Los impuestos en el mundo. Actualización al 25-Feb-2013

Canada Canada Revenue Minister Promotes Family Tax Breaks Canada's Revenue Minister has been promoting a variety of tax benefits targeted at families, stressing that the Government "is committed to supporting hard-working Canadian families by keeping taxes low." China China Attacks US Over Trade Dispute Methodology During his regular press conference in Beijing on February 20, Shen Danyang, the spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, used the measures being threatened against its exports of frozen warm-water shrimp to continue China’s complaint about the United States’ imposition of both anti-dumping and countervailing duties on its products. China To Extend Property Tax Pilot A State Council executive meeting on February 20, which was chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, and which looked at continuing policies to retain control over China’s housing market prices, confirmed that the country’s property tax pilot scheme on high-value houses will be extended this year as expected. EU US Treasury, Banks Against EU FTT The Treasury Department and several United States investment-industry associations have expressed their concern at the scope of the financial transactions tax that 11 European Union countries have decided to impose on trades in shares, bonds and derivatives. Thailand, EU To Begin FTA Talks Next Month It is expected that formal free trade agreement negotiations between Thailand and the European Union will be officially announced when Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visits Brussels at the beginning of next month. Lisbon Exchange Chief Says EU FTT Will Hurt Portugal At a recent conference, Laginha Luís de Sousa, President of NYSE Euronext’s Lisbon Stock Exchange, advised the Government to refrain from imposing the proposed European financial transaction tax in Portugal, until it is possible to apply it across all of the European Union. Committee Calls For Common EU Energy Tax System In its adopted opinion on the internal energy market, the European Economic and Social Committee said that, if the European Union is to meet its energy and climate policy goals, it will need to adopt a common energy tax regime. EU Offers Update On FTA Negotiations The European Commission has issued an update on various trade negotiations, which together are worth a projected EUR275bn to the European Union economy. EU Signs Up To Unified Patent Court The signing of the Unified Patent Court Agreement on February 19 by 24 member states in Brussels is one of the final steps in providing European businesses with a one-stop shop for registering and protecting patents within the European Union. Parliament Supports EU Common European Sales Law The European Commission has welcomed a draft report from the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament that backs optional European Union-wide rules for businesses and consumers who conclude contracts in the Single Market. Belgium Referred To EU Court Over Discriminatory Taxes The European Commission has decided to refer Belgium to the European Union Court of Justice over what it says are discriminatory tax rules in the Walloon Region. Japan South Africa, Japan Sign Investment MOU On February 19, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see the two parties collaborate to increase Japanese investment into South Africa and strengthen relations between the two countries. UK UK Seals FATCA Deal With The Isle Of Man The UK Government announced on February 19, 2013, that it had concluded negotiations with authorities in the Isle of Man towards an agreement to automatically exchange tax information, and on the introduction of an amnesty program for taxpayers with outstanding tax dues to benefit from lower penalties on disclosure. EC Takes UK To Court Over Reduced VAT Rate The European Commission has announced that it has referred the UK to the European Union Court of Justice for its reduced value-added tax rate on the supply and installation of energy-saving materials. UK Court Of Appeal Rules On Tax And Delaware LLC The London Court of Appeals has confirmed that a UK resident who receives a distribution from a Delaware Limited Liability Company will not be entitled to tax relief under the terms of the Double Taxation Treaty between the US and the UK. US US Congressmen Reintroduce Online Sales Tax Bill A bipartisan group of 53 Democrat and Republican lawmakers have re-introduced a bill – the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 – in both the United States Senate and House of Representatives, which would require online retailers to collect sales tax for state and local governments, even though they lack a physical presence in the state. CARICOM Backs Antigua In US Gaming Dispute The Caribbean Community has backed Antigua and Barbuda in its efforts to obtain a meaningful settlement in the ongoing World Trade Organization dispute between the territory and the United States in respect of that nation's Internet gaming laws that prohibit the provision of online gaming services to the US market. Cayman Seeks To Quash Fund Investment Taboo The Cayman Islands' Chamber of Commerce has challenged critics of the tax affairs of the new US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, following reports that he had held investments in a Cayman Islands investment fund domiciled in Ugland House, during his private sector career.