Singapore will hike its seven percent goods and services tax rate to nine percent some time between 2021 and 2025, Singapore's Finance Minister, Heng Swee Keat, announced in the territory's new Budget.

Singapore has gazetted a law to repeal the income tax concession for intellectual property income derived by companies benefiting from the Pioneer Service Companies Incentive or the Development and Expansion Incentive schemes.

The remaining eleven signatories to the Trans Pacific Partnership pact have agreed to seek an accord without the United States.

Hong Kong has announced the conclusion of free trade agreement negotiations with the Association of South East Asian Nations.

The crisis served as a wake-up call for banks whose digital operations were growing at a snail's pace. They have started embracing the change

On March 6, 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued an Accounting Standards Update that is intended to help organizations align their accounting for production costs for films and episodic content produced for television and streaming services.

United States President Donald Trump said on August 20, 2019, that the administration is considering additional tax cuts to help maintain economic growth.

New Zealand is to introduce GST on low-value goods sold by overseas retailers from December 1, 2019.

The average cost of inpatient care was found to be (Dollor) 26 in Burkina Faso and (Dollor) 134 in Cambodia, while the average cost of outpatient care was (Dollor) 13 per episode in Burkina Faso and (Dollor) 23 in Kenya.

Three new cases of locally transmitted dengue had been confirmed in the Miami-Dade County, taking the total number to eight this year, said health authorities in the US state of Florida.

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The Bank of Canada has published the findings of its latest business outlook survey, which shows some concern among firms over the impact of US trade and tax policies.

G7 countries are committed to working towards a consensus-based solution to the tax challenges of the digital economy, according to the final communique issued at the conclusion of the G7's summit in Charlevoix, Canada.

The United States International Trade Commission will issue countervailing duty orders on imports of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from China and India, after determining that they are causing material injury to US manufacturers.

China's new Finance Minister, Liu Kun, has announced plans to reform the nation's taxation system, including value-added tax rate reductions.

China's State Council has announced a cut in value added tax rates as part of a CNY400bn (USD63bn) tax reduction package to stimulate growth.

Scientists are working to collecting and using convalescent plasma to develop a passive immunization program to treat patients hospitalized for COVID-19.

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

The European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) and the Mercosur group of countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) concluded in substance a broad-based free trade agreement at the tenth round of negotiations from August 20 to 23, 2019.

On October 9, 2019, the British Virgin Islands International Tax Authority has finalized rules governing the application of the territory's new economic substance requirements, which became effective from January 1, 2019.

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 Slovenian tax authority announced on July 9, 2019, that it will increase tax compliance checks on companies carrying out certain services for foreign e-commerce platforms to ensure they are charging VAT when required.

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 9, 2019, the United States Internal Revenue Service announced the launch of a new Gig Economy Tax Center, which is intended to help taxpayers meet their tax obligations through more streamlined information.

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.

France's Directorate General of Public Finance confirmed in a statement issued on February 10, 2020, that companies liable for the country's digital services tax can delay payment of upcoming installments of the tax until December 2020.

Malta's Minister for Finance, Edward Scicluna, recently announced the launch of a number of fiscal incentives, which are intended to boost the take-up of voluntary private pensions.

The OECD has recently launched a consultation on tackling the circumvention of its latest international tax transparency standard, the Common Reporting Standard, through the use by individuals of residency by investment (RBI), or citizenship by investment (CBI) schemes.

Belgium's tax authority has announced corporate tax return filing deadlines for the 2019 tax year, with a concession for those with a deadline prior to September 26, 2019.

China intends to implement numerous changes to its trade tariffs from January 1, 2018, to ensure domestic businesses have access to inputs and equipment and to implement changes in prior international agreements.

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 has gazetted an ordinance to establish a new two-tier corporate tax regime from April 1, 2018.

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.

Switzerland has said that the withdrawal of the UK from the EU on January 31 will not change the relationship between Switzerland and the UK in the near future.

The United Arab Emirates' Federal Tax Authority has released a statement confirming that all purchases from online retailers are subject to the same value-added tax rules as for purchases from brick and mortar stores – that they should generally be subject to the headline five percent value-added tax rate.

The UAE's Federal Tax Authority has issued guidance on whether a supplier or consumer is liable for VAT on goods or services for contracts negotiated before VAT was introduced.

The UAE has recently passed legislation to introduce new country-by-country reporting requirements and new economic substance requirements.

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

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The UK tax agency has announced that it has scheduled two new webinars to support the construction industry to come to terms with the new VAT reverse charge being introduced on building and construction services from October 1.

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

Switzerland has said that the withdrawal of the UK from the EU on January 31 will not change the relationship between Switzerland and the UK in the near future.

The Argentine Government has announced a number of tax-related measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On January 9, 2019, the United States Internal Revenue Service announced the launch of a new Gig Economy Tax Center, which is intended to help taxpayers meet their tax obligations through more streamlined information.

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 March 9, 2020, United States President Donald Trump revealed that the Administration would begin discussions with Congress on potential tax measures to ease the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, including a payroll tax cut.

EU customs controls are not being applied effectively, an EU audit has found, with importers able to take advantage of loopholes to reduce or evade their duty liabilities.

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 consulting on the tax implications of a new accounting standard for insurance contracts.