Talking Tax

As part of its bid to join the OECD, Brazil is working on a major overhaul of its rules governing transfer pricing—the way a group’s related entities value transactions between themselves. Historically, Brazil’s transfer pricing rules have relied on a system of fixed margins. But officials have now committed to moving Brazil to the arm’s length standard, the basis of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's guidelines, and many countries’ approaches to transfer pricing. Romero Tavares, a partner at PwC in Brazil, talks to Bloomberg Tax’s Isabel Gottlieb about what the changes mean for multinationals operating in Brazil, benefits and challenges companies will face under the new system, and what to expect as the government moves ahead with the project. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Have you noticed digital works of art with names like Cool Cats, CryptoPunks, and Bored Ape Yacht Club while surfing the web or posting a snarky tweet? They’re all examples of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, unique digital assets serving as certificates of authenticity for digital products including works of art, music, and collectibles. NFTs are also a surging new industry, expected to reach global sales of $80 billion by 2025. Despite this booming market, state revenue agencies haven’t figured out how to tax or even characterize these digital assets. More than 30 states arguably have authority to collect sales tax on NFTs, but none of them have issued guidance on the subject. Bloomberg Tax took a deep dive into how states might choose to tax NFTs by speaking with two professionals steeped in digital economy tax issues. Wendy Walker, a solutions principal at the tax software company Sovos, talked about the evolution of blockchain technology and the tax treatment of products and services living on blockchains. Kirk Phillips, a member of the American Institute of CPAs’ virtual currency task force, focused on the challenges associated with imposing state sales taxes on NFTs. Wendy and Kirk spoke with Michael Bologna, a senior reporter at Bloomberg Tax covering state and local taxes. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The IRS is struggling. As millions of Americans completed their annual tradition of filing taxes earlier this week, they again connected with a sprawling government agency besieged by issues that money alone can't solve. The IRS is still working through a backlog of unprocessed tax returns and can't keep up with a flood of phone calls from taxpayers looking for help. Bloomberg Tax took a deep dive into the IRS's longstanding structural deficiencies, from an over-reliance on paper documents and outdated technology to a less-than-stellar public perception. We asked current and former government officials, agency watchdogs, and tax professionals to offer their strategy for fixing the IRS. To round out the Fixing the IRS series, former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen and Carlos Lopez, founder of the Latino Tax Professionals Association, join the latest episode of our Talking Tax podcast. They discuss what the agency can do to get back on the right track. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The quick pace of consultations into complex new rules from the OECD is keeping tax practitioners busy. The Paris-based institution has already in 2022 launched several consultations into the “building blocks” of a new international tax system. Pillar One of the plan would reallocate a sliver of the profits of the largest and most profitable businesses to countries where they make sales. Pillar Two would establish a 15% global minimum tax. Tim Sarson Partner, U.K. head of tax policy at KPMG U.K., talks with Bloomberg Tax’s Hamza Ali about the emerging rules in the latest episode of Talking Tax. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The OECD's Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting is aiming to help developing countries implement a global agreement to change how multinational companies are taxed, according to the co-chair of its steering committee. The agreement, which more than 130 countries signed up to in October, has two pillars. Pillar One reallocates a portion of the largest multinationals’ profits to market jurisdictions, while Pillar Two creates a global minimum tax rate of 15%. The two pillars come with enormous complexities, meaning some countries will need help to keep up with the pace of implementation, says Marlene Nembhard-Parker, chief tax counsel for legislation, treaties, and international tax matters at Tax Administration Jamaica and co-chair of the Inclusive Framework Steering Group. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The OECD released a draft framework March 22 that would standardize how global tax authorities regulate and share tax information related to cryptocurrency assets. The draft—called the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, or “CARF”—includes model technical rules and a commentary written for wide adoption and data-sharing among tax administrations. Countries that adopt the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's standards would require individuals and entities that “provide services to exchange crypto-assets against other crypto-assets, or for fiat currencies” to identify their customers and report the aggregate values of the exchanges and transfers on an annual basis. Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC international tax attorney Sahel Assar called the draft proposal a “tsunami” of regulation coming for cryptocurrency and related industries. Regulation, she says in our latest podcast, helps to legitimize the crypto industry. The OECD is gathering public comments on the draft through the end of April. It aims to update the proposal and present it at the October meeting of the Group of 20. