In January 2014 a new member firm in Austria joined the Tax Representative Alliance (TRA).
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Annual TRA meeting 2014 announced
At the end of December 2013 the annual meeting of the Tax Representative Alliance (TRA) for 2014 was announced. The 2014 meeting will be held in Regensburg (Ratisbon), Germany, and is organized by the German TRA memberfirm WW+KN.
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Polish TRA memberfirm at Brussel Tax Forum 2013
The Brussels Tax Forum 2013 has been held on November the 18th 2013. The Forum, hosted by the EU Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta, responsible for Taxation, Customs, Statistics, Audit and Anti-Fraud has brought together policy makers, experts, stakeholders and the general public from all over the world to discuss tax issues of particular political and general interest. The topic chosen for this year has been ‘An efficient VAT system’.
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The Partner of the Polish TRA memberfirm Intertax Audit Sp. z o.o, Bugoslaw Kedzior, has been granted the priviledge to attend this commitment that aimed the simplification and sensibilization of the EU VAT burocracy, into a more harmonized and burdenless VAT System.
Poland has introduced, with effect from 2014, significant amendments in VAT Act. The most revolutionary one has been the change of the provision regarding arising the tax accrual, which has been changed for the first time in twenty years. Until the end of December 2013 the general rule on tax accrual was in fact linked to the issuance of an invoice.Since 2014, as a general rule, tax accrual shall arise at the moment of supplying the services or goods, and shall no longer be connected to the issuance of an invoice, also for the services or goods provided partially, for which payment was specified. For the services or goods provided continuously for a period longer than one year, without terms of payment or settlement, the accrual takes place at the end of each fiscal year, until the services are finally provided.
TRA representative is participating in the Brussels Tax Forum 2013
The Brussels Tax Forum 2013 will be held on November 18th, 2013. The Forum, hosted by the EU Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta responsible for Taxation, Customs, Statistics, Audit and Anti-Fraud, is an annual conference that brings together policy makers, experts, stakeholders and the general public from all over the world to discuss tax issues of particular political and general interest.
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In 2013, the 7th Brussels Tax Forum will take place on November 18th, 2013. For this year, the topic chosen is ‘ An efficient VAT system’. Also the Tax Representative Alliance (TRA) will be there with Boguslaw Kedzior from the Polish TRA-memberfirm Intertax.
More information is available viahttp://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/gen_info/tax_conferences/tax_forum/
New TRA member in Switzerland
Welcome to our new TRA member from Switzerland! In October 2013, Patrick Donsimoni and his company “La Boetie” based in Geneva joined the Tax Representative Alliance.
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Patrick Donsimoni, partner at “La Boetie”, is a lawyer with more than 20 years of experience. Before joining “La Boetie”, he was partner at one of the “big four” companies and worked in Paris and New York before he moved to Geneva. Patrick Donsimoni is an expert at VAT affairs and in addition to his work in Geneva he teaches international taxation and law at Paris University.
The activities of “La Boetie” comprise project management, indirect tax, advisory, assistance with tax audits and fiscal representation. “La Boetie” also offers fiscal representation and advisory to foreign companies who want to do business in Switzerland.
Convinced that an advisor must be, first and foremost, a partner, the commitment of “La Boetie” is centered upon quality, connectivity and responsiveness.
Learn more about “La Boetie” at www.laboetie.ch.
French authorities introduce VAT on yacht charters
According to French tax guidelines dated 25 June 2013, contracts relating to yacht charters commencing in French waters for the purposes of leisure travel and signed from 15 July 2013 are subject to VAT as per the rules defined for pleasure vessels. In compliance with the ECJ Bacino ruling, the exemption no longer applies to hiring and charter operations for leisure use, either with or without a professional crew, including operating on the high seas.
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The applicable VAT rate is 19,60 %, however the taxable base can be reduced by 50 % where the yacht is also used outside EU or French waters.
Consequently yacht owning companies established outside Europe need to appoint a tax representative who will perform the formalities related to VAT registration in France, the submission of tax returns and making of VAT payments. The other yacht owning companies may also appoint a tax agent who will perform the same VAT formalities.
La Représentation Fiscale, the first ever tax representation company in France has created Yacht Tax Services, a dedicated French tax representation company providing services to yacht owning companies incorporated outside France.
Follow TRA on Twitter now
In June the Tax Representative Alliance (TRA) opened a Twitter account. TRA board member Constantinos Ekkeshis of the Cypriot member firm Ekkeshis + Ierodiakonou handles the social media activities of the alliance of European VAT specialists.
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Via Twitter TRA will publish members news, current VAT devolpments in Europe as well as news about TRA and its activities. You can follow TRA on Twitter via www.twitter.com/tra_vat.
Romania – TRA Brand New Member
Tax Representation SRL joined the Tax Representative Alliance (TRA) as the Romanian member firm on 1st May 2013. Tax Representation SRL is one of the leading mid-size Bucharest based firms focused on international VAT advisory and tax representation, servicing an international clientele on VAT matters (planning, registration, recovery, compliance, representation, pre-audit) as well as capital gains tax advisory, claw back tax representation (owed by non-registered pharmaceutical market authorization holders) and permanent establishment registration and compliance.
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Tax Representation SRL currently assists a diverse portfolio of international clients through a multidisciplinary and multilingual team of lawyers, tax advisers and accountants with significant expertise and market knowledge. Being set-up in 2007 as part of a bigger practice of services, it grew into a focused, stand-alone VAT and tax representation practice retaining the advantage of a specialized and independent firm while keeping the wide and long standing portfolio of local and international partners, which makes it a reliable asset for TRA and its current and future member firms and their clients.
Annual Meeting 2014 in Regensburg announced
The next annual meeting of the Tax Representative Alliance (TRA) will take place in Regensburg (Ratisbon), Bavaria, on Friday 14th March 2014. The conference place will be the SORAT Insel-Hotel on an island in the middle of the Danube River. The meeting will be organized by the German TRA member, WW+KN.
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Annual Meeting 2013 held in Paris
The Tax Representative Alliance (TRA) was the idea and initiative of the French member firm, La Représentation Fiscale (LRF). Corinne Maure, managing director of LRF, closely supported by LRF colleague Laeticia Mayo, contacted several VAT specialists in other European countries and created today´s TRA.
This was the reason why the first and founding meeting was held at Pavillon Dauphine in Paris, France. The meeting held on 1st March 2013 was also the 50th anniversary of LRF. LRF was the first VAT representative company in France and has specialized in VAT since 1963.
More than 20 people from 11 member firms from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Cyprus, France, Greece, Germany, Malta, Latvia, Poland and the Netherlands came to the first annual meeting in Paris. The members discussed and voted on the alliance statutes, the fees and the alliance structure. Also every member firm presented its services to the other members.
The first board elections had the following results:
- TRA President: Corinne Maure, LRF, France
- TRA Vice President: Matthias Winkler, SH+C, Germany
- TRA Secretary: Stephen Balzan, EMD, Malta
- TRA Treasurer: Constantinos Ekkeshis, Ekkeshis + Ierodiakonou, Cyprus
- TRA Board Member: Luis Felipe Tapia Polo, Tax Partners, Spain
Find more information via: www.lrf.fr