Hong Kong's Legislative Council has passed legislation to improve the jurisdiction's tax incentives for research and development spending.

Releasing a progress update, the OECD said international efforts to curb harmful tax practices and prevent the misuse of preferential tax regimes are having a tangible impact worldwide.

Switzerland's country-by-country reporting regime meets international standards and the country effectively exchanges the reports it receives with other countries, an OECD peer review has concluded.

The Swiss Government has welcomed Switzerland's removal from the EU's list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions, and said that the country meets and implements international tax standards.

Costa Rica's Ministry of Finance has released a statement clarifying its decision to exclude a number of territories with low effective income tax rates from its list of non-cooperative territories.

Switzerland is to amend its domestic framework for the automatic exchange of information, in line with recommendations made by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.

The Swiss Federal Council has launched a consultation on proposals to close what it says is a loophole in the withholding tax system, in a bid to strengthen the country's debt market.

The OECD Global Forum has released eight peer review reports, for Brunei, Macau, Switzerland, Barbados, the Seychelles, Liberia, Peru, and Tunisia, on the jurisdictions' efforts to adopt and comply with international tax standards on transparency and the exchange of tax-related information on request.

The Swiss Federal Council has announced that it will expand a system of guarantees for SMEs to provide support for start-ups during the coronavirus pandemic.

The UAE's Cabinet has announced that wholesale trading in gold and diamonds will be made exempt from value-added tax.

The United Arab Emirates's amended excise tax regime entered into force on December 1, and now covers sweetened drinks and electronic smoking devices and liquids.

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.

Japan's proposed sales tax hike is expected to go ahead as planned in 2019 after a landslide win by incumbent Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Japan's Ministry of Finance has reported the signing of a double tax agreement with Iceland in Reykjavik.

Ministers from 11 countries have announced their agreement upon the "core elements" of a new Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The US Internal Revenue Services has released its annual report on the number of advance pricing agreements and applications and made during the 2017 calendar year.

The EU and Japan have signed an Economic Partnership Agreement that will remove the majority of the EUR1bn (USD1.2bn) of duties paid annually by EU companies exporting to Japan.

On January 8, 2020, Japan and Morocco signed a double taxation agreement.

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that his party intends to cancel a planned cut to the corporate tax rate, which was scheduled for April 2020.

On March 13, 2020, the German Ministry of Finance announced the relaxation of certain tax payment requirements as part of a package of measures designed to ease the economic impact of the COVID-19 virus.

The Dutch Government will allow taxpayers to defer payments of certain taxes under a new package of coronavirus economic relief measures.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Maltese Government has announced deferrals for the payment of a number of taxes.

The Swiss Federal Council has launched a consultation on proposals to close what it says is a loophole in the withholding tax system, in a bid to strengthen the country's debt market.

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 Swiss Federal Council has announced that it will expand a system of guarantees for SMEs to provide support for start-ups during the coronavirus pandemic.

Canada, Mexico, and the US have signed an agreement on amendments to their proposed new trade pact.

On January 16, 2020, the US Senate voted to approve the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which will replace the existing North American Free Trade Agreement.

An agreement has been reached between the European Union and the United Kingdom on Brexit, which, if approved by UK lawmakers, would establish a transition period, until the end of 2020, during which EU law would continue to apply to the UK.

For the first time, the Commission has presented a comprehensive report on investor citizenship and residence schemes operated by a number of EU member states.

The Canadian Government has announced the establishment of an independent advisory committee on offshore tax evasion and aggressive tax planning.

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

Legislation to reduce Australia's small business tax rate received Royal Assent on October 25.

Releasing a progress update, the OECD said international efforts to curb harmful tax practices and prevent the misuse of preferential tax regimes are having a tangible impact worldwide.

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.

On February 19, 2020, the United States Internal Revenue Service announced that the leaders of the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement recently gathered in Sydney, Australia, to review their work and to set priorities for the years ahead.

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.

Costa Rica's Ministry of Finance has released a statement clarifying its decision to exclude a number of territories with low effective income tax rates from its list of non-cooperative territories.

Tax agencies from 31 countries discussed the ways they are using data analysis tools to improve tax enforcement and administration, at the first meeting of the IOTA Forum on Tax Debt Management, held in Prague, Czech Republic, On October 1-3, 2019.

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