Latest news with #foreign
Wall Street Journal
6 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Forget TACO. Trump Is Winning His Trade War.
President Trump has announced that tariffs will rise sharply on key trading partners on Aug. 1, absent new deals. Markets and foreign negotiators have responded with a shrug. After all, Trump paused the bulk of his tariffs in early April, and his team promised as many as 90 deals in 90 days.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE From lady to a tramp: Baby killer Constance Marten was worth £2.4m and was once named a Tatler 'Babe of the Month'. But she ended up scavenging from bins after estrangement from her family
History provides ample proof that blue blood offers no immunity from the failings of the ordinary man or woman. And yet Constance Marten 's descent from lady to tramp was as dramatic as it was sudden. Her first 25 years comprised country pursuits and a private education, followed by foreign travels and the sort of champagne-fuelled antics that saw her crowned one of the society bible Tatler's 'Babes of the Month'.
Fox News
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Fox News AI Newsletter: Trump Cabinet official impersonated
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER: - State Department investigating Rubio AI impersonator who contacted US, foreign officials- Robots and artificial intelligence are transforming jobs from manufacturing to sports- Artificial intelligence drives demand for electric grid update DIGITAL DECEPTION: The State Department is investigating an impostor who reportedly pretended to be Secretary of State Marco Rubio with the help of AI. TECH SHIFT: Artificial Intelligence and automation are often used interchangeably. While the technologies are similar, the concepts are different. Automation is often used to reduce human labor for routine or predictable tasks, while A.I. simulates human intelligence that can eventually act independently. HUNGRY TECH: In order to supply the increasing demand and continue advancing A.I. technology, data centers are providing a 24-hour connection. MAJOR MALFUNCTION: Grok, an AI chatbot built by Elon Musk's company xAI, went on a viral antisemitic tirade on Tuesday where it praised Adolf Hitler, accused Israel of being behind 9/11, referred to itself as "mechaHitler" and said that people with "certain surnames" should be rounded up and stripped of rights. MIND OVER MACHINES: Noninvasive brain tech is transforming how people interact with robotic devices. Instead of relying on muscle movement, this technology allows a person to control a robotic hand by simply thinking about moving his fingers. BRAIN DRAIN DANGER: Artificial intelligence and large language models, such as ChatGPT, are transforming how we learn. But what does this mean for AI and learning retention? While these tools provide instant answers and personalized support, experts are beginning to question whether this convenience might actually reduce our ability to retain knowledge in the long term. POWER PLAY SOLUTION: Artificial intelligence is expanding quickly, and so is the energy required to run it. Modern AI data centers use much more electricity than traditional cloud servers. In many cases, the existing power grid cannot keep up. One innovative solution is gaining traction: repurposed EV batteries for AI data centers. AI ANGST: Should we be alarmed by the acceleration of "artificial intelligence" ("AI") and the "large language models" (LLMs) AI's developers employ? MEMORY MINER: Google Photos has always been a handy way to store and organize your pictures, but its latest feature, Ask Photos, is taking things to a whole new level. BACK TO BASICS: The rise of artificial intelligence in education is forcing schools and universities to rethink everything from homework policies to how final exams are administered. With tools like ChatGPT now widespread, students can generate essays, solve complex math problems or draft lab reports in seconds, raising urgent questions about what authentic learning looks like in 2025. FOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA FacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedIn SIGN UP FOR OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERS Fox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News Health DOWNLOAD OUR APPS Fox NewsFox BusinessFox WeatherFox SportsTubi WATCH FOX NEWS ONLINE STREAM FOX NATION Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Think Your Foreign Dividends Are 'Qualified'? Think Again.
Investing overseas? Your foreign dividends might not be "qualified dividends" getting the 15% or 20% ... More U.S. tax rate you expect. Complex treaty rules and other tests determine whether a dividend is 'qualified'—and many aren't. Don't assume reduced rates apply without digging into the details. Investors too often assume that dividends, whether from U.S. companies or foreign corporations, are taxed similarly. Under U.S. tax law, however, that assumption is incorrect and making mistakes can mean losing out on your investment. There are two different types of dividends – 'regular dividends' and 'qualified dividends'. One is taxed far more favorably than the other. A so-called 'qualified' dividend is given beneficial tax treatment because it is taxed at a lower long-term capital gains tax rate. For most individuals this rate is currently at 15%, but the rate can be 0% or 20% depending on the taxpayer's income levels. The taxation of foreign company dividends is more nuanced. They may be 'qualified' but must pass certain hurdles. If they don't pass the tests, foreign dividends may end up with a surprising a 37% U.S. tax rate. With both kinds of dividends, qualified and regular, a 3.8% net investment income tax may be tagged on top. What Are 'Qualified Dividends'? U.S. tax law grants reduced tax rates on what it calls 'qualified dividend income'. Dividends from U.S. corporations are typically treated as QDI. But dividends from foreign corporations face more restrictions. There are various ways a dividend paid by a non-U.S. corporation can be treated as a qualified dividend. Dividends Paid By A Foreign Corporation Can Be 'Qualified' A dividend from a foreign corporation will meet the QDI criteria if any of the following apply: Which Treaties Have IRS Approval for Paying Qualified Dividends? The most recent list of approved treaties meeting the Treaty Test can be found in Internal Revenue Service Notice 2024-11. This Notice updated the list of income tax treaties considered 'satisfactory' for determining whether a dividend paid by a foreign corporation qualifies for reduced tax rates in the hands of the U.S. investor. Most notably, the United States added Chile to the list, following the long-awaited ratification of the U.S.