On October 12, the Italian financial police said it had broke up a value-added tax fraud ring allegedly involved in transactions totaling EUR930m, through 180 companies in 15 European Union (EU) countries.

Ritalin and similar medications, commonly prescribed to patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also used by healthy people as a "study

Remdesivir is highly effective in stopping the replication of coronavirus, according to new research published in the iJournal of Biological Chemistry/i by scientists at the University of Alberta.

In treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients, anticoagulants or blood thinners help improve their chances of survival, reported Mount Sinai COVID Informatics Center researchers.

On October 23, 2018, the European Commission issued a request to the Italian Government that it revise its draft budgetary plan for 2019 because it breaches European Union fiscal rules.

The Italian Department of Finance has released new lists of government and private sector entities covered by Italy's split-payment mechanism.

Italy's tax agency on July 30, 2019, published a definitive version of the rules for the operation of the country's patent box regime.

Milan's Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into whether Netflix owes tax in Italy, Italian daily Corriere Della Sera reported October 3, 2019.

On October 16, 2019, the Italian Council of Ministers approved the draft Budget law for 2020, which will prevent an automatic rise in the rate of value-added tax, and includes further measures designed to combat tax avoidance and evasion.

Tax officials in Armenia are to receive support from the Italian Revenue Agency to implement initiatives to tackle tax base erosion and profit shifting.

Switzerland and Italy are to amend the customs status of the Italian enclave of Campione d'Italia.

An invitation to submit comments with regards to the corporate tax exemption provided to ports in Italy was published in the January 10, 2020, issue of the Official Journal of the European Union.

On January 31, 2020, the Italian Revenue Agency released instructions on how companies, individuals, corporate groups, and partnerships can comply with their tax return filing obligations during 2020.

On February 10, 2020, the Italian tax agency commenced a short consultation on the rules surrounding the patent box self-assessment regime.

On March 4, 2020, the Italian tax authority published English language versions of the annual value-added tax form for 2020, together with instructions.

On March 12, 2020, the Italian Revenue Agency announced the suspension of its audit activities in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Representatives from US trade and industry associations have voiced concern about a digital services tax proposal floated during the recent Canadian election which they argue will "impose discriminatory requirements on the digital economy."

The OECD is to host a webcast on February 13, 2020, to present its analysis of the potential impact of its proposals for international tax reform to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalization of the economy.

During a February 13, 2020, webcast, the OECD presented economic analysis on the potential impact of what it has proposed on international tax reform to address the digitalization of the economy.

On July 11, 2019, France's proposed digital services tax received parliamentary approval, following approval also from the Senate.

Spain's acting Economy Minister, Nadia Calvino, said the Government will seek approval of legislation to introduce a digital services tax at the earliest opportunity.

On August 19, 2019, the Office of the United States Trade Representative held an off-camera public hearing on France's recently introduced digital services tax, attended by three major technology firms.

The Governments of France and the United States are reportedly close to settling a dispute surrounding France's digital services tax.

On September 5, 2019, the Government of the Czech Republic received from the Ministry of Finance draft legislation for the introduction of a temporary digital services tax, which was first announced in April 2019.

On September 19, 2019, the lower house of the Austrian parliament approved the first part of a package of tax reforms that will introduce a digital tax as well as bring about changes to certain value-added tax rules.

On November 18, 2019, the Government of the Czech Republic announced that it has agreed on a draft law to introduce a tax on digital services, which will now be submitted to parliament.

The United States may impose additional duties of up to 100 percent on certain French products in retaliation for France's digital services tax, which a newly published report by the US Trade Representative has concluded discriminates against certain US companies.

The Austrian Ministry of Finance has published guidance in English regarding the Digital Tax Act 2020, which was approved by the upper house of the Austrian parliament on October 10, 2019, and which applies to the provision of digital advertising services from 2020.

On January 6, 2020, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that an on-the-record but off-camera public hearing would be held on January 7 on proposed action against France's digital services tax (DST).

Norway's Minister of Finance, Siv Jensen, has said that Norway will adopt a national digital services tax if negotiations towards an international digital tax framework fail to materialize this year.

On January 8, 2020, a bill was introduced in the Senate of the US state of Maryland that would impose a tax on revenues associated with digital advertising derived in the state.

The Turkish tax authority has published a draft communique on the application of the digital sales tax, which is set to come into effect on March 1, 2020.

The finance ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain have put their names to a statement calling for countries to reach an agreement on solving the tax challenges of the digital economy by the end of 2020.

On March 1, 2020, Turkey's recently approved tax on certain digital services went into effect.

The Spanish Government has published the draft bill to introduce a digital services tax in Spain, beginning the formal parliamentary process needed to introduce the measure.

Switzerland and Italy are to amend the customs status of the Italian enclave of Campione d'Italia.

According to French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, France and the United States will in the next two weeks attempt to reach a compromise over their ongoing dispute regarding France's new digital services tax.

On January 22, 2020, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire confirmed that France will suspend collection of its digital services tax this year to prevent the United States from applying retaliatory tariffs on a range of French goods.

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The Conservative Party in the UK has won an outright majority in elections held on December 12, 2019.

The UK Government has announced that it will delay ramping up its Making Tax Digital project, in light of COVID-19.

On January 8, 2020, a bill was introduced in the Senate of the US state of Maryland that would impose a tax on revenues associated with digital advertising derived in the state.

The Spanish Government will proceed with a proposal to introduce a digital services tax along similar lines to the European Commission's proposed interim digital tax.

Spain's acting Economy Minister, Nadia Calvino, said the Government will seek approval of legislation to introduce a digital services tax at the earliest opportunity.

On November 15, 2019, the European Commission announced the launch of an in-depth state aid investigation into tax exemptions provided to Italian ports, but welcomed commitments from Spain to abolish similar exemptions for Spanish ports from next year.

The Spanish Government has published the draft bill to introduce a digital services tax in Spain, beginning the formal parliamentary process needed to introduce the measure.

The Irish Finance Department has launched a consultation on potential changes to the capital gains tax revised entrepreneur relief.

As a small open economy, Ireland may be affected significantly by the OECD's proposals to modify how taxing rights are allocated among countries, Irish business association Ibec has said.

Ireland's governing party Fine Gael has published its election manifesto, which includes proposals to reduce the income tax burden and reform the taxation of SMEs.

On November 18, 2019, the Government of the Czech Republic announced that it has agreed on a draft law to introduce a tax on digital services, which will now be submitted to parliament.