Expert Analysis

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.

The UK is at the centre of a global debate on tax avoidance and the government is being pressed from all sides to make changes to the tax system. One significant change has been the announcement, in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, that the corporate tax rate will fall to 21% instead of 22% by 2015. But, amid complaints that multinationals are not paying enough tax in the UK, is this the right way for the government to go? Or is the UK becoming a tax haven for multinationals? Sophie Ashley talks to international tax practitioners about how the UK is shaping up and whether the government needs to change the law, rather than introduce different incentives, when it comes to multinationals’ operations.

Managing tax risk is higher on the agenda for multinationals than ever before. One only needs to tot up the damning tax-related headlines in the mainstream press last year to see why. Lesley Holstead, who has spent much of her career helping multinationals manage tax risk, shares her experience in creating a successful strategy.

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

Maria Gouveia of Morais Leitão, Galvão Teles, Soares da Silva & Associados examines the most widespread misconceptions surrounding the regime, clarifying its tax deferral mechanism, effective rates, eligibility criteria, and scope

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