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What Are Tax Havens – And Will Governments Crack Down On Them?

What Are Tax Havens – And Will Governments Crack Down On Them?
Every so often we read that governments are going to crack down on tax havens and offshore bank accounts. The latest threats to do this have come in the wake of the financial crisis and economic recession that began in 2008.

However, attacking offshore tax havens is not new. And it would appear that such attacks by various politicians rarely amount to more than window dressing to placate the masses and an attempt to divert blame for any economic woes from themselves.

Before answering the second question posed in the title of this article, it would be a good idea to clarify exactly what a tax haven is.

A tax haven is a country which has little or no income tax. Some tax havens have zero income taxes, while others may have very low taxes – or only tax local income not worldwide income.

To give a few examples: If you live in Hong Kong you will be taxed at a flat rate of 17% on your income. On the other hand, if you live in New Zealand you will be taxed on a sliding scale all the way up to 38%. Obviously if you lived and worked in Hong Kong, then you?d be keeping a lot more of your own money.

Another issue is whether a country taxes domestic income only or worldwide income. Most countries tax worldwide income, which means if you live in the USA but earn income in the UK, then the UK income is also taxable and is to be considered part of your total income for tax purposes.

But if you lived in Singapore and made money outside that country, then you wouldn?t be liable for income tax on the overseas income, only your local income. So while Singapore is not considered a tax haven in the usual way, it is in fact a tax haven for those who live there and earn money outside Singapore.

The attraction of tax havens is obvious. If you live there, or do business there, you could end up keeping a lot more of your own money. For it never pays to forget that income tax is a tax on your very life. Your labour is part of your life. If someone were to claim 80% of your labour without pay, and only give you food and shelter in return, then you?d have a good working definition of slavery. And the rates of tax prevalent today are akin to slavery in every way – with most developed countries raking off 50% or more of their resident?s money with income and other forms of tax.

So a tax haven is exactly that – a safe haven, if you will, from predatory taxes.

Trouble is, high-taxing countries hate this. They don?t like having to compete with other countries in the matter of tax. And if truth be told, most governments of the developed world would very much like it if such tax competition was abolished, by getting rid of tax havens.

But it?s not as simple as it appears. The tax code of any particular country is a matter for that country to decide. If Hong Kong levies an income tax of 17% on its residents and New Zealand levies up to 38% – who?s to say that Hong Kong shouldn?t be allowed to do it?

And that?s the problem. The very notion of abolishing tax havens implies abolishing each country?s sovereignty. It means that someone, somewhere, is going to dictate to every country what its income tax rate will be – and that in order to eliminate tax competition the rates for all countries must be the same.

Of course, this will not happen – not without a one world government and a one world tax system.

The truth is tax competition, like any competition, is healthy. The very existence of low tax or no tax jurisdictions keeps other countries on their toes, and draws a line in the sand as to how high they can push their own tax rates – without causing an exodus of their best and most productive people.

But there are other reasons why tax havens and offshore bank accounts will not be abolished any time soon. Human nature. And in particular the nature of many politicians. You see, if there were no tax havens, no places to ?hide? money – then what would the corrupt politicians of this world do with their ill-gotten gains?

No, the powers that be, at the very top echelons, require places where they can stash their cash. All their threats about abolishing or doing away with tax havens are but hot air – and hypocritical to boot. Because at the end of the day the people who benefit most from the existence of different tax rates around the world are the people with money – the same people who pull all the strings. To abolish tax havens would be akin to cutting their own throats.

So don?t expect tax havens and offshore banking to disappear any time soon!

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Taxpayer Relief in Canada – Do I Qualify


If you have a tax problem in Canada, repercussions with the Canada Revenue Agency can be severe. If you filed your income taxes late or committed an infraction under the Canadian Income Tax Act, like failing to disclose income or writing off expenses that you weren’t entitled to, the Canada Revenue Agency has incredible power to punish you. By far the most common weapon that they use to punish you is your pocket book.When an income tax return is filed late and the CRA assesses what you owe, or a previously filed return is re-assessed and new monies are owed, the CRA will add interest and penalties to the amount of the tax debt that you owe. Often times, when an individual has a tax debt, the amount that they owe will double in size once the interest and penalties are calculated.Sometimes individuals have personal circumstances that led to their tax problem which is why taxpayer relief in Canada exists.

Taxpayer relief in Canada is a formal program offered by the Canada Revenue Agency where the CRA can agree to cancel all or part of the interest and penalties. You can qualify under the Taxpayer relief program in Canada for one of the following reasons:A natural disaster like a fire or flood. For example, you misstated expenses resulting in an inaccurate return filing because your basement flooded and all of your receipts were financial hardshipA documented personal issue like a medical problem or death in the familyAn error on the part of the CRAThe only challenge with the Taxpayer relief program in Canada is that it is a long and complicated process and very few applications under this program are granted. To hire a professional to make an application under this program could cost you thousands. In addition, the CRA will not reduce the principal tax debt owed. The CRA does not offer any program that will reduce the principal tax debt that is owed.Before considering making an application under the Taxpayer relief program in Canada you may want to first look at the principal amount of the tax debt you owe and whether you can afford to pay it off at all. Often people who owe a large tax debt are not even in a position to pay it, regardless of whether or not they receive interest and penalty relief under the Taxpayer relief program in Canada.

