In a market with growing business pressures and increasingly intense competition, companies are looking for ways to optimise their resources and stay competitive. Outsourcing the accounting function is a good solution that offers many advantages, while at the same time posing challenges and risks. This article explores the advantages and disadvantages of an external accountant to help companies better understand this option and make an informed decision about taking it.
By a unilateral decision, Russia has indefinitely suspended certain clauses of its double tax treaties (DTTs) with 38 countries from 8 August 2023. This article examines the list of affected countries and the status of Latvia’s DTT.
The European Sustainability Reporting Standards, which we had been awaiting since the adoption of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, were approved in late July. The directive aims to provide transparent publicly available information on social and environmental risks facing companies, on new opportunities, on what activities companies are already doing, and on their future goals and ESG results achieved so far. Details of which companies are subject to the directive’s requirements can be found here.
The current economic challenges, such as high inflation, scarce resources and pressures to increase profitability, continue pushing businesses towards a global dilemma: either motivate your workers to stay on with a pay rise and then say goodbye to your profit, or cancel your plans for higher pay and perks and then lose skilled workers. This dilemma might have you looking for some more efficient types of employer’s financial support with a low or no tax burden, such as non-taxable fringe benefits. This article offers an overview of exempt fringes and other useful tools employers can use to support their workers in the Baltic States.
The world has changed magnificently over the last 100 years as technological progress and democratic principles have made society more open-minded, tolerant and equal. As these things move forward, there are still social challenges that need to be taken care of. The gender gap remains a relatively stable phenomenon to this day, even though females have gained equal rights with males. In 2010, social entrepreneurs established The EQUAL-SALARY Foundation, a non-profit organisation, to fight for pay equity around the world. In words that are easy to understand, the Foundation presents data from the International Labour Organisation’s Global Wage Report 2018/2019, which states that globally women are paid 20% less than men on average. In the light of publication of the EQUAL-SALARY Foundation’s annual report, we summarise key takeaways.
Regulation (EU) 2023/956 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) came into force on 17 May 2023. This so-called “carbon tax” applies from October 2023, with companies subject to CBAM being liable to file their first CBAM reports in January 2024. Carbon emission certificates will have to be purchased from 2026. In this article we are explaining in detail which companies are subject to CBAM.
Employee stock ownership plans are becoming increasingly popular as a way to boost staff motivation in companies around the world, including the Baltic States. The popularity of stock options is due to how they benefit both the company and the employee. Stock options give employees the right to receive or buy shares in their company after a specified period and for a price below the market value. The company benefits by having employees who are willing to work towards its goals and increase its stock value. Since the national rules for taxing this fringe benefit vary from country to country, it’s important to review the tax laws of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Globalisation means it’s common for companies to have their corporate clients and various procurement projects in countries other than their main place of business. To properly benefit from foreign procurement projects, it’s important to assess not only the benefits but also risks associated with such business opportunities, particularly tax risks. If your company has a permanent establishment (PE) in a foreign country, it’s important to be aware of the corporate income tax and payroll tax implications of operating there. In this article, we take a look at employment tax risks and key issues to consider.
One of the preconditions for securing positive customer experience is a robust organisational culture. Customer satisfaction is critical to any company seeking to maintain long-term profitability and competitiveness on the market.
EU funds and other similar financial assistance instruments have provided support and contributed to the rapid growth, modernisation and development of many businesses. Given the large amount of information and various programme offerings currently available, it’s important to know how to navigate this maze and select assistance instruments that are suitable for your company. This will help you identify relevant assistance programmes, gauge the funding they offer, and understand the criteria for potential project applicants and applications.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has recently aroused interest in most people. Some are depicting end-of-the-world scenes with AI taking over people’s jobs and later ruling the whole world. Others believe there is no reason to fear AI tools. As always, the truth lies somewhere in between. One of the most popular AI tools today is ChatGPT, which everyone can try out and see what it’s capable of, as we wrote in our recent Flash News. But why are the data protection authorities of European countries beginning to raise the alarm?
Today’s understanding of sustainable growth is based on the idea expressed in “Our Common Future”, a 1987 report from the UN World Commission on Environment and Development: Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This means that countries globally must plan their development in a way that not only boosts their economic development rates but also maintains the quality of life and prevents environmental degradation and overexploitation of natural resources.
Outsourcing certain business processes is no longer a novelty when it comes to helping companies to secure flexibility while keeping costs predictable. Carefully evaluating our core processes and separating responsibilities can help us assess what the best sourcing mix will be. Companies are already used to the outsourcing of, for example, accounting or information technology (IT) services. But extending the XaaS strategy to other areas is also gaining traction, for example, by analysing all of your company’s present and future competence requirements to help you achieve your goals.
