In a letter published on April 29, 2019, the United States National Foreign Trade Council urged the Senate to approve several pending double tax avoidance treaties.

On June 25, 2019, the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved amendments to four double tax avoidance agreements which have been pending in the Senate for several years.

The United States Senate could soon approve ratification of four long-pending double tax avoidance treaty protocols.

The United States Senate has approved protocols to four existing bilateral double tax avoidance treaties that have been pending in the chamber for as much as a decade.

The Isle of Man is to introduce new penalties for tax return errors from October 6, 2016.

The Isle of Man Government has committed to enhancing the effectiveness of arrangements to share "beneficial ownership" information with the United Kingdom.

More than 20 jurisdictions have signed up to a pilot project to exchange data held on beneficial ownership registers and registers of trusts, according to UK Chancellor George Osborne.

The Isle of Man Treasury has announced that a new 30 percent penalty for participation in VAT fraud will be introduced from March 1, 2018.

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."

The Australian Government is to implement a new government procurement process that will require the tenderer's tax record to be taken into account.

The Australian Taxation Office has explained how its Early Intervention Strategy helps it to identify tax agents at risk of non-compliance.

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

Australia's Federal Court issued a decision in favor of mining company Glencore on September 3, 2019. The case centered on whether dealings between Swiss parent Glencore International AG and an Australian subsidiary breached transfer pricing rules in relation to the sale and purchase of copper concentrate in the 2007-09 years.

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.

Costa Rica's Ministry of Finance has released a statement clarifying its decision to exclude a number of territories with low effective income tax rates from its list of non-cooperative territories.

Tax agencies from 31 countries discussed the ways they are using data analysis tools to improve tax enforcement and administration, at the first meeting of the IOTA Forum on Tax Debt Management, held in Prague, Czech Republic, On October 1-3, 2019.

A reversal of recent surges in corporate tax receipts could hit tax revenues and affect the Ireland's longer-term economic position, according to analysis released by the Irish Finance Department.

Companies with a tax ruling dating from 2014 from the Irish Revenue have been encouraged to renew these before they expire.

The Irish Revenue has updated its guidelines on requesting Mutual Agreement Procedure assistance in Ireland.

Namibia's Minister of Finance, Calle Schlettwein, has tabled a legislative amendment in parliament that will repeal certain tax incentives attached to Export Processing Zones as well as those aimed at the manufacturing sector.

Jersey has signed a double taxation agreement with the Republic of Cyprus. This is the island's twelfth agreement that meets the international standard for such agreements.

The Swiss Federal Department of Finance has launched a consultation on the introduction of the automatic exchange of information in tax matters with a series of other countries.

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam have looked at how corporations make use of particular countries and jurisdictions to minimize their tax liabilities.

200 delegates from more than 90 delegations met in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on November 15-17, 2017, for the 10th meeting of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes which now includes 147 countries and jurisdictions.

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.

Jersey has become one of only three jurisdictions to ratify the BEPS multilateral instrument to revise tax treaties to counter base erosion and profit shifting.

A further six countries have signed the BEPS multilateral instrument, enabling them to swiftly amend their double tax treaties to incorporate the recommendations put forward by the OECD as part of its base erosion and profit shifting Action Plan.

The OECD has announced that its multilateral convention to implement tax treaty-related measures to counter base erosion and profit shifting will enter into force on July 1, 2018.

Malta has become the latest country to ratify the OECD's multilateral convention to counter base erosion and profit shifting.

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.

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore has announced that the BEPS multilateral instrument entered into force for several of its double tax treaties on April 1, 2019.

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.

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.

On December 17, 2019, the Dutch Senate approved numerous tax measures as part of the 2020 Tax Plan, including changes to corporate, individual, and value-added taxes.

On December 19, 2019, Luxembourg's Chamber of Deputies approved the Government's Budget for 2020, which among other measures includes important changes to the validity of advanced tax rulings.

On December 24, 2019, a law was published in Turkey's official gazette extending a value-added tax exemption for the purchase of machinery and equipment.

Seychelles' new Immovable Property Tax Act, 2019, was enacted on December 27, 2019.

The United States Internal Revenue Service has recently updated its list of frequently asked questions and answers on the tax treatment of transactions involving virtual currencies.

The new Austrian coalition government, consisting of the conservative People's Party and the Green Party, has agreed on a program for government, which includes several significant tax measures.

Caribbean territory Aruba has released instructions on the completion of transfer pricing documentation and released model templates for completion.

Germany's IT systems are not ready for the VAT "quick fix" simplifications that entered into force on January 1, 2020, according to the European Commission.

The European Commission has again asked Malta to amend its method for calculating VAT on yacht leasing.

Members of the European Parliament want the EU and UK to reach an ambitious new free trade agreement, but have stressed that there must be a "level playing field."

The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration has launched a campaign to monitor the employment status of individuals working in the care and construction sectors.

The OECD's public consultation on a review into the new transfer pricing documentation rules proposed as part of BEPS Action 13 has closed. It has published the 79 responses received.

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