–Chile tax treaty in December 2023. In contrast, the treaties with Hungary and Russia were removed from the favorable list. U.S. investors must take note since foreign companies incorporated in countries without an IRS-approved treaty, or whose structures fail the other specific tests, will not pay QSI, meaning dividends can potentially be taxed at 40.8% (37% maximum income tax rate plus the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax). The Treaty List: What It Means—and Doesn't Mean Inclusion on the IRS treaty list does not automatically mean that every corporation formed in that country qualifies. It's not enough that a treaty exists or that the country appears in an IRS notice. The foreign corporation itself must be eligible for treaty benefits under the terms of that specific treaty. In practice, this means the corporation must qualify under what's called the 'Limitation on Benefits' article of the treaty. These LoB provisions are designed to prevent 'treaty shopping', when companies from non-treaty countries route income through favorable jurisdictions just to reduce taxes. The LoB clause is designed to prevent such exploitation of treaty benefits. In the more modern U.S. income tax treaties (particularly those entered into or amended in the past few decades) the LoB clause is found in either Article 22 or Article 23. The LoB rules often require that a substantial portion of the foreign corporation's ownership or business activity be in the treaty country. For example, a treaty may only permit reduced withholding rates if a certain percentage of the company's shareholders are residents of the United States or of the treaty partner. This distinction is critical, and unfortunately, often overlooked by tax advisors and return preparers. Some assume that if a treaty exists, dividends paid by a corporation formed in the foreign country that is a treaty signatory will automatically qualify. Not so. Each treaty's LoB article must be analyzed in detail. A foreign corporation that fails to meet the ownership or activity tests of the treaty will not be treated as a qualified, and its dividends will be taxed at the higher ordinary income tax rates. Controlled Foreign Corporations Or Passive Foreign Investment Companies U.S. taxpayers who own shares in a 'controlled foreign corporation' face additional complexity. Even if the foreign company pays no dividend at all, certain types of income may still be taxable to the U.S. shareholder under certain anti-deferral tax regimes (Subpart F or GILTI tax rules). When a dividend is paid by the CFC determining whether it is 'qualified' involves more than just treaty eligibility. CFC shareholders should not assume dividends will qualify for favorable rates and should seek specialized tax counsel. Dividends from so-called 'passive foreign investment companies' are not qualified dividends. They are taxed harshly at ordinary income rates, not the reduced rates for capital gains and they can trigger interest charges and other penalties. PFIC distributions require special tax help for U.S. persons and with the proper advice, the tax treatment can be made more favorable. Takeaway for Investors Understanding whether dividends are 'qualified' is more than a box to check on a tax return. It can be the difference between paying lower capital gain rates typically 15% or 20% or higher ordinary income rates 37% (plus 3.8%). U.S. investors holding shares in foreign companies (especially through private holdings or controlled entities) must dig deeper into the U.S. tax rules and look beyond treaty lists. This will often involve examining whether the corporation qualifies under treaty terms, including the often misunderstood LoB clauses. With certain global issues in turmoil, tax agreements and treaties are evolving. This means the rules on which foreign companies qualify to pay QDI to their shareholders continue to shift, making expert advice more essential than ever. Stay on top of tax matters around the globe. Reach me at vljeker@ Visit my US tax blog
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is iShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (ISCF) a Strong ETF Right Now?
A smart beta exchange traded fund, the iShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (ISCF) debuted on 04/28/2015, and offers broad exposure to the Foreign Small/Mid Blend ETF category of the market. The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment. Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well for investors who believe in market efficiency. On the other hand, some investors who believe that it is possible to beat the market by superior stock selection opt to invest in another class of funds that track non-cap weighted strategies--popularly known as smart beta. By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such. The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns. The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $348.75 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Foreign Small/Mid Blend ETF. ISCF seeks to match the performance of the MSCI World exUSA Small Cap Diversified Multiple-Factor Index before fees and expenses. The STOXX International Small-Cap Equity Factor Index composes of global developed market small-capitalization stocks, excluding the US, that have favourable exposure to target style factors subject to constraints. Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same. Annual operating expenses for ISCF are 0.23%, which makes it one of the cheaper products in the space. It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.22%. Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings. When you look at individual holdings, Banco De Sabadell Sa (SAB) accounts for about 0.74% of the fund's total assets, followed by Swissquote Group Holding Sa (SQN) and Abn Amro Bank Nv (ABN). Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 5.13% of ISCF's total assets under management. The ETF has added roughly 18.48% so far this year and was up about 20.42% in the last one year (as of 06/19/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $30.25 and $38.85 The fund has a beta of 0.82 and standard deviation of 16.73% for the trailing three-year period, which makes ISCF a medium risk choice in this particular space. With about 1099 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk . iShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Small/Mid Blend ETF segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider. SPDR S&P International Small Cap ETF (GWX) tracks S&P Developed Ex-U.S. Under USD2 Billion Index and the Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF (SCHC) tracks FTSE DEVELOPED SMALL CAP EX US LIQUID INDEX. SPDR S&P International Small Cap ETF has $694.29 million in assets, Schwab International Small-Cap Equity ETF has $4.43 billion. GWX has an expense ratio of 0.40% and SCHC changes 0.08%. Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Small/Mid Blend ETF To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report iShares International Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF (ISCF): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
