According to the Pay Transparency Directive 2023/970 (“Directive”), the concept of work of equal value covers four aspects: skill set, accountability, necessary effort and working conditions. As the Directive is to be implemented by June 2026, these aspects have become topical. This article deals with the legislature’s guidance.
Companies that operate at a loss for an extended period of time remain in the sights of tax administrations, including the Latvian State Revenue Service, especially if these companies are part of a multinational group of companies and carry out controlled transactions.
This article looks at a number of court cases in European countries that show how complex and difficult it is for companies and tax administrations to scrutinise the transfer pricing of loss-making companies.
The topic of annual tax returns becomes a hot one in the public eye between late February and mid-March in Latvia. Whereas the State Revenue Service (SRS) works to strengthen its IT systems by implementing queues to ensure a smooth operation of its Electronic Declaration System on the first day of tax return submissions. Some taxpayers dive into the “lottery” as early as the end of February, while others either do not bother or are not in a rush to file their returns. Is it true that the outcome of filing an annual tax return depends on a person's luck or astrological sign?
On 17 October 2024, the Sustainability Disclosure Act (“ŠDA” or “Law”) came into force, which sets out the framework for sustainability reporting and adopts the provisions of the European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”). The law aims to provide publicly available and comparable information on the impact of the activities of legal entities on sustainability aspects, including environmental protection, social rights, human rights and aspects of corporate governance, including anti-corruption and anti-bribery, as well as information on how these issues affect the development, performance and condition of legal entities. This information should be included in the sustainability report.
We have previously informed our readers about the impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (“CBAM”) on companies importing goods (one of the most recent articles for Mindlink subscribers is available here). In short, from October 2023, companies (and economic operators) based in the European Union are subject to reporting requirements on the embedded emissions of goods imported from third countries that fall within the scope of the CBAM. Conversely, under the CBAM framework, as of next year, only companies that have obtained the status of registered CBAM reporters will be allowed to continue importing these goods.
Recognising that compliance with the CBAM requirements may create additional administrative and financial burdens, the European Commission (EC) has prepared a draft amendment to Regulation 2023/956 establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism providing for amendments to the existing regulatory framework and allowing for an exemption from the regulatory requirements for most importers.
In Latvia, medical costs are very high for many people, especially for patients with serious illnesses, and the state does not cover them in full. Employers can support their employees financially, but the existing regulation makes this financially disadvantageous. The bill, which is in its 3rd reading in Parliament (Saeima), proposes significant changes that could change this system and allow employers to cover medical costs without an additional tax burden. This article informs you about the expected changes and the consequences for employers and employees alike.
Conclusion of the article from the previous week.
The mere fact that the owner of a trade secret considers certain information to be a trade secret or recognises it internally as such is not sufficient. Section 6 of the Trade Secrets Protection Law requires the trade secret owner, when disclosing such information to a natural or legal person, to indicate which information is to be considered a trade secret and, at the same time, to inform about the need to ensure the protection of such information.
Conclusion of the article from the previous week.
All taxable persons are obliged to register for VAT purposes, unless they can be considered a small business, i.e., if the total value of taxable transactions carried out domestically and also certain non-taxable transactions does not exceed EUR 50,000 per calendar year (+EUR 5,000 per year).
Every six months, the Council of the European Union (EU) reviews and updates the list of countries and territories with low taxes or duty-free allowances. The last review took place on 18 February 2025. On 27 February 2025, the current list of low-tax or tax-free territories was published in the Latvijas Vestnesis, which is in force from 1 March 2025.
As of 1 January 2025, verification documents (invoices) will be created in a structured electronic invoice or e-invoice format for settlements with state and municipal institutions. Such an electronic invoice may contain trade secrets and certain procedures must be followed to ensure their protection. How can I protect trade secrets in electronic invoicing?
As you may known, Etsy is one of the largest international internet trading platforms offering handmade items of various categories. Sales of their products, products, artworks through various trading platforms are currently popular.
What should be taken into account by sellers who have chosen to make use of the opportunities offered by the platforms in the application of VAT in the course of their economic activities? 20.02.2025. The national Revenue Service published a briefing material: “Information material application of VAT to transactions on online platforms.” This Article casts some light on it.
