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New On The Network Today
This feed is published daily with selected new or updated
content from across our network. For a list of network sites, many of
which feature daily news, see below. |
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| 29/07 New
Lowtax Editor Column, by Kitty Miv |
| 28/07 New
PBTG Editor Column, Caroline, PBTG editor |
| 27/07 UK Launches Raft Of Tax Consultations, Tax-News.com |
| 26/07 Fat
Tax On The Menu
, Jeremy Hetherington-Gore blog entry |
| 23/07 Sarkozy Seeks 'Fiscal Convergence' With Germany, Tax-News.com |
| 20/07 Singapore
Base For Tuvalu OIFC, Tax-News.com |
| 19/07 Expats
Turn Backs On US Taxes, Tax-News.com |
| 16/07
Congress Approves US Financial Reform Bill, Tax-News.com |
| 15/07 New
Lowtax Editor Column, by Kitty Miv |
| 15/07 St
Vincent & The Grenadines, Investors Offshore special feature |
13/07 Tax-News.com
Jersey Review 2010-2011 |
| 12/07 Goodbye
To All That, Jeremy Hetherington-Gore blog entry |
| 09/07
Antigua Pursuing Trade Sanctions Against US, Tax-News.com |
| 08/07 New
Lowtax Editor Column, by Kitty Miv |
06/07 Hong
Kong Full PBTG Guide, added to Personal Business Tax Guide |
| 05/07
Australian Mining Tax Agreement Reached, Tax-News.com |
| 02/07 Online
Trading For Expats, Investors Offshore special feature |
| 29/06 EC
To Extend Common System Of VAT, Tax-News.com |
| 28/06
Lowtax Dubai, annual update |
| 25/06 Jersey
Considers Tax Future, Tax-News.com |
| 22/06 VAT
Hiked In UK Emergency Budget, Tax-News.com |
| 21/06 Steady
Progress In TPP Negotiations, Tax-News.com |
| 18/06 Singapore
- Another Hong Kong?, Investors Offshore special feature |
| 15/06 Swiss
Parliament Approves UBS Agreement, Tax-News.com |
| 14/06 Ethical
Moonshine, Penelope Wise blog entry |
| 11/06 Germany
Purchases Stolen Tax Data Disc, Tax-News.com |
08/06 Dubai
Full PBTG Guide, added to Personal Business Tax Guide |
| 07/06 G-20
Shelves Global Bank Tax, Tax-News.com |
| 04/06
Lowtax Panama, annual update |
| 01/06
Lowtax Luxembourg, annual update |
| 31/05
OECD And EU Strengthen Tax Cooperation, Tax-News.com |
| 28/05
Lowtax Guernsey, annual update |
| 25/05
Lowtax Jersey, annual update |
| 24/05 Lithuania
Summary PBTG Guide, added to Personal Business Tax Guide |
| 21/05
Lowtax Liechtenstein, annual update |
| 18/05 Latvia
Summary PBTG Guide, added to Personal Business Tax Guide |
| 17/05 Offshore
And The Euro, Jeremy Hetherington-Gore blog entry |
| 14/05 IO
Focus: Barbados, Investors Offshore special feature |
03/03
Personal Business
Tax Guide, PBTG, has launched! |
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| Providing essential tax news and information for globally
mobile artists, contractors, entrepreneurs, professionals, small businesses,
sportspersons and entertainers. |
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| Lowtax Network Sites |
| Lowtax Network Portal:
'Low-tax' business and investment in the top 50 jurisdictions covered in
exceptional detail. |
| Tax News: Global
tax news, continuously updated through the day. |
| Investors Offshore:
The independent offshore and alternative investment guide for expatriates
and the globally aware investor. Sponsored by HSBC
Bank International. |
| Law & Tax
News: Daily news and background data on tax and legal developments
for international business. |
| Offshore-e-com:
A topical guide to offshore e-commerce focused on tax and regulation. |
| Lowtax Library:
One of the web's largest and most authoritative business and investment
information sources. |
| US Tax Network:
The resource for free online US taxation information, covering: corporate
tax, individual tax, international tax, expatriates, sales and e-commerce
tax, investment tax. |
| NEW! Personal
Business Tax Guide: Providing essential tax news and information
on business for contractors, entrepreneurs, professionals, small businesses,
artists, sportspersons and entertainers. |
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| Canada: Tax Ombudsman Investigated 532 Complaints In First Year |
by Leroy Baker, Tax-News.com, New York
Thursday, December 24, 2009
The Honorable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food), has announced that the first annual report of the Canadian Taxpayers’ Ombudsman has been tabled in parliament.
The Taxpayers’ Ombudsman has been tasked with ensuring the CRA meets the requirements of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, and independently reviews and conducts investigations into complaints lodged against the CRA by taxpayers, and identifies and reviews CRA procedures and policies. The current – and first – Taxpayers’ Ombudsman is Paul Dubé, who was appointed on February 21, 2008 for a three-year term.
The report states that the Ombudsman received 4,853 enquiries, requests and complaints; of these, 1,038 files were opened, and 532 individual complaints relating to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) were investigated. Of the 532 complaints, 281 reviews found in the CRA’s favor, and 84 files were carried over into the next fiscal year.
The report finds that, while the CRA “treats taxpayers fairly most of the time,” and “does many things very well,” there were shortcomings. The investigation into the complaints resulted in apologies to taxpayers by the CRA, the release of seized bank accounts, the payment of social benefits and refunds, and changes to CRA policies and procedures. The report also gives details of a number of case studies, including a single mother whose child benefit payments had been wrongly suspended by the CRA; unclear CRA correspondence with a taxpayer; business payments made to the CRA being applied to the wrong accounts; and the seizure by the CRA of a taxpayer’s shares as compensation for unpaid tax –after investigation, it was found the taxpayer was entitled to a CAD8,300 refund.
"The Taxpayers’ Ombudsman has demonstrated an understanding of the challenges faced by taxpayers when trying to settle disputes and a practical appreciation for the size and complexity of the task the CRA faces in processing some 24 million individual tax returns and approximately 1.6 million corporate returns each year," said Blackburn. "Already, the Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsman has shown its potential to help the [CRA] improve its service to Canadians.”
In the introduction to the report, Dubé noted that “taxpayers, tax professionals, elected representatives, business people, associations, and interest groups we have spoken to have all expressed support for this office.” He also highlighted that “widespread trust in the [tax] system increases compliance levels, and reduces both litigation against the CRA and participation in the underground economy.”
The report states that the Ombudsman is to investigate CRA systemic issues without prior complaints; details of how to highlight such issues to the Ombudsman appear on the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman website.
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| THE LOWTAX LIBRARY
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