DEADLINE 15 HOURS 6 PAGES  UNDERGRADUATE COURSEWORK HARVARD FORMATING DOUBLE SPACING INSTRUCTIONS This assignment seeks to assess your ability to: • Critically evaluate and discuss the major developments during 2017 in corporate taxation from the perspective of multinational companies and their auditors, governments and other stakeholders. • Apply appropriate knowledge, analytical techniques and concepts to problems and issues arising from both familiar and unfamiliar situations; • Think critically, examine problems and issues from a number of perspectives, challenge viewpoints, ideas and concepts and make well-reasoned judgements; • Present, discuss and defend ideas, concepts and views effectively through formal language. Background: In the final weeks of 2017 a leading tax expert suggested that “a whirlwind of international tax changes has swept the globe”. He also went on to say that for companies operating in Europe there is no end in sight to the pace of change. The final recommendations on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) from the OECD have been endorsed by the EU. In fact a number of European governments have already implemented large parts of these proposals ahead of schedule. The third quarter of the year saw the European Commission in the spotlight with its landmark decision that the technology giant Apple must repay no less than €13 billion of taxes to the Irish government. This ruling was based on the view that the favourable tax treatment was effectively state aid and hence the Irish government had broken EU law. At the same time countries across the world continue to compete by reducing the rate of corporate taxes. Many commentators suggest that the UK government will cut the corporate tax rate to 10% if the country fails to negotiate a trade deal with the European Union as part of the Brexit process. In a separate development earlier in the year the government of Hungary announced it would become the tax haven of Central Europe with a plan to reduce corporation tax to a mere 9%. Required: You are to write a report for the Board of Directors of a listed global company that has manufacturing and R&D activities across Europe, Asia, Australasia and America. The report should assume that the directors have detailed knowledge of the group activities but are not taxation specialists. However they would be aware of issues relating to corporate governance, transparency and reputational risks. The report should cover the following aspects: Evaluate the major developments that occurred in corporate taxation in 2017 and the issues that may arise in the current year. Discuss the implications for the group in regard to the relationship with its auditors. Consider how other stakeholders and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) may be affected by changes in the level of corporate taxes and their possible reaction. The resources below are on Blackboard and provide an introduction to the topic. “Corpor.

1. DEADLINE 15 HOURS
6 PAGES
UNDERGRADUATE
COURSEWORK
HARVARD FORMATING
DOUBLE SPACING
INSTRUCTIONS
This assignment seeks to assess your ability to:
• Critically evaluate and discuss the major developments during
2017 in corporate taxation from the perspective of multinational
companies and their auditors, governments and other
stakeholders.
• Apply appropriate knowledge, analytical techniques and
concepts to problems and issues arising from both familiar and
unfamiliar situations;
• Think critically, examine problems and issues from a number
of perspectives, challenge viewpoints, ideas and concepts and
make well-reasoned judgements;
• Present, discuss and defend ideas, concepts and views
effectively through formal language.

2. Background:
In the final weeks of 2017 a leading tax expert suggested that “a
whirlwind of international tax changes has swept the globe”. He
also went on to say that for companies operating in Europe there
is no end in sight to the pace of change. The final
recommendations on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS)
from the OECD have been endorsed by the EU. In fact a number
of European governments have already implemented large parts
of these proposals ahead of schedule.
The third quarter of the year saw the European Commission in
the spotlight with its landmark decision that the technology
giant Apple must repay no less than €13 billion of taxes to the
Irish government. This ruling was based on the view that the
favourable tax treatment was effectively state aid and hence the
Irish government had broken EU law. At the same time
countries across the world continue to compete by reducing the
rate of corporate taxes. Many commentators suggest that the UK
government will cut the corporate tax rate to 10% if the country
fails to negotiate a trade deal with the European Union as part
of the Brexit process. In a separate development earlier in the
year the government of Hungary announced it would become the
tax haven of Central Europe with a plan to reduce corporation
tax to a mere 9%.
Required:
You are to write a report for the Board of Directors of a listed
global company that has manufacturing and R&D activities
across Europe, Asia, Australasia and America. The report

