Expert Analysis

After a couple of years of work in preparing the tax reform Bill and several months of discussion and debate in the Colombian Congress, the government approved Law No 1607 on December 26 2012. With 198 articles, the law seeks to confront tax evasion in Colombia, as one of its main objectives. Diego González-Béndiksen De Zaldívar, head of DIAN’s (Colombia’s National Tax and Customs Direction) International Audit Unit, and Andrea Medina Rojas, an international auditor in the unit, describe the law’s process and what it will mean for taxpayers.

On December 27 2012, a significant amendment to the tax and legal regime of the Spanish Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), or SOCIMIs (Sociedades Anónimas Cotizadas de Inversión en el Mercado Inmobiliario), was approved by the Spanish Congress following a proposal by the Spanish government. Javier Hernández Galante and Javier Mateos, of Ashurst, explain why they are optimistic about the changes.

Algirdas Šemeta, European Commissioner for Taxation, Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud, introduces the Directive on Administrative Cooperation (2011/16/EU) to increase transparency, improve information exchange and tighten cross-border cooperation, which he says are fundamental tools for fighting tax evasion.

Join Grant Thornton and insightsoftware on April 23 for a free ITR webinar exploring how flexible tax software aligns with your existing processes, enabling smoother adoption, integration, and phased implementation across complex organisations

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

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

Rafael Calvo Salinero and Fernando Brioso de la Rica of Garrigues examine the implications of a Spanish Supreme Court ruling on treaty relief when the Interest and Royalties Directive exemption is denied

Federico Vincenti and Carola Valente Della Rovere of Valente Associati GEB Partners/Crowe Valente examine the challenges and methodologies involved in determining arm’s-length prices for transactions involving intangible assets, addressing how to ensure compliance and mitigate tax risks

The regime has modernised the taxation of employee equity, but several lingering shortcomings leave room for enhancement, say João Riscado Rapoula, Miguel Gonzalez Amado, and Ana Francisca Ribeiro of VdA