Insights

The practical impact of the OECDs recommendations and the key issues that should be on your radar as a tax function and head of tax.

New research from Grant Thornton’s International Business Report (IBR) reveals the extent to which contagion caused by China’s economic slowdown is spreading to businesses around the world. Business confidence and expectations for revenue and exports are down, not just in China’s near neighbours, but in several major economies which count on the world’s second biggest economy as a major trading partner.

Tomorrow, we can expect new technologies enabling the internet of things to create opportunities for future fast-growth companies. Some will become industry leaders – the Xiaomis and Ubers of tomorrow. Many more will fail – either because their offering wasn’t differentiated enough, or because their management made the wrong decisions.

This IFRS viewpoint addresses whether to treat the acquisition of an investment property as an asset purchase or a business combination. This is an important issue because the IFRS accounting requirements for a business combination are very different from asset purchases.

Comparison with evolution of women in Downton Abbey shows companies lagging behind society in terms of gender diversity.

5 October 2015 was a good day for companies operating across borders, with agreements on global transfer pricing rules (Base Erosion Profit Sharing or BEPS) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

So will the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan result in a tax system that’s fairer, more efficient and more understandable?

Companies with diverse executive boards outperform peers run by all-male boards according to new research from Grant Thornton. The study, which covers listed companies in India, UK and US, estimates the opportunity cost for companies with male-only executive boards (in terms of lower returns on assets) at a staggering US$655 billion in 2014

New research from Grant Thornton reveals that cyber attacks are taking a serious toll on business, with the total cost of attacks globally estimated to be at least US$315bn* over the past 12 months. The Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR), a global survey of 2,500 business leaders in 35 economies, reveals that more than one in six businesses surveyed faced a cyber attack in the past year. With high-profile security breaches and hacks becoming more prevalent, nearly half of firms are putting themselves in the firing line with no comprehensive strategy to prevent digital crime.

More and more fiscal authorities continue to develop their transfer pricing laws. The principles are common, although interpretations differ from one tax authority to another.

Globalisation is accelerating. While businesses are looking to unlock new revenue streams and governments are encouraging economic diversification, the increased connectivity of the digital age is lowering barriers to entry, opening up more international growth opportunities for dynamic businesses.

Soft power and gut instinct is driving an estimated US$250bn per year in overseas real estate investment, showing that feeling rather than data analysis determines many investment decisions.