Ernst and Young Solutions LLP, Singapore, has released its wish list for the Singapore Budget 2018, calling for reforms to sharpen the territory's competitiveness.

Singapore has announced that it has activated automatic exchange of information relationships with a total of 61 territories, as part of global efforts to tackle tax evasion and fiscal crime.

Singapore's tax agency has made two announcements recently concerning the automatic exchange of information on foreign taxpayers' affairs, on the Common Reporting Standard and the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

Singapore will hike its seven percent goods and services tax rate to nine percent some time between 2021 and 2025, Singapore's Finance Minister, Heng Swee Keat, announced in the territory's new Budget.

Singapore's recently released 2019 Budget included few significant tax announcements except confirmation that Singapore's carbon tax will be levied this year and the goods and services tax will be hiked in the medium term.

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has released new guidance for GST-registered persons on the completion of new boxes in the GST F5 return from next year.

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore has updated its guidance on the introduction from January 1, 2020, of an obligation on Singaporean taxpayers to collect GST on imported services under a reverse charge.

Singapore and Germany have signed a protocol to their double taxation agreement, which brings the treaty into line with international standards and amends the maximum withholding tax rates that may be charged.

Malaysia is to use targeted tax breaks to support certain industries in this year's budget and in particular small and medium sized businesses, according to a government minister.

Malaysia's Inland Revenue Board has denied allegations that it is more aggressively pursuing taxpayers affiliated with opposition political parties or their supporters.

The Malaysian Government in its Budget 2018 announced numerous tax changes, including an income tax cut, incentives for women to return to work, and tax relief for property investors and venture capital firms.

Muhammad bin Ibrahim, the Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia, has stressed the need for Labuan to review its international tax framework in light of the OECD's work on Action 5 of the base erosion and profit shifting project, on harmful tax practices.

On March 26, 2018, Malaysia's tax agency announced that businesses can newly challenge late-payment penalties in respect of goods and services tax (GST) via the tax agency's online portal.

Franklin Templeton: The fund house has not given any clear indication about the possible timeline within which it will liquidate all its investments and return investors' money

Coronavirus news: Fears ran amok that Franklin Templeton closing its six debt mutual fund schemes may trigger outflows from debt mutual funds. However, net outflows were only seen in credit risk and medium duration categories

The International Monetary Fund has recommended that the United States raise indirect taxes to boost revenues, to offset the cost of recent tax cuts and spending increases.

A number of incentives have been included in the Finnish Government's 2019 Budget to encourage investment in the shares of both small and listed companies.

The IMF has welcomed Luxembourg's efforts to meet international tax standards but cautioned that international tax reform could hit the country's tax base.

A group of 21 Republican members of the US Senate have signed a letter to the Treasury Secretary urging him to amend how capital gains tax liability is calculated.

On September 10, 2019, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz presented to the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, the Government's draft Budget for 2020, which includes tax reduction measures.

On September 17, 2019, the Finnish Ministry of Finance announced that the Government has reached an agreement on the contents of the 2020 Budget, which includes some tax reductions for both companies and individuals.

On September 24, 2019, the Polish Government adopted the draft Budget for 2020, which takes into account recent reductions in personal income tax.

On October 7, 2019, the Greek Ministry of Finance presented to parliament the 2020 Budget, which includes numerous tax cut measures announced recently by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The IMF has welcomed the Austrian Government's efforts to lower personal income taxes but said that the labor tax burden remains high.

The Australian Government has set out the numerous changes made to the tax system on July 1 and launched a consultation on new tax rules for "stapled structures."

The OECD has committed to providing proposals to fix the taxation of the digital economy by 2020, in an update to G20 leaders on international efforts to mitigate base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS).

The UK's 2018 Budget includes changes to tax rules for companies, and notably for multinational groups to conform with the EU's Anti Tax Avoidance Directive. Most significantly, the UK has decided to move ahead of the EU in announcing that it will apply a tax on the turnover of certain digital businesses.

Malaysia's 2019 Budget contains plans for an overhaul of sales and service tax rules and a corporate tax cut for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The EU's Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) has written to authorities in Seychelles to warn that new provisions to the territory's tax regime are considered harmful.

New Zealand's Finance and Expenditure Committee has recommended changes to legislation that would introduce a new requirement for offshore suppliers to collect GST on low-value goods supplied to New Zealand-based consumers.

New Zealand's tax agency has urged overseas businesses who sell goods valued at NZD1,000 (USD629) or less to register for GST ahead of the December 1, 2019, deadline.

UC Davis researchers have designed a plug-in interface which will usher in the new generation of compact medical devices. "We think there is a huge

Nearly three quarters of the sample reported having been "humorously" accused of promoting death; for example, being called "Dr. Death," in a recent survey of palliative care medicine practitioners.

Asian tiger mosquito has been neglected as a source of Zika and dengue virus, as the threat was measured right after one feeding on infected blood. However,

In waterlogged Patna with 640 patients being tested positive mostly in the last four days, fear of a dengue outbreak is looming large, revealed sources.

Highlights: Gardening can help you love and appreciate your own body Being close to nature and spending mo

The Bank of Canada has published the findings of its latest business outlook survey, which shows some concern among firms over the impact of US trade and tax policies.

Canada's auditors general have published a collaborative report on the country's response to climate change, which raises concerns about the success of the action taken by governments.

The Canadian Parliament's international trade committee has recommended that the federal Government tax products supplied to Canadian consumers by online platforms.

The Canada Revenue Agency is to collaborate with an association of tax preparation and software firms to improve the digital services it provides to taxpayers.

Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau has made tax non-compliance in the real-estate market a major focus of his 2019 Budget.

The Canadian Government is consulting on draft legislative proposals to implement a number of tax measures announced in the 2019 Budget.

The Canadian Liberal Party has announced plans to reduce the income tax burden by raising the Basic Personal Amount.

The Indian Cabinet on August 24 approved the signature of a double tax agreement protocol with Cyprus that would tackle "round tripping" and base erosion and profit shifting.

Twenty EU member states have reached a deal on the establishment of a new European Public Prosecutor's Office that will have the power to investigate and prosecute criminal cases affecting the EU budget.

The EU has approved under state aid rules the introduction of a tonnage tax scheme in Estonia and the prolongation of a tonnage tax scheme in Cyprus.

Macau's Chief Executive has issued an order authorizing signature of the OECD Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information.

The tax agencies of China and Kazakhstan, with involvement also from the OECD, hosted a three-day tax conference to discuss the provision of capacity building support from China for those countries that will be involved in China's Belt and Road Initiative. It was attended by more than 250 delegates from 49 tax administrations, four international organizations, and five academic institutions.

Three years on from the commitments made at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, the overwhelming majority of governments have not taken the necessary action to contain growing risks to the climate, says the OECD. It said, with emissions on the rise again, OECD governments need to get serious about shifting their economies to a low-carbon model and stop investing in carbon-intensive infrastructure.

The government of Nigeria has issued a warning over the use of chloroquine to treat COVID-19, after three people got overdosed, and hospitalized due to poisoning.