The European Commission is to take steps to ensure that EU external development and investment funds cannot be channelled or transited through entities in countries included on the EU's "blacklist" of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions.

The United Arab Emirates' Federal Tax Authority has announced the launch of a new service on its website to simplify the process for taxpayers of recovering value-added tax incurred in building their own new homes.

In introducing its new 2017 International Tax Competitiveness Index, the Tax Foundation, a US tax policy think tank, notes the importance of simple but effective tax regimes and highlights New Zealand as the country that has implemented particularly positive reforms.

Japan's Cabinet recently approved tax reform bills, which have now been introduced into the country's parliament for debate.

The fifth round of tariff cuts under the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement have entered into force.

Following its passage through Japan's parliament, the Diet, measures in Japan's 2018 tax reform package became law on April 1, 2018.

The OECD has reported on the progress achieved to improve tax transparency internationally under the new Common Reporting Standard (CRS), ahead of the meeting of G20 finance ministers in Fukuoka, Japan.

South Korea's Government has announced that it will provide tax relief to small and medium size businesses that have been affected by Japan's decision to remove 159 South Korea products from its export "white list."

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The OECD on August 13, 2019, released follow-up reports for Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States on their efforts to implement BEPS recommendations on dispute resolution.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has automatically registered 95,000 businesses for its simplified import procedures, allowing most UK traders up to six months to pay import duties and submit customs declarations, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on October 31, 2019.

The UK Government on January 10, 2020, released the synthesized text of the 1987 Belgium-UK double tax agreement, as modified by the BEPS multilateral instrument.

The Federal Association of German Industry, the BDI, has urged the German government to forge ahead with corporate tax reforms, warning that Germany's corporate tax regime is becoming increasingly out of step with the country's competitors.

The UK Government has announced that the expansion of the off-payroll working rules, known as IR35, will be delayed until April 2021, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The UK Government has announced that it will delay ramping up its Making Tax Digital project, in light of COVID-19.

On April 2, 2020, the Dutch Ministry of Finance announced that the rules for requesting tax payment deferrals have been simplified and extended to cover additional taxes.

New Zealand's Inland Revenue Department has set out the range of supports available to businesses in response to the impact of COVID-19.

The Spanish Government has published the draft bill to introduce a digital services tax in Spain, beginning the formal parliamentary process needed to introduce the measure.

The implementation of a new system by the Isle of Man Ship Registry for processing online applications for Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers endorsements has been hailed a great success by its clients.

The Isle of Man is to introduce new penalties for tax return errors from October 6, 2016.

More than 20 jurisdictions have signed up to a pilot project to exchange data held on beneficial ownership registers and registers of trusts, according to UK Chancellor George Osborne.

The Isle of Man Treasury has warned that time is running out for taxpayers who have failed to declare all their taxable income.

The Canadian Government has said that it will review its tax ruling process and voluntary disclosures program as part of its response to recommendations made last year by a parliamentary committee.

The Isle of Man's 2018 Budget maintains the zero percent company tax rate, and announces a banking tax review, which will look at taxing all banking profits at the 10 percent rate from next year.

The UK's Chancellor, Philip Hammond, delivering the Spring Statement earlier this month, announced a number of upcoming VAT reform projects.

The Australian Government is to simplify taxpayers' compliance with rules designed to prevent shareholders from using private company profits without paying tax at their marginal rates.

The Australian Government is consulting on the tax implications of a new accounting standard for insurance contracts.

The Australian Government is to implement a new government procurement process that will require the tenderer's tax record to be taken into account.

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has announced that the Government will bring forward the start date for its package of income tax cuts.

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) has given a guarded welcome to the New Zealand Government's response to the recommendations of the Tax Working Group.

Legislation before Australia's parliament would make company directors liable for a failed company's GST liabilities in certain circumstances.

The pace of tax reform has slowed across most leading economies, a new report from the OECD says, calling for bolder tax reforms to address future challenges.

The International Chamber of Commerce has warned that micro-, small-, and medium-sized businesses' growth prospects are being stymied by complex indirect tax regimes. It has released an issues brief that is intended to contribute towards international reform talks being led by the World Trade Organization.

Australia has enacted new integrity measures included in the Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Superannuation Measures No. 1) Bill 2019 affecting self-managed super funds.

As a small open economy, Ireland may be affected significantly by the OECD's proposals to modify how taxing rights are allocated among countries, Irish business association Ibec has said.

HM Revenue and Customs has written to VAT-registered businesses that trade with the EU, advising them on how to prepare for changes to customs, excise, and VAT in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Ireland has released a responses document on an ongoing consultation on an update to the country's transfer pricing rules.

The Irish Revenue has updated its Tax and Duty Manual on the taxation of non-resident landlords to clarify a number of obligations.

EU member states have been unable to reach an agreement on proposals to release to the public information on multinational enterprises' tax affairs.

A general election will take place in Ireland on February 8, with Prime Minister Leo Varadkar saying that this date provides a window to ensure a new government is in place ahead of the next European Council meeting in March.

The Irish Revenue has issued advice on the steps it is taking to help SMEs experiencing cashflow and trading difficulties arising from the impact of the coronavirus.

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam have looked at how corporations make use of particular countries and jurisdictions to minimize their tax liabilities.

200 delegates from more than 90 delegations met in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on November 15-17, 2017, for the 10th meeting of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes which now includes 147 countries and jurisdictions.

The OECD has announced that its multilateral convention to implement tax treaty-related measures to counter base erosion and profit shifting will enter into force on July 1, 2018.

On December 2, 2019, the United States Internal Revenue Service issued final regulations on the foreign tax credit following major changes to the US tax code.

On December 24, 2019, a law was published in Turkey's official gazette extending a value-added tax exemption for the purchase of machinery and equipment.