The EU and Japan have signed an Economic Partnership Agreement that will remove the majority of the EUR1bn (USD1.2bn) of duties paid annually by EU companies exporting to Japan.

On January 8, 2020, Japan and Morocco signed a double taxation agreement.

Highlights: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed changes to the drugs and cosmetics

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Highlights : In India, over 17,265 confirmed novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases and 543 deaths as of yesterd

On March 13, 2020, the German Ministry of Finance announced the relaxation of certain tax payment requirements as part of a package of measures designed to ease the economic impact of the COVID-19 virus.

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

The Swiss Federal Council has launched a consultation on proposals to close what it says is a loophole in the withholding tax system, in a bid to strengthen the country's debt market.

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

An agreement has been reached between the European Union and the United Kingdom on Brexit, which, if approved by UK lawmakers, would establish a transition period, until the end of 2020, during which EU law would continue to apply to the UK.

For the first time, the Commission has presented a comprehensive report on investor citizenship and residence schemes operated by a number of EU member states.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The OECD has published the comments it has received on a proposal for a framework of Model Rules for sharing and gig economy platforms to report the activities of their users, to support tax authorities to ensure the collection of tax.

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.

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

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.

Norway's Minister of Finance, Siv Jensen, has said that Norway will adopt a national digital services tax if negotiations towards an international digital tax framework fail to materialize this year.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz has said he is confident that an agreement can be reached on a European Union financial transactions tax.

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

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.

The finance ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain have put their names to a statement calling for countries to reach an agreement on solving the tax challenges of the digital economy by the end of 2020.

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

Scientists from the University of Southampton studied the association between BMI and prolonged sickness absence, cutting down at work and health-related

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.

Less-expensive foods are just as effective at helping female athletes recover from workouts as sports nutrition products, reports a new study. The findings