Increasing fiscal transparency was an important issue in the economic and political spectrum of the 2009 year. With only a few weeks remaining in 2009, December happened to be one of the most active month of the passing year, with Governments around the globe completing efforts made in negotiations of Double Taxation Agreements (DTA) and Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEA). In an unprecedented step, Switzerland wishes to cease ratification of its DTA with France in protest at the French authorities' handling of account ... Read More

Since the April G20 summit, over 50 new TIEA agreements have been signed across the globe. The London G20 Summit, held on the 2nd of April this year, heralded an unprecedented wave of Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA). In what was described as “revolutionary” by Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General, the number of completed TIEAs has almost doubled since their inception in late 2000. Since the G20 summit, and subsequent global push for greater tax transparency and compliance, the following 53 agreements have been ... Read More

The Irish Government’s Commission on Taxation has released its report reviewing the Irish taxation system and its subsequent recommendations. Today, the Commission on Taxation handed its report with over 250 recommendations regarding Ireland’s financial taxation system to Brian Lenihan, Minister of Finance. Due to errors in its indices, the 600 page report will not be made available to the public until early to mid-September. The report was originally requested to be complete on the 20th of September but has been completed ahead of ... Read More

Ireland could see the balance of its taxation system reshuffled, creating new taxes and diminishing those already established. Ireland may soon see a restructuring of its taxation system, if suggestions by Ireland's Commission on Taxation to the Government are accepted. The Commission, which was created in 2008 to examine Ireland's taxation structure, is expected to release a report by the 28th of August with its recommended taxation changes. The report will feature 250 recommendations to the Irish government. Key changes within the report ... Read More

Irish airline Ryanair has called for the scrapping of the Government's €10 travel tax. Ryanair has called for the abolishment of the Irish government's €10 travel tax. According to Ryanair statements, passenger throughput at Dublin Airport fell by 10% in the month of July, equating to a 215,000 passenger drop in one moth. Throughout May the incoming passenger numbers fell by 18%, or approximately 150,000 visitors. Ryanair places blame for these repeated falls on the government's travel tax. Stephen MacNamara, Communications Chief for Ryanair, ... Read More