Singapore University of Social Sciences

TAX535 Taxation and the Digital Economy equips the student with the knowledge of the digital economy, and how the tax systems around the world, and the various multilateral organisations dealing with taxation are grappling with the complexities of the new economy, using old and new rules and principles. The course covers how the pre-BEPS world looked at the digital economy, and explores the post-BEPS world and how it is designed to tax the digital economy. (BEPS refers to the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project undertaken by the OECD/G20 nations in 2012 to reform the international tax system because of perceived tax planning abuses.) The course looks at the efforts of various countries such as the USA, the UK and Australia to tax the digital economy outside of the multilateral approach of the OECD. Even while countries and multilateral bodies act, the digital economy evolves. The course explores how taxation deals with issues such as the platform or sharing economy, the internet of things, bitcoins, blockchains and artificial intelligence.