The European Commission announced the closure of its state aid investigations into tax rulings granted to Amazon, Fiat, and Starbucks by Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Initially, the Commission had ruled in 2015 and 2017 that these nations provided the companies with selective tax advantages that breached EU state aid rules. The allegations were part of broader efforts to address unfair tax practices within the European Union.
EU courts, however, annulled the Commission’s decisions in subsequent legal challenges, ruling that the tax arrangements did not constitute illegal state aid. As a result, the Commission concluded that the companies had not violated EU rules and formally ended the investigations.
The cases underscore the complexities of enforcing tax harmonisation across EU member states. Critics of the initial rulings argued that such cases reflect the challenges of balancing national tax sovereignty with EU-wide competition regulations. The closures may also influence future policies on corporate taxation in Europe.
Today, the Council removed Bahamas, Belize, Seychelles and Turks and Caicos Islands from the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. With these updates, the EU list consists of the following
In a significant move to enhance the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) capabilities, President Joe Biden has proposed a $12.3 billion budget for the IRS in fiscal year 2025. This funding level matches
International finance centres (IFCs) like Jersey have a crucial role to play in accelerating the pace and scale of the financing of global sustainable development objectives, according to a new report
Hong Kong and Switzerland are each making significant strides in the realm of blockchain and cryptographic technologies. Seeking to accelerate their advancements through collaboration, Invest Hong Kong