Los impuestos en el mundo. Actualización al 09-May-2011

China HK, China Enhance Financial Market Cooperation The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has announced that Mainland China’s National Association of Financial Market Institutional Investors and Hong Kong’s Treasury Markets Association have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a formal bilateral co-operative relationship. Chinese Oil Firms Seek Consumption Tax Cut The two major Chinese oil companies, China National Petroleum Corporation and China Petrochemical Corporation, have asked the government to cut consumption taxes on various refined oil products. EU South Korean Parliament Passes FTA With EU Despite continued opposition from the main opposition Democratic Party, the ruling Grand National Party pushed approval of the South Korea-European Union free trade agreement through the South Korean parliament on May 5. EU Striving For ASEAN Trade Deal Karel De Gucht, the European Commissioner for Trade, in his closing remarks to the first ever Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union Business Summit, has said that the European Commission’s ultimate goal is a free trade agreement with the region. UK Investors Reassured After HMRC's QROPS Attack Investors should not be deterred from investing via a Qualified Registered Overseas Pensions structure after the UK tax authority, HM Revenue and Customs, closed a tax loophole created by a new double taxation treaty with Hong Kong, according to a leading offshore pension provider. Budget Report Condemns UK Oil and Gas Tax Hike Further fuel has been added to the ongoing controversy over the UK's surprise hike of its oil and gas production tax, with a group of accountancy bodies slamming the suddenness of the decision and warning of the damage it will do to the country's competitiveness. Britons Face Punitive Tax On Swiss Accounts With an official announcement on the specifications of the deal expected within the month, it has been reported that an agreement between the UK and Switzerland will impose a 50% withholding tax on income from Swiss bank accounts, raising over GBP3bn for the UK over the next four years. US CRFB Makes Recommendations On A US 'Debt Failsafe' The United States Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has looked at the designing of a debt failsafe, or trigger, to fulfil the call by President Obama, as part of his new budget framework, 'to hold Washington - and to hold me - accountable and make sure that the debt burden continues to decline'. Geithner Extends US Government Shutdown Date With continuing comments and counter-comments between Democrats and Republicans in Congress on proposals to limit government spending, the Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, has sent a further letter to various Congressional leaders extending the projected date when the statutory debt limit would be reached and the United States government have to shut down. US Treasury Consults On 'Shared Responsibility' Payments The United States Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service are requesting public comment on issues relating to the shared responsibility provisions included in the Affordable Care Act of 2010, that will apply to certain employers starting in 2014. Senate Examines Equity Issues In US Tax Code A recent United States Senate Committee on Finance hearing, one of a series on the tax system being held by that committee, has looked at whether the distribution of tax burdens and tax benefits is equitable. US Government Recovers Over Half Of MBS Investment In providing an update on the wind down of the agency-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities portfolio acquired during the recent financial crisis, the United States Treasury has disclosed that it has now recovered more than half of its original USD225bn investment. Onshore Domiciles Attract Captive Formation Companies are increasingly looking to onshore US domiciles when choosing to form captive insurance firms, the aggregate premium levels of which have increased substantially, according to a new report by the insurance broker and risk adviser Marsh. Call To End US Taxpayer Subsidies For Yachts Three bipartisan members of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Quigley, Tim Walz and Gary Peters, have introduced legislation to eliminate taxpayer subsidies for yachts. Otros temas Harper Pledges Support For Canada's Small Businesses As Canadians prepare to go to the polls, Stephen Harper has made further overtures to the Canadian business community, pledging that, if re-elected, he would introduce a series of measures targeted at boosting the success of the small-and medium-sized business sector. Otros temas Slovenia Unveils New Bank Tax Determined to stimulate lending by local banks to non-financial institutions in Slovenia, the government has recently approved a new law providing for the introduction of a 0.1% tax on banks’ balance sum, to be imposed under certain conditions. Otros temas Canadian Electors Approve Of Harper's Low-Tax Plans For the first time in seven years, a Canadian federal election has produced a majority government. The re-election of Stephen Harper's Conservative party sets the scene for an administration with a professedly low-tax agenda, the reintroduction of the party's late Budget and a further reduction in the headline rate of corporate tax.