 | |
| |
TechnologyDaily Mobile
U.K. Lawmakers Want Tax Improvements
by Winter Casey
The United Kingdom's tax system is significantly flawed, lacks modernization goals and places an undue burden on innovators, two U.K. lawmakers said Tuesday.
Speaking at a Capitol Hill luncheon sponsored by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Ian Liddell-Grainger, a member of the U.K. House of Commons, said the British government should do a better job embracing the private sector. Liddell-Grainger said the current U.K. system places an "enormous" burden on small companies and the system needs to be streamlined. He also noted that when a person files taxes in the United States, it is cheaper.
Lord Jack Cunningham of Felling, a member of the U.K. House of Lords, said companies often regard the U.K. tax system as another regulatory burden. He added that the nation must do better at simplifying its tax system and that the country currently is missing its modernization goals.
A report released at the event said the U.K. pay-as-you-earn and national insurance policies limit the growth of small businesses. "A strong and dynamic entrepreneurial base is an essential driver of productivity and prosperity, and so government should seek to avoid regulation that undermines the competitiveness of small business," the report said.
The complexity of the U.K. tax system "contributes to compliance costs because employers have to put effort into reading and understanding the relevant literature," according to the analysis from the All-Party Parliamentary Group. The report also said the nation has a long way to go toward embracing electronic tax-filing and lowering the processing costs related to tax collection.
"When weighing up the merits of increasing the numbers of individuals expected to file tax returns, there is a great deal to be learnt from the success in the United States of the IRS' partnership with the tax software industry, which has reduced compliance costs for the individual and administrative cost to revenue," the paper said.
Liddell-Grainger said government regulation hinders the United Kingdom. Cunningham, a former member of the House of Commons, noted that there is no way the U.K. government is going to agree to a harmonization of taxation laws, which the European Union has been moving toward.
ITIF President Robert Atkinson spoke of the need to strengthen e-government for citizen use, and to encourage partnerships between government and the private sector.
Canada Eyes Patent Amendments
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office has announced regulatory changes to help clarify the patent system for small entities and to improve the IP regime "by simplifying procedures and reducing processing times and costs."
The office, a special operating agency of Industry Canada, said the amendments to the law became effective Saturday. The changes are meant to ensure that "Canada's intellectual property regime is more user-friendly, cost-effective and responsive to the needs of Canadian universities and businesses," according to the government's news center.
"This is good news for intellectual property practices in Canada, especially for small businesses," Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism Gerry Ritz said in a statement. "Small and medium-sized companies and universities that qualify can save up to $3,000 over the life of a patent by applying at the small-entity level. As well, many of the amendments will help reduce their paperwork burden in this area."
The Motion Picture Association of America, meanwhile, noted a bill introduced in Canada's House of Commons last week to criminalize the illegal recording of films in movie theaters. MPAA strongly supports such a measure.
Europe Funds Broadband In Latin America
The European Union has funded a project to develop interactive, high-speed Internet services through satellites in South America.
The European Union is providing non-proprietary technology to Brazil, the first country on which the three-year project plans to focus. The initiative seeks to provide broadband services to companies and isolated households in the region.
The first stage of the project will involve market research, followed by the building the infrastructure, such as satellite terminals, solar-panel power structures, Wi-Fi wireless technology and mobile telephone access points.
EBay To Ban Ivory Trade
The eBay online auction site on Monday announced a ban on the cross-border trade of ivory products globally via its service. The company said it also will inform sellers of ivory products that they may have to provide certification if they want to legally sell the ivory products within their own countries.
By the end of this month, eBay sellers will only be allowed to list ivory products for sale in their own countries, and any listings for ivory products that offer international shipping will be deleted.
"It's the right thing to do," Matt Halprin, eBay's vice president of policy management, said in a statement. "We already have stringent regulations in place for the sale of ivory in countries such as Germany. What we are doing now is strengthening our ivory policy to ban all cross-border trade and provide clarity to those who wish to buy or sell ivory on eBay sites."
The sale of ivory products is highly regulated by treaties and laws. The International Fund for Animal Welfare has urged eBay to enforce a global ban on ivory sales.
The group said a ban on the worldwide trade of ivory is necessary to "provide elephants with the time they desperately need to recover. An estimated 20,000 elephants are slaughtered annually to supply illegal ivory markets."
NEW FEATURE
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
