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Sophie Stylianou Ariana Rozhaja Kosovo is becoming one of the most competitive countries in the Balkans through continuously enhancing its business environment and attracting foreign direct investment.

A monthly commentary on the notable facts, figures and goings-on in the tax world, so called to give you a gentle exit from International Tax Review each month

Salim Rahim, Erik Christenson, Todd Schroeder and Michael Snider have become partners of Baker & McKenzie in the US. Rahim works in the Washington, DC office, Christenson is based in the San Francisco/Palo Alto office while Schroeder and Snider are in the Dallas and Houston offices respectively.

Sean Foley Landon McGrew The IRS was recently handed an important defeat in Veritas Software Corp. v. Commissioner, 133 TC No. 14 (2009), one of the largest tax disputes in US history.

David Cuellar Jose Luis Olvera On December 7 2009, certain regulations to the Federal Tax Code were published in the Mexican Official Gazette.

Ian Farmer As part of the strategic compliance initiative (SCI) announced in the May 2009 Federal Budget, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) intends to significantly increase its focus on transfer pricing in the large taxpayer market (revenue greater than A$250 million ($232 million)) over the next four years. The ATO formally announced the programme at the National Tax Liaison Group Transfer Pricing Sub Committee meeting on December 1 2009. More than 150 transfer pricing questionnaires have been issued by the ATO over the last few months with the areas of focus being:

Sophie Stylianou Orestis Livadas The economic crisis is a threat to the business world. Many companies are verging on bankruptcy and for those that remain above this level, the need to increase their profitability in order to secure their future success is urgent.

The judge's approach to pricing in the GE guarantee fee case in Canada could have implications for discussions about similar issues in the UK, believes Murray Clayson of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Herman Driessen In case of the sale of a new building simultaneously with the land on which the new building stands, VAT is - under certain conditions - only due on the sale of a new building but not on the land. The sale of land is subject to registration duties (10% or 12.5%). As already announced earlier in our article of May 2008, VAT (21%) will become due on the sale of the land. Indeed, after discussing this matter with the VAT Committee, Belgium has implemented the findings of the European Court of Justice in the Breitsohlcase (ECJ, June 8 2008, C-400/98) into Belgian VAT legislation. This important change is recently announced in the Belgian Official Gazette and the new measure will come into force within 11 months, that is, from January 1 2011. Until December 31 2010 the supply of land will remain VAT exempt.

Tax work at the UN can seem shrouded in mystery. Catherine Snowdon speaks to Michael Lennard about his career and the challenges of being the only tax technical specialist employed by the organisation.