Expert Analysis

Poonam Khaira Sidhu, commissioner of income tax and joint secretary at the Indian Revenue Service – who holds a Michigan LLM in international taxation with a master’s in economics – reflects on tax competition, inequality, BEPS, information exchange and black, white and grey lists in the wake of the ‘Panama Papers’ leak.

Picking up on where we left off in the last installment, this issue of the Brockman Brief digs deeper into the tax function of tomorrow. Not only does an effective tax function depend on building the right skill-set, it must also include developing and making use of integrated technology and forming best practices.

Election day – November 8 – may still be some way off, but the buzz around the battle for the presidency is already at peak levels, largely driven by the polarising Donald Trump and his drive for the Republican presidential nomination. But while his hairdo continues to dominate the front pages, how would a Trump-inspired tax reform be received on the business pages? Amelia Schwanke analyses where each of the front-runners for the White House stand on corporate tax.

Join ITR for a free webinar on February 4 as senior tax practitioners from BDO India analyse a highly significant ruling by the Indian Supreme Court

Interview with Candy Ye Tang, tax and business advisory leader, Deloitte China

Interview with Adham Hafoudh, partner, Tax & Legal, Deloitte Czech Republic

Antonio Ruiz and Alejandra Arguedas of EY Central America, Panama and Dominican Republic explain how tax, geopolitical factors, and trade agreements shape foreign investment in Central America, offering guidance for companies navigating the region

David Hamzah Damian of DDTC Consulting examines recent procedural changes in Indonesia’s tax disputes process and the Supreme Court’s stance on tax evidence, highlighting key implications for taxpayers facing audits, objections, and appeals

Eddie Morris, Josep Serrano Torres, and Jen Breeze of Deloitte compare transfer pricing controversies in the pharmaceutical and automotive sectors, highlighting how DEMPE functions, regulation, and intangibles drive both common themes and sector-specific challenges

The ruling clarifies that Spain cannot restrict VAT exemptions for general services directly necessary to independent groups’ exempt activities, says Fernando Matesanz of Spanish VAT Services

Gabriel Caldiron Rezende of Machado Associados comments on the latest developments related to the beginning of the Brazilian consumption tax reform test phase and considers the next steps

Nils Schmid and Isabelle Berking of KPMG Sweden analyse the possibilities for sovereign wealth funds to claim refunds of Swedish withholding tax following a recent proposal referred to the Council on Legislation