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Recent court rulings striking down two Internal Revenue Service reporting requirements suggest the agency may need to change its procedures so that its rules will hold up in court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit struck down a tax reporting requirement on March 3 in Mann Construction, Inc. v. United States. That decision was cited by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee when it struck down a separate reporting requirement on March 21 in CIC Services, LLC v. IRS. The decisions come as the Treasury Department, and the IRS within it, face increasing scrutiny over whether their tax rulemaking procedures have met legal requirements. On the latest episode of Talking Tax, Melissa Wiley, Member in Caplin & Drysdale's D.C. office, and Kristin Hickman, law professor at the University of Minnesota, discuss what the decisions could signal about how courts will approach federal tax rulemaking procedures. They speak with Bloomberg Tax's Aysha Bagchi and Jeff Leon. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Gasoline prices have reached record highs in recent weeks, spurring lawmakers across the country to look for ways to offer some relief. A popular target: the excise taxes the federal government and states collect to fund transportation programs. Some congressional Democrats have floated a suspension of the 18.3 cent-per-gallon federal gas tax, while many governors are pursuing state holidays that could provide some temporarily relief to drivers. Temporarily ditching the gas tax would offer some obvious political benefits for lawmakers running for re-election this year. But how much would it actually help consumers with the national average for regular gasoline up to well over $4 a gallon and gas prices nearing $6 a gallon in California? Lucy Dadayan and Howard Gleckman of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center appear on the latest episode of our weekly Talking Tax podcast to talk about proposed gas tax holidays. Gleckman argues that suspending the federal excise tax could actually fuel further price increases, while Dadayan suggests states should instead look at targeted tax rebates to help low-income families struggling with inflation. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The accounting profession offers career options that go beyond working for a CPA firm or corporate finance. George Azih found that his years of working in both arenas built the perfect launch pad to start his own business, and solve some complex financial accounting problems along the way. Azih is the founder and CEO of LeaseQuery, an Atlanta-based company that provides lease accounting software to businesses. In just a decade, Azih turned his startup into a business that Deloitte ranked among the 100 fastest-growing tech companies. On today’s episode of our weekly podcast, Talking Tax, Azih talks with reporter Amanda Iacone about why he got into accounting and his experience as a Black entrepreneur. He also talks about the value of diversity in accounting and of searching for your diversity blind spots. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Courts in Canada have been making high-profile rulings on a key area of corporate tax law in recent years and the federal government could be making even more changes. Transfer pricing—the rules governing how entities within the same corporate group must make transactions as if they were arm’s length—represents a sizable chunk of the money the Canada Revenue Agency collects in tackling aggressive tax avoidance by companies. A court submission by the agency in 2021 said adjustments from transfer pricing over the three previous years increased government revenue by C$11.84 billion ($9.3 billion). But judges have been dismissing the agency’s arguments when companies have decided to fight those adjustments in courts. Two decisions, one dealing with the uranium miner Cameco Corp. and a second with herbicide supplier Agracity Ltd., have grabbed tax practitioners’ attention because of how the courts interpreted Canada’s transfer pricing laws. The federal government has promised a reform of the underlining legislation in light of its courtroom losses, but Ottawa’s options for rewriting the rules are anything but simple. On the latest episode of Talking Tax, David Hogan, partner at Richter LLP, talks about the impact the latest court decisions have had on transfer pricing and where the legal fight could be headed. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Corporations and wealthy taxpayers breathed a sigh of relief when Democrats' economic agenda stalled in the Senate late last year. The roughly $2 trillion package—which the Biden administration branded "Build Back Better"—included a variety of tax hikes, including major changes for pass-through entities. While corporations and high earners may have dodged anticipated tax increases last year, they aren't necessarily off the hook. The legislation remains stalled, but labor and environmental advocates are pushing for President Joe Biden to re-engage with holdout Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) in an effort to find a deal. A pair of tax professionals appear on the latest episode of Talking Tax to discuss the Biden administration's stalled tax plans. Laura Zwicker, chair of the Private Client Services Group at Greenberg Glusker, covers how the proposals would effect her high-net-worth clients and what she is advising them to do while the legislation remains in limbo. Then Sarah Brodie, a partner at Morgan Lewis, highlights how partnerships dodged major changes to how they are taxed. