TAXES ON DIVIDENDS IN EUROPE

The map shows the maximum dividend tax rates in OECD countries.✅ The highest taxes:

Among European OECD countries, the highest tax rate on dividends is recorded in:

🔸 Ireland – 51%.
🔸 Denmark – 42%
🔸 UK – 39.4%

✅ The lowest taxes:

🔸 Greece – 5 %
🔸 Slovakia – 7%

❗️Estonia and Latvia are the only European countries that do not impose tax on dividends. When an enterprise distributes profits to shareholders, a corporate income tax of 20% is applied (and paid by the company).

☝️The non-resident is required to declare the dividends paid in the country of a tax residence and pay tax at the rate applicable there.

👉 The fiscal burden can be eased if there is an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation between countries.

The US Government Agencies Point Out New Red Flags

The US Government Agencies Point Out New Red Flags that May Signal Evasion of Russia Sanctions. Common red flags can indicate that a third-party intermediary may be engaged in efforts to evade sanctions or export controls, including the following:

🚩Use of corporate vehicles (i.e., legal entities, such as shell companies, and legal arrangements) to obscure (i) ownership, (ii) source of funds, or (iii) countries involved, particularly sanctioned jurisdictions;
🚩A customer’s reluctance to share information about the end use of a product, including reluctance to complete an end-user form;
🚩 Use of shell companies to conduct international wire transfers, often involving financial institutions in jurisdictions distinct from company registration;
🚩 Declining customary installation, training, or maintenance of the purchased item(s);
🚩 IP addresses that do not correspond to a customer’s reported location data;
🚩 Last-minute changes to shipping instructions that appear contrary to customer history or business practices;
🚩 Payment coming from a third-party country or business not listed on the End-User Statement or other applicable end-user form;
🚩 Use of personal email accounts instead of company email addresses;
🚩 Operation of complex and/or international businesses using residential addresses or addresses common to multiple closely-held corporate entities;
🚩 Changes to standard letters of engagement that obscure the ultimate customer;
🚩 Transactions involving a change in shipments or payments that were previously scheduled for Russia or Belarus;
🚩 Transactions involving entities with little or no web presence; or
🚩 Routing purchases through certain transshipment points is commonly  used to illegally redirect restricted items to Russia or Belarus. Such locations may include China (including Hong Kong and Macau) and jurisdictions close to Russia, including Armenia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.

World Bank forecasts economic growth in Europe and Central Asia

The near-term economic outlook remains especially uncertain, with risks to the baseline forecast tilted to the downside. These risks include an additional tightening of global financial conditions, financial turmoil, and worsening energy shortages.In the South Caucasus, growth in 2023 is projected to halve to 3.3 percent. The forecast deceleration reflects weakening momentum after the strong rebound in 2021-22, the slowdown in the euro area.

The highest economic growth – 10,8% for 2022 in Armenia among European and Central Asian countries. Regarding other regional countries, Azerbaijan’s 2022 growth is at 4,2%, Georgia’s at 10%, and Turkey’s at 4,7%.

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