services used outside of an EU member state as taking place where consumed, even if the service would […]

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French Court Strikes Down Google VAT Bill

On July 12, 2017, the Tribunal Administratif de Paris struck down a bill of more than 1 billion euros assessed by the French government against Google for back taxes, including VAT. The Tribunal found in particular that Google did not have sufficient human and technical resources in France to subject the company to VAT; instead, the […]

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Germany Publishes Guidelines on VAT Exemption for Frozen Gametes

The Federal Ministry of Finance has released guidance related to a VAT exemption on storage fees for frozen reproductive material. When frozen gametes are stored for therapeutic purposes – such as contributing to a pregnancy as part of fertility treatment – the storage fee is properly VAT exempt. Absent a direct therapeutic purpose, however, storage fees for […]

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Czech Republic Publishes Guidance on Changes to Filing Instructions for the VAT Control Statement

The Financial Administration of the Czech Republic recently published amended filing instructions for the “Kontrolní hlášení”, or the “Check Report” form, which is a required filing for all taxable persons under the Czech VAT Act. Among the changes to the instructions is, first, a new requirement for contract companies (partnership-structured entities) to now file by individual partner instead […]

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Amendment to Treatment of Vouchers Before Dutch Parliament

Earlier this month, bill number 34755, which would modify the treatment of vouchers under the Dutch VAT Act, was introduced to the Dutch Parliament. The proposed law would differentiate between single use vouchers, defined as vouchers where the place of supply and amount of VAT on the supply are known at the time of the voucher’s issuance, […]

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Denmark Clarifies Positions on VAT Exemptions

The Danish Customs and Tax Administration (SKAT) has announced a limitation on the VAT exemption for supplies of blood plasma. Previously, the SKAT had allowed for exemptions on all deliveries of the human blood plasma. Going forward this exemption will no longer apply to supplies of plasma to companies intending to use the plasma in […]

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Romania Modifies Rules on VAT Refunds

Getting a VAT refund has become simpler for suppliers registered in Romania under the MOSS scheme. In the past, taxable persons established outside the EU who supplied electronic services in Romania were required to appoint a tax representative. But on July 13th, the Fiscal Administration (ANAF) released a press release announcing that in accordance with […]

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Spain SII Requirements Expanded – New Mandates Begin January 1

Businesses in two of Spain’s autonomous communities – Basque Country and Navarra – will soon be subject to Spain’s Immediate Supply of Information on VAT (SII) mandate. On July 1, 2017, Spain launched SII, requiring companies operating in the country to electronically submit ledger and invoice details. With the extension into two of Spain’s autonomous […]

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Puerto Rico Governor Signs Bill Requiring 2 Monthly Sales Tax Payments

The Governor of Puerto Rico has signed into law a bill (PC 1133) that changes the frequency of sales tax remittance. As reported earlier in this forum, the new rule requires most taxpayers to pay sales tax in the same month as it’s collected, in two monthly installments: The first payment is required on the […]

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Tax Reform on the Horizon in Puerto Rico

The Secretary of the Treasury for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico announced that they plan on encouraging the local legislature to adopt significant tax reform measures, including a number of items that will impact sales tax (locally known as IVU). The details of the proposed reforms have not been released but the Secretary has indicated […]

Read More
SII Reporting to be Adopted in the Basque Region

Organizations operating in the Basque region of Spain will soon be required to comply with SII reporting requirements. As reported in this forum, effective July 1 most companies operating in Spain are now required to transmit information to the Spanish Tax Administration (AEAT) regarding purchase and sale transactions within a few days of invoicing. Today, […]

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