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The European Union wants to harmonize how companies issue electronic value-added invoices across the bloc as part of a broader push to make VAT easier to pay. The EU is hoping e-invoicing will help ease complexity and close the gap between expected VAT revenue and what countries actually collected. Lost VAT revenue reached 135 billion euros ($152 billion) in 2019 alone, according to the European Commission. The Commission in January launched a public consultation to explore its role in reducing the administrative burdens of VAT compliance—including harmonizing e-invoicing rules—for businesses and in helping member countries fight VAT fraud. At least 13 EU countries already have, or plan to implement, e-invoicing systems, but variations in rules across the bloc are creating administrative headaches for companies. The deadline for comments is April 15 and the Commission plans a legislative proposal in summer or fall. On the latest episode of Talking Tax, Ellen Cortvriend, director of indirect tax technology at PwC Belgium, talks about what countries are doing on the e-invoicing front, what's ahead for the EU, and what businesses could expect this year. Cortvriend also leads PwC’s global e-invoicing and e-reporting division. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The Biden administration made headlines last year with its plan to provide $80 billion to the IRS to bolster audit and enforcement activities, and tackle the so called “tax gap”—the difference between the amount taxpayers owe and how much they actually pay. It's estimated at $600 billion annually. But what about the states? State revenue departments will face some significant challenges, such as years of chronic underfunding by state legislatures, the loss of experienced auditors, practical limitations resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the growing complexity of state tax codes. To learn about how states are dealing with these state audit and enforcement challenges, we hear from Greg Matson, executive director of the Multistate Tax Commission, and Nancy Prosser, the commission's general counsel. They talk with Bloomberg Tax's Michael J. Bologna about their priorities for this year and why working remotely just isn't as satisfying for tax auditors. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The tax filing season that just kicked off is the third that is being affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Kelly Phillips Erb, Bloomberg Tax editor and host of the Tax Girl podcast, says we haven't yet returned to the way things worked pre-pandemic. In addition to a paper return backlog and understaffed IRS, this year's returns will also be complicated by stimulus checks and advance child tax credit payments. Erb joins our weekly podcast, Talking Tax, to talk about what filers and tax pros can expect in the coming weeks and about why, this year, it may not necessarily be a good idea to file early. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Companies operating in the EU are facing a changing tax landscape in the years ahead, which means they must prepare now to set up systems to report and comply with the new measures. The European Union is targeting 2023 to implement the OECD’s 15% minimum tax. Companies will have to overhaul the way they collect information internally to be able to accurately calculate their effective tax rate for each jurisdiction. In addition, a public country-by-country reporting requirement and possibly another directive targeting shell companies are looming on the horizon. Marlies de Ruiter, global international tax policy leader at EY in the Netherlands, talks about what companies need to focus on now to comply with the coming changes, what important additional information on the minimum tax to watch for from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and why some companies are already choosing to disclose their tax information before it's required. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Kevin Brady, the top Republican on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, is planning one final legislative push before he retires at the end of this Congress. During the Trump administration, the Texan was instrumental in shepherding the Republican-led 2017 tax law and working across the aisle on a retirement policy overhaul. An outspoken fan of the Houston Astros, Brady has also been a longtime cornerstone for the GOP in the annual Congressional Baseball Game. On the latest episode of our weekly Talking Tax podcast, Brady discusses his impending retirement, the legislation he hopes to advance before he leaves, and his thoughts on how to make the IRS more customer friendly. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Tax preparers are bracing for another frustrating filing season as the IRS warns of unprecedented challenges driven by the pandemic and staffing shortages. The IRS is facing some major issues ahead of the Jan. 24 launch of tax season. The agency entered the new year with millions of unprocessed paper tax returns and has long struggled to keep up with a deluge of phone calls from people and tax pros looking for assistance. National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins recently described the agency's telephone service as "the worst it has ever been." The IRS only answered about 11% of the 282 million phone calls it received in fiscal 2021—and those who did get through spent more time than ever on hold. St. Louis-based tax practitioner Jan Roberg is the guest on the latest episode of our weekly Talking Tax podcast. Roberg speaks with Bloomberg Tax reporter Kaustuv Basu about the upcoming tax filing season, offers advice to taxpayers on how to best communicate with the IRS, and shares thoughts on what Congress can do to improve the agency's customer service. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690

