France has cut the amount that tourists must spend to claim back the VAT on their purchases.

African state Burkina Faso has ratified the BEPS multilateral instrument, to make changes to its double tax agreements to counter tax base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS).

The French tax authority has confirmed new rules regarding the calculation of VAT on pleasure yacht charters.

France's Senate is considering the country's 2021 Finance Bill, following approval in late November by the National Assembly.

On August 26, 2020, the Swiss Federal Council ratified a new double taxation agreement with Bahrain and a Protocol to revise its DTA with Kuwait.

The Dutch Government has decided to cancel a planned decrease in the corporate tax rate in its 2021 Tax Plan.

The Cyprus Tax Department has released ten-year government bond yield rates for five new territories, to support businesses in calculating claims for Cyprus's Notional Interest Deduction. The rates are for Bermuda, Denmark, Jordan, Portugal, and Switzerland.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Finance has highlighted changes made to the territory's rules on economic substance.

The Dutch Senate has approved the 2021 Tax Plan package, which introduces a lower rate of corporate tax for small- and medium-sized businesses.

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore has released guidance for companies on filing a corporate income tax return this year.

The Philippines Department of Finance has issued a statement warning against the introduction of a new tax on the super wealthy.

On July 24, 2020, a Council Implementing Decision was published in the official journal of the European Union authorizing the extension of Italy's value-added tax split payment mechanism scheme, applicable to contracts with public sector entities.

Hong Kong has passed legislation to abolish the doubled ad valorem stamp duty rates applicable to non-residential property transactions with effect from November 26, 2020.

Hong Kong tabled the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021 in parliament on March 24.

Hong Kong's Legislative Council has passed a bill to implement a series of amendments to the Inland Revenue Ordinance.

The Hong Kong Government has said it is looking at potential measures to support the shipping industry following the decision by the US Government to terminate the two territories' agreement that exempted shipping industry income from tax.

The Swiss Federal Department of Finance has announced the launch of a new online tool for individuals taxpayers, which is being developed also for legal entities.

The Swiss Federal Council intends to end the obligation to sign electronic tax returns and to introduce new e-filing requirements for certain documents.

The Swiss Federal Council has launched a consultation on the amendments to the VAT law, with a focus on the tax treatment of mail order businesses and the administrative burden on SMEs.

Switzerland has proposed introducing the value-added tax reverse charge mechanism for domestic transactions in emission allowances.

Switzerland's Federal Department of Finance is extending the time limit within which tourists can export goods purchased in the country tax free.

Switzerland has signed protocols to its double taxation agreements with Cyprus, Liechtenstein, and Malta to implement minimum standards developed as part of the OECD's BEPS project.

Effective August 1, 2020, Switzerland relaxed the rules for tourists seeking to export goods free from tax.

Russia's double tax agreements with Hong Kong and Switzerland are next on the radar for authorities in Russia, who are seeking to ensure the country can subject to at least 15 percent withholding tax outbound dividends and interest payments.

The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released the text of an arbitration agreement between the US and Switzerland, in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2020-35, published August 24.

On August 26, 2020, the Swiss Federal Council ratified a new double taxation agreement with Bahrain and a Protocol to revise its DTA with Kuwait.

The Cyprus Tax Department has released ten-year government bond yield rates for five new territories, to support businesses in calculating claims for Cyprus's Notional Interest Deduction. The rates are for Bermuda, Denmark, Jordan, Portugal, and Switzerland.

Germany and Pakistan have deposited their instrument of ratification with the OECD to bring into force the BEPS multilateral instrument for their networks of tax treaties.

At its meeting on May 18, 2022, the Swiss Federal Council approved the dispatch on the introduction of the automatic exchange of information on financial accounts (AEOI) with 12 other partner countries.

Saudi Arabia has announced its decision to increase its headline value-added tax rate to 15 percent from five percent, in a surprise break from the Gulf Cooperation Council's harmonized value-added tax framework.

Researchers report that tap water access in densely populated neighborhoods of Delhi, India, is a strong predictor of the risk of contracting dengue.

Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne viral disease affecting humans globally. In 2019, the World Health Organization identified dengue as one of the

The district health department of Gurugram is on alert to screen for dengue and malaria cases at the border, after increase in the number of cases. The

National Dengue Prevention Day is celebrated on May 16 every year in India. The day aims to spread awareness about this disease and preventive methods and tips to treat dengue.

Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya are on the rise. The months of September, October and November often see an increase in

medlinkDengue/medlink, a recurring tropical disease that experiences outbreaks during the monsoon season, becomes more aggressive and severe in animal

The number of reported dengue fever cases in Bangladesh this year has reached 187,725, with the death toll exceeding 900 individuals, according to data from the health department.

Over the past week, an alarming surge in new medlinkdengue/medlink cases has been observed in Kolkata, causing concern among health authorities as the Durga Puja celebrations approach next week.

The escalating impact of climate change is anticipated to expand the reach of medlinkdengue/medlink, a mosquito-borne disease claiming thousands of

VESTA insecticide paint, applied to homes in vulnerable neighborhoods, kills iAedes aegypti/i mosquitos by 98% for at least a year, offering a potential

The Bali regional government in Indonesia is advising foreign tourists visiting the resort island to receive dengue vaccinations due to the current rise

Chinese scientists found that anomalies in tropical Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures can forecast the severity of global medlinkdengue outbreaks/medlink (!--ref1--).

Experts warn of the increasing dengue burden in India, attributing it to rising temperatures, unprecedented floods, and challenges in public health infrastructure.

The number of dengue cases in Patna has been rising over the past few days, with 15 to 20 people admitted to hospitals daily. On Thursday, the city commemorated

The Karnataka government declared medlinkdengue fever/medlink (!--ref1--) an epidemic and updated the state's epidemic disease regulations accordingly.

On March 10, the OECD released a new VAT Digital Toolkit for Asia-Pacific (APAC) nations. The toolkit is intended to support local tax authorities to better collect value-added tax on e-commerce activities.

On May 19, 2020, the United States Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service issued an Announcement which clarifies the interpretation of references in US income tax treaties to the North American Free Trade Agreement once it is replaced by the Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada.

On July 13, 2020, the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a progress report on the last two years' work of the J5 group of five advanced countries, who are working collaboratively to tackle cross-border tax fraud.

The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released the text of an arbitration agreement between the US and Switzerland, in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2020-35, published August 24.

The Internal Revenue Service is reminding US citizens, resident aliens, and any domestic legal entity that the deadline to file their annual Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) is still April 15, 2021.