Blog

Total Control: Three Ways Global Tax Administrations Are Cracking Down on VAT Liability (Part II: Brazil)

In this article, we turn our focus to the second and most widely used system – ex-ante and real-time invoice validation. In our previous blog, we began discussing how certain tax administrations are implementing new processes to ensure VAT compliance. These tax authorities, of course, want the money they are owed as soon as possible […]

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OECD Publishes Guidelines on Taxation of Services and Intangible Goods

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in newly-published 2017 Guidelines for VAT/GST, has opined on how they believe VAT should be assessed on services and intangibles. Their primary recommendations are that countries adopt regimes which: 1. Tax services and intangibles at the place of consumption; 2. Tax business-to-business (B2B) transactions at the location […]

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Belgium Updates CRS Business Rules and Example Scenarios

The Belgium Ministry of Finance recently published updated Business Rules and Example Scenarios to aid financial institutions in creating compliant CRS XML files for reporting purposes. These most recent updates include changes to important elements critical to a successful transmittal. The Business Rules, which lay out the multitude of requirements for each field in an […]

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IRS Releases Updated Publication 1281, Backup Withholding For Missing and Incorrect Name/TIN(S)

The IRS has released an updated version of Publication 1281, Backup Withholding For Missing and Incorrect Name/TIN(S). There are a couple of changes from the previous revision: • Form 1099-G payments made under IRC 6041 and 3406(b)(3)(A), which include taxable grants and agricultural payments, are now subject to backup withholding o New code for the […]

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Iceland Publishes New FATCA Schema Information and Enacts FATCA/CRS Resolution

The Icelandic Directorate of Internal Revenue has released information about its domestic schema to be used for both FATCA and CRS reporting. There is a new section in the schema, <FatcaCrs í framtalsgögnum> (FATCA CRS tax return data), which is meant to allow for either FATCA or CRS data to be reported. Additionally, there is […]

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Cayman Island Publishes List of Reportable Jurisdictions, Updates Participating Jurisdictions

The Tax Information Authority for the Cayman Islands has published its list of Reportable Jurisdictions in the Cayman Islands Gazette (beginning on page 15). This list is important because it instructs Reporting Financial Institutions which foreign account holders must be reported. In addition, Cayman’s list of Participating Jurisdictions has also been updated.

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Singapore Amends CRS Regulations

New regulations came into effect this week for CRS in Singapore. The Minister for Finance has published Amendments the last year’s Regulations. Many of the Amendments concern due diligence procedures, including the self-certification process. Singapore is a late adopter. Financial Institutions are required to complete the due diligence procedures this year, and then report in […]

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Singapore Releases Nil Return Form

Singapore’s Inland Revenue Authority has released a paper form that Reporting Financial Institutions may use to file a nil report. Nil reports are required whenever an FI does not have any U.S. Reportable Accounts. A Singaporean FI may elect to file an electronic nil through the IDES Gateway, as it would a typical FATCA return. […]

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Electronic Invoice Mandate arrives to Paraguay

The Paraguay Tax Administration (SET) recently informed the business community that it is initiating a project to introduce the mandatory use of electronic invoices. The project will be executed in three phases: 1) Definition of the e-Invoice model; 2) Development of the necessary regulations and the technical platform and 3) Implementation of a pilot plan […]

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Hungary Adopts Real-Time Reporting Regulations

Hungary’s tax authority announced in late 2016 that it would implement mandated real-time reporting starting July 1, 2017. As that date draws near, one certainty exists – companies with VAT liability in Hungary need to prepare now so they can nimbly adapt to new process and reporting requirements. As European governments trend toward electronic invoicing […]

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Hungary Adopts Real-Time Reporting Regulations

As European governments trend toward electronic invoicing mandates to gain visibility into corporate tax liability, all eyes are watching Hungary. The NAV, Hungary’s tax authority, announced in late 2016 that it would implement mandated real-time reporting starting July 1, 2017. As that date draws near, technical specifications for the program have yet to be released, […]

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British Virgin Islands Extends CRS Deadlines and Reminds Financial Institutions of Reporting Obligations

The BVI International Tax Authority has relaxed the statutory deadlines for both UK CDOT and CRS – extending them to June 30, 2017 for enrollment and to July 31, 2017 for submissions. The ITA will inform BVI FIs directly once the portal is open to accept UK and CRS enrollments and filings. In addition, UK […]

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Sweden Updates FATCA Technical Guidance

Sweden has released a new version of the SKV 260 which provides a technical description of the XML file for FATCA should be formatted. The new guide applies to reports made for this year’s reporting. The format largely follows the IRS’s XML v.2.0 as outlined in the Publication 5124. However, Sweden has mandated that certain […]

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Luxembourg Releases Reportable Jurisdictions

Luxembourg has published their list of Reportable Jurisdictions in the Journal Officiel. The list is a requirement from the Common Reporting Standard, and should be use by Reporting Financial Institutions if they have Reportable Accounts. It’s Luxembourg’s first publication of such a list. Otherwise, an FI may submit a Nil but it is not required […]

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OECD Releases Second Edition of CRS Guidance

The OECD has recently put out a new edition of the Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information. This text is sometimes referred to as the “purple book.” The OECD explains that the update was made to give more clarity to the process of submitting corrected returns. In that vein, the OECD updated the […]

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Australia Updates FATCA and CRS Pages, Adds FATCA Reporting Explanation

The Australian Taxation Office has made some revisions to the ATO FATCA and CRS websites. Additionally, the ATO has created a new FATCA Reporting page that provides essential information regarding the transmittal of FATCA returns. The reporting page confirms that Australia will continue to use the IRS XML Schema, and permit but not require Nil […]

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Europe: ECOFIN Debates VAT Modifications

The Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the European Union (ECOFIN) recently discussed two hot-button topics that could ultimately lead to changes in European VAT law. First, ECOFIN discussed whether Member States should be allowed to reduce-rate electronic publications. This option already exists for ‘physical’ books, newspapers, magazines, and the like, but EU authorities have […]

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GST Bills Pass in India’s Lower House

The four bills that would implement the long-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India have taken their first step towards enactment, passing India’s lower house of parliament (the Lok Sabha) on March 29, 2017. The State of Jammu and Kashmir is notably excluded from the scope of one of the bills, the Integrated Goods […]

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