A severe talent shortage caused by the "Great Resignation" will be the most important issue affecting accounting work in 2022, according to three senior accountants. Labor shortages, along with a loss of institutional knowledge, will cause problems not only at the firms accountants are auditing, but within the accounting firms themselves. Given how widespread this phenomenon is across different sectors, it's a problem that can't necessarily be solved with higher salaries and bonuses. On today's Talking Tax podcast, Bloomberg Tax's Amanda Iacone speaks with three accountants about what they expect will be driving their profession in 2022. In addition to the Great Resignation, they also talk about complying with new sustainability reporting rules and the prospect of new rules coming from the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690

Tax pros are keeping a close eye on Capitol Hill negotiations, with the Internal Revenue Service's 2022 enforcement agenda dependent on how much money Congress gives it to do the job. The Biden administration wants to give the IRS a funding increase for fiscal 2022, plus an additional $80 billion in funding over a decade as part of its stalled tax and social spending package. The goal: give the agency extra resources so it can more aggressively crack down on tax evasion. On today's episode of weekly Talking Tax podcast, two tax enforcement professionals discuss what the new year may have in store at the IRS' enforcement arm. Michelle Levin, a shareholder at Dentons, and Alina Solodchikova, a principal at RSM US, talk about where they think the agency's enforcement targets will be—everything from microcaptive insurance and conservation easements to cryptocurrency. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690

Corporate tax departments and accounting firms haven't had much success in diversifying their workforce in recent years, a recent Bloomberg Tax survey shows. The survey data show that while corporate tax departments have seen an increase in the number of female managers over the past four years, overall the tax industry's race and gender demographics still aren't representative of the general population when it comes to high-level jobs. On today’s episode of our weekly podcast, Talking Tax, we speak with Katrina Welch, North America director of tax at Gordon Food Service, and Melinda Phelan, a partner at Baker & McKenzie LLP. Welch and Phelan speak with reporter David Hood about the survey and explain why even when senior leaders are committed to diversity and inclusion, actual change may take time and better strategies. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Cryptocurrencies had a big year in 2021, with the asset class drawing in over $2.2 trillion of value. However, these gains have drawn scrutiny from tax authorities. The U.S. in particular has made efforts in recent months to develop rules that would require cryptocurrency exchanges to track the activity of traders to assess their tax compliance. On today’s episode of our weekly podcast, Talking Tax, we hear from Sulolit "Raj" Mukherjee, head of tax for Binance U.S., the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. He talks to Bloomberg Tax's Hamza Ali about what the new rules mean for exchanges and the traders that use them. He also discusses the global effort by the OECD to harmonize reporting requirements for crypto exchanges worldwide. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Cities and counties have been using so-called "sin taxes" to disincentivize socially harmful behavior for many years. But can this principle be applied to gun violence? A few localities think it can and have passed their own excise taxes on guns and ammunition, even though the legal basis for these taxes may be unclear. One of them, Cook County, Ill., recently had its gun tax struck down by the Illinois Supreme Court as a violation of the constitution’s uniformity clause. The high court never reached a decision on whether Cook County’s tax constituted a direct violation of the right to “keep and bear arms” under the Second Amendment— an issue the plaintiff Guns Save Life still wants the court to answer. On today's episode of our weekly podcast, Talking Tax, we hear two perspectives on this: one from the gun rights attorney who sued Cook County, and another from an economist and gun control advocate. Bloomberg Tax's Michael Bologna spoke to Pete Patterson with the firm Cooper & Kirk about the status of the litigation, and also to Rosanna Smart, a RAND Corporation economist, who supports local gun control measures but questions the value of excise taxes as a strategy for addressing gun violence. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690. Everytown for Gun Safety advocates for universal background checks and other gun control measures. Bloomberg Law is operated by entities controlled by Michael Bloomberg, who serves as a member of Everytown for Gun Safety's advisory board.

We're now at the stage where companies, not just individuals, are investing in cryptocurrencies. But that means that accountants have to find a way to quantify crypto's famously volatile price swings on their company's financial statements. There is no specific reference to crypto in U.S. financial accounting rules. But many investors, crypto fans, and even companies themselves want accounting rulemakers to change this—and there are signs the accounting standard-setters may be listening. On this week’s podcast Talking Tax, Bloomberg Tax's Nicola M. White hears from Vivian Fang, accounting professor at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Fang discusses why investors care about the value of companies’ crypto assets and about what future crypto accounting rules might look like. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

SPACs—Special Purpose Acquisition Companies or "blank check companies"—became a hot commodity in recent years. The speculative nature and promise of large gains has turned the practice into a major boon for Wall Street—that is, until the SEC announced some rule changes earlier this year that made executing a SPAC a lot more complicated. We have now reached the point where some of the SPACs launched during the boom times now need to be unraveled, creating all kinds of unique tax considerations. On this episode of our weekly podcast, Talking Tax, Jeff Leon speaks with Victor Hollender, a partner at Skadden in New York who has been advising clients on SPAC trends. He spoke about the "de-SPAC" process and where he sees the trend moving next. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