3. should assume that the directors have detailed knowledge of the
group activities but are not taxation specialists. However they
would be aware of issues relating to corporate governance,
transparency and reputational risks.
The report should cover the following aspects:
Evaluate the major developments that occurred in corporate
taxation in 2017 and the issues that may arise in the current
year.
Discuss the implications for the group in regard to the
relationship with its auditors.
Consider how other stakeholders and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) may be affected by changes in the level
of corporate taxes and their possible reaction.
The resources below are on Blackboard and provide an
introduction to the topic.
“Corporate tax evasion: tackling Base Erosion and Profit
Shifting” by Helen Miller and Thomas Pope of the Institute for
Fiscal Studies
“Ten Reasons to Defend the Corporation Tax” by the Tax
Justice Network

4. “Ending the Era of Tax Havens” March 2017 by Oxfam
“Tax Battles” December 2017 by Oxfam
“Building Public Trust Through Tax Reporting” November 2017
by PwC
The following points are essential to follow in your report:
1. Your report should address and evaluate the issues identified
above requirements in a critical way. Good critical evaluation
involves (Cottrell, 2005):
• identifying a wide range of other people’s opinions, arguments
and conclusion;
• evaluating the evidence for alternative points of view from
different user groups of financial information, such as analysts,
investors, stakeholders, accounting bodies, managers, audit
firms (mainly big four, if available) and other relevant user
groups;
• weighing up opposing arguments and evidence fairly;
• depth and breadth of reasoning;
• accounting for why this happens, why it works or fails, why it
is rational or irrational, why something is useful or useless; or
good or poor. It is not enough merely to list good or poor
points;

5. • examples providing good support for arguments;
• drawing conclusions about whether arguments are valid or
justifiable, based on good evidence and sensible assumptions.
Assessment Criteria:
1-Presentation: Clear, well-structured report with appropriate
headings and approved style of referencing.
2-Evaluation of the major developments that occurred in
corporate taxation during 2017 and discussion of the issues that
may arise in the current year (too much mark on this point )
3-Identification and discussion of the taxation issues that could
affect the relationship with the auditors of the group
4-Consideration of the views of other stakeholders and their
possible reactions
5-A competent and logical summary of the issues discussed in
the main body of the report
The following template will be used in assessment and
feedback:
The ability to evaluate the required issues in a critical,
comprehensive and scholarly manner

6. Evidence of clear evaluation of alternative views by making
good connections with the essential information sources
Evidence of analysis, evaluation and synthesis of the required
issues
Ability to structure the report effectively, evidence of
appropriate presentation, formatting, referencing and citation
skills.
Evidence of providing a good summary of the issues discussed
in the main body of the report in a clear, direct and effective
way
Format
All work should be word processed in 12 point font Arial and
double spaced.
Please use the following file format: Microsoft Word (.doc or
.docx) format.
Please ensure that you provide the following details on the first
page of your coursework:
• Student Number
• Module Name and Number
• Word Count
• Total number of pages

7. Word Limit
The word limit for this coursework is 1500 words.
• Word count includes everything in the main body of the text
(including headings, tables, citations, quotes, lists, etc.).
• The references and bibliography are NOT included in the word
count.
• There is no direct penalty for exceeding the word count but
the marker WILL stop reading once the word limit has been
reached and nothing further will be taken into account in the
allocation of marks.
You can view the UWE word count policy here:
http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/aboutus/policies
Referencing:
Please ensure you adhere to the principles of (good academic
practice and ensure you use the UWE Harvard system to
reference your work.) please use UWE Harvard
Failure to properly reference your work to original source
material can be grounds for the assessment offence of
plagiarism and may result in failure of the assessment or have

8. more serious implications.
For further guidance on correct referencing go to:
http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/studyskills/refere
ncing.aspx
Details of what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it can
be found here:
http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/studyskills/readin
gandwriting/plagiarism.aspx
For general guidance on how to avoid assessment offences see:
http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/assessments/as
sessmentoffences.aspx