New Zealand has released a new consultation on proposals to further clarify the deductibility of holding costs (rates, interest, insurance, etc.) where land that is subject to tax on sale is used privately while it is held.

Indonesia has reportedly tabled draft legislation in the House of Representatives to make wide-ranging changes to the tax system, including lowering the corporate tax rate and modernizing rules for digital economy players.

The International Chamber of Commerce has warned that micro-, small-, and medium-sized businesses' growth prospects are being stymied by complex indirect tax regimes. It has released an issues brief that is intended to contribute towards international reform talks being led by the World Trade Organization.

Malta's Minister for Finance, Edward Scicluna, told delegates to a recent law conference at the Old University in Valletta that beneficial ownership regulations will be published in the coming weeks.

Appleby, the offshore law firm, has spoken out against recent media coverage, which implies but does not allege that there is wrongdoing in the papers recently exposed that include information on its clients' tax affairs.

Malta's Commissioner for Revenue recently announced electronic filing deadline extensions for corporate income tax returns.

The IMF has said that Malta should look for ways to diversify its tax base and strengthen tax revenues.

On December 18, 2019, the Belgian Federal Public Finance Service announced that start-up companies can request accelerated refunds of value-added tax credits from January 1, 2020.

The UK Government on January 10, 2020, released the synthesized text of the 1987 Belgium-UK double tax agreement, as modified by the BEPS multilateral instrument.

Belgium should look to broaden its tax base to fund labor tax reductions, the International Monetary Fund has said in its annual report for the country.

On March 29, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced that value-added tax refunds will be accelerated for all declarations relating to the month of February 2020.

The International Monetary Fund has urged Hong Kong to consider tax reform options to boost revenues while maintaining the economy's competitiveness and flexibility.

Hong Kong's new Budget contained a number of new tax perks for individuals and measures to promote the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies, but few measures for businesses.

Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department has noted that, starting from the year of assessment 2018/19, capital expenditure incurred for procuring environmental protection installations should be deducted in a single year, rather than over five years.

The Swiss Government has said that from January 31, individuals and legal entitles domiciled in Germany will be able to use an online Swiss application to request a refund of Swiss withholding tax.

The advisory board tasked with reporting on the state of Switzerland's financial center has recommended that the country overhaul its withholding tax system to improve its capital market offering.

Citizens from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will newly be able to claim refunds for the VAT they incur when building their own home.

The United Arab Emirates' Federal Tax Authority has announced the launch of a new service on its website to simplify the process for taxpayers of recovering value-added tax incurred in building their own new homes.

Japan's ruling Liberal Democrat Party has approved a tax reform package that will cut corporate rates for companies who increase employee wages.

Japan's Cabinet recently approved tax reform bills, which have now been introduced into the country's parliament for debate.

Following its passage through Japan's parliament, the Diet, measures in Japan's 2018 tax reform package became law on April 1, 2018.

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The main UK opposition party Labour has set out its plans for tax reform, in a manifesto released on November 21.

The UK Government on January 10, 2020, released the synthesized text of the 1987 Belgium-UK double tax agreement, as modified by the BEPS multilateral instrument.

The UK Government has announced that the expansion of the off-payroll working rules, known as IR35, will be delayed until April 2021, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The UK's 2020 Budget, released on March 11, 2020, includes proposals to waive business rates on small retailers, to introduce a new tax on plastics, and to remove value-added tax on electronic publications.

The German Ministry of Finance has adopted a circular including various tax relief measures for businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Maltese Government has announced deferrals for the payment of a number of taxes.

On March 27, 2020, the United States Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service issued a notice which extends COVID-19-related filing and payment relief to federal gift and generation-skipping taxes.

A new tax treaty between Finland and Spain, which will broaden the Finnish Government's taxing rights with respect to pension income, will be effective from 2019, according to the Finnish Ministry of Finance.

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 Canadian Government has said that it will review its tax ruling process and voluntary disclosures program as part of its response to recommendations made last year by a parliamentary committee.

The UK's Chancellor, Philip Hammond, delivering the Spring Statement earlier this month, announced a number of upcoming VAT reform projects.

The Australian Government is consulting on the tax implications of a new accounting standard for insurance contracts.

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has announced that the Government will bring forward the start date for its package of income tax cuts.

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 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.

The pace of tax reform has slowed across most leading economies, a new report from the OECD says, calling for bolder tax reforms to address future challenges.

The International Chamber of Commerce has warned that micro-, small-, and medium-sized businesses' growth prospects are being stymied by complex indirect tax regimes. It has released an issues brief that is intended to contribute towards international reform talks being led by the World Trade Organization.

Australia has enacted new integrity measures included in the Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Superannuation Measures No. 1) Bill 2019 affecting self-managed super funds.

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

The Irish Government is holding a public consultation on the Special Assignee Relief Programme and the Foreign Earnings Deduction, as part of a broader independent review of the reliefs.

The Irish Revenue has published guidance on the tax compliance obligations that arise from mergers and divisions.

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.

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.

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

On April 15, 2020, a government-commissioned report on the taxation of multinationals was submitted to the State Secretary of Finance recommending various changes to make the Dutch tax system fairer while maintaining the jurisdiction's tax competitiveness.

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 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.

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