On 08 October 2021 there was finalised a major reform of the international tax system at the OECD which will ensure that Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) will be subject to a minimum 15% tax rate from 2023.
The landmark deal, agreed by 136 countries and jurisdictions representing more than 90% of global GDP, will also reallocate more than USD 125 billion of profits from around 100 of the world’s largest and most profitable MNEs to countries worldwide, ensuring that these firms pay a fair share of tax wherever they operate and generate profits.
Following years of intensive negotiations to bring the international tax system into the 21st century, 136 jurisdictions (out of the 140 members of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS) joined the Statement on the Two-Pillar Solution to Address the Tax Challenges Arising from the Digitalisation of the Economy. It updates and finalises a July 2021 political agreement by members of the Inclusive Framework to fundamentally reform international tax rules.
With Estonia, Hungary and Ireland having joined the agreement, it is now supported by all OECD and G20 countries. Four countries – Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – have not yet joined the agreement.
International community strikes a ground-breaking tax deal for the digital age
In the era of COVID-19 pandemic, online shopping has become even more popular. Electronic payments are one of the most important, if not the most important segment of modern finance. Many companies have been quick to recognize this trend by introducing the BNPL (buy now pay later) service. This service allows you to postpone the payment for purchases for up to 30 days. However, most importantly it is a free service with no hidden additional costs as long as the buyer pays for the product on time. In case the consumer does not pay, he will have to pay commissions or be charged interest. In practice it means that the buyer pays for the product after receiving it, gets acquainted with it, checks whether it suits him and whether it works properly. With the rapid progress of digitalization, consumers’ approach to shopping and paying for the latter is changing. Such a facility is useful especially in the case of fashion shopping, where the customer has the opportunity to try the product before making the final decision. This service enjoys considerable interest in Poland and worldwide, e.g. in the United Kingdom it has already been used by nearly 33 percent of consumers who shop online.
Buy now pay later in Poland – legal regulations and market trends
The Polish medical and pharmaceutical industry has a long tradition. In recent years, its structure and dynamics have changed significantly. The domestic pharmaceutical industry is one of the strategic industries of the Polish economy. It plays a key role in the whole healthcare system, providing Polish patients with examined, effective, high-quality and affordable medicines. Most Polish pharmaceutical companies have been privatized and numerous companies have been taken over by large foreign pharmaceutical corporations. In addition, new successful companies are emerging, which thanks to their innovation and implementation of new technologies, are entering foreign markets and becoming competitors of foreign companies. They also contribute to a significant increase in the competitiveness of the Polish economy.
This article focuses on the legal aspects of transferring personal data of European Union citizens outside the European Union. It can be of interest, particularly having in mind cases handled by our law firm in the field of transferring personal data of patients of medical online platforms in telemedicine, in the machine collection of sensitive data using webscraping methods, and in the field of collecting and transferring data and creating databases of financial services users in broadly understood fintech sector. The problem is also significant from the point of view of clients of our law firm providing online gaming, online gambling, e-sports betting and e-betting services.
On October 14, 2021 KIELTYKA GLADKOWSKI will take part in a webinar organised by CohnReznick, focused on plans for healthcare services investment.
As deal activity in healthcare services reached an all-time high in 2020 and last year, the suddenness of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted investors and healthcare providers to look to the M&A market in record numbers, the organisers of the webinar will discuss the environment, trends and deals (closed and planned to expand existing and explore new platforms).
As providers continue to adjust their business models and the ways they provide care to their patients, Private Equity and M&A statistics offer tea leaves into how they plan to do that. The panelists will therefore provide insights on investment trends, healthcare company value drivers and opportunities for the sector.
