Baker McKenzie has published its fully revised and expanded Global Guide to Legal Issues in Securitisation. This guide has been compiled by Baker McKenzie lawyers in 33 jurisdictions across the globe. It provides you with an overview of the general legal, tax, accounting and regulatory issues typically relevant to securitisation structures.
Trade between China and Africa almost doubled between 2020 and 2021, and over the last 20 years trade between China and the region has increased twenty-fold. Challenges, such as Africa’s over-dependence on natural resources and vast lack of essential infrastructure, must still be addressed, but the African Continental Free Trade Area is gearing up to provide a further boost for all of the continent’s major trading partners.
On 11 March 2021, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued its ruling in case C-812/19. The case concerned the VAT treatment of the supply of services from a head office, which was part of a VAT group in Denmark, to its branch in Sweden.
On 3 June 2021, the Trade Remedy Authority of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) received a petition for an anti-dumping investigation with regard to office desks and chairs originating from China and Malaysia. The petitioners are Xuan Hoa Vietnam JSC, and Hoa Phat Furniture., JSC. On 1 September 2021, the MOIT issued Decision No. 2091/QD-BCT to officially conduct the investigation.
The privilege against self-incrimination has long been a feature of Australia’s common law and recognises the important concept that individuals should not be compelled to incriminate themselves. The privilege has also been protected by legislation, including in sections 128 & 128A of the Evidence Act 1995 (Cth). A recent High Court decision in Deputy Commissioner of Taxation v Zu Neng Shi [2021] HCA 22 considered whether disclosure of privileged information was in the interests of justice.
On 1 July 2021, Russia adopted a paradigm-shifting law that establishes, among other things, new physical presence requirements for major foreign technology companies doing business in the Russian Internet space. Affected technology companies are required to open either a representative office, a branch, or a subsidiary in Russia. This article provides a brief overview of this radical regulatory development and its Russian tax implications, reviews the compliance alternatives, and suggests means to mitigate the associated tax risks.
Reclassification of individuals or activities for one purpose can have knock on consequences to business models and can lead to issues and liabilities in areas such as employment, wage tax, pensions, tax and regulatory. A decision or change in one area of law may be a time to re-assess the business model and consider whether that determination might have wider commercial implications.
On 1 July 2021, the Supreme Court issued its decision in the consolidated case Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta, No. 19-251 (US 1 July 2021). The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and struck down a California donor-disclosure law as facially unconstitutional by a six to three majority.
As a result of COVID-19, construction on a number of renewable energy projects has been repeatedly delayed, potentially jeopardizing valuable tax benefits under the investment credit provisions. Such provisions require taxpayers to make continuous progress toward completion of the project once construction has begun.
On 10 August 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the USD 1 trillion infrastructure bill, known formally as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Infrastructure Bill). The Infrastructure Bill includes provisions for approximately USD 550 billion in new federal spending over 10 years on various transportation, broadband, utilities, and other infrastructure projects. The Infrastructure Bill contemplates that USD 28 billion in income tax attributable to the disposition of digital assets will be collected over 10 years.