On June 21, 2010, the Canadian Senate voted in favor of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), although Colombia’s Constitutional Court must still sign off on the constitutionality of the FTA and both countries must decide on the date on which the agreement will go into effect. Page 1

The Mexican government has moved to simplify tax provisions to allow taxpayers to comply with their fiscal obligations more easily and in less time. Changes in filing requirements include key areas such as flat tax, value added tax (VAT), tax on cash deposits, tax audit reports, and the electronic signature. Page 1

NAFTIR explores the tax issues inherent in acquisitions by foreigners involving Mexican based entities in light of prevailing flat tax rules. Page 3

NAFTIR discusses the general employment tax regime in Mexico, with comparative analysis between the Mexican system and the U.S. system in part two of a two-part series. Page 12