IBFD Tax HavenApril 2015 2

Please address all contributions to:Editorial team: Laura Roest, Afke Lijzenga and Yvonne Schellart • Contact: redactie@ibfd.org • Next Deadline: 29 May 2015

Amazing TimesWe are living in extraordinary times. Whether one is young or one has already seen quite a number of world events pass by, the last few months have been offering us a very rich experience indeed. Is this partly because the flow of information is so fast and far reaching? Are we all being made aware of events happening in the world that we would otherwise remain blissfully ignorant of? I am amazed at the breathtaking speed at which geopolitics and global finances are moving: the pros and cons of quantitative easing and its impact on interest rates; the challenge of a China-backed Asian Infrastructure Invest-ment Bank; a Europe which cannot yet imagine what might happen if Greece were to exit the euro or – even more dramatically – if the UK were to alter its membership in the Union. Civilians are yearning for leadership, so right now must be a fascinating (and scary) time to be a politician.

Remarkably enough, I don’t find these recent events disconcerting or particularly worrying, as in every devel-opment, dramatic or not, there are new opportunities to improve our personal or business lives. So let us return closer to home, back to our world of International Tax. Our world, too, is facing tremendous changes and encoun-tering daunting challenges: BEPS and where responses to it will actually go; VAT being pushed as a panacea for budgetary pressures in many jurisdictions; tax administra-tions needing to improve their performance throughout the world; the importance of supporting and training tax pro-fessionals to make maximum use of available platforms; and our responsibility to promote a deeper understanding of how the topic of International Tax is continuing its jour-ney up the political and business agendas. This means that there is tremendous opportunity for IBFD to deliver on the foundation’s mission.

We have the stature, reputation and means to shed light on complex developments, to broker conferences or enable platform discussions, and to support govern-ments, tax professionals and individual taxpayers around the world with balanced and – especially – independent counsel. The need for better compliance grows by the day. We can both help train tax administrators to become more efficient in their all-important role as tax collectors and offer them improved insights into what fair and just

taxing powers are. This is not new, one might say, but it is gaining a new momentum. IBFD will contribute to this development to the best of its abilities. We will enhance our value as we provide the information, knowledge and insights that will be needed to guide our readers through the changing landscape ahead.■

Sam van der Feltz, CEO

First Ever Africa Tax Symposium

One of the most exciting IBFD events coming up this summer is our inaugural Africa Tax Symposium. Under the heading Trends in International Taxation: An African Per-spective, this two-day conference will take place on the 18 and 19 June in the stunning surroundings of the Victoria Falls at the Sun International Hotel in Livingstone, Zambia.

A comprehensive programme has been meticulously put together by Belema Obuoforibo, Director of the IBFD Knowledge Centre, Kennedy Munyandi, Manager for Africa, Middle East & Latin America and his AMELA team. The event will present a complete picture of international taxation in the BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) era, with special focus on Africa.

Local and global speakersThe programme features prominent speakers, including IBFD tax experts on Africa and eminent tax practitioners from Africa and Europe:

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► Prof. Annet Wanyana Oguttu, University of South Africa ► Antonio Russo, Partner, Baker & McKenzie, The Neth-

erlands ► Belema Obuoforibo, Director Knowledge Centre, IBFD,

The Netherlands ► Eleni Klaver, Director, Carrara Legal, The Netherlands ► Fredrick Omondi, Partner, Deloitte Kenya ► Prof. Johann Hattingh, University of Cape Town, South

Africa ► Jyoti Mistry, Tax Partner, PwC, Zambia ► Kennedy Munyandi, Manager Africa, Middle East &

Latin America, IBFD, The Netherlands ► Monia Naoum, Research Associate, and Emily Muyaa,

Research Associate, IBFD, The Netherlands ► Dr. Perisuo Dema, Director, Centre for Petroleum and

Mineral Law Research, Nigeria ► Peter Phiri, Director Large Taxpayer Office, Zambia

Revenue Authority ► Ridha Hamzaoui, Regional Tax Manager, IBFD, The

Netherlands

Trends and their impact on AfricaOur speakers will lecture on the current trends in interna-tional taxation, addressing these from an African perspec-tive. Topics will cover:

► Current trends in international tax planning: BEPS and the African experience

► Transfer pricing: issues, challenges, and a possible way forward

► Taxation of natural resources: lessons from Africa and beyond.

View the full programme

Creating opportunitiesBy bringing together tax practitioners and policy-makers from all over Africa, the Symposium presents participants with exceptional networking opportunities.

