International
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August 29, 2024
EU Should Ensure Public Understands Tax Data, Execs Say
The European Union should specify that its disclosure requirements for corporate tax information don't reflect multinational companies' overall operations, a group representing in-house tax practitioners said in comments published Thursday, saying the public could otherwise misunderstand the data.
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August 29, 2024
Brazil Seeks Comments On Transfer Pricing Guidelines
Brazil is seeking public comments on proposed regulations related to its 2023 adoption of new transfer pricing rules, including the application of the international arm's-length standard, the country's revenue agency said Thursday.
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August 29, 2024
UK Reports £300M Rise In Tax Relief To Creative Industries
Creative industries received £2.2 billion ($2.9 billion) in tax relief from the U.K. in the 2022-23 tax year, an increase of £300 million over the prior year largely driven by more claims from high-end TV and theater productions, HM Revenue & Customs said Thursday.
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August 29, 2024
Sky Sports Rugby Pundit Loses Bid To Duck £700K Tax Bill
Rugby commentator Stuart Barnes has lost his attempt to escape a tax bill of almost £700,000 ($921,000) as a tribunal ruled that he owed the money because a contract between his company and Sky was equivalent to an employer-employee relationship.
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August 28, 2024
IRS Declines Watchdog's Ask For Attys In Talks With Big Cos.
The IRS declined a recommendation by its internal watchdog to require the agency's counsel to attend talks held with large multinational corporations by its appellate division, which agents say thwarts their ability to correctly enforce the economic substance doctrine, according to a report.
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August 28, 2024
Feds Looks To Toss Ex-Citizens' Renunciation Fee Challenge
The federal government asked a D.C. federal judge to throw out a lawsuit brought by former U.S. citizens who want their $2,350 citizenship renunciation fee refunded, arguing during a Wednesday hearing that the United States is immune from the litigation and the plaintiffs can't relitigate claims that they already lost.
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August 28, 2024
IRS Corrects Proposed Foreign Currency Accounting Regs
The Internal Revenue Service issued corrections Wednesday to proposed rules that would adjust the timing for when companies could opt to use what is known as the mark-to-market accounting method for gains or losses that arise from foreign currency transactions.
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August 28, 2024
Jury Justified In Dismissing $2.2M FBAR Case, Court Rules
A financial adviser will not face a new trial after an Arizona federal court ruled there was sufficient evidence for a jury to clear him in January of failing to report foreign bank accounts, sparing him at least $2.2 million in penalties.
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August 28, 2024
Sysco, IRS Asked To Address Varian's Foreign Dividend Win
The U.S. Tax Court asked food services giant Sysco and the IRS to address how a tax dispute between them is affected by a recent ruling in a similar case that found medical device company Varian can claim a deduction for foreign dividends.
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August 28, 2024
Treasury To Require Reports On All-Cash Real Estate Deals
Anyone who transfers real estate to a legal entity in an all-cash transaction, including attorneys, will be required starting Dec. 1, 2025, to inform the U.S. Treasury Department about that entity's beneficial owners and their identification numbers under a final rule issued Wednesday.
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August 28, 2024
Greenberg Traurig Builds PE Team With Kirkland Hires
Greenberg Traurig LLP has brought on two fund formation partners from Kirkland & Ellis LLP to continue its growth into the private equity space, according to an announcement this week by the firm.
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August 28, 2024
Taiwan Considering OECD's Global Minimum Tax
Taiwan is looking to implement the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 15% global corporate minimum tax on large multinational entities starting in 2026, the country's Ministry of Finance said Wednesday.
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August 28, 2024
Ireland May Add Timing Flexibility To Dividend Exemption
The Irish government floated more timing flexibility for companies seeking to opt into the country's planned tax exemption for foreign-sourced earnings, but it declined to widen the system's geographical scope.
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August 28, 2024
Atty Can't Escape Danish Tax Agency's $2.1B Tax Fraud Suit
An attorney in a $2.1 billion tax fraud case brought by the Danish tax authority cannot argue that a suit filed against him as an individual should be dismissed because it was filed late, a New York federal court ruled.
