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The Canary Islands Government has decided to reduce the tax rate applicable to different goods and services including medical devices, veterinary medicines and veterinary services. These changes are expected to facilitate patients’ access to these products and services by reducing their costs.

In the recent case of Soroban Capital Partners LP v. Commissioner, 161 T.C. No. 12 (2023), the Tax Court held that the limited partner exception under section 1402(a)(13) does not apply to limited partners who the Court concluded were not limited partners “as such”; thus certain “limited partners” of a partnership may be subject to Self-Employed Contributions Act tax. The Tax Court in Soroban held that determining a “limited partner” for section 1402(a)(13) purposes requires a factual inquiry into the functions and roles carried out by such limited partner. If the factual inquiry shows that a limited partner is heavily involved in the partnership’s business and/or performed services for the partnership, such limited partner’s distributive share may be subject to Self-Employed Contributions Act tax.

On 27 December 2023, the BIR published RR No. 16-2023 to amend RR No. 2-1998 and impose withholding tax on the gross remittances by e-marketplace operators and digital financial services providers to sellers/merchants. On 11 January 2024, the BIR issued RMC 8-2024 to provide guidance on the timeline and procedures to implement RR No. 16-2023. According to RR No. 16-2023, e-marketplace operators and digital financial services providers are allowed a transitory period of 90 days from the issuance of RMC 8-2024 to comply with the provisions of RR No. 16-2023.

Looking back at 2023, it is clear that the IRS has begun to increasingly assert anti-abuse doctrines, most notably the economic substance doctrine (ESD), in contentious tax controversies. Correspondingly, courts have had more opportunities to analyze and conceptualize the various anti-abuse doctrines. Courts in Liberty Global, GSS Holdings, and Chemoil have each offered unique and sometimes conflicting analyses in this regard. When reviewing these cases at a high level, a worrisome pattern emerges of courts conceiving of the traditional three anti-abuse doctrines as simply manifestations of a much broader substance over form tax principle. Further, despite the text of section 7701(o), courts are rejecting the idea that there exist certain transactions to which the ESD does not apply.

Against a backdrop of economic stagnation and geopolitical conflict, businesses are preparing for a challenging year. Global disputes will continue at pace, according to insights from more than 600 senior lawyers at large corporations, with ESG and employment risks the greatest areas of concern. Our seventh annual report provides detailed analysis of disputes trends, as well as sectoral and region-specific developments, to prepare your organization for The Year Ahead.

The Doing Business in the Philippines handbook aims to equip both local and foreign entrepreneurs with a practical guide to navigating the ever-evolving business landscape in the Philippines. It provides information on the requirements needed when setting up and operating a business in the Philippines, including incentives under special registrations, taxation, employment, IP, dispute resolution, and industry-specific regulations.

On 8 January 2024, Commissioner of Internal Revenue Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. issued an advisory regarding the cessation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)’s collection of the Annual Registration Fee (ARF), in compliance with Republic Act (RA) No. 11976 or the “Ease of Paying Taxes Act.”

On 28 December 2023, the Treasury and the IRS issued a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding whether a debt instrument is worthless for US federal income tax purposes under Code section 166 (the “Proposed Regulations”). The Proposed Regulations would update the standards under Treas. Reg. § 1.166-2 used to determine when debt instruments held by regulated financial companies or members of a regulated financial group are conclusively presumed worthless.

Over the last few months, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have made a few legislative changes in relation to the Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) regulations as well as the associated administrative penalties, with the issuance of:

  1. Cabinet Resolution No. 109 of 2023 on the Regulation of the Real Beneficiary Procedures (the “New Resolution”), which came into effect on 16 November 2023 and superseded Cabinet Resolution No. 58 of 2020. The New Resolution applies to all corporate entities incorporated in the UAE mainland and in the non-financial free zones;
  2. Cabinet Decision No. 132 of 2023 relating to the administrative fines for violations of the New Resolution, which was issued on 15 December 2023 and superseded Cabinet Decision No. 53 of 2021.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue recently issued Revenue Regulations No. 16-2023, which sets out the guidelines on the imposition of withholding tax on gross remittances by electronic marketplace operators and digital financial services providers to online sellers/merchants, in connection with goods and services sold or paid through the former’s platform.
The Regulations took effect on 12 January 2024.