News & Analysis

Books of burden 2007-01-01 Staff Writer <tr><td>Country</td><td>GDP $m</td><td>Number of pages of primary tax legislation (ranking)</td></tr><tr><td>India</td><td>691,163</td><td>9,000</td></tr><tr><td>

A recent study* by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the World Bank argues that the relative friendliness of a given tax regime is more than the rate of corporate income tax, which often amounts to a mere third of any tax burden shouldered by a business. The study developed and used a Total Tax Rate** that tallies all the different taxes payable after accounting for deductions and exemptions. In ranking the easiest and most difficult places for businesses to pay taxes, the study looks at the Total Tax Rate, number of required payments, and estimated hours per year to complete a filing. Below are the rankings of the easiest and most difficult places to pay taxes, along with rankings according to these individual factors.

Private equity's complexity can be a virtue to both GPs and LPs, but capturing the requisite detail on a year's worth of acquisitions, realizations and other relevant events within the Schedule K-1 takes an effort stretching well beyond tax season.

As foreign private equity investors look at Australia with greater interest, the country's new tax laws will provide welcome encouragement.

Oscar Kinders and Gijs Fibbe of PricewaterhouseCoopers examine the new Dutch tax regime and the opportunities for structuring private equity funds through the Netherlands.

Offshore vehicles are all the more commonplace these days in private equity, given the international flavor of both limited partners and investment targets. Here's a look at the current state of the most favored locales, and a few jurisdictions vying for a face in the crowd.

New US legislation concerning tax exempt entities dealings with tax shelter transactions could have lingering effects on their ability to invest in private equity. Adele M. Karig and David H. Schnabel of the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton explore the implications of the reforms.

IN-HOUSE PROFILE 2007-01-01 Staff Writer Career path: After completing his Solicitor's exams, Scott joined law firm Herbert Smith as a trainee in the corporate department focusing on corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. In 1993 he joined Xansa, an IT outsourcing firm, as g

A leading German private equity lawyer has been drafted in to help create a level playing field for European private equity investments.

TSG Consumer Partners' twenty years as a private equity firm speaks to the cumulative value of maintaining an industry focus for the long term.