World news
Renewable energy sources for all Europeans
The last of the eight legislative acts constituting the Winter Energy Package was published in the European Union’s Official Journal in June. Submitted by the European Commission in November 2016, the changes to EU energy legislation aiming to…
May ECOFIN: digital taxation and changes to black list
At its May 2019 session, the Economic and Financial Affairs Council approved changes to the EU black list. Ministers also exchanged opinions on the taxation of the digital economy before the upcoming debate at the G20 summit in June.
Government to disallow certain foreign investments
On 10 April 2019, Regulation (EU) 2019/452 of the European Parliament and the Council, establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investments into the European Union, entered into effect in record time. In connection with this, the…
9 major tax changes in case of no-deal Brexit
The planned date of Great Britain’s withdrawal from the EU set for 29 March 2019 has been postponed. However, a British proposal for postponement until 30 June 2019 has not been approved by the EU27. Below we summarise the major potential impacts of…
Brexit to change application of withholding tax and securing of tax
The United Kingdom has been trying to reopen the negotiation of the Brexit agreement with the EU, so far without success. If the agreement is not approved by the British parliament, a no-deal Brexit appears likely. The Czech Republic has prepared…
EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement
The EU and Japan's Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force on 1 February 2019, eliminating the majority of existing tariff and non-tariff measures pertaining to the delivery of goods and the provision of services, enhancing mutual…
Brexit: time for a deal running short
Although the exit agreement between the United Kingdom and the EU is ready, it has not yet been ratified. The key vote in the British parliament lies ahead: if the deal is not passed, there will most likely be a no-deal Brexit. In this uncertain…
Decision on digital services tax postponed
The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) did not pass the draft directive on digital services tax at its meeting on 4 December 2018.
October ECOFIN meeting: quick VAT fixes
In addition to the generalised reverse charge mechanism, other important VAT changes were agreed on at the October meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN). These involve quick fixes and the application of a reduced rate to e…
Generally applicable reverse charge mechanism
At its October session, the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) approved a proposal allowing the EU member states to temporarily implement a generalised reverse charge mechanism until 2022.
Clearer rules for cross-border tax dispute resolution
In the autumn of 2017, the long-awaited EU directive on tax dispute resolution mechanisms in the European Union was passed. It aims to unify international cooperation in the resolution of tax disputes mainly arising from interpretation ambiguities…
American import duties: a trade war and accumulating WTO complaints
A few months have passed since the USA introduced duties on the imports of steel, aluminium, solar panels and washing machines. Currently, no end is in sight for one of the modern history’s greatest trade conflicts. The number of import duties is…