Regulatory Analysis
Cook County Illinois suspended collection of their recently enacted sweetened beverage tax after receiving a temporary restraining order from Cook County Circuit Court. The sweetened beverage tax consisted of a $0.01 tax on each ounce of sweetened beverage sold at retail effective July 1, 2017. The Illinois Retail Merchants Association and several grocers sued the […]
New Mexico recently updated a published bulletin which details the effective interest rates for late payments on tax due. This bulletin lists the annual and daily percentage rates for the late payment of taxes due, along with a method for calculating daily interest during the applicable period. The annual rate of interest remains unchanged […]
Minnesota’s Department of Revenue recently updated Minnesota Income Tax Withholding Instruction Booklet and Tax Tables as well as Fact Sheets 2 and 2a. The Instruction Booklet provides general direction for withholding while Fact Sheets 2 and 2a provide more detailed instructions for submitting W-2 and 1099 information, respectively. Most importantly, all three documents have advanced the […]
The British Virgin Island’s Ministry of Finance recently announced an extension for reporting under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS). CRS reporting had previously been due July 31, but a in a June 28 press release, the Ministry announced the due date will be August 18 for reporting 2016 information. CDOT information, now reported as part […]
Curacao’s Ministry of Finance has released FATCA and CRS guidance regarding data specifications for XML transmittals and use of the online financial data exchange portal. The Manual of Automatic Exchange of Information, which provides information for both FATCA and CRS transmittals, has been revised to reflect the following updates: The AccountReport – Payment element has been […]
The Nauru Department of Finance has released information on excluded accounts under the Common Reporting Standard. The newly published regulations provide that dormant accounts will be excluded for the purposes of CRS reporting. The definition of a “dormant account,” in addition to the conditions for ceasing to be classified as dormant, is explained in detail within […]
The IRS has published Frequently Asked Questions regarding the FFI agreement renewal. The deadline for the renewal is July 31, 2017, and the obligation to renew applies to Participating FFIs not covered by an IGA, Reporting FFIs under a Model 2 IGA, and Registered Deemed-Compliant FFIs that are Reporting FFIs under a Model 1 IGA operating branches […]
The South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) recently issued a reminder on their main AEOI site that reporting financial institutions (RFIs) may be liable for administrative penalties if they missed the filing deadline of May 31, 2017 for FATCA and CRS reporting. RFIs may be liable for administrative penalties if there is a failure to report in a […]
On June 26, 2017, Governor John Bell Edwards signed House Bill 629 into law (Act No. 424). Under this Act, polyroll tubing for commercial farm irrigation is now exempt from tax, as well as purchases and leases by qualifying radiation therapy treatment centers. Act No. 424 also limits the exemption for fuels and gases to […]
As reported earlier on this forum, Puerto Rico is considering 2017-2018 budget legislation that may significantly impact remittance requirements for existing taxpayers in the immediate future. Specifically the bill which is currently sitting on the Governor’s desk, would require taxpayers whose average sales tax liability is at least $2000 per month (or who otherwise qualify […]
The European Court of Justice has ruled, in Case C-288/16, that an exemption for services “directly connected” with exportation or importation of goods applies only if those services are supplied directly to the importer/exporter or to the consignee of the goods. The holding turned on the definition of the phrase “direct connection” within Article 146(1)(e) […]
Just a day before it was slated to take effect, a Cook County Circuit Court granted an emergency motion that temporarily bars the enforcement of the Sweetened Beverage Tax. The ordinance, which was passed last November, would have imposed a $.01 per ounce tax on virtually all sales of sweetened beverages (and beverage syrups) in […]
Last year, Louisiana re-vamped their tax code, and among the changes imposed was that medical devices went from being exempt to being taxed at a 3% rate. This change was scheduled to expire on July 1, 2018. However, on June 23, 2017, Governor John Bell Edwards signed Senate Bill 180 into law (Act No. 426). […]
The IRS recently released Bulletin No. 2017-26. The bulletin is noteworthy particularly because part of this Bulletin will be repurposed into Publication 1179. Below is a list of the changes the IRS has specifically highlighted for attention: Vendor code. The use of a vendor code is encouraged in place of a form printer EINs. See […]
The IRS recently published the 2017 version of Form W-2GU, the Guam Wage and Tax Statement. This form is used to report Guam wages, and should not be used to report wages subject to U.S. income tax withholding. While the form itself remains the same, there are minor changes made to the instructions attached […]
The IRS has released an updated Publication 1179 for Tax Year 2017. This publication provides guidelines for those who create and provide substitute information returns to follow. There are a few changes from the previous revision: Vendor codes The use of a vendor code is encouraged in place of a form printer EINs The […]
Senate Bill 97 (Act No. 378) qualifies the Louisiana sales and use tax exemptions for certain agricultural items. Effective January 1, 2018, sales of seeds used for planting crops, pesticides used for agricultural purposes, liquefied petroleum gases used for farm purposes, and commercial farm irrigation equipment will only be exempt when made to commercial farmers. […]
Under House Bill 396 (Act No. 340) Louisiana will permit full exemptions from sales and use taxes for platinum, gold, or silver bullion, valued on its precious metal content; numismatic coins with a sales price of no more than one thousand dollars; and numismatic coins sold at a national, statewide, or multi-parish numismatic trade show. […]