Author: News Desk

KAMPALA – The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has officially implemented the 5% Digital Services Tax (DST) as per the Income Tax Amendment Act of 2023, effective July 1, 2023. Nonresidents offering digital services to Ugandan customers must register for the DST through the URA website by October 20, 2023, or face a 15% withholding tax. Notably, those already registered for VAT on digital services do not need to register separately for DST, as the URA will automatically extend the registration. Uganda introduced the VAT digital services tax in July 2022, requiring nonresident providers of digital services to Uganda to register…

BELMOPAN – Belize is officially rolling out mandatory B2B e-invoicing and e-receipts, following an amendment to the General Sales Tax Act announced on February 28, 2025. While no details on regulations or implementation schedules have been released, businesses must prepare for a digital transformation in tax reporting. E-Invoicing Mandate for Belize In a move to modernize and streamline tax administration, the government of Belize has given the green light to mandatory B2B e-invoicing and e-receipts for businesses. The amendment to the General Sales Tax (GST) Act, which was announced in late February 2025, marks a significant shift in the country’s…

BEIJING – China will raise its tariffs on U.S. goods to a staggering 84% starting April 10, escalating tensions in the renewed US-China trade war just hours after former President Donald Trump reimposed 104% tariffs on Chinese imports. The retaliatory move signals a dramatic re-escalation of tariff diplomacy with deep implications for global supply chains, inflation, and corporate tax planning. Markets reacted sharply. The Shanghai Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average both fell more than 3%, while Treasury yields dipped as investors fled to safe havens. Beijing’s swift response reflects its strategy to match Washington’s economic aggression with calculated policy…

Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has unveiled a new semi-automated sales tax mechanism for sugar, marking a significant shift in how the sector is taxed. The notification, issued this week, mandates bi-monthly price reviews tied to official national data, to enhance transparency, compliance, and revenue predictability in a historically volatile industry. Under the revised system, the ex-mill price for sugar—the taxable base—will be calculated as Rs16 per kilogram less than the price published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). This adjusted value will form the basis for sales tax calculation and collection, replacing discretionary or static pricing methods…

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to advance a pivotal budget resolution on Wednesday to extend President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, reviving a core tenet of his economic agenda. However, deep fractures within the Republican majority threaten to delay the effort as internal disputes mount over how to fund the cuts without exploding the national debt. The plan—designed to lock in $5 trillion in tax reductions—has sparked sharp debates over its potential to add $5.7 trillion to the federal deficit within a decade, according to nonpartisan analysts. At the heart of the GOP rift is whether the proposal…

DHAKA – In a significant move to reduce the cost of imported fruits, Bangladesh’s National Board of Revenue (NBR) has announced a reduction in the source tax on fresh and dried fruits. The new tax rate, which drops from 10% to 5%, came into effect immediately after the notice was issued Thursday, bringing relief to consumers as the prices of fruits like grapes, oranges, tangerines, and pears had been escalating due to earlier tax increases. This tax cut comes after a period of rising import duties and supplementary duties on over 100 goods and services that were raised starting January…

LONDON – The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is set to hold crucial talks this week in London, with discussions about the potential for implementing the world’s first-ever global emissions tax for the shipping industry. With shipping responsible for about 3% of global carbon emissions, the IMO is weighing measures like a global marine fuel standard and a carbon levy, which could be transformative for climate policy. The proposed carbon levy or carbon credit scheme has garnered significant attention as one of the most ambitious environmental policies to date. However, the idea has faced resistance from countries such as Brazil, China,…

GABORONE – Botswana has confirmed a major shift in its VAT policy with the announcement that, starting September 1, 2025, foreign businesses providing digital services to local consumers will be required to register for VAT and pay tax. This move, unveiled in Botswana’s 2025/26 national budget, expands the scope of VAT collections to include digital services, aligning with global trends of taxing the digital economy. Context & Background – A Growing Need for Digital Service Taxation The global push to ensure digital giants pay their fair share of tax has been a prominent issue in recent years, with many countries…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will visit the White House for an official working meeting with President Donald Trump on April 17, the White House confirmed Tuesday, as transatlantic tensions escalate over newly imposed reciprocal tariffs targeting industrial goods. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the visit without detailing the agenda, but trade observers say the timing is strategic—Italy and the broader EU bloc are currently grappling with the U.S.’s 20% retaliatory tariffs, part of Washington’s latest protectionist wave. Background: The New Transatlantic Tariff Fault Line The Trump administration’s move to expand reciprocal tariffs on the…

ANTANANARIVO – Madagascar is preparing to introduce a centralized e-invoicing platform as part of sweeping reforms in its 2025 Finance Law, signaling a digital tax transformation aimed at bolstering VAT compliance, combating fraud, and increasing revenue collection efficiency. While no firm rollout date has been announced, tax officials confirm the Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI) is laying the groundwork for mandatory electronic VAT invoicing—a move that aligns the island nation with global trends in real-time tax reporting and fiscal digitalization. Context & Background: A Shift from Manual to Machine-Led Tax Integrity Madagascar’s current VAT system has long depended on manual…