Russia's Ministry of Finance has said it is prepared to terminate the Dutch tax agreement if ongoing negotiations fail.

The Jersey Government has announced that islanders can now file their 2020 tax return and has issued advice to Prior Year Basis (PYB) taxpayers that have been moved to the Current Year Basis (CYB) for paying income tax.

Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department has explained COVID-19 tax concessions available for taxpayers struggling to pay their tax dues and has highlighted upcoming property tax obligations.

The British Virgin Islands Government has released a statement expressing concerns on the proposals being discussed by the OECD to establish modernized rules for the digitalized economy, including a minimum global corporate tax rate.

On May 11, 2020, the French Government presented a COVID-19-related economic support package targeted at the nation's wine industry, which includes relief from social contributions.

On May 15, 2020, the competent authorities of Belgium and France concluded an agreement which clarifies the tax situation of cross-border workers in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis.

The French Government has presented to the Council of Ministers a third amendment to the Finance Bill for 2020, which provides additional support for businesses affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Belgium has extended agreements with France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands clarifying the tax rules for frontier workers working from home due to COVID-19.

The French Government has listed the businesses that may exceptionally benefit from a two-thirds reduction in local property tax.

France's General Directorate of Public Finance has launched a scheme that allows small companies to request a specific settlement plan for the payment of their taxes.

The French Government is extending its COVID-19 financial support package for the tourism sector to various additional business types.

The French Ministry of Finance confirmed on August 31, 2020, that several tax agreements applying to cross-border workers during the COVID-19 crisis have been extended.

The French tax authority has announced that it will modify and extend a scheme that allows employers to pay workers tax-free bonuses.

In two recent speeches, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has outlined plans to extend COVID-19 supports for French businesses.

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 Hong Kong Government has gazetted legislation to provide tax concessions for carried interest distributed by eligible private equity funds operating in Hong Kong.

On May 21, 2020, the Italian Revenue Agency issued a summary of additional tax measures in Decree 34/2020, which are intended to further support taxpayers affected by the COVID-19 virus.

The European Commission has approved under state aid rules four Italian tax schemes to support companies and self-employed workers affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

On July 10, 2020, the Italian tax authority issued a ruling to explain the rules concerning tax credits for expenditure on adapting workplaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Italian Government will allow tax payments that were deferred during the COVID-19 lockdown to be paid in instalments over a two-year period.

The Hong Kong Government has gazetted legislation to provide tax concessions for carried interest distributed by eligible private equity funds operating in Hong Kong.

On May 3, 2021, the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department issued over 2.62 million tax returns for individuals for the year of assessment 2020-21.

Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department has explained COVID-19 tax concessions available for taxpayers struggling to pay their tax dues and has highlighted upcoming property tax obligations.

Authorities in Hong Kong have launched a review into two tax-deductible retirement savings products: Qualifying Deferred Annuity Policies (QDAP) and Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Tax-Deductible Voluntary Contributions (TVC).

The Australian Taxation Office has expressed its concern that some taxpayers do not fully understand the tax implications of cryptocurrency gains.

The Swiss Government has opened the application process for a loan guarantee scheme aimed at helping start-ups facing liquidity problems during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Swiss Government is anticipating a shortfall in tax receipts of over CHF5bn in 2020.

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.

The Swiss Government has confirmed it will extend a tax exemption for surface disinfectants in light of COVID-19.

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.

Russia's Ministry of Finance has announced that it signed a Protocol to amend its double tax agreement with Cyprus on September 8, 2020.

As part of its commitment to fighting cross-border tax evasion and profit shifting, Switzerland sent information on over 3m financial accounts in 2021, according to a new review of the Swiss financial center by the State Secretariat for International Financial Matters.

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.

COVID-19 restrictions limited human mobility and contact, which nearly reduced 750,000 dengue cases in 2020, reveals a new study published in iLancet Infectious Diseases.

Novel device developed can be clipped onto a smartphone to rapidly test for Zika virus in a single droplet of blood, reveal researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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

Tax revenues fell in 2019 in two-thirds of economies across Asia and the Pacific as a result of an economic slowdown prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new OECD report.

As part of its commitment to fighting cross-border tax evasion and profit shifting, Switzerland sent information on over 3m financial accounts in 2021, according to a new review of the Swiss financial center by the State Secretariat for International Financial Matters.

On May 7, 2020, the United States Internal Revenue Service issued a reminder to employers affected by COVID-19 about the tax credits made available to them under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

On May 15, 2020, the United States House of Representatives approved the HEROES Act, which amends previous COVID-19-related stimulus legislation by changing loss carryback rules and providing further tax support for businesses and individuals.

The OECD has released peer review reports reviewing nine territories' progress towards implementing the BEPS Action 14 standard, on improving tax dispute resolution.

French Minister of Finance Bruno Le Maire has reportedly said that France intends to collect the country's digital services tax in December 2020.

The Government of the British Virgin Islands has announced that it will seek to boost tax collections by modernizing tax administration, not by imposing new taxes.

The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation into a Belgian "tax shelter scheme" which supports video game production.

On May 13, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced that the competent authorities of Belgium and Germany have concluded an agreement which clarifies the tax situation of cross-border workers in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis.

On May 15, 2020, the competent authorities of Belgium and France concluded an agreement which clarifies the tax situation of cross-border workers in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis.

On June 24, 2020, the Belgian Ministry of Finance issued a clarification of tax payment deadlines for non-resident individuals after the tax authority issued tax statements with the wrong due dates.

Belgium has extended agreements with France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands clarifying the tax rules for frontier workers working from home due to COVID-19.

On July 6, 2020, the Belgian Ministry of Finance announced that the deadline for the filing of corporate tax returns has been extended further, from September 24 to October 29, 2020.

The Belgian Finance Ministry has released guidance on a COVID-19 tax relief measure on offer for employer-paid expenses for teleworking.