International
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September 26, 2024
ECJ Backs Strong Protection For Lawyer-Client Discussions
Confidentiality of lawyer-client communications has enhanced protection under European Union law, including in cross-border tax disclosures, the European Court of Justice ruled Thursday.
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September 26, 2024
OECD Publishes Streamlined Amount B Model Agreement
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development published a model agreement Thursday for a simplified and streamlined approach to the Amount B portion of Pillar One, a transfer pricing plan for certain baseline marketing and distribution activities.
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September 25, 2024
IBM Urges Justices To Review NY Tax On Foreign Royalties
New York's system for taxing royalty payments would be unconstitutional if every other jurisdiction adopted it, violating an internal consistency test reaffirmed by a 2015 precedent, IBM told the U.S. Supreme Court in asking it to review and overturn New York's high court ruling that allowed the tax regime.
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September 25, 2024
Boosting Indirect Tax Revenues Can Tackle Debt, OECD Says
A number of countries should look to eliminate distortive tax expenses as well as increase their revenue from certain taxes to help manage debt sustainability and make their economies more supportive of growth, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Wednesday.
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September 25, 2024
Expect More R&D Guidance Before Regs, IRS Atty Says
The Internal Revenue Service plans to release more guidance governing the tax treatment of research and development expenses before it formally issues proposed regulations that implement the 2017 federal tax law's changes to the incentive, an agency attorney said Wednesday.
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September 25, 2024
EU States Must Unify Divergent Biz Rules, Majority Says
The European Union must double down on unifying its divergent rules for businesses in a policy proposal next year because the bloc's main competitive advantage is its single market, almost three-quarters of EU countries told the bloc's executive arm.
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September 25, 2024
Basis-Shifting Regs May Add Accounting Fixes, IRS Atty Says
The Internal Revenue Service may include in upcoming proposed regulations a solution for partnership basis-shifting for taxpayers that want to adjust accounting methods so prior transactions can be compliant with economic substance laws, an agency attorney said Wednesday.
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September 25, 2024
Wyden Calls On 2025 Tax Bill To Include Partnership Reform
Lawmakers should consider next year how to revise partnership tax laws to better collect on large businesses' income without harming smaller entities as Congress debates over how to address expiring tax provisions, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden said Wednesday.
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September 25, 2024
Australia Floats Updates To Amended Tax Pro Conduct Code
After repeated pushback against changes to Australia's tax agent code of conduct, the country's Treasury proposed two further amendments Wednesday that aim to address complaints regarding corrections of false or misleading statements and disclosures of information to clients.
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September 25, 2024
Hong Kong, Turkey Reach Double-Tax Agreement
Hong Kong and Turkey agreed to a treaty to prevent double taxation, which would take effect after approval by both jurisdictions' legislatures, Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department said.
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September 25, 2024
French Finance Minister Signals Higher Taxes On Rich
The new French government is considering raising taxes on the wealthy and businesses to help reduce the country's budget deficit amid concerns over debt, according to remarks by the new finance minister.
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September 25, 2024
Puerto Rico Seeking Input On Implementing Global Min. Tax
Puerto Rico's Department of the Treasury is looking for public comments regarding possible implementation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 15% global corporate minimum tax on large multinational entities.
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September 25, 2024
HMRC Arrests 11 Suspected Of R&D Tax Fraud
HM Revenue & Customs arrested 11 people, including tax agents, at several locations on suspicion of defrauding research and development tax relief programs, officers said.
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September 24, 2024
Halliburton Tardy In Contesting $35M Deduction, US Says
A Halliburton Co. lawsuit claiming a deduction for a $35 million payoff to a foreign country must be dismissed because the company waited too long to start its action, the U.S. told a Texas federal court.
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September 24, 2024
Microsoft Fights Mich. Tax Treatment Of Cost Share Payments
Microsoft urged the Michigan Tax Tribunal to find that cost sharing agreement receipts from affiliates constituted licenses of intellectual property that should be included in its apportionment formula, arguing that the state's tax agency incorrectly followed federal transfer pricing rules in excluding the payments from its tax calculations.