The event also reinforces our position as the foremost provider of information on cross-border taxation but, more specifically, it provides a platform for the formation of a think tank dedicated to African taxation issues within an international context.

How to registerPlaces are filling fast! To register for one of the limited places, please complete the online form before 30 April 2015. This form can also be accessed via the www.ibfd.org homepage. Please note that a contribution fee of USD 83 is applicable.

We look forward to the successful launch of this great new initiative!■

Rebecca Blagdon, Marketing Department

Cross Border Cooking KUNG PAO CHICKEN

One of the most famous Chinese recipes is Kung Pao Chick-en. According to one widely repeated story, the Chinese name of “Kung Pao Chicken” comes from the name of an im-perial officer who was fed the dish during an inspection tour.

Kung Pao Chicken is a typical and traditional Sichuan-style dish. It looks red and spicy, but it is actually not that hot. It does have a little kick, but it is not all that harsh. The meat’s texture is tender and smooth. Kung Pao Chick is not only delicious to enjoy but also very easy cook. That’s why the dish has quickly made an international name for itself.

Ingredients:2 chicken breasts; some peanuts (a hand full). For the marinade: 1/2 teaspoon of salt; 1 spoon of mirrin; 1 teaspoon of starch/cornflour.For the main sauce: 1 spoon vinegar; 1 spoon of soy sauce; 1 spoon of sugar; 1 spoon of cooking wine; an onion; gin-ger; 1 teaspoon of black pepper; 1 small chilli pepper;

Steps:1. Cut the chicken breasts into 1.5 cm cubes and mari-

nate for 30 minutes.2. Prepare the sauce. Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar

and cooking wine in a small bowl. 3. Put a little oil in the pot and then fry the chicken until it’s

done. Remove and put to one side.4. Next, reduce the heat and fry the peanuts until done.

Remove and set aside.5. Leave a little oil in the pan and add the onion, ginger

and pepper.6. Add the chicken and peanuts and stir rapidly. 7. Add the seasoning and starch, rapidly heat it and then

pour into a serving dish.

Tips: ► People who like to eat hot and spicy food can add

more red chilli peppers. ► If you don’t have any fresh stock, you can use water

and a chicken stock cube.

Lazy Kung Pao chicken straight out of the pot...■

Ivy Wu, Sales China

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Why I Became a Stand-up ComedianTrying to perform stand-up comedy is a humbling expe-rience. Maybe you think you are funny in certain social situations, but pre-senting yourself to a demographically diverse audience is a special challenge.

So why do it? The American comedian

George Carlin once said that, after so many years of per-forming stand-up, he finally thought of himself as “a writer who performs his own material”. That really resonated with me. So now I’m a writer who happens to perform stand-up.

A comedian has to present a semi-coherent persona. Just as a main character in a novel is much more coherent than a real-life human being, so a stand-up comic is playing a character, and the stand-up decides which character he will play or what kind of spokesman or narrator he will be. He can’t bring all of his internal contradictions on stage, or else the audience’s impression is too muddy. He has to stand for something, even if only in mock rage or disgust.

As a stand-up, I tend to make fun of modern culture and politics, especially American. I’ve done bits on The Five Stages of NSA Surveillance Grief (Denial, Anger, Bargain-ing, Depression and Acceptance), Facebook funerals (on one page, the only comment was “Rest in Peace”, which everyone “Liked”) and American politics (“Who’s smarter: Sarah Palin or a dolphin?”).

I’ve performed at a number of different venues in Amster-dam, including the CREA Theater, Vibes Café and Café Frieda, and I have upcoming performances at Mr. Bean’s Café and the New Anita. I am also the co-producer of a local TV programme called Dam Funny, which runs on Salto 1 on Tuesday nights. Dam Funny is a weekly eight-minute show featuring foot-age from stand-up comedians performing in Amsterdam in English. Producing the show has been a great way to meet many local comedians and share stories on the chal-lenges of stand-up.

People often ask me, “How do you do stand-up?” I took a stand-up course last year, and we practised writing two-min-ute bits, which we later developed into an eight to ten-min-ute set, covering diverse topics. While some comics largely improvise, I write my material in advance, and I refine it a lot. Rehearsing the material aloud helps you find awkward

phrases that should be cut, just as many novelists read their characters’ dialogue out loud to make sure that it flows.

Stand-up should sound natural and spontaneous; it should not be memorized verbatim. As in music, the pauses are critical; they create a rhythm. People talk a lot about a comedian’s timing. Pauses build tension, create a silence that – hopefully – your audience will break with laughter (nervous or otherwise).

