Highlights: On behalf of ISPEN 2019, Medindia interviewed Dr. BS Ramakrishna to throw light on the evolving ro

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On April 6, 2020, Italy's Council of Ministers announced further measures to support taxpayers affected by the COVID-19 virus, including the postponement of value-added tax, social security, and wage withholding payment deadlines.

The Irish Government has announced the expansion of its support measures for SMEs affected by the economic impact of the coronavirus.

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

The OECD's Global Forum has found Switzerland largely compliant with the international standards on transparency and the exchange of information upon request.

On April 9, 2020, the OECD released an update to a spreadsheet hosted on its website that maps out all the various tax policy responses countries have taken to support individual and corporate taxpayers following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Brazil has announced a number of additional tax payment and filing concessions in response to COVID-19.

The Austrian parliament has approved measures to exempt allowances and bonuses paid to employees from all taxes as part of the Government's economic response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Austrian Ministry of Finance has announced that proceedings in relation to tax offences and the payment of duties and fees will be extended due to restrictions on movement imposed as a result of the COVID-19 virus.

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

On April 4, 2020, Malta released payroll tax-related guidance for employers on the Government's responses to the COVID-19 epidemic.

The Chilean President Sebastian Pinera has announced a number of tax relief measures for businesses and individuals impacted by COVID-19.

On April 15, 2020, the United States Internal Revenue Service unveiled the "Get My Payment" online tool that will allow taxpayers to receive economic impact payments under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

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.

Brazil's tax agency announced import tax cuts for certain items needed to tackle COVID-19.

Hong Kong has updated its guidance on advance rulings, to reflect changes to Hong Kong's practices as a result of its efforts to comply with the OECD's minimum standards proposed as part of the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) Action Plan.

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.

The Irish Revenue has announced that it will allow access to the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme for certain employers who missed the March 15 payroll deadline.

On April 23, 2020, the German Ministry of Finance confirmed that taxpayers suffering from liquidity problems due to COVID-19 can apply for a refund of advance tax payments made in 2019.

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.

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

According to a recent comment by United States Vice President Mike Pence, the Polish Government has decided not to proceed with a national digital services tax.

On September 23, 2019, the French Government outlined a number of measures that will be included in the 2020 Finance Law to ensure the payment of value-added tax on items bought by French residents from online marketplaces.

Nine EU member states have called on the European Commission to draw up proposals for an EU-wide aviation tax.

On November 15, 2019, Luxembourg's Council of Ministers approved a protocol to the 2018 double tax treaty with France, making changes to the way cross-border workers are taxed.

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 UK Chancellor, Sajid Javid, has said the UK intends to push ahead with the introduction of a digital services tax from April 2020, despite warnings from the US that it would consider tariffs on UK-made goods.

On January 24, 2020, the European Commission issued formal notices to numerous European Union member states with regards to lapses in the implementation of various EU anti-tax avoidance directives.

The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against 14 member states for failing to implement the so-called value-added tax quick fixes.

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

In a set of frequently asked questions and answers clarifying recent changes to tax obligations as a result of the COVID-19 virus, the French tax authority stressed that tax payment relief does not extend to value-added tax.

The OECD has released new stage two peer reviews on seven countries' implementation of the BEPS Action 14 minimum standard, on improving tax dispute resolution, covering Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Sweden.

On April 24, 2020, the French Government announced that it has decided to extend tax and other financial support to companies in sectors most affected by the COVID-19 lockdown measures, including catering, tourism, events, sports, and cultural activities.

New study uses photovoice methodology and qualitatively compares citizens' perceptions about the food environment in three Bilbao neighborhoods with different socioeconomic levels.

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Intermittent fasting has worked on the liver to help prevent disease, stated researchers in Australia. The findings will help medical scientists working

Nutrition and diet have a profound impact on microbial composition in the gut, according to a study. The findings of the study are published in the journal iNutrition Reviews/i.

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Coronavirus pH varies from 5.5 to 8.5 is a myth, as the World Health Organization (WHO) hasn't released any data on the coronavirus' pH level. However,

Unconscious food cravings were found to make bariatric surgery less effective for extreme obesity, stated new research that was accepted for presentation

Curcumin can be incorporated into stable drug formulations to improve therapeutic efficacy, according to Dr Prem Felix Siril, Principal Investigator of

Mediterranean-rich diet was found to correlate with higher cognitive function, said researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National

Adding plenty of veggies to your pregnancy diet can reduce the risk of preterm birth. So, hurry up, Start following the traditional vegetable diet to deliver healthy full-term babies.