Tax
Tax simplification to boost UK as investment destination |
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| Tax | |
| Written by Roberta Murray | |
| Tuesday, 20 July 2010 | |
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Taxand survey shows multinationals across the world will welcome steps towards tax simplification.
Today sees the launch of an independent office to simplify the UK’s tax system called the Office of Tax Simplification. Taxand, the world’s largest global organisation of tax advisors to multinational businesses, says the UK example should be embraced by other governments across the globe. “In recent months we have seen a number of countries, including the UK, look to lower their rate of corporate income tax as a measure to attract foreign investment. However, a number of jurisdictions have wrongly viewed this as the ‘be all and end all’ in terms of attracting investment, when other factors also have a large part to play," Frederic Donnedieu, Chairman of Taxand. In a survey we conducted across Taxand advisors in 20 of our 50 countries, nearly half (48%) identified complex tax rules and legislation introduced by governments and tax authorities across the globe as the key disincentive in attracting investment. 20% believed that high corporate income tax rates were the most important factor in discouraging inward investment. “In line with today’s announcement from George Osborne, the UK Chancellor, the survey also identified the clarification of tax rules and legislation by governments and tax authorities as the most effective technique to attract inward investment with 35% of responses relating to such actions," says Donnedieu. Taxand say that instead of seeing rates of corporate income tax as the primary lever in attracting investment to a region, governments first need to ensure that processes and legislation are made as simple as possible for multinationals that are considering a move to or expansion in their jurisdiction. “Today’s announcement in the UK is a welcome first step in the global simplification of tax systems and is likely to fire the gun for other jurisdictions who will seek similar reforms to ensure they are competing on an equal footing for foreign investment,” says Donnedieu.
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