If the first rule of rhetoric is to know your audience, in a comedy café in Amsterdam you are confronted with an au-dience of unknown make-up and attitude. The audience is not necessarily made up of your peers. They may heckle you for having the temerity to consider yourself funny or, more likely, for crossing over some line of propriety.

For many, English is not their native tongue. The emcee usually asks the audience members which countries they represent, and the answers often include the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Israel, Morocco, the UK, Ireland, Aus-tralia, Canada and the US, among many others. People from other countries may watch your performances on YouTube. Humour generally doesn’t translate well across cultural and linguistic boundaries, so how does one identi-fy material that is “universally” funny?

I have adapted satires I’ve written for stand-up material, and it’s usually necessary to cut the text by at least 50% and to change the point of view of the piece. Satire often keeps a straight face, maintains the pretence that it is staying faithful to the genre that it is ridiculing. Stand-up has to be much more direct and efficient in going for the laughs, and it’s of-ten better if the performer is animated rather than subdued.

The goal of stand-up seems obvious: to get the audience to laugh. In order to make it measurable, some say that, in a successful stand-up set, the audience will laugh four to six times per minute. So the comedian has to try to get laughs, has to ask the audience to laugh. Leaving that pause in the air is a gamble with a variable rate of success.

While drawing laughs is obviously one measure of suc-cess, there are perhaps others, such as telling memorable stories or getting the audience to think. For me, stand-up, as with satire, must have a moral component: the targets of the jokes are moral crimes, hypocrisy, sanctimonious-ness, ineptitude and pretence.

I can really recommend trying stand-up comedy to those who wish to overcome their stage fright or take their public speaking skills to the next level – or even just to express themselves. It’s a lot of fun.■

Dan Geddes, IT Department

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Water to Sail or Woods to Walk A Q&A WITH MAGDALENA VAN DOORN-OLJENICKA, SN RESEARCH ASSOCIATE WITH THE EUROPE TEAM

Could you describe, in short, what it is that you do in your work here at IBFD?In my role of country specialist for Poland, I deal with client research, TNS reporting and Pol-ish-related tax projects. I am the author of the Country Surveys and Country Analyses chapters on Poland, and of the Corporate

and Private Investment Guides. I am also the editor of the Country Analyses for the CEE countries (Central and East-ern Europe).

What do you like best about your job?First of all, my team, my colleagues and the international flair of the organization. Secondly, unlike in my former jobs at the big four (at that time, the big six), we – research associates - are expected to be reasonably proficient in all tax areas instead of focusing on a narrow tax specializa-tion. That means an ongoing learning process.

How did you end up at IBFD?It was in 2006. At that time, I lived in Belgium and my hus-band was offered a job in the Netherlands. I came across IBFD in my first job at KPMG, where I received the IBFD Glossary when I entered the company. I then found an IBFD vacancy, applied for it and...here I am.

How did you become a tax lawyer? What do you find most interesting about tax law?Coincidence. I met a KPMG Tax Partner ... on a dance floor. He was looking for people with my background (economy or law) for the tax practice. But I had a ticket to LA and attractive plans and nothing, not even tax, could stop me. Well, he made me an offer I could not refuse... and I came back. While working for KPMG, I completed post-university Tax Law studies.

Your background is economy, with a good knowledge of Italian, Russian and English besides Polish. What made you learn those languages?Now also Dutch. At the age of 8, I lived in Moscow and went to a Russian school, as my father was working there. When we came back to Poland, I continued to have Rus-sian at school - it was then the second language in Poland. Also at that age, I started to learn English and later went to a college with an extended English (and Russian) pro-gramme. And Italian? Well, you have to admit: it is a beau-tiful language. And I have some Italian family members and often spent my holidays there, so it was a good reason to learn Italian. No, as far as I know - no Italian roots.

What sort of jobs have you had? Did you ever do some-thing totally unrelated to tax?Absolutely. I was working in the Warsaw Opera, then dra-ma theatres (also fringe theatres in London), always pro-moting Polish art and artists abroad and vice versa – sort of an “impresario” job. I also got copyrights and translated an Irish theatre play, which was produced in Poland.

What were your experiences in the Warsaw Opera?My mother was an opera singer and worked at the War-saw Opera. I spent my childhood there, often being taken by her to the rehearsals and evening performances. I remember being terrified by male ballet dancers as, un-naturally, they wore heavy make-up and looked like giant monsters to a little girl...

What did you want to become when you were a child?An artist, of course! I wanted to be like my mother but I suppose I did not have enough talent. Or... other talents.

Where do you live now? How did you get there? Where have you lived before?I live in Rotterdam and this is my home now. Nine years ago I moved to the Netherlands from Belgium. But my original home country and city are Poland and Warsaw.