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August 27, 2024
Gov't Says Doctor Can't Escape Contempt Fine In FBAR Case
A doctor challenging his $20,000 civil contempt fine for failing to follow a court order to repatriate money from his foreign bank account to cover $1.1 million in tax liabilities shouldn't be allowed to escape the penalty, the U.S. government argued Tuesday.
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August 27, 2024
Canadian Grocery Giant's Bank Wins Appeal Over Tax Credits
The Tax Court of Canada incorrectly decided that a bank owned by the country's largest supermarket chain, Loblaw, couldn't claim tax credits aimed at exempting commercial purchases for payments the bank made in a customer rewards program, a Federal Court of Appeal panel ruled.
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August 27, 2024
OECD Says Malaysia Should Resume GST, End Fuel Subsidies
With spending pressures rising, Malaysia should look to increase its tax revenues through measures including a reintroduction of its goods and services tax, as well as push to minimize its climate impact by eliminating fuel subsidies, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Tuesday.
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August 27, 2024
Treasury Asked To Scrap Stock Buyback Tax's Funding Rule
Business groups urged the U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday to remove what's known as the funding rule in forthcoming final regulations on the stock buyback tax, saying the provision would go beyond Congress' intentions for the levy, which aims to deter companies from giving outsize rewards to shareholders.
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August 27, 2024
Croatia, HK, Others Address Hurtful Tax Regimes, OECD Says
Five tax jurisdictions, including Croatia and Hong Kong, have made progress to address various harmful tax practices, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Tuesday.
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August 27, 2024
Germany Proposes Investment Tax Changes To Attract VC
Germany would adjust its tax laws in an attempt to better attract venture capital and investments into renewable energies under a proposal published Tuesday by the country's finance ministry as part of a planned "growth initiative."
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August 27, 2024
Starmer Warns Of 'Painful' Budget As UK Braces For Tax Hikes
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned Tuesday of "painful" decisions to plug budget gaps, including tax increases and spending cuts, looming in the Oct. 30 budget statement.
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August 27, 2024
Gov't Urged To Reform Pension Tax To Fill Budget Gaps
The Labour government should reform £66 billion ($87 billion) worth of pension tax relief to raise extra revenue to help plug the black hole in public finances, a think tank affiliated to the party has said.
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August 26, 2024
Varian Entitled To Foreign Dividend Break, Tax Court Says
California-based medical device company Varian Medical Systems is entitled to a deduction for dividends received from its foreign subsidiaries, the U.S. Tax Court ruled Monday in a unanimous opinion.
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August 26, 2024
US Should Extend Expiring TCJA Tax Cuts, Chamber Says
The expiration of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2025 gives the next Congress an opportunity to pass pro-growth tax policies, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Monday.
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August 26, 2024
Kyocera's Gross-Up Doesn't Grant $143M Tax Break, US Says
Electronics maker Kyocera cannot be allowed to take a $143 million tax deduction for distributions received under a 2017 tax law based on a separate statute's gross-up for paid foreign tax credits, the government told a South Carolina federal court.
Expert Analysis
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3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture
Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.
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After Chevron: Delegation Of Authority And Tax Regulators
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service will face higher standards following Loper Bright’s finding that courts should determine whether agency rules meet the best possible interpretation of the tax code, as well as the scope of the authority delegated by Congress, says Edward Froelich at McDermott.
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Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.
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Contract Disputes Recap: Preserving Payment Rights
Stephanie Magnell and Zachary Jacobson at Seyfarth examine three recent decisions that together illustrate the importance of keeping accurate records and adhering to contractual procedures to avoid inadvertently waiving contractual rights to cost reimbursements or nonroutine payments.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step
From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
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Reading Between The Lines Of Justices' Moore Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent Moore v. U.S. decision, that the Internal Revenue Code Section 965 did not violate the 16th Amendment, was narrowly tailored to minimally disrupt existing tax regimes, but the justices' various opinions leave the door open to future tax challenges and provide clues for what the battles may look like, say Caroline Ngo and Le Chen at McDermott.
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A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.