The UAE's Federal Tax Authority has newly launched a number of VAT compliance tools and further confirmed how the value-added tax regime, introduced at the start of the year, should operate.

Bahrain has committed to pushing towards the introduction of the Gulf Cooperation Council's value-added tax framework by the end of the year.

The UAE's Federal Tax Authority has announced that it will waive late registration penalties for businesses that have not yet registered for VAT, on the condition that they do so by April 30 of this year.

The EU on May 25 removed the Bahamas and Saint Kitts and Nevis from its list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions.

The OECD is seeking taxpayers' input on the mutual agreement procedure frameworks in place in the fourth batch of countries that will now be peer reviewed under the base erosion and profit shifting project: Australia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, and Portugal.

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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.

Airbnb has disclosed that it has been contacted by HM Revenue and Customs regarding the application of tax laws or regulations impacting the company's business, adding that some matters "may result in litigation".

The main UK opposition party Labour has set out its plans for tax reform, in a manifesto released on November 21.

The Conservative Party in the UK has won an outright majority in elections held on December 12, 2019.

Switzerland has said that the withdrawal of the UK from the EU on January 31 will not change the relationship between Switzerland and the UK in the near future.

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

The Swiss Government has announced that it will waive interest on late payments of tax, to allow companies to delay their tax payments.

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

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 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 OECD has launched a review of dispute resolution mechanisms in place in Aruba, Bahrain, Barbados, Gibraltar, Greenland, Kazakhstan, Oman, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, as part of follow-up work under BEPS Action Plan Action 14.

The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis and Minister of Finance, Timothy Harris, delivered a "tax-free Budget" on December 12, 2019.

On January 8, 2020, a bill was introduced in the Senate of the US state of Maryland that would impose a tax on revenues associated with digital advertising derived in the state.

On March 9, 2020, United States President Donald Trump revealed that the Administration would begin discussions with Congress on potential tax measures to ease the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, including a payroll tax cut.

On March 31, 2020, the United States Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service launched the Employee Retention Credit scheme, designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll amid the COVID-19 crisis.

EU customs controls are not being applied effectively, an EU audit has found, with importers able to take advantage of loopholes to reduce or evade their duty liabilities.

In a recent update, the Internal Revenue Service has announced that it has agreed a bilateral competent authority agreement with authorities in Spain to exchange country-by-country reports.

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 Spanish Government will proceed with a proposal to introduce a digital services tax along similar lines to the European Commission's proposed interim digital tax.

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.

On June 25, 2019, the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved amendments to four double tax avoidance agreements which have been pending in the Senate for several years.

Spain's acting Economy Minister, Nadia Calvino, said the Government will seek approval of legislation to introduce a digital services tax at the earliest opportunity.

On November 15, 2019, the European Commission announced the launch of an in-depth state aid investigation into tax exemptions provided to Italian ports, but welcomed commitments from Spain to abolish similar exemptions for Spanish ports from next year.

The Spanish Socialist Party and the Podemos movement, which will form the next governing coalition, has released their policy document, which includes plans for a corporate minimum tax, among other tax measures.

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 Isle of Man Government has committed to enhancing the effectiveness of arrangements to share "beneficial ownership" information with the United Kingdom.

Value-added tax avoidance will be considered by a new EU anti-tax avoidance committee, the creation of which is expected to be endorsed at an EU parliamentary plenary on March 1, 2018.

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

Estonia has topped the Tax Foundation's International Tax Competitiveness Index for the fifth successive year, being deemed to have the "best tax code in the OECD."

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

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.

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.

Ireland's governing party Fine Gael has published its election manifesto, which includes proposals to reduce the income tax burden and reform the taxation of SMEs.

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