On April 3, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced an increase in the credit available for timely advance tax payments to provide businesses and the self-employed a liquidity boost amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The EU has added the Cayman Islands, Palau, Panama, and the Seychelles to its list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions, bringing the total tally to 12 from 8.

On March 27, 2020, the United States Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service issued a notice which extends COVID-19-related filing and payment relief to federal gift and generation-skipping taxes.

The OECD has recently launched a new program – the International Compliance Assurance Programme – being spearhead by the Forum on Tax Administration that is aimed at providing assurance to multinationals with regards to their transfer pricing affairs.

The OECD on March 12 released a third round of peer reviews of countries' efforts to implement the BEPS minimum standard on improving tax dispute resolution mechanisms.

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.

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

The Irish Finance Department has launched a consultation on potential changes to the capital gains tax revised entrepreneur relief.

The Irish Government is holding a public consultation on the Special Assignee Relief Programme and the Foreign Earnings Deduction, as part of a broader independent review of the reliefs.

The Irish Government has released additional guidance on its proposals for new anti-hybrid rules, responding to feedback to a consultation launched in November 2018.

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.

The Irish Revenue has published guidance on the tax compliance obligations that arise from mergers and divisions.

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.

The Irish Revenue has published guidance on dual-resident companies that explains new rules introduced under the BEPS multilateral convention on tax treaties.

A reversal of recent surges in corporate tax receipts could hit tax revenues and affect the Ireland's longer-term economic position, according to analysis released by the Irish Finance Department.

The Irish Government has published its 2019 Finance Bill, which introduces changes to a number of SME-targeted tax incentives and implements a range of measures announced in this month's Budget.

The Irish Revenue has updated its guidelines on requesting Mutual Agreement Procedure assistance in Ireland.

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 updated its guidance on Irish exit tax legislation to reflect changes introduced by Finance Act 2019.

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.

The United Kingdom has legislated to stop property developers from using offshore structures in the Crown Dependencies to avoid UK tax on profits.

South Africa, Jersey, and Belgium are among a handful of territories that have recently announced an extension to the due date for country-by-country reports under the new frameworks being introduced under Action 13 of the OECD's base erosion and profit shifting Action Plan.

Revenue Jersey has sought to reassure taxpayers over fears that they will be charged the default effective rate of tax from next January.

The UK tax agency HM Revenue and Customs has released guidance for taxpayers affected by the Loan Charge.

The European Commission has requested that both Austria and Ireland take action to transpose EU-wide interest limitation rules into their respective national laws.

Seychelles' new Immovable Property Tax Act, 2019, was enacted on December 27, 2019.

Caribbean territory Aruba has released instructions on the completion of transfer pricing documentation and released model templates for completion.

The OECD has released guidance for national policymakers on the impact of COVID-19 on the treatment of cross-border workers and the interpretation of international tax treaty rules.

The Irish Government has announced the expansion of its support measures for SMEs affected by the economic impact of the coronavirus.

Brazil's tax agency announced import tax cuts for certain items needed to tackle COVID-19.

Hong Kong has updated its guidance on advance rulings, to reflect changes to Hong Kong's practices as a result of its efforts to comply with the OECD's minimum standards proposed as part of the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) Action Plan.

The Irish Revenue has announced that it will allow access to the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme for certain employers who missed the March 15 payroll deadline.

On April 25, 2020, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany would attempt to seek agreement on a financial transaction tax and a minimum corporate tax when it assumes the presidency of the European Union in July 2020.

On April 29, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced changes to the deadline for the submission of annual corporate tax declarations due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The overall tax burden in the European Union relative to GDP rose slightly in 2018, to 40.3 percent, the Eurostat has announced.

On January 22, 2020, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire confirmed that France will suspend collection of its digital services tax this year to prevent the United States from applying retaliatory tariffs on a range of French goods.

The OECD has said that it is continuing to forge ahead with the development of new international tax rules for the digitalized economy.

The OECD has released new stage two peer reviews on seven countries' implementation of the BEPS Action 14 minimum standard, on improving tax dispute resolution, covering Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Sweden.

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