What do you do when you are not working (family, reading, sports, music, travel, plus favourite book/music/work of art)?In the winter season, I skate (also indoors). In all seasons but the winter, my husband and I enjoy sailing on our Wu-Wei sailing boat (Taoist for “go with a flow”), roller skating or walking in the woods picking mushrooms and prepar-ing them for a variety of dishes. I also jog and do indoor fitness regularly, and I attend Zen classes. Yes, I still find time to read a good book. The latest one: “Learn to think what you want to think” by a Zen teacher.

What is the most beautiful place on earth to you?I love nature so wherever I can enjoy water to sail or woods to walk – I am a happy person!But I also like enjoying good food with good friends in a good restaurant, be it Rotterdam, Warsaw or wherever.

Do you prefer to cook or to eat? What is your favourite dish?I like both. But I certainly prefer cooking if I can just exper-iment and be creative with new recipes. Until the moment I hear from my husband: “very interesting”... Then I know it all: I do not need to repeat it anymore. Now I am experi-menting with the Ayurvedic cuisine.

If you were to turn into a superhero, which extra-ordinary power would you like to have?The power to stop all the nonsense and violence in the world.

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Do you have an example? If so, what?I never thought of one.

How do you see the future?I wear rose-coloured glasses, so the future looks bright.■

Author Instructions – BooksMany authors don’t realize the impact that submitting a poorly formatted or incomplete manuscript can have on the publication process. The submission of a badly prepared manuscript can result in severe delays in the publication of the author’s work, which is frustrating for both the author and IBFD. A well-structured and consistent manuscript has become increasingly important as we move more and more toward electronic publishing. This is particularly true in the case of books which are published in the traditional print format as well as in electronic formats (online and downloadable eBook). By following the publisher’s guidelines when writ-ing their manuscript, authors will assist in establishing an efficient production process, including an easier conver-sion to electronic formats.

With the aim of assisting authors in the preparation of their manuscripts, IBFD’s Instructions to Authors – Bound Books have been recently updated. Taking into account that our books are published in print and electronically, the up- dated Instructions give clear guidelines to help authors ensure that their material is presented in a complete and correct way. Important issues, such as general style and format, book structure and IBFD house style are covered. Instructions for problem areas such as figures (no colour please!) and tables are given in detail. Considerable focus (incl. examples) is given to IBFD’s unique citation and reference guidelines, so that the online version of the book can become truly integrated into IBFD’s Tax Research Platform.

The updated Instructions are being distributed to all new book authors and contacts. They are also to be found on the IBFD’s corporate website.

The updated Instructions will be posted on the new and improved KC Wiki site which is due to be launched shortly.

By following these Instructions, authors will help us to pro-duce their book as quickly and efficiently as possible.■

Jane Kerr, Book Publisher

IBFD Correspondent in ...RAACIDA AMENZOU REPORTING ON GIBRALTAR

For which IBFD publications do you work?I review the Gibraltar tax chapters for the European Tax Surveys and I provide input on a yearly basis around the time of the publication of the yearly tax budgets announced by the Chief Minister of Gibraltar (IBFD News). How long have you been a correspondent for IBFD?I believe since 2010.

How did your relationship with IBFD come about?I initiated the contact and suggested that I provide input for Gibraltar. As an international tax expert, I have also used IBFD as an information source for international tax advice.

How does the contribution work? Do you make your own suggestions, or does IBFD make specific requests?At the request of IBFD, I review the Gibraltar tax chapters for any updates, and, without IBFD requesting it, once a year I provide input on the tax budget as quickly as possi-ble using IBFD’s format.

What work do you do outside of IBFD?I am a tax professional for an online gaming company that is listed on the London stock exchange. I am also the honorary consul for the Netherlands in Gibraltar.

What are your plans for the future?I plan to remain a tax professional and possibly find an opportunity to provide lectures on international tax at the University of Gibraltar, which will be built in 2015/2016. What did you eat last night, and who cooked it?Finger food and tapas as I was attending a house warm-ing party at our friends’ new apartment. The food was prepared by my friend.

What’s your favourite TV programme?Tussen Kunst en Kitsch, an antique programme in the Netherlands.

Do you have any other message for our readers?The secret of getting ahead is getting started (Mark Twain).■

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“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart. But the very next day, you gave it away...” Oh yes, I know that this probably gets that annoying mel-ody stuck in your head! But then you will most likely also think about Christmas. And about spending a lovely holi-day with family and food. See, this is exactly what music does; it brings happiness and creates nice memories.

