Indirect Tax
Businesses trading internationally inevitably come up against a
complex array of foreign indirect taxes. Depending on the nature of
the goods or services they supply and depending on the countries in
which they trade, these can include value added tax (VAT), goods
and services tax (GST), sales taxes, customs duties and excise
duties.
Indirect taxes are generally a cost for the consumer to bear. The
burden of administering them however usually falls on the supplier,
and for the business which gets it wrong, an unforgiving battery of
stiff financial penalties lies in wait.
Baker Tilly International member firms' tax specialists guide
multinational clients through the complexity of the world's
indirect tax systems. The following are some of the areas in which
they can provide valuable support:
- Information about the indirect taxes in force in more than 100
countries worldwide. Advice on business structures that mitigate
the effects of indirect taxes and give a competitive advantage
- Registration of businesses for indirect tax purposes where this
is legally required or where it is voluntary but will nevertheless
produce financial benefits
- Preparation of periodic returns. In some countries' indirect
tax systems the filing of returns can produce refunds of the
indirect taxes which the business has itself incurred
- Acting as a fiscal representative for businesses. Some
countries insist that foreign businesses make such an appointment
as a precondition for their being allowed to trade in the
country
- Negotiations with national indirect tax authorities and the
resolution of disputes.