Amendments to the Accounting Act will mandate the use of structured electronic invoices or e-invoices between businesses and government agencies (B2G) from 2025 and between businesses (B2B) from 2026. The amendments introduce structured e-invoices that will significantly change the accounting and payment processes in organisations. To ensure a seamless transition to e-invoicing and to avoid misunderstandings or conflicts, organisations will have to amend their business contracts. In this article we will look at key aspects and contractual amendments that are necessary to meet the new requirements and guarantee a smooth exchange of e-invoices.
The growing job market requirements both locally and globally are forcing employers to identify HR policy improvements capable of attracting and retaining today’s workforce. Yet strategies for attracting talent, adopting GenAI tools, understanding and satisfying workers’ needs are only the tip of the iceberg. With increased challenges to reduce staff turnover and create an inclusive and growth-oriented working environment, organisations should be putting more effort into identifying the current market trends and building their value proposition. In this article we will present the findings of ‘Workforce Radar’, a PwC US study of organisations across the PwC network, and the findings of ‘Hopes and Fears 2024’, a PwC survey of more than 20,000 employees, business leaders and HR leaders.
In August we wrote about the State Revenue Service’s plans to begin sending out notifications in September asking people to review their income and report it in full. This is one of the steps the SRS is taking as part of the plan to fight the shadow economy. In this article we will look at how this initiative is happening in practice and what is worthy of attention.
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning technology has led to their increased use in tax administration across Europe and in Latvia. The adoption of AI has proved to be particularly effective, helping tax authorities prevent tax discrepancies and fraud, improve taxpayer experience and increase the effectiveness of internal processes. This article explores various recent examples of how AI is used to improve tax administration and boost tax revenues in Latvia and elsewhere in Europe.
Tax evasion is a global problem that seriously threatens the stability of national economies and breeds social inequality. According to the OECD, the tax gap amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars that governments fail to collect each year. This failure limits the affected country’s ability to finance key social and economic projects and increases inequality in society. To address this problem, more governments are adopting digital solutions, including e-invoicing, which helps them improve tax compliance and minimise tax evasion.
In early 2024 the State Revenue Service (SRS) published an advance tax ruling issued to a foreign company’s permanent establishment (PE) in Latvia, in which the SRS assessed the PE’s relationship with its foreign head office and explained whether the PE is liable to prepare and submit a transfer pricing (TP) file for their mutual transactions. In this article we outline what the tax ruling says about PE status, examine Latvian TP rules on documenting relationships and TP, and offer a theoretical example to explain the PE’s obligation to document TP in practice.
‘Don’t hire yourself!’ is a campaign-like slogan resonating loudly across the Nordic countries this autumn to warn employers against giving in to the temptation to hire only people like them and to encourage them to cast their net wider for the talent they need. This article highlights the manifestations and consequences of bias in candidate selection, puts forward arguments for recruitment that is open to diversity and inclusive in the light of the latest EU demographic trends, and makes specific recommendations for guidelines and activities in the recruitment process.
Data is hugely significant in the business world, yet its true value lies not only in volume but also quality. Bad data can hinder your business growth and lead to wrong decisions and missed opportunities. This article explores the practical aspects of data quality management to help you discover the true potential of information and make decisions based on data that is reliable and accurate.
A participation budget allows the public to directly influence the spending of some of the municipal revenues generated by taxes paid by municipal residents. You can take part in planning the development of your municipality and realise your own ideas.
Cost segmentation is crucial for businesses aiming to maximise profitability and enhance operational efficiency. Categorising expenses helps companies identify cost-saving opportunities, optimise resource allocation and make informed strategic decisions. This process provides a detailed understanding of various cost drivers and their impact on the overall financial health of your organisation.
Following a lively public debate about revising the Latvian system of labour taxation to make it more competitive in the Baltic region, the Ministry of Finance has put together and on 26 September 2024 presented proposals for amending the Personal Income Tax (PIT) Act. The proposals make several changes to PIT treatment, affecting the rates, personal allowances and other core principles of tax treatment. This article explores key changes to labour taxation affecting taxpayers from next year.
The approach of 2026 sees businesses actively getting ready to accept a key change to the process of accounting – adoption of structured electronic invoices (e-invoicing). Despite the challenges this move brings, it allows businesses and accountants to optimise the processing of invoices and make it more transparent. This article explores how e-invoicing will change the accountant’s work, as well as looking at the main advantages and disadvantages.
The practice of devising and publishing a tax strategy is gaining traction in companies to handle their internal governance and external relationships with the general public and government agencies. To continue our article on the link between tax and sustainability, we will discuss how certain countries require companies to draw up a tax strategy.
Passed on 11 April 2024, Regulation 2024/2019 significantly changes the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), in particular the jurisdiction to hear tax, customs and other specific matters. These changes provide that certain areas of litigation so far handled by the CJEU will now be transferred to the General Court. This is done to make the procedures more efficient and reduce the length of court hearings. The changes came into force on 1 September 2024, when the CJEU Statute was amended, and will apply from 1 October 2024.
Today’s business often spreads across several countries, making it difficult to tax business income properly. A key challenge for companies is to determine whether they have a permanent establishment (PE) abroad. The situation is complicated further by countries possibly applying different PE criteria and interpreting PE rules in their double tax treaties differently.
