Cross-Border Tax Evasion Is an Old Story, Roman Scroll Reveals

As President Donald Trump's tariffs make waves in the world economy, multinational companies are mulling what it could mean for their intangible assets like intellectual property and brand recognition. The vast majority of corporate value comes from intangibles. In 2020, such assets made up 90% of the value of the S&P 500, according to an often-cited study by IP consultant Ocean Tomo—up from up from just 17% in 1975. Tariffs don’t directly levy fees on intangibles, but their value is often embedded into imported products, raising the tariffed price. These intangible assets can also come with a smorgasbord of options for companies to locate IP in countries to best blunt the impacts of tariffs or reduce taxes on their business. On this episode of Talking Tax, Grant Thornton principal Glen Marku talked with reporter Caleb Harshberger about what companies' intangible assets could mean for their tariffs exposure and whether they need to rethink their tax planning. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Big Four accounting firms are racing to integrate next-generation AI technology across their service lines and develop a talent strategy to match the industry's new era. KPMG is focused on making sure it's balancing efficiency gains because of artificial intelligence with long-term workforce development, according to Sandy Torchia, vice chair of talent and culture at KPMG US. The firm has created new learning opportunities for workers to teach them how to use AI to enhance career growth, she said. Like its competitors, KPMG has rolled out new autonomous AI that can accomplish tasks with minimal human intervention. The industry's next generation is taking note. The vast majority of KPMG's US interns expect at least 20% of their work to be automated by AI by the time they start full-time positions, according to the firm's recent survey. Torchia, who is also head of people for KPMG's Americas region, recently stepped into a new role as global co-head of people for KPMG International. She spoke with Bloomberg Tax reporter Jorja Siemons about how KPMG is helping employees adapt to an AI-led future, as well as the state of hybrid work and the CPA pipeline. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Proof from an ancient Roman scroll: As long as there have been taxes, there has been tax evasion. When researchers studied a previously mislabeled scroll, they discovered detailed attorney notes for a case against taxpayers accused of using forged documents and sham transactions between the Roman provinces of Judaea and Arabia to escape taxes on their assets. The assets in question were enslaved people. The potential punishments included distinctly unmodern measures. Anna Dolganov of the Austrian Academy of Sciencescq talked with reporter Caleb Harshberger about how scholars made the discovery, details of the scheme, and what they're hoping to uncover next as they continue their research. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Pharmaceutical companies are scrambling to respond to the Trump administration's tariff threats, seeking to mitigate duties on their products while keeping the impact on their tax bills to a minimum.   The industry has long leveraged complex transfer pricing arrangements to cut down on its tax bills, but now the looming tariffs could spark a major rethink for where companies make their drugs and the location of their crown jewel: the intellectual property. Pharmaceuticals were exempt from the initial wave of tariffs announced earlier this year, but subsequent months have seen threats of heavy fines and taxes from the administration and a looming national security investigation, which could result in heavy duties on the industry.   In this week's Talking Tax podcast, Cronus Consulting founder Nick Shipley talked with reporter Caleb Harshberger about how pharmaceutical companies are navigating the chaos, and what it could mean for their tax planning and operations. Shipley is a consultant for the pharmaceutical industry. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

One of the most unwanted jobs in Washington is now up for grabs—again. President Donald Trump's IRS commissioner, Billy Long, exited as the head role last week and is expected to be nominated as the ambassador to Iceland. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will fill the job in the interim. The vacancy at the top of the IRS continues the turbulence the agency has experienced since the start of the Trump administration. Now, the question of who will be nominated next—if at all—remains. In this episode of Talking Tax, Bloomberg Tax reporter Erin Slowey discusses how the IRS got to this point and what it means for the future of the agency. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

It’s been four months since the Trump administration announced its “Liberation Day” tariffs, and companies are still scrambling to make sense of what it means for their operations and tax planning. Rates keep changing, sometimes day to day, as countries struggle to make lasting trade deals with the US, while corporate tax and customs departments put their heads together to minimize the costs to their companies—without attracting a big audit. In this special Talking Tax podcast—the first of four on transfer pricing and tariffs—PwC principal Chris Desmond talks with Bloomberg Tax reporter Caleb Harshberger about the ways companies have been trying to adjust to the new reality. These include emergency meetings with top executives and heads of tax, trade, and other functions across the company, and deep dives into customs rules that many company executives hadn't felt the need to know well—until now. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Millions of taxpayers used to getting paper checks from the Treasury Department will soon have to find another way to get their money as the agency phases out paper refunds. The Treasury will send its final tax refund on a paper check by October, if it stays the course set by President Donald Trump’s March 25 order to transition fully to electronic payments. Tax observers fear that the change could leave low-income or unbanked taxpayers confused or without refunds. The abrupt switch to direct deposit for all tax refunds also could catch less-obvious taxpayers by surprise. Real estate trusts can't submit banking information on current tax forms unless they are expecting a refund of over $1 million, meaning smaller trusts can't tell the IRS where to send a direct deposit. Banks also hesitate to service high-risk small businesses—like those in the marijuana industry—leaving them without a means to receive a direct deposit. In this episode of Talking Tax, Cheri Freeh, chair of the committee responsible for policy advocacy for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, breaks down these changes and tells taxpayers how to get ahead of them. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Tax-exempt organizations are closely watching the Trump administration to see if it makes good on its intention to alter standards around claiming tax-free status. The IRS gave a green light to churches speaking about political campaigns and candidates without losing their tax-exempt status, while President Donald Trump publicly threatened Harvard University's tax status because of allegations of antisemitism on campus. Treasury also is considering a change to IRS policies to allow the revocation of tax-exempt status for colleges that consider race in student admissions. Nonprofits already are changing their internal policies to adhere to the administration's moves. Some universities earlier this year slashed progressive policies and scrubbed references to diversity, equity, and inclusion from their websites to avoid a clash with Trump. Churches likely will push the bounds of what type of political speech is allowed, setting up a fight about whether places of worship can endorse or raise money for political candidates, tax professionals said. Phil Hackney, a University of Pittsburgh School of Law professor and former IRS lawyer, breaks down what these changes mean for nonprofits in this week's episode of Talking Tax. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Tax breaks for whale captains in Alaska and spaceport builders were among the lower-profile perks included in the GOP's $3.4 trillion tax-and-spending law enacted this month. The policies were necessary to gain votes of Republican holdouts, enabling the measure to pass in both the Senate and House in time for GOP lawmakers' self-imposed July 4 deadline. The law moved through Congress faster than many predicted, and some lawmakers are seeking changes to provisions in the law already generating criticism, such as a change to the deduction amount for wagering losses. The Republican majority's use of the reconciliation process, which allowed the measure to pass without any Democratic support, does not portend well for bipartisanship ahead. In this week's episode of Talking Tax, Bloomberg Tax reporter Chris Cioffi breaks down what Congress could tackle next on the tax front, including what could be in more reconciliation bills in the months and year ahead. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Multinational corporations have been hustling to make sense of the flurry of US tariff policy changes this year, and figure out how to factor that into their transfer pricing. One place that's been in this situation before: Latin America. For decades, companies there have been navigating tariffs and the impacts on their tax planning—including transfer pricing, or how companies value transactions between their related entities. This week on the Talking Tax podcast, Webridge Technology Global Tax Adviser Hernan Katz talks about the lessons companies can take away from the experience of Latin American countries. These include making sure staff across departments are working together to tackle issues of trade and transfer pricing, how tax authorities try to crack down on companies they suspect aren't following the rules, and explaining how intercompany dealings are motivated by business reasons—not tax or trade. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.