International
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August 23, 2024
IRS Spinoff Guidance Sparks Worries About Short-Term Debt
Companies that intend to give creditors equity tied to a spinoff transaction won't get early tax-free approval if the exchange involves recently acquired debt under IRS guidance that practitioners say draws an arbitrary line without accounting for ordinary business operations.
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August 23, 2024
Alvarez & Marsal Adds Transfer Pricing Expert From EY
A former EY partner joined Alvarez & Marsal LLC to serve as managing director of its transfer pricing line of services in its New York office, the firm announced.
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August 23, 2024
45% Of US Biz Income Abroad In Tax Havens, Data Shows
U.S. multinational corporations booked about 45% of their $1.33 trillion in net foreign income in 2022 in low-tax jurisdictions where around 1.7% of their employees are located, according to an analysis of data released Friday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
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August 23, 2024
German Official Backs Anti-Abuse Tax Rules Roll-Back Review
A German Federal Ministry of Finance official agreed with tax experts' proposal to review the anti-abuse provisions of international tax law in order to potentially roll them back, especially with the global corporate minimum tax going into force across the European Union.
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August 23, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Latham, Wachtell, Paul Weiss
In this week's Taxation With Representation, Arch Resources merges with Consol Energy in a deal worth $5.2 billion, Advanced Micro Devices agrees to purchase ZT Systems for $4.9 billion, and Japanese tobacco company JT Group inks a deal to buy Vector Group for $2.4 billion.
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August 23, 2024
HMRC Can Be Liable For Damage To Biz Shut Over £7.4M Debt
The tax authority cannot lift a court order that requires it to repay a payroll business damages for losses suffered after it was put into provisional liquidation, as a court found on Friday that it had failed to pursue that action for law enforcement purposes.
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August 22, 2024
Switzerland Expects 3.2% Tax Receipt Increase In 2025
Switzerland expects to generate 85.7 billion Swiss francs ($100.6 billion) in tax receipts in 2025, an increase of 3.2% over the 2024 budget, with the biggest growth projected to come from personal income taxes, the country's Federal Finance Administration said Thursday.
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August 22, 2024
Kenya's Justices May Ax Part Of Tax Act That Set Off Unrest
The Supreme Court of Kenya agreed to stay a lower court's ruling declaring unconstitutional the government's entire 2023 tax package, which sparked deadly nationwide protests, but it looks likely to scrap at least part of the law next month, attorneys told Law360 on Thursday.
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August 22, 2024
Australian Legislators Advance Enactment Of Global Min. Tax
Australia would enact the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 15% global corporate minimum tax on large multinational entities, known as Pillar Two, under three bills passed Thursday by the country's House of Representatives.
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August 22, 2024
EU Decision Keeps Tax Relief For UK Investment Schemes
The European Commission will allow U.K. government-backed programs that encourage private investment in small companies to continue offering favorable tax terms for investors, according to a decision published Thursday.
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August 22, 2024
Ryanair Threatens Service Cuts Over German Tax Increase
Irish discount airline Ryanair said it will cut 10% of its German capacity next summer if the country doesn't reverse a recent 24% increase in its aviation tax, calling on Germany to ultimately abolish the tax altogether.
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August 22, 2024
Over 3M UK Pensioners To Be Dragged Into Higher Tax Rates
Government data shows 3.1 million U.K. pensioners will be dragged into paying higher taxes in the next four years due to the freeze on income thresholds, financial firm Quilter PLC said Thursday.
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August 21, 2024
Ariz. Man Should Pay Full $2.7M FBAR Bill, Gov't Says
An Arizona man who failed to report his foreign bank accounts in Switzerland owes approximately $2.7 million in recalculated penalties and interest to the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. told an Arizona federal court.
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August 21, 2024
UK Tax Collection Rises 5% To £829B
HM Revenue & Customs said Wednesday that the U.K. raised over £829 billion ($1.09 trillion) in taxes in fiscal year 2023-2024, up over 5% from the previous year.
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August 21, 2024
9th Circ. Upholds FBAR Penalty, Imposes Contested Interest
A woman who operates a New Zealand winery must pay $238,000 in penalties and an extra $105,000 in interest and fees for failing to report her New Zealand financial accounts to the U.S. government, the Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday.
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August 21, 2024
3 Questions Raised By Harris' Support For 28% Corp. Tax Rate
Vice President Kamala Harris has proposed increasing the corporate tax rate to 28% to boost revenue if she's elected president, but the proposed hike raises questions about changes to the corporate tax base, the future of the OECD's global tax deal and the potential impact on workers.
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August 21, 2024
Pros Tell IRS To Ease Off Foreign Gift Reporting Penalties
The Internal Revenue Service should take a more lenient approach when considering penalty abatements for certain individuals who fail to report large foreign gifts under proposed disclosure regulations, practitioners told the agency Wednesday.
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August 21, 2024
New Zealand Seeks Feedback On Future Of Tax System
New Zealand's revenue agency is looking for feedback on plans for a potential broad restructuring of the country's tax system in order to address coming financial pressures, including possibly altering its income and consumption tax regimes, it said Wednesday.
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August 21, 2024
Swiss Council Approves Tax Treaty With Jordan
Switzerland's Federal Council approved a treaty Wednesday to avoid double taxation with Jordan that it says largely follows the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's model convention for such agreements.
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August 21, 2024
Swiss Extend Tax Exemptions For 'Too Big To Fail' Instruments
Switzerland's Federal Council decided Wednesday to extend temporary withholding tax exemptions on interest for what it calls too-big-to-fail instruments for banks, such as bail-in or write-off bonds.
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August 21, 2024
Germany Opens Consultation On Min. Tax Reporting Changes
Germany's Federal Ministry of Finance is seeking feedback on a proposal to incorporate updated guidance from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development regarding reporting requirements associated with the global corporate minimum tax.
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August 21, 2024
VAT Fraudster Loses Bid To Escape Repaying £1.4M
A man involved in a £40 million ($52 million) criminal tax fraud scheme has lost a bid to avoid repaying £1.4 million as a London court ruled on Wednesday that he had failed to prove he no longer had hidden assets.
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August 20, 2024
UN Dives Into Murky Waters Of Taxing Digital Services
The United Nations has its sights set on cross-border services in the digital economy as its framework convention on tax takes shape, but it remains unclear how countries will define that broad and hotly contested topic as they work toward a treaty.
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August 20, 2024
Temple Law Prof, Kostelanetz Atty To Lead ABA Tax Section
A longtime professor at the Temple University Beasley School of Law and a seasoned tax controversy partner at Kostelanetz LLP will together helm the American Bar Association Section of Taxation for the 2025-2026 term, the firm announced Tuesday.
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August 20, 2024
IRS Tax-Exempt Compliance Unit Work Too Slow, TIGTA Says
A decision to expand the scope of checks made by the Internal Revenue Service's Tax-Exempt Compliance Unit resulted in cases taking three times as long to close and a decrease in taxpayers reached by more than half, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said Tuesday.
Expert Analysis
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Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys
Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.
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The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'
The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.
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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.