A landmark meeting on curbing climate change didn't do much to address the role that tax measures might play, but financial-climate consultants and academics still think they can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The COP26 conference agreed on long-awaited rules for global emissions trading markets, one key form of carbon pricing meant to help provide financial incentives for reducing emissions. But carbon taxes—direct levies that increase the price of carbon fuels or the emissions that result from them—weren't dealt with in that agreement. And with the U.S. Congress also not taking action on carbon taxes, some advocates are concerned an opportunity to slow climate change with aggressive policies are falling out of reach. There are still ways taxes could make a difference in the climate arena, however. On this week's episode of Talking Tax, Frank Eich, an economist with U.K. consultancy CRU, spoke to Bloomberg Tax's Michael Rapoport about the COP26 developments and the future of carbon taxes. And Sanjay Patnaik, director of the Brookings Institution's Center on Regulations and Markets, spoke to Bloomberg Tax's David Hood about what's happening in the U.S. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

After years of negotiations led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, more than 130 jurisdictions backed a deal last month to overhaul how and where multinational companies are taxed. Now countries are gearing up to implement a deal that will reallocate the profits of some of the world's largest companies and set a 15% minimum global tax rate. For the deal to succeed, it will need the support of not just the world's biggest economies but also from developing nations. And that may require politicians in these countries to be willing to nix existing tax treaties with their neighbors that violate the new deal's tenets. That's according to Mary Baine, director of tax projects at the African Tax Administration Forum, an intergovernmental organization that coordinates tax policy across the continent. She spoke to Bloomberg Tax’s Hamza Ali for our weekly podcast Talking Tax about what developing countries countries will need to do to get ready for the new rules over the next two years. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Last month saw the resolution of years-long negotiations over a global tax deal. Nearly 140 countries signed an agreement to create a 15% global corporate minimum tax rate and reallocate a portion of the largest multinationals’ profits. But the work doesn’t stop there. Now governments are facing the challenge of implementing the new rules over the next two years—which means deciding on a number of details still left open under both parts of the plan—known as pillars. For multinationals, the implementation of the plan could bring significant change to the global landscape they’re operating in. For this week's episode of our podcast, Talking Tax, Isabel Gottlieb speaks about the international deal with Manal Corwin, the principal in charge of KPMG's Washington National Tax practice. Corwin looks ahead to what’s next for the global plan, how companies may be affected and what they’re doing now to prepare. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The growth of so-called "cord cutters" canceling their cable TV subscriptions has had an unintended consequence for local governments: their revenue from the right-of-way fees they impose on the cable companies is drying up. The solution some municipalities have devised for this problem is to levy an equivalent tax on Netflix, Hulu, and the other streaming services that are replacing cable TV in the homes of these cord cutters. On today's episode of Talking Tax, our weekly news podcast, Bloomberg Tax reporter Michael Bologna speaks with an excise tax specialist and a communications law attorney and finds they have very different views on whether imposing local taxes on streamers is a legitimate way to increase public coffers.

Facebook's long-running tax dispute with the IRS finally resumed this month after a lengthy delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The social media giant is fighting IRS allegations that the company undervalued intangible assets that were allocated to its Irish subsidiary. It is one of a string of high-profile cases the IRS is fighting against multinationals over transfer pricing—the value of assets transferred among related corporate entities. The U.S. Tax Court recently heard five days of in-person testimony in Washington and the case is scheduled to shift back to San Francisco early next year. Although the trial focuses only on Facebook's 2010 tax returns, the company has estimated a loss could result in an overall tax liability in the neighborhood of $9 billion, plus interest and penalties. On this episode of our weekly Talking Tax podcast, reporters Jeffery Leon and Aysha Bagchi talk with a pair of tax attorneys who are tracking the Facebook case. Loren Ponds, former majority tax counsel to the House Ways and Means Committee, is now a member with Miller & Chevalier in Washington. Irina Pisareva, a partner with Crowell & Moring LLP in New York, has a quarter-century of experience advising on transaction tax and cross-border tax issues. Our guests dig into the Facebook case, how it differs from a high-profile IRS loss against Amazon.com Inc., and what the court might decide on this long-running legal dispute. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The Group of 20 finance ministers have formally backed a global plan to overhaul where and how multinationals are taxed and set a minimum 15% corporate tax rate. The OECD-brokered deal—backed by 136 countries— has been years in the making. It now heads into a new phase: Implementation. Officials will next have to tackle a plan to carry out the deal, including rolling back unilateral digital tax measures and drafting model treaties and legislation for countries to use to implement the new rules. On this episode of our weekly Talking Tax podcast, reporter Hamza Ali talks about the latest developments and what's ahead as countries look to implement the historic agreement. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Pandora's box got flung wide open this week, and secrets about how global billionaires and politicians stash their assets came spilling out. The Pandora Papers are a giant leak of millions of financial documents, reported by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. They show how many ultra-wealthy people and global leaders are using offshore trusts and other financial entities to store huge amounts of the assets they own. On this episode of our weekly Talking Tax podcast, reporter Michael Rapoport hears two very divergent views on what should be done about this. We hear from Christian Hallum, tax policy lead for the charity and advocacy group Oxfam International, who decries the practices detailed in the documents and says they perpetuate global inequality. And we also speak with Josh Rubenstein, a trusts and estates attorney and national chair of the private wealth department at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, who worries that a crackdown could ultimately invade the privacy of law-abiding people who use trusts to manage their wealth. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

