Making changes in the U.K. immigration rules is becoming an annual spring event. Having taken into account the findings from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), this year the U.K. government will introduce certain changes to the Code of Practice relating to foreign nationals coming to work in the U.K. under the employer-sponsored immigration categories... »

Fraudulent attempts to obtain personal details of U.K. taxpayers have been the subject of several reports in our Flash International Executive Alert newsletters. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in the U.K., this week, has issued a further warning to taxpayers not to respond to e-mail scams which have been sent following the recent U.K.... »

A Social Security Treaty (“the Treaty”) has been concluded between the People’s Republic of China (“China”) and the Republic of Korea (“Korea”).1 To benefit from the Treaty, Korean companies should review the social insurance participation of their assignees working in China in a timely manner and arrange to obtain and submit the required documents... »

In October 2012, the U.K. Government published a consultation and draft legislation designed to put Statement of Practice 1/09 (SP1/09) into statute.  Following receipt of the responses to that consultation, HMRC has now published a second consultation document, together with revised draft legislation.  The new consultation document is called “Legislation of Statement of Practice... »

In Ireland, 31 March 2013 is the mandatory due date for the filing of Returns Of Information for employee share participation schemes in respect of 2012.  Failure to comply with this mandatory filing obligation will result in a penalty and, in the cases of Revenue-approved schemes (such as Approved Profit Sharing Schemes, Employee Share... »

With Act 1607 of 2012, promulgated on December 26, 2012, the Colombian Congress, among other changes, has reformed the country’s tax rules applicable to individuals.1 Below we highlight some of the important changes impacting individuals. Residency Determination One of the main changes is the determination of residency for tax purposes and its implications for... »

Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is proposing to amend the U.K.’s Short-Term Business Visitors (Appendix 4) agreement. Many companies use Appendix 4 agreements to reduce the burdens of payroll withholding and reporting requirements in respect of short-term business travellers to the U.K. who benefit from relief under double taxation agreements. Overview The current... »

On 19 December 2012, the amendment to the Slovak Income Tax Act was published in the Collection of Laws1, introducing several changes to the country’s tax rules.2 Most of the measures are effective as of 1 January 2013, and are aimed at raising tax revenue. The most significant change in the personal taxation area... »

ECA International’s latest global expatriate housing market research reveals the world’s most expensive locations for high-end rental property Hong Kong is the most expensive location in the world to rent a high-end three bedroom apartment, according to the latest accommodation data from ECA International, the world’s leading knowledge and solutions provider for international HR... »

South Korea’s National Assembly passed into law the government’s tax law revision bill on January 1, 2013.1 The new law will take effect from January 2013, unless specified otherwise. Below is a summary of the main items of the revised tax laws as they relate to international assignees. Flat Tax Extended and Tax Rate... »

The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) in the U.K. issued its final report on its review of unapproved share plans on 16 January 20132. The final report included a number of recommendations relating to internationally mobile employees as well as other proposed changes to U.K. tax law and administration concerning unapproved share plans. Recommendations... »

For 2013, some changes to the Polish income tax regulations have come into force.1 Although the tax rates remain unchanged, certain reliefs and deductions have been amended. The changes for 2013 do not significantly alter the income tax regime in Poland. The basic rate of 18 percent on annual income up to PLN 85,528... »

DOL will publicly release redacted copies of employers’ PERM and LCA forms within two days after DOL certification. The U.S. Department of Labor plans to launch a searchable online registry of PERM and labor condition applications (LCAs) that would make employer sponsorship information more quickly and easily accessible to the public, according to a... »

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has released an advance copy of Rev. Proc. 2013-151 providing the tax rate tables for individual taxpayers for 2013 as modified by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 and includes: • the 39.6-percent income tax bracket amounts;2 • the beginning income levels for the limitation on certain itemized... »

Visa Fees and Evidence Charge Increases Effective 1 January 2013 The Australian government’s release of the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook in October 2012 included an announcement that there will be an increase in some visa application charges.  Specifically, the government has targeted many of the highly-used visa categories for a substantial increase based... »

The past few months have seen various proposals for new tax legislation aimed largely at replenishing state coffers. The passage through parliament of France’s Finance Act for 20131 (“the Act”) was challenging. (For prior coverage, see the following issues of Flash International Executive Alert: 2012-180 (October 5, 2012) and 2012-208 (November 21, 2012).) The... »

On January 15, 2013, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service released a revised Rev. Proc 2013-151, making some corrections to the advance copy of Rev. Proc. 2013-15,2 which was released on January 11. The Rev. Proc. provides the tax rate tables for individual taxpayers for 2013 as modified by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of... »

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has recently issued further guidance on the tax treatment of insurance policies purchased by employers for their employees.1 The new rules may change the way employers treat insurance premiums and pay-outs when preparing the Form IR8A reporting of taxable remuneration. Employer Is Beneficiary of Policy/No Named Beneficiary... »

Employees from abroad with specific expertise that is scarce on the Dutch labor market, subject to conditions, will be eligible for tax relief, i.e., “the 30% ruling.” If the 30% ruling is applicable, 30 percent of the employee’s salary can be paid as a tax-free allowance. The remaining 70 percent is salary that is... »