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September 24, 2024
Digital Asset Rules Coming By Year's End, Treasury Atty Says
The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service intend to release rules "later this year" on additional reporting requirements for brokers of digital assets such as cryptocurrency and nonfungible tokens, a senior Treasury attorney said Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
Abbott Seeks $24M Refund Over Transfer Pricing Adjustments
Healthcare products giant Abbott Laboratories is owed $24.3 million for overpaid taxes after the IRS incorrectly adjusted its intragroup income and payments this year, the company told the U.S. Tax Court in a petition.
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September 24, 2024
IRS Wary Of Adding Complexity In Min. Tax Regs, Official Says
The IRS opted to use existing tax rules in proposed guidance to address risks that the U.S. corporate alternative minimum tax could count offshore income twice, an agency official said Tuesday, noting a more precise method would increase complexity.
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September 24, 2024
Australia Floats Denying Late, Wrong Tax Interest Deductions
Australia's government opened a consultation Tuesday on a measure that would deny tax deduction claims for interest charged on late payments of tax liabilities as well as for interest charged when incorrect self-assessments result in a shortfall of tax paid.
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September 24, 2024
Treasury To Allow 3 AMT Transition Methods, Official Says
Final rules on the new corporate alternative minimum tax are expected to adopt the proposed regulations' three ways for companies to transition to the regime, and the U.S. Treasury Department is open to other ways as well, a department official said Tuesday.
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September 24, 2024
Exxon Claims It Beat Weak Defense In $1.8B Tax Trial
Exxon Mobil urged a Texas federal judge to find that it defeated what it called a scattered defense by the U.S. government during a five-day bench trial in April when the company argued for a $1.8 billion tax refund on its natural gas deal with Qatar, according to newly released filings.
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September 24, 2024
Azerbaijan Ratifies OECD Tax Treaty Standards
Azerbaijan ratified the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Developement's multilateral convention on base erosion and profit shifting Tuesday, which updates bilateral tax treaties of its signatories with agreed-upon standards, the OECD said.
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September 24, 2024
HMRC Set To Launch Consultation On VAT E-Invoicing
HM Revenue & Customs will hold a consultation on e-invoicing for value-added tax "soon," the British Treasury confirmed following a speech by the chancellor.
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September 24, 2024
Miller & Chevalier Adds Federal Tax Expert From White & Case
Miller & Chevalier Chtd. announced that it added a former partner at White & Case LLP to its tax controversy and litigation practice.
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September 23, 2024
Clean Energy Safe Harbor Applies To Direct Pay, Official Says
The safe harbor for the bonus clean energy tax credits' domestic content rules applies to all applicable project owners, including tax-exempt entities that are eligible to get a direct cash payment of the credits, a U.S. Treasury Department attorney said Monday.
Expert Analysis
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A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise
After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.
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SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap
As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.
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Reimagining Law Firm Culture To Break The Cycle Of Burnout
While attorney burnout remains a perennial issue in the legal profession, shifting post-pandemic expectations mean that law firms must adapt their office cultures to retain talent, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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Cayman Islands Off AML Risk Lists, Signaling Robust Controls
As a world-leading jurisdiction for securitization special purpose entities, the removal of the Cayman Islands from increased anti-money laundering monitoring lists is a significant milestone that will benefit new and existing financial services customers conducting business in the territory, say lawyers at Walkers Global.
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The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift
As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.
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As Promised, IRS Is Coming For Crypto Tax Evaders
The IRS is fulfilling its promise to crack down on those who have neglected to pay taxes on cryptocurrency earnings, as demonstrated by recently imposed prison sentences, enforcement initiatives and meetings with international counterparts — suggesting a few key takeaways for taxpayer compliance, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.
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5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money
As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.
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The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.
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Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success
Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.
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6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice
An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.
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Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga
Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond
The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.
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5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024
Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.