Spanish tax increases for high-earning contractors

The new 43% tax rate would make the Spanish system much more similar to the Italian and German tax systems. Any Italian footballer who earns more than 75,000 euros a year has to pay 43% tax, just like any other Italian citizen and in Germany, footballers' earnings that exceed 250,000 euros per annum are taxed at 45%.

4 Tax Defaulters Pay Revenue Back over €1 million each

Total refunds from Revenue's investigation has resulted in over €179.4 million being accumatled between April to June.

HMRC & IRS Deadline for Offshore Bank Users to Confess is Fast Approaching

The leniancy date in the US has been extended to Wedneday October 15th.

HMRC have given account holders until the 30th November to declare their intention of making a voluntray disclosure.

HMRC raises interest rate on late tax payments

HMRC have under fierce critisicm as rates reamain unchanged yet the Government has decided to puch ahead with the tax increase.

The chancellor, Alistair Darling, recently said in relation to the banks that "the advantage of low interest rates has to be passed on .

A Call for new Irish Income Tax Rate from Commission on Taxation

Irish Stamp duty is to be abolished replaced instead by a tax on property with an amnesty period for those who paid stamp duty in the last seven years. The long-standing Irish tax relief on patent royalties is also to be abolished as is the ceiling for employer PRSI.

Cowen has not committed to the introduction of a Property Tax but has not ruled anything out…

The Irish government needs to find new ways to increase the Irish deficit by looking at alternative solutions to increasing Irish tax revenue.

Cowen acknowledged that Ireland has one of the lowest property tax regimes in the Europe and that an introduction next year could be on the cards.

The Hunt is on for Tax Evaders!

The announcement about the list over the weekend was made by Woerth after France and Switzerland signed a double taxation treaty which is due to come into force in 2010. This will allow information to be shared to clamp down on French tax cheats and anyone else looking to avoid their obligation.

Germany considers imposing a Wealth Tax

The report concludes that property taxes should be increased and welath taxes re-introduced.

Emphasising that taxation of wealth in Germany is currently relatively low when compared internationally, the report indicates that merely bringing this taxation in line with the European average could create an additional EUR25bn for the government.

Carbon tax could be making its way to France

The government-named panel headed by former Socialist prime minister Michel Rocard recommended that the tax be paid "by everybody without exception and exemption."

Trade unions and consumers' associations have already said they oppose any new taxes for French households.

Holiday Home Owners May Face an Extra Tax Levy

The tax levy could be calculated on the value of the property which would hit the thousands of families with summer homes in the likes of Conemarra, Wexford, Louth and Kerry.

However, Herald business analyst Dan White said it would be almost impossible to introduce a tax on second homes in the likes of Spain, France, Italy and Bulgaria.

Spain: Tax avoidance regime makes no sense

In 1988, two years after Spain's incorporation into what was then known as the European Community, the securities market law provided in article 108 a measure designed to prevent tax avoidance in transfers of shares in companies with underlying real estate. This was to prevent transfers of real estate designed as share deals from avoiding the transfer tax charged on real estate purchases that did not attract VAT.

France: Tax treatment more favourable for foreign real estate investors

The tax environment for real estate property held by non-residents globally is now more friendly thanks to tax changes in recent case-laws and in France's last budget.

In a case concerning the sale of shares of a Monegasque company that owned a building in France, a first-level regional court declared this guidance to be contrary to the territoriality principle and ruled that the transfer of foreign movable assets, in particular of shares of a company with assets consisting mainly of French real estate, is free of registration tax when the sale contract has been signed abroad.