The longer you stretch out the time that you have a tax problem, the worse the tax problem will become. If the application under the Taxpayer relief program in Canada is denied, you will owe further interest that will have accumulated through the application period. The CRA will also continue to try to collect on the principal tax debt owed.There are other financial programs available that will freeze the interest on the tax debt that you owe and can even eliminate or reduce interest, penalties and the principal tax debt that you owe. These programs can also stop CRA collection action and provide you with immediate relief. These programs are not available through the Canada Revenue Agency, however you may access them through a financial consultant who works with people who have debt problems.

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Tips To Reduce Your 2006 Income Taxes In 2007!


Income taxes are a substantial burden for business owners and real estate investors. There are few actions which can reduce your 2006 taxes after December 31, 2006. Unfortunately, most options to decrease revenues or increase exepnses are no longer available after year-end. This article summarizes four options for reducing your 2006 federal income taxes during 2007. These include reducing revenue, increasing real estate depreciation, increasing expenses by conducting a fixed asset audit and increasing expenses by converting capital expenditures into operating expenses.

The basic process for calculating income taxes is simple:

Revenue – expenses = net income, or taxable income,

Taxable income x tax rate = income taxes

Two options for reducing income taxes are to reduce revenues or increase expenses. It is not possible to change the tax rate except through congressional action. It may be possible to reduce revenue for taxpayers on an accrual accounting system. Taxpayers may be able to increase expenses by increasing real estate depreciation, personal property depreciation or operating expenses.

Accrual accounting recognizes revenue when it is earned. Cash basis accounting recognizes revenue when payment is received. Accrual basis taxpayers can review revenue which has been booked but not yet received. In some cases, it may be appropriate to increase the allowance for bad debt. There is little cash basis taxpayers can do to reduce revenue (after the end of the year).

Most real estate owners can sharply increase depreciation by obtaining a cost segregation study. Real estate depreciation schedules are typically established by simply separating land and long-life property. Long-life property is depreciated over 27.5 years for rental residential property and 39 years for commercial property. Cost segregation can usually increase depreciation by 50% to 100% during the first five to seven years of ownership by allocating a portion of the cost basis to 5, 7 and 15 year property. In addition, real estate owners can “catch-up” depreciation under reported in prior years without filing amended tax returns.

Fixed asset audits can be a cost effective means to increase operating expenses by removing phantom assets, removing operating expenses mistakenly coded as capital expenditures and correcting the depreciable life for incorrectly coded items. Phantom assets can include assets which have been lost, stolen or disposed of without removing them from the accounting records. The undepreciated basis of these assets can be converted to an operating expense after the error is discovered. In some cases, substantial operating expenses are incorrectly added to the fixed asset listing as capital expenditures. This could include items such as substantial roof repair or parking lot repair. The undepreciated basis of these items can be converted to an operating expense and written off when the error is discovered. The fixed asset listing is massive for many companies, sometimes exceeding 1,000 pages. With so many assets, it is difficult to ensure all are accurate. For items added with an incorrect and excessive depreciable life, it is possible to revise the asset life and “catch-up” depreciation under reported in prior years without filing an amended tax return. Instead, a form 3115 is filed with the tax return.

The difference between capital expenditures and operating expenses is often subjective. Are substantial roof repairs a capital expense or an operating expense? Reviewing disbursements which were listed as capital expenditures in 2006 may uncover items which can be converted to operating expenses.

Federal income taxes are a substantial expense for successful businesses. Tax planning is less glamorous than purchasing a new company or developing a new division. However, a modest effort focused on reducing federal income taxes can sharply increase net income.

Patrick O?Connor, MAI is president of O?Connor & Associates, a 180-person real estate services firm in business since 1974. Further information on reducing income taxes is available at: O?Connor can be reached at 713 686 9955 or poconnor@.

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High Tech Tax Accountants – Ready at Your Services


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The company is making its best efforts in recognizing your accounts in best possible manner. It is also providing you with best of Accountants London that are always ready to assist you in every possible manner and condition. It is a time saving option for you that help you in calculating the average sales and corporation tax of the company.You can easily get things in most modified and collective manner. In real terms if it comes to notice you always need to keep a proper balance between the expenses of the company along with the amount that is being rendered in tax and all. For this purpose you can also issue the prompt Bookkeeping Services that are available for you and helps you maintain a proper balance in just no time. For any company, it is only its accounts department which is the major operator of business, but when it comes to qualifying on the Tax Returns, you certainly need a hand that not only assist you but also provide you with some suitable options in order to maintain your records in a linguistic manner. So, now you can get in proper training from London’s best Tax Accountants which are there at your help from Apex services.