In the field of accounting, the robots have most definitely arrived. Front-line accountants may already use some of type of bot, also known as robotics process automation, or RPA. Or maybe they would love to have a bot on their team. Others, of course, may be a bit fearful that automation is going to erase their jobs. To sort out how RPA works, and is evolving, we turned to Loreal Jiles, vice president for research at the Institute of Management Accountants. She previously led an RPA program overseeing both professionals and bots. Bloomberg Tax's Amanda Iacone spoke with Jiles about how RPA can help take tedious and repetitive tasks out of an accountant's day—with no programming experience required. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The House Ways and Means Committee passed a proposal last week to revamp the way U.S. multinationals pay taxes—but to a lesser extent than other Democratic plans on the table. The proposal—part of a broader tax package to help fund Democrats' planned spending of up to $3.5 trillion—would increase the minimum tax on U.S. companies' foreign income and get tougher in other ways on those that do business overseas. It is more modest in some respects than what President Joe Biden and Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee have proposed. On this episode of our weekly Talking Tax podcast, senior reporter Michael Rapoport discusses the House plan with Craig Hillier, the Americas international tax and transaction tax services leader for accounting firm EY. Hillier explains the details of the House proposal and discusses its chances in a narrowly divided Congress. He also talks about how the plan meshes with the pending global tax overhaul agreement among countries at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The House Ways and Means Committee approved its portion of a multi-trillion dollar economic and social spending plan this week. But despite this latest victory, Democrats still have a lot of work to do before their aspirations become law. The House tax plan doesn't include some of President Joe Biden's notable proposals, including an overhaul of the way unrealized capital gains are treated at death. The tax plan advanced by Ways and Means also aims for more modest hikes to the corporate and capital gains rates than Biden has been seeking. On this week's episode of our weekly Talking Tax podcast, senior reporter Colin Wilhelm discusses the state of play with two Bracewell LLP lobbyists who have a depth of knowledge on the issues: Yasmin Nelson, former senior policy advisor to then-Sen. Kamala Harris,, and colleague Liam Donovan, a former Republican campaign operative who now works on tax and energy issues as well as providing multi-platform political commentary. Nelson and Donovan break down the opposition to the capital gains overhaul, how a troubled prescription drug pricing proposal impacts the overall revenue picture, and what is happening over on the Senate side of the Capitol. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Four years after enactment of the 2017 tax law, the ramifications of Congress' tax code overhaul can be felt thousands of miles away in Ireland, as firms are no longer using the Emerald Isle to shift profits to low-tax jurisdictions. New research by a leading Irish economist shows that many U.S. multinationals are sending outbound payments from Ireland directly to the U.S., rather than to zero- or low-tax jurisdictions. On this episode of our weekly Talking Tax podcast, Seamus Coffey, a lecturer at University College Cork in Ireland talks about how companies are being encouraged to hold intellectual property in places where they have actual economic activity. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Workers across the U.S. are reconsidering their careers at this stage of the pandemic, looking for new job opportunities that offer better pay, benefits, remote work, and other flexibility. The trend, which some have dubbed "The Great Resignation," raises many questions about 401(k) and health savings accounts, jurisdictional taxes, and other tax-related issues. On this episode of our weekly Talking Tax podcast, Bloomberg Tax reporter Jeffery Leon spoke with Eric Bronnenkant, the head of tax at investment advice company Betterment. Bronnenkant talked about why the Great Resignation is happening and the retirement and investment considerations that job seekers should consider when looking at new opportunities. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

