A potential tax benefit is spurring US companies including PepsiCo Inc. and International Business Machines Corp. to sell bonds through their Singapore subsidiaries, fueling a record surge of sales from borrowers in the city state.
The tactic can allow companies to deduct interest expense from their taxable income in both the US and Singapore. That double deduction means that effective borrowing costs — after taxes — can be materially lower than they would be with a bond issued in the US.
The mechanics of qualifying for the benefit are complicated and a rule that emerged from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in December may wind up stopping firms from using the technique. But companies may be able to take advantage of it for at least the next three years.
As companies sell bonds, they are pushing debt sales volume from Singapore ever higher. Last year, corporates sold $51.5 billion of notes from the city state, more than double the previous year and an all-time record. That mainly came from Pfizer Inc.’s sale of $31 billion of bonds, one of the biggest corporate bond offerings on record, in May 2023 through a Singapore unit to help finance an acquisition.
The sales have continued this year: PepsiCo Singapore Financing sold $1.75 billion of bonds earlier this month, and IBM International Capital sold $5.5 billion of securities in late January.
A spokesperson for IBM declined to comment. PepsiCo and Pfizer did not respond to requests for comment.
New global tax rates are taking shape through the OECD to ensure minimum tax corporate rates are levied globally. Singapore domestic tax law allows a company, including a local subsidiary of a foreign corporation, to deduct interest payments on debt from their taxable income in the nation state. At the same time, the US tax code might allow companies to deduct a foreign branch’s interest expense from its US taxable income.
Copyright Bloomberg News
Rajesh Markan earlier this year pleaded guilty to one count of criminal fraud related to his sale of fake investments to 10 clients totaling $2.9 million.
From building trust to steering through emotions and responding to client challenges, new advisors need human skills to shape the future of the advice industry.
"The outcome is correct, but it's disappointing that FINRA had ample opportunity to investigate the merits of clients' allegations in these claims, including the testimony in the three investor arbitrations with hearings," Jeff Erez, a plaintiff's attorney representing a large portion of the Stifel clients, said.
Chair also praised the passage of stablecoin legislation this week.
Maridea Wealth Management's deal in Chicago, Illinois is its first after securing a strategic investment in April.
Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.
Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.
