It has been some time since Covid-19 changed our daily lives. The resulting changes to the business environment and especially employment have become a normal part of our daily lives, as the interest in remote and hybrid work grows. This way of working allows employees to choose the place or country where they carry out their job duties. Yet this unlimited mobility may create tax risks to the employer. In this article we explore whether a company may be exposed to permanent establishment (PE) risk under certain conditions if a member of its management team works remotely. We also look at how the tax authorities of other countries have responded, in order to identify the riskiest countries.
Sole traders were exempt from making advance personal income tax (PIT) payments in 2020, 2021 and 2022 after tax aid measures were adopted under section 6 of the Covid-19 Act. According to the current rules and the information published by the State Revenue Service (SRS), sole traders would have been required to resume advance PIT payments in 2023, with the first payment due on or before 23 March. However, proposals were submitted on 3 March to extend the deadline for another year.
Our professional experience suggests that paragraph 3.3.2 of the Cabinet of Ministers’ Rule No. 802, “Transfer Pricing Documentation and Procedures for Entering Into an Advance Pricing Agreement Between the Taxpayer and the Tax Authority for a Transaction or a Type of Transactions”, which states that the taxpayer’s transfer pricing (TP) documentation should include financial information and tables showing how the financial data used in applying the TP method is linked to the financial statements, has taxpayers confused as a maze of legal interpretation.
On 19 January 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers met to debate and approve proposals for amending the Company and Consolidated Accounts Act (CCAA), which provide for extending the time limits set for small companies to file their financial statements (FS). The amendments are to cover FS prepared for the year ended on 31 December 2022 and later. The proposed extension is one month.
The European Commission (EC) has been working for a long time to develop the idea of a capital markets union (CMU) aimed at creating a single capital market across the EU and promoting collaboration between the member states, as well as securing the EU economy’s growth and competitiveness. The EC began to work on this more actively in 2015 and developed its first CMU action plan, which has now largely been completed. The EC announced its second action plan on 24 September 2020, given the adverse effects of Covid-19 on the CMU.
In November the OECD published the 2021 statistics for the mutual agreement procedure (MAP) covering 127 jurisdictions and practically all MAP proceedings around the world. This article explores global MAP trends in 2021, looks at Latvian statistics and analyses how last year’s statistics in Latvia compare to global trends.
To alleviate the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has introduced various tax reliefs, including for excess interest charges. This article explores the corporate income tax (CIT) treatment of excess interest charges and what else can be done this year to avoid CIT implications in 2023.
As company balance sheets become increasingly saturated with liabilities and future cash flows less certain, the scope for obtaining bank finance on balanced terms is limited. Yet companies need fresh capital to continue investing and to make their business more resilient to energy shocks and lack of raw materials, and to cope with rising costs, which often cannot be offset by an increased price of the end product.
To adopt aid measures early and ensure business continuity, the government is proposing new rules on wage subsidy aid to help taxpayers stay in business in a Covid-19 crisis. This article explores the content of the proposals so taxpayers know what industries are eligible for this aid and how they can apply.
Russia’s military aggression has significantly affected some of the businesses importing metal products from Russia and Belarus, as well as industries such as metalworking, defence, construction, mechanical engineering, and information & communication technologies. To promote market stability, the Ministry of Economics intends to implement aid measures as an immediate solution in the form of financial instruments to ensure traders’ future business.
Many workers take a vacation in the summer but accountants usually pick a time with a relatively lower workload. Taking a full vacation tends to be difficult when you are supposed to be filing tax reports, calculating and paying out wages, or closing the month. This article explores replacement possibilities and an appropriate evaluation of accounting risks during accountants’ absence.
The Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on people’s habits, with restrictions affecting many events, including contests. More and more public events are taking place as we return to normal life. Various contests are being held, and individuals taking part win prizes. What taxes apply on such cash and non-cash prizes? Who is responsible for reporting this income and paying taxes? Is it the individual or the company that holds the contest and pays the benefit?