College football season starts this weekend and this will be the first year in which the players suiting up can earn significant income off of their name, image, and likeness. Partially in response to losing a case at the Supreme Court, the NCAA this summer lifted its longstanding ban on its student athletes generating this type of revenue for themselves. Though it may not be something most sports fans are thinking about, these newly wealthy athletes, many still in their teens, will run into a host of tax issues if they're not careful. To learn more about this, Bloomberg Tax reporter Sam McQuillan spoke with John Karaffa, the head of ProSport CPA— a firm that specializes in working with athletes—for our weekly Talking Tax podcast. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The Senate-passed infrastructure bill aims to revive nineties-era taxes on chemical companies and importers to pay for cleaning up some of the nation's most contaminated sites. While the bill still needs to clear the House, the chemicals industry claims the Superfund tax provisions are unfair because they impact a small subset of the industrial sectors that contributed to pollution. But advocates say the return of the "polluters pay" doctrine is a step in the right direction to clean up toxic sites. On this week’s episode of our podcast, Talking Tax, corporate tax reporter David Hood talks to Steve Jawetz, a principal at the environmental law firm Beveridge and Diamond PC who argues the tax is unfairly targeted. David also talks to Danielle Melgar, an advocate with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s "Zero Out Toxics” program, about how this tax is a victory for environmental groups. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The Senate-passed infrastructure bill includes contentious cryptocurrency tax reporting requirements that the industry is hoping to change when the bill is considered by the House. The requirements would apply to brokers, such as U.S. exchanges, but the industry says the current language is too broad and would hit intermediaries, like software developers and miners, who don't have access to the information they would be required to report. On this week’s episode of our podcast, Talking Tax, senior reporter Allyson Versprille talks to Denise Hintzke, a leader in Deloitte's Global Information Reporting practice. They discuss the impact the reporting requirements would have on the industry and how companies are preparing for the possible changes. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Investors interested in how companies meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards are also becoming increasingly interested in where—and whether—a company is paying tax. Witold Henisz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and founder of the ESG Analytics Lab, argues that tax payments are a critical indicator of a company's broader social impact, and should be factored in to ESG conversations. On this week's episode of our podcast, Talking Tax, Henisz talks to reporter David Hood about how investors are turning to local disclosures to assemble "bespoke data" showing a company's tax burden and payments and why companies will likely face mounting pressure to disclose that type of information. Listen to the episode here. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

For decades retailers have held onto the sales taxes they collect from consumers for weeks before sending those funds to state revenue agencies. States are becoming increasingly impatient with this process. Some are pushing for accelerated collection schedules and a few are even talking about real-time sales tax compliance strategies. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) has long highlighted accelerated compliance as a way to realize revenue faster and reduce opportunities for tax evasion. On April 1 the Bay State launched an advance payment tax program that shortens the remittance period. Longer term, Baker is recommending a requirement that third-party payment processors convey sales tax to the state on a daily basis, beginning in 2024. On this week's episode of our podcast, Talking Tax, reporter Michael Bologna talks with Liz Armbruester, senior vice president for global compliance at tax software company Avalara, and Patrick Reynolds, senior tax counsel for the Council on State Taxation. Armbruester talks about why she believes that "all signs point to a future where payments will be defined by near-real-time tax compliance," while Reynolds highlights the business community’s concerns about the costs and burdens associated with these compliance strategies. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Thalia Smith, a partner at Deloitte, is using her experience as a Black woman in the Big Four to help students looking to break into accounting. Smith, an audit and assurance partner, is leading Deloitte's $75 million effort to close the diversity gap in the accounting profession. Just 2% of the firm's partners, principals, and managing directors are Black. On this week's episode of Talking Tax, Smith talks with reporter Amanda Iacone about her journey to becoming a Deloitte partner and the hurdles she faced as she advanced in an overwhelmingly white profession. Smith earned scholarships that helped her pay for her education and had other support as she prepared for the CPA exam. Deloitte is trying to take out the "luck" element of the process, she said. The firm has committed $30 million to scholarships for hundreds of Black and Latino students. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Tens of millions of families across the U.S. this week received their first monthly advance on the child tax credit from the IRS. The new monthly payments, which launched Thursday, are the result of a pandemic relief law that also temporarily boosted the credit's value. Households will receive up to $300 per month for each child under age 6, and up to $250 for each child ages 6 to 17. While the expanded credit is currently only on the books for this year, Democratic lawmakers are pushing to make sure it stays around long-term. House Ways and Means Committee member Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) is among the lawmakers who have long championed an expanded tax credit as a way to help reduce child poverty. On this week’s episode of our podcast, Talking Tax, DelBene talks with reporter Kaustuv Basu about why Democrats pushed for the advanced payments and whether a permanent extension is possible. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The U.S. audit regulator is slated to get fresh leadership after a turbulent few years that culminated in the removal of its chairman last month. But it could take months for a new slate of leaders to be selected and installed as members of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The board faces a challenge in improving the morale of the PCAOB’s 800-person staff after a report released last month detailed leadership failures that cultivated a culture of fear and mistrust. Among other issues, the incoming board will have to address a 2020 law related to its oversight of auditors in China and international rules that lay out how firms should police their compliance with ethics and audit requirements. Lynn Turner, former SEC chief accountant, was among those who called for leadership changes at the board. Turner and Daniel Goelzer, a founding PCAOB member, spoke with Talking Tax host Amanda Iacone about what's next for the small regulator and what new board members should do to restore trust. Listen to the episode here. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Large multinational corporations have for a few years now been required to report to the EU how much they pay in taxes to each European country they operate in. But now, after an agreement last month, it looks like those reports will soon be made public. On this episode of our weekly podcast, Talking Tax, Willy de Molina, a transfer pricing partner with Deloitte, talks about the impact this new rule might have. Molina, based in Spain, told Bloomberg Tax editor Joe Stanley-Smith that the headaches this rule could cause go beyond logistics, with possible reputational risks for some companies. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Pandemic-related budget fears have prompted states to search for new sources of tax revenue. Lawmakers across the country are beginning to look toward social media as a mother lode of untapped corporate tax revenue. Social media tech giants, of course, aren't a fan of that approach. Maryland’s first-in-the-nation digital advertising tax has drawn legal challenges from Comcast Cable Communications, Verizon Media Inc., and other corporate heavyweights who argue the tax is unconstitutional. On today's episode of our weekly podcast, Talking Tax, Bloomberg Tax's Michael Bologna hosts a pros-and-cons discussion on state digital advertising taxes. Peter Enrich, a law professor at Northeastern University, and Pilar Mata, executive director of the Tax Executives Institute, debate whether states should try to tax Twitter, Facebook, and other media giants.

