Tax News

UK tax office hit by 500,000 malicious emails Special

The U.K. tax authority has been bombarded with 521,582 malicious email attacks over the last three months, according to official figures. This equates to around 5,000 fake emails per day, a level that is close to overwhelming capacity.

Tax the rich? Post-pandemic recovery idea finds favour in UK

By AFP

London - In billionaire-friendly Britain, where the global coronavirus outbreak has hit hard, the idea of making the wealthiest pay more tax to help economic recovery is gaining ground.

U.S. tax season is here, but beware the scammers Special

By Tim Sandle

The U.S. tax season has begun and while most people legitimately fill out their forms there are scams at play, ranging from false claims to the nefarious activities of scammers trying to fool people with fake links.

Starbucks, Fiat brace for EU court decision on taxes

By AFP

Luxembourg - An EU court on Tuesday will decide if orders by Brussels that Starbucks and Fiat Chrysler pay back taxes are legal, in an early signal on how the same judges will decide a similar case with Apple.

Apple slams EU as epic court battle over tax bill begins

By AFP

Luxembourg - Apple went on the offensive against Brussels in an EU court on Tuesday, fighting the European Commission's landmark order that the iPhone-maker reimburse Ireland 13 billion euros ($14 billion) in back taxes.

Apple embarks on EU court battle over 13-bn-euro tax bill

By AFP

Luxembourg - Apple embarks on an epic court battle with the EU on Tuesday, fighting the commission's landmark order that the iPhone-maker reimburse Ireland 13 billion euros ($14 billion) in back taxes.

Google agrees 945-mn-euro tax settlement with France

By AFP

Paris - US internet giant Google has agreed a settlement totalling 945 million euros ($1.0 billion) to end a tax dispute in France under an agreement announced in court on Thursday.

Two Swedes suspected in Danish tax agency blast

By AFP

Stockholm - Police said Wednesday two Swedes were suspected of being behind a powerful explosion that rocked Denmark's tax agency last week, damaging the building's exterior but causing no serious injuries.

'Violent' explosion rocks Danish tax office

By AFP

Stockholm - Danish police said Wednesday foul play was involved in a powerful explosion that rocked the national tax agency in Copenhagen, causing severe damage to the building's exterior but no serious injuries.

France urges G7 to find 'international solution' on digital taxes

By AFP

Paris - French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Tuesday urged the G7 club of top world economic powers to find an international solution to taxing digital giants at their meeting outside Paris this week.

New Greek PM promises tax cuts in first cabinet meet

By AFP

Athens - Greece's new conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday he would honour a pledge to cut tax that could impact the country's tight fiscal targets.

French MPs approve digital tax, defying US ire

By AFP

Paris - French lawmakers on Monday approved a new tax on digital giants such as Facebook and Apple that has angered the United States, with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire boasting that France was proud to be in the vanguard of such a move.

French PM sees tax cuts as solution to 'yellow vest' anger

By AFP

Paris - The French government must implement bold tax cuts in response to the "yellow vest" protests, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe argued Monday as he revealed the results of a major public consultation on the crisis.

'Nearly a third' of British billionaires moved to tax havens

By AFP

London - Nearly a third of Britain's billionaires have either moved or are relocating to tax havens, where some have broken UK law by bankrolling political parties, a major investigation said on Thursday.

Tax reprieve for Dutch citizens in UK if no-deal Brexit

By AFP

Den Haag - Tens-of-thousands of Dutch citizens living in Britain will have until the end of the year to get their taxes in order in case of a no-deal Brexit, the Dutch government said Monday.

OECD hopes for global digital tax by 2020

By AFP

Davos - OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria said Thursday he hopes to lay the foundations this year for an international tax on digital giants that could come into force in 2020.

EU wants end to member state veto on tax

By AFP

Strasbourg - The European Commission on Tuesday proposed to end the veto power member states have over EU tax matters, an idea rejected by several smaller countries including low-tax hub Ireland.

Romania adopts 'greed tax' despite investor concerns

By AFP

Bucharest - Romania's left-wing government on Friday issued a controversial emergency ordinance imposing new taxes on banks and energy companies, despite an outcry from investors.

A marijuana tax could help fix New York's crumbling subway system

By Business Insider

New York City's subway system has been in a "state of emergency" for more than a year now, as Gov. Cuomo once described.

Trump fears sap EU digital tax plans

By AFP

Apo - A top EU official Tuesday said the fear of retaliation by US President Donald Trump has blunted Germany's ambition for a European digital tax, with Paris and Berlin now proposing a scaled down version.

French PM confirms fuel tax suspensions, calls for calm

By AFP

Paris - French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced Tuesday new concessions to "yellow vest" protesters, including the suspension for six months of planned tax increases raising the price of fuel.

French PM to announce suspension of fuel tax hikes: government sources

By AFP

Paris - French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is to announce on Tuesday a suspension of fuel tax increases planned for January 1 in a move to end violent "yellow vest" protests against the measure, government sources said Tuesday.

Germany, France 'in fresh push for EU financial transaction tax'

By AFP

Frankfurt Am Main - Germany and France will on Monday seek to revive the long-delayed EU financial transaction tax by proposing that member states be allowed to use the revenues to reduce their EU budget contributions, a German newspaper reported.

Brussels backs efforts to save EU digital tax proposal

By AFP

Lisbon - The European Commission on Wednesday urged backers of an EU-wide tax on high-tech giants to keep pushing the proposal, which has stalled due to opposition from Ireland and Nordic countries.

Spanish PM defies Supreme Court in tax row

By AFP

Madrid - Spain's prime minister defied the Supreme Court in a rare move on Wednesday, stating that banks would now have to pay a mortgage tax instead of customers in opposition to what the highest court had ruled.

U.K. Government announces new plastics tax as part of new budget

By Karen Graham

The U.K. government is seeking to ramp up efforts to tackle the scourge of litter and waste from single-use plastics, proposing a new tax on plastic packaging, subject to consultation.

Italy's Di Maio says budget tampered with to favour 'mafia'

By AFP

Rome - Italy's deputy prime minister accused an unknown adversary Wednesday of having tampered with the country's budget by secretly introducing tax measures to favour the mafia."A very serious thing has happened! The decree on 'fiscal peace'...

China star Fan apologises for tax evasion after order to pay $129m

By AFP

Bejing - Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing took to social media for the first time in months Wednesday to apologise to fans and the Communist Party for tax evasion, shortly after news broke that authorities had ordered her to pay nearly $130 million in back taxes ...

McDonald's spared in EU tax probe

By AFP

Apo - The European Union on Wednesday ended a long-running investigation into the tax arrangements between US fast food giant McDonald's and Luxembourg, finding the setup did not amount to illegal state aid.