ARTICLES
Memorandum of Understanding to Clarify South Africa/Mauritius Residence Rules
Further to our article dated 1 July 2015 in which we reported on the revised treaty between South Africa and Mauritius which will come into effect from the 1 January 2016 in which we raised the uncertainty surrounding companies with dual residency which will now be decided by ‘Mutual agreement’ by the two states, we [...]
Top Countries When Contracting Abroad
When starting a new job everybody experiences some degree of trepidation over concerns such as what if I don’t fit in or what if I don’t like it there. This is magnified when you are an international contractor as probably the primary concern over concerns for your job is whether you will fit in or [...]
New Dubai Wills and Probate Registry
Currently the distribution of assets in Dubai is guided by the UAE federal law. This can cause problems for non-Muslims owning assets in the emirate due to the forced heirship provisions in accordance with Sharia Law. There is no right of survivorship concept in the UAE meaning that where property is owned jointly it does [...]
Why do Fewer Women Become International Contractors
In a recent report published by PwC Australia it was noted that despite woman generally stating they would like to work abroad only one in four expatriate workers are female. Problems that face women who intend to work abroad are commonly; - They are more likely to be part of a two-career household and therefore two [...]
Dubai as an Offshore Corporate Choice
Dubai is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates and has long since established itself as a stable and well known Jurisdiction, but in recent years the growth in wealthy persons doing business or holidaying there has really highlighted the area as one to be respected and led to it to becoming one of [...]
Contractor Wages
Higher wages have always been one of the top reasons for a person to opt to become a contractor rather than engage in a more secure full time position. In 2014 it was reported that self-employed contractors in the UK were earning around three times the national wage. When it comes to Europe however the [...]
Scottish Land Reform Does Not Exclude Foreign Ownership
Original proposals announced in November and December 2014 for the Scottish Land Reform Bill made by the Scottish Nationalist Party included prevention of non EU companies, Trusts and Partnerships from buying land. However the Reform which was published on 22 June 2015 has not included this proposal. The original intention of the proposal was to [...]
Have Contractor Demands on the New Government Made a Difference?
During its election campaign the Conservatives had published a small business manifesto declaring its support for the self-employed and recognising various difficulties that face them such as maternity, pensions and mortgages. Contractors were quick to test this support by making demands as soon as the election was over. The following demands were made just forty [...]
Summary of How the UK Election Results Has Effected Expats
The UK election was held on 7 May 2015 and the Conservative Party won by a narrow vote. But what does this mean for British expats? A welcome policy of the conservatives is the introduction of a transferable ‘family home allowance’ worth GBP175,000 on top of the existing GBP325,000 inheritance tax threshold which will enable [...]
British Virgin Islands Introduces Two New Fund Products
British Virgin Islands Introduces Two New Fund Products The British Virgin Island has created two new fund products, the ‘incubator fund’ and the ‘approved fund’. Both of these are aimed at start-up funds of small to mid-sized non-institutional investment managers in an effort to overcome some of the more vigorous regulatory obligations which can be [...]
Increase in Flemish Schools That Teach in English
A major problem for Contractors who work abroad is the effect that their life has on their family, in particular the children. It is all very well deciding to take your family with you to go and work abroad promising an educational cultural experience that can only benefit the children, but this does not always [...]
Amendments to Isle of Man Trust Law
In May the Isle of Man presented to Tynwald the Trusts (Amendment) Act 2015 which was expected to become operational on June 16 2015. One of the most important amendments was in connection with powers of foreign court orders. The Isle of Man already has protection covered in the Trusts Act 1995 which introduced the [...]
Irish Special Assignee Relief Programme
Originally introduced in the Finance Act 2012 the Special Assignee Relief Programme (SARP) was to run for the tax years 2012, 2013 and 2014, however in the Finance Act of 2014 this has been extended to include certain individuals working in Ireland during 2015, 2016 and 2017. Individuals looking take advantage of this programme need [...]
UK Abolishes Bearer Shares
The UK is one of the last jurisdictions to abolish bearer shares with all UK shareholders having had to surrender their bearer shares by the 26 June for conversion into registered shares. Any bearer shares that remained unconverted will effectively become worthless as of 26 December 2015 and will no longer be able to be [...]
Registering for Healthcare in Spain
If you are moving to Spain it should be noted that you are not covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) as this is for temporary visitors only. At the end of last year Britain’s Department of Health was so concerned over Brits living in Spain without having registered properly with the correct authorities [...]
New Companies Act Introduced in Ireland
As of the 1st June 2015 the Companies Acts 1963-2013 has been replaced with the Companies Act 2014 in Ireland. It is believed that this Act will modernise and simplify company law and hopefully reduce administrative burdens. All private companies limited by shares are required to convert to the new Act. There are two new [...]
Netflix Expansion into Europe
Netflix has launched in Belgium and Luxembourg as of 19th September 2014 concluding a busy week where it had also launched in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. Netflix is the world’s biggest internet television network with around fifty million subscribers worldwide. Netflix allows broadband users via streaming to watch Hollywood movies as well as a [...]
HMRC to simplify claims for tax relief for ATED
The Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings was introduced on 1 April 2013 and is a tax charged on companies or partnerships that hold property in the UK initially valued at more than £2m. In recent moves that valuation has changed to include properties valued at between £1m and £2m and will include properties exceeding £500,000 [...]