After years of grueling negotiations, the world's wealthiest countries reached an agreement on how—and how much—to tax multinational corporations. Now comes what could be a heavier lift: Getting buy-in from the rest of the world. Kate Barton, EY's global vice chair for tax, joins this week's episode of Talking Tax to sort through what the recent G-7 agreement means. She also touches on how getting approval from dozens of other countries—not to mention each of their respective legislatures—could be a more difficult task. Barton tells Bloomberg Tax's Hamza Ali that the pact is indeed as big of a deal as it seems. Have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

The first loan approved through the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program went out the door just one week after the program was created last spring. At the time, with the pandemic shutting down nearly the entire country, the economic devastation looked like it could be limitless. The PPP was designed to help small business owners survive, offering government-backed loans that could be entirely forgiven if used to cover payroll and other approved business expenses. As the head of the SBA's Office of Capital Access, Bill Briggs was in right in the eye of this hurricane. Briggs joins this week's episode of our podcast, Talking Tax, to reflect on the PPP, which stopped processing new loans about two weeks ago. Briggs, now in the private sector, speaks with Bloomberg Tax's David Hood about the launch of the program, its future, and efforts to stop pandemic relief fraud.

A federal tax credit has played a big role in speeding adoption of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, offering consumers up to $7,500 off their year-end tax bill if they buy a qualifying vehicle. But Congress designed the credit to phase out as manufacturers established EVs as viable parts of their product line, setting a sales threshold that Tesla and General Motors passed a few years ago. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) is among the lawmakers who want to expand the credit as a way to keep encouraging electric vehicle sales as part of a broader climate strategy. Kildee has been fine-tuning a proposal with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and the White House to expand the credit. In this week’s episode of our podcast, Talking Tax, reporter Kaustuv Basu speaks with Kildee about the future of the tax credit, how it fits into the Biden administration's infrastructure plan, and the move towards all-electric pickup trucks.

A few weeks ago, a Talking Tax listener reached out about an episode from last summer that focused on why so few CPAs are Black. Lynnwood G. Campbell's stories from a more than 40-year-long career in accounting were so fascinating, we invited him on this week's show. Campbell, now retired, started out at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, then spent decades at the Treasury Department. Campbell spoke with podcast hosts Amanda Iacone and Jeff Leon about why he went into accounting in the late 1960s, the fortuitous way he landed at PwC, and how he managed to thrive at a time when most other Black accountants weren't able to.