Last Christmas (no, not again!), we were rehearsing Christmas carols for the IBFD breakfast and we discussed how nice it would be to have a piano in the office. Not just for finding the right key to sing in (although this is very important!), but also to accompany the music. Slowly, over the course of the weeks that followed, this idea turned into an enthusiastic plan. Plans for more choir gatherings and for other musical events were shared within the group. In February, together with my piano accomplice, Marlies, we started our search for a suitable piano. And we found one!

As you have undoubtedly noticed, a magnificent, shiny black piano has been placed in our restaurant. It has a light touch and a fresh sound, just what we need!

But we also need you to enjoy it. I really don’t want to sound too Cinderella-like, waiting for mice and birds around her to start singing out of nowhere, but wouldn’t it be great if when you walked downstairs, you would hear the soothing sounds of Chopin quietly coming your way? Or, perhaps at around 17.30 on a Friday afternoon, a few improvised jazz riffs to celebrate the end of a great working week?

As a first “official” event, Anneke, Marlies and I have planned a spring sing-along (2 April 16.30 hrs.). Actually, it should really be as unofficial as it possibly can be, because the point is just to gather around the piano and to make some music. We will prepare some songs and provide you with the lyrics for accurate enjoyment, but as soon as the musical ice is broken, we can do anything... with a glass of wine in your hand of course! So what’s not to like? And that

is what it all boils down to; coming together and sharing ideas. That is what we already do every day; that is what we’re good at. As Dumbledore nicely put it: “Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here!”

Let the piano become one of the great traditions of IBFD. I really hope to hear you soon!■

Marjolein Kinds, Europe Team

Never Ride a Bike in AmsterdamHello, my name is Sean Halvacs and I started at IBFD in September of 2014 as a Sales and Customer Support Specialist in Northern Virginia. I went to Ohio University and studied Political Science with a minor in Japanese and Pre-Foreign Service. There, I met my fiancée who studied Physics and Economics. She currently goes to George Washington University and is studying for her PhD in Economics. We are hoping to get married within a year’s time or so, given the fact that her family is willing to accept me! Our jour-ney together has been a great one and we hope that we continue to be blessed.

I have not been at IBFD very long, but I can tell you that my experiences here so far have been amazing. My first time in Amsterdam and meeting everyone on my team was something I will never forget. One specific incident I will certainly not forget was riding a bike through Amster-dam, given that Americans don’t usually ride bikes very often, especially as a means of getting around the city! One thing happened after another and a man in front of me suddenly stopped as he missed his turn. 10-15 bike crashes later, I found myself on the ground with a deep cut and ripped pants! Needless to say, I won’t be riding a bike in Amsterdam again anytime soon...

Despite this unfortunate incident, the memories and friendships that have grown within IBFD are ones that I will continue to cherish and I hope to meet many more of my colleagues in Amsterdam.■

Sean Halvacs, US Sales Team

Congratulations ...

... Daniel Lacombe, Hélène Lacombe-Francis and Myrte with the birth of their daughters and sisters Aela (Famke) Lacombe and Yfke (Zia) Lacombe, born on 20 February.

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April

May

June

July

During the year

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Present & Focus, session 2 | 9:30 am - 17:00 pm Provided by Marieken Zeven

Advanced Powerpoint 3 | 9.30 am - 16.00 pm Provided by Westhaghe

Communication in Practice 1 | 9.30 am- 18.00 pm Provided by Marieken Zeven

E-mail Handyman for the (US) sales team Provided by Richard Wolfe | 9.30 am - 13.30 pm

Communication in Practice 2 | 9.30 am - 18.00 pm Provided by Marieken Zeven

Individual coaching sessions

(Individual) English courses

External: Double Tree by Hilton Amsterdam Central Station

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External: Double Tree by Hilton Amsterdam Central Station

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External: Double Tree by Hilton Amsterdam Central Station

Upon request and approval of manager

Upon request and approval of manager

closed

1 slot available

closed

2 slots available

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Date What Where Who

Hellos and Goodbyes Joiners Luna Bai Research Associate, Asia Pacific (Amsterdam) Ying Zhuang Research Associate, Asia Pacific (Amsterdam) Chris McLaren Staff Member, PCD Eva Marschall Trainee, Marketing Team Kathrin Schmitz Trainee, Marketing Team Rebecca Blagdon Sn Marketing Coordinator, Marketing Team

Change of Function Támas Kulcsár Team Manager ITT, Tailored Tax CoursesLeavers Pierre Burg Trainee, Europa TeamKatarzyna Bronzewska Research Associate, Topicals Team