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Elena Kostovska Until July 1 2014, the FYR Macedonian tax system recognised three types of VAT taxpayers depending on the VAT period applicable to them. Based on the annual turnover of taxpayers, the tax authority used to classify companies as either monthly, quarterly or annual taxpayers. As of July 2014, the calendar year as a VAT period is abolished and all annual taxpayers are now considered as quarterly taxpayers. In light of the above change, companies that are transformed from annual to quarterly VAT taxpayers are now obliged to submit quarterly VAT returns starting from the third quarter of 2014 (the return for which is due October 25 2014). For the first six months of 2014, these companies were liable for submission of a combined return for the first two quarters of 2014 (effectively for the period January 1 to June 30), due by July 25 2014.

Donka Pechilkova According to the prognosis of the World Bank, Bulgarian GDP will grow in 2014 by about 1.7%. The analysis goes even further as the forecast for the coming year suggests an estimated increase of 2.4% in 2015; and up to 2.8% growth in 2016. As a comparison, at the beginning of the year the expectations were that the Bulgarian GDP will increase by 2%. The report is in alignment with the opinion of the European Commission and is slightly higher than the forecast of the International Monetary Fund. In the report, Bulgaria is listed in the sub-region of the developing countries from Central and East Europe, along with Albania, Romania and Serbia. The expectations are that the economies of these countries will increase mainly by realising higher export levels mainly to Western Europe, even though this index recorded a drop during the past 12 months. Exporting is the main index that could increase the GDP of the developing countries, due to several reasons such as the politically unstable situation in the region; the high rate of unemployment and the fragile bank systems. Another destabilising factor is the tension between the EU and Russia. Additionally, there is the risk that the growth of the Bulgarian economy will be prevented by both the ageing of the population and the emigration of the younger population. Also, according to the World Bank there are no significant reforms that could increase investments into Bulgaria.

Read this month's special features on Brazil and Tax technology

A recent report criticising Ireland’s economic growth plan – initially labelled as coming from the German Bundestag Finance Committee – has caused controversy and tension in Irish-German relations, but an analysis of the facts shows the report does not wholly represent German attitudes towards Ireland.

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Mexican taxpayers will not have to file an annual tax report from 2015, but what it is being replaced with is highly controversial and means that the relationship between tax authorities and taxpayers is very difficult at the moment.

Güler Hülya Yilmaz and Lerzan Nalbantoglu of Deloitte look at a case leading to mutual agreement process.

Ricardo Rendon and Eduardo Valenzuela, of Chevez, Ruiz, Zamarripa y Cía, assess the new tax provisions applicable to taxpayers in Mexico following energy reforms of the oil and gas sector.

Güler Hülya Yilmaz of Deloitte reports on why the attribution of income to permanent establishments (PEs) in the case of EPC contracts is an important taxation issue for contractors in the energy industry.