European Union officials have proposed removing eight jurisdictions from the blacklist of tax havens the bloc adopted in December, in what critics may see as a blow to its campaign against tax avoidance. EU states decided last month to draw up the list in a bid to discourage the most aggressive tax dodging practices.
The European Union’s top court has ruled that Uber should be regulated like a transportation service. That means the ride-sharing service must comply with tough rules that govern traditional taxi associations. Uber had argued that it’s a technology platform that connects independent drivers with passengers. The landmark ruling will require Uber to treat its drivers more like employees. The decision cannot be appealed.
An investigation by Brussels is to be launched today into Ikea’s Dutch tax arrangements. The Financial Times is reporting that Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition commissioner, will today announce an official probe into Ikea’s tax arrangements in the Netherlands, which according to a report published by the Green Party in the European Parliament, allegedly have helped Ikea avoid nearly €1bn in EU taxes between 2009 to 2014.
The EU has declared there is still "no white smoke" over a Brexit deal and handed Theresa May a 72-hour deadline to make an acceptable offer. Michel Barnier has informed EU member states that Britain has just 48 hours to agree on a potential deal on the first phase of Brexit talks for talks to move onto trade and transition before 2018.
The EU has named and shamed 17 states in publishing the bloc’s first ever tax haven blacklist and put a further 47 states on notice, including four British overseas territories and crown dependencies. The decision was made at a meeting of finance ministers in Brussels as EU authorities move to counter tax avoidance and evasion – having urged dozens of nations to make greater commitments to transparency over the past year.
Apple on MOnday reached an agreement with the European Union to begin depositing the €13 billion ($15.4 billion) in back taxes it was ordered to pay Ireland last year, following the landmark decision to crackdown on tax shelter policies and profit offshoring, according to The Wall Street Journal.
European Union states will on Tuesday bring forward a discussion on plans for a tax havens’ blacklists after newly leaked documents revealed investments by wealthy individuals and institutions around the globe, officials said.
The subject’s inclusion on the monthly meeting’s agenda of EU finance ministers came after weekend media reports citing the "Paradise Papers", a trove of financial documents leaked mostly from Appleby, a prominent offshore law firm. EU finance ministers meeting for regular talks in Brussels will discuss tax avoidance on Tuesday after a trove of leaked documents exposed the great lengths to which the global elite will go to avert paying a fair tax.
Three months after it was fined €2.4 billion by the European Commission for abusing its position on its online shopping service, Google is changing its website to comply with the Commission’s demands and avoid a new penalty.
On Thursday morning (28 September), the US company’s shopping service will treat its own ads the same way as ads from external services.
