Russia's State Duma to consider luxury tax bill

[Kshasty]

Russian lawmakers are discussing a controversial luxury tax amendment to the country's Tax Code, a government daily said on Wednesday.

The Rossiiskaya Gazeta paper said the legislation defined several groups of luxury items on which taxes would be increased.

As well as real estate assets worth over 15 million rubles ($500,000) cars costing more than two million rubles ($67 million), and planes, helicopters and yachts would also be classed as luxury items for tax purposes.

So-called minor luxury items include precious stones, metals, animals and birds worth over 300,000 rubles ($10,000).

The authorities want both companies and individuals to pay for luxury assets to avoid individuals "transferring" items to companies in order to avoid the tax.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100512/158985128.html

[Joe Chi Minh]

1. Kevin Rudd, Australia's PM is aiming to impose a 40% super tax on

major resources (mining) companies, and, predictably, they're squealing like stuck pigs:

http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/pm-kevin-rudd-expecting-miners-to-threaten-closures-over-super-tax/story-e6frg2qc-1225862409002