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Articles 5(3) and 13B(b) of the Sixth VAT Directive – value added tax treatment of grant of usufructuary right in respect of immovable property for a term of 10 years – whether a member state may treat such a transaction as exempted ‘leasing or letting of immovable property’ within the meaning of Article 13B(b) of the Sixth Directive.

British consumers may be spared levies on blank recording devices, such as discs or tapes, in a Department of Trade and Industry stance that sets it apart from its European counterparts. Levies on recording equipment may also be removed. A regional tax initiative comes under the EU copyright directive voted on last week and introduced to compensate for copyright infringement. According to the UK's Financial Times, the UK government will resist any attempts to introduce such a levy here, believing its copyright law to be tighter than other member states.

Deacons has lured a tax specialist to the firm to expand its Australian practice. Academic Miranda Stewart, a senior lecturer in tax law at the University of Melbourne, will work part time for Deacons as special counsel. She specializes in corporate and business income tax, international tax and comparative tax systems, focusing on the US.

Deloitte & Touche has raided the French tax authorities, hiring the head of the transfer pricing audit team as a senior manager in the firm's French group. Jean-Luc Trucchi has been involved in transfer pricing since France introduced rules governing the area in 1996. He was the first head of the regulator's team.

The Brazilian government has ditched plans to introduce a broad tax reform, choosing to focus on specific areas instead. The administration will seek to unify legislation on the value added tax on merchandise and services, and will issue a tax on imports, according to local reports.

Harmonisation of taxation laws – Council Directive 69/335/EEC – Indirect taxes on the raising of capital – Commercial Registry fees calculated by reference to the value of the transaction, irrespective of the actual cost.

Chinese government agencies have removed taxation on software exports to increase the competitiveness of local products, according to reports. The State Administration of Taxation of China and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, have issued a notice permitting software companies to be claim compensation for taxes paid.

McDermott, Will & Emery has made another raid on US rival Thelen Reid & Priest, hiring an energy tax specialist as the government looks to reform the utilities industry

Brands are increasingly recognized as lucrative assets and as their importance grows, so do the tax implications. To realize their full potential, a structured approach to brand valuation is required. David Haigh of Brand Finance sets out the tax planning options

Government proposals to crack down on tax avoidance in Hong Kong have been fiercely crticized. The Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill will, in its existing form, remove tax deductions on debt interest payments. The Bill is intended to stop companies avoiding tax by lending money to subsidiaries, but critics say it will kill the country's debt market. Meanwhile, separate proposals to allow the government to tax royalties attributable to goods manufactured outside Hong Kong have also been attacked. Such a change would violate the principle of territorial-based taxation, they say.