The OECD has launched a review of dispute resolution mechanisms in place in Aruba, Bahrain, Barbados, Gibraltar, Greenland, Kazakhstan, Oman, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, as part of follow-up work under BEPS Action Plan Action 14.

Canada, Mexico, and the US have signed an agreement on amendments to their proposed new trade pact.

On December 17, 2019, the United States House of Representatives passed a year-end spending package, which includes legislation extending numerous expired and expiring tax provisions, and repealing certain taxes introduced to help fund the Obamacare health care reforms.

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.

On January 16, 2020, the US Senate voted to approve the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which will replace the existing North American Free Trade Agreement.

Democrats in the United States Senate have introduced a bill that would block proposals to introduce a "high-tax exemption" to the Global Intangible Low-Tax Income regime.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has pledged to reform Spain's corporate tax rules so that companies pay an effective rate no lower than 15 percent.

The Canada Revenue Authority is auditing over 750 taxpayers with suspected links to offshore "tax havens" and investigating 20 cases of tax evasion, the Government has said.

The Isle of Man Treasury has warned that time is running out for taxpayers who have failed to declare all their taxable income.

The Isle of Man's 2018 Budget maintains the zero percent company tax rate, and announces a banking tax review, which will look at taxing all banking profits at the 10 percent rate from next year.

Value-added tax avoidance will be considered by a new EU anti-tax avoidance committee, the creation of which is expected to be endorsed at an EU parliamentary plenary on March 1, 2018.

The Australian Government is to simplify taxpayers' compliance with rules designed to prevent shareholders from using private company profits without paying tax at their marginal rates.

Estonia has topped the Tax Foundation's International Tax Competitiveness Index for the fifth successive year, being deemed to have the "best tax code in the OECD."

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) has given a guarded welcome to the New Zealand Government's response to the recommendations of the Tax Working Group.

The Australian Taxation Office has issued guidance on how employers can prepare for end-of-year reporting under the new Single Touch Payroll system.

The Australian Taxation Office has released a new ruling on how to calculate the effective life of depreciating assets for income tax purposes, in Taxation Ruling (TR) 2019/5, which is applicable from July 1, 2019.

Legislation before Australia's parliament would make company directors liable for a failed company's GST liabilities in certain circumstances.

In a new report for G20 ministers, the OECD has provided an update on its work to tackle tax base erosion and profit shifting relating to multinational businesses.

On February 19, 2020, the United States Internal Revenue Service announced that the leaders of the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement recently gathered in Sydney, Australia, to review their work and to set priorities for the years ahead.

HM Revenue and Customs has written to VAT-registered businesses that trade with the EU, advising them on how to prepare for changes to customs, excise, and VAT in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Irish Government is arguing that favorable tax treatment was not granted to Apple under two rulings deemed by the EU to have constituted illegal state aid to the company.

The Irish Revenue has updated its Tax and Duty Manual on the taxation of non-resident landlords to clarify a number of obligations.

The Irish Revenue has published guidance on dual-resident companies that explains new rules introduced under the BEPS multilateral convention on tax treaties.

Switzerland and South Korea have signed a joint declaration on the automatic exchange of tax information from 2018.

The United Kingdom has legislated to stop property developers from using offshore structures in the Crown Dependencies to avoid UK tax on profits.

Turkey is the jurisdiction with the world's most complex tax and accounting requirements, according to a new report by TMF Group.

South Africa, Jersey, and Belgium are among a handful of territories that have recently announced an extension to the due date for country-by-country reports under the new frameworks being introduced under Action 13 of the OECD's base erosion and profit shifting Action Plan.

Each of the Crown Dependencies – Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man – have tabled legislation that will introduce new substance requirements for tax-resident firms engaged in certain industries from January 1, 2019.

Revenue Jersey has sought to reassure taxpayers over fears that they will be charged the default effective rate of tax from next January.

In a letter to United States Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the European Council has expressed concern at the lack of action by the US Government to alleviate the compliance burdens of EU nationals and financial institutions with regards to the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

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.

The European Commission has taken the first step toward negotiating a new relationship with the UK by issuing a recommendation to the European Council that the talks should commence.

The OECD has released guidance for national policymakers on the impact of COVID-19 on the treatment of cross-border workers and the interpretation of international tax treaty rules.

The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) has published a new report titled "Suggested COVID-19 Measures for Revenue Authorities."

Bolivia has announced a number of filing and payment extensions for taxpayers, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Chartered Institute of Taxation has called on the UK Government to clarify questions remaining about the UK's Digital Services Tax, which became effective this month.

On April 17, 2020, the President of Poland signed legislation into law to extend transfer pricing documentation deadlines, as part of a package of additional COVID-19 economic support measures.

The Irish Revenue has updated its guidance on the impact on relief claims of the late filing of corporate tax returns, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

On April 23, 2020, the National Treasury of South Africa provided further details of the additional COVID-19 tax support measures first announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on April 21.

On April 25, 2020, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany would attempt to seek agreement on a financial transaction tax and a minimum corporate tax when it assumes the presidency of the European Union in July 2020.

The United Arab Emirates' Federal Tax Authority has announced changes to value-added tax filing and payment deadlines, for tax periods that ended on March 31.

On April 29, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced changes to the deadline for the submission of annual corporate tax declarations due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The overall tax burden in the European Union relative to GDP rose slightly in 2018, to 40.3 percent, the Eurostat has announced.

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.

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.

The OECD has said that it is continuing to forge ahead with the development of new international tax rules for the digitalized economy.

Best preoperative definition of cancer-related malnutrition may depend on the type of cancer the patient has, reports a new study. The findings of the

Soy is widely viewed as a healthful food. However, whether intake of soy products (unfermented and fermented) is associated with longer life expectancy is unclear.

Independent of obesity, sugar-rich foods were found to have a negative impact on health, reported a study led by the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, UK.

Adding a wide range of immune-boosting foods to your daily diet and staying active all day can improve your immunity during this COVID-19 pandemic. With