ARTICLES
UK IT Jobs Increase Since Brexit
There was a lot of doom and gloom leading up to Brexit vote surrounding the uncertainty that it would bring. However things might not be bad at all for the IT industry in the UK according to figures obtained from recruiter websites which despite a significant overall drop show a 14% increase in IT jobs when compared to figures [...]
HMRC Challenged Over Tax Relief on Travel Expenses
We have reported extensively on the highly unpopular restriction of tax relief for travel and subsistence rules which were introduced in April of this year. Since this came into force it has raised a lot of questions from contractors concerning what expenses are within and what are without the new rules which we have endeavoured [...]
Bermuda to Introduce LLC’s
On the 1st July 2016 Bermuda introduced legislation to enable the formation of entities very similar to Delaware limited liability companies (LLCs). On the 9th June 2016 we reported on similar legislation which was published in The Cayman Islands, which has now come into force as of the 8 July 2016. The Delaware LLC is a highly popular vehicle [...]
Reforms to The Singapore Companies Act – Phase 2
Further to our blog dated 30 September 2015 in which we reported on the first phase of the reforms introduced in July 2015 to The Singapore Act in connection with The Companies (Amendment) Bill 2014 we now summarise the second phase below, which came into effect on the 3 January 2016:- No maximum age limited for directors. [...]
Cayman Islands Application for AIFMD Passport
The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) initially was only available to EU countries, but subsequent to vigorous assessment a ‘third country’ passport is still being considered for a further twelve non-EU entities. We have already previously reported on Guernsey and Jersey being recommended for this and the amendments that Guernsey made to its regulations in order [...]
New Child Care Scheme in the UK open to Self-Employed
We often touch upon the subject of when choosing the life of a self-employed contractor it comes with its own amount of considerations that do not necessarily apply to that of the life of a ‘permie’. One such consideration is child care. Currently persons in full time employment can benefit from a government scheme involving [...]
The BVI Business Companies (Amendment) Act 2015
We reported in September of last year on the recommendations that the British Virgin Islands (BVI) was implementing as part of a commissioned report in order to conform with modern challenges so that the BVI could maintain its position as one of the most attractive jurisdictions for offshore incorporations. As part of this continuing process [...]
Pet Hates of Employers
A formidable factor when choosing the life of an international contractor and working abroad is how to impress the boss. People from different cultures often value different traits in employees and what is acceptable in one culture is often not tolerated in another. A recent survey conducted by the National Union of the Self-Employed revealed [...]
The Cayman Islands as a Financial Centre
There is much talk about The Cayman Islands as one of the largest financial centres. This British overseas territory consists of just three small Islands and has a reputation that belies its size and not just in offshore circles as it trails behind highly regarding financial centres such as London, New York, Hong Kong and [...]
French Tax Incentives to Encourage Foreign Workers
French executives and professionals have previously been targeted by other countries including Britain to lure them away due to the high level of taxes in France. However, France is now getting its own back, taking advantage of the uncertainty surrounding the exit from Europe by the UK France has stepped up to offer various advantages [...]
The Cayman Islands New Limited Liability Company
On the 18 December 2015 The Cayman Islands published its new law to allow for the formation of its new vehicle, the Limited Liability Company (‘LLC’). This has been introduced in response to requests from the investment funds industry and is based chiefly on the Delaware ‘LLC’, which is a highly popular vehicle in the [...]
British-Irish Visa Scheme Extended to Isle of Man
Previously Chinese and Indian nationals visiting the United Kingdom and Ireland would need two visas. However the British-Irish Visa Scheme allows short stays between the UK and Ireland and vice versa. The introduction of the Immigration (Control of Entry Through Ireland) Order 2016 has now extended this scheme to include the Isle of Man. This scheme [...]
BVI Most Important Offshore Jurisdiction for 6th Year in a Row
For the sixth year in a row the British Virgin Islands has been named the most important offshore financial services jurisdiction by OIL’s annual offshore 2020 report. Since the study only began in 2010 this means that the BVI has maintained the top spot since inception. The report is based on the views of three [...]
United Kingdom March 2016 Budget Effect on Contractors
Contractors have long expressed the opinion that the government does not understand the unique pressures that they face and in fact that they feel a certain degree of victimisation. This opinion was certainly was not helped amid speculation of how the March 2016 budget would affect contractors after leaks suggested that abuses of contractor status [...]
How the Lifting of Iran’s Sanctions Affect the United Arab Emirates
Sanctions against Iran were lifted on the 16 January 2016 when an agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear programme and allow UN inspections was reached, ending more than ten years of crippling restrictions. Experts and analysts had all agreed that the lifting of the sanctions on Iran would be of benefit to business with many neighbouring [...]
Isle Of Man exempts Work Permits for IT Workers
The Isle of Man is a small Island with a big reputation, particularly when it comes to gambling. In an effort to remain at the forefront of what has been cited as one of the most innovative and rapid growing areas of electronic enterprise the Isle of Man is exempting certain workers employed in the [...]
Why Indians are the Largest Non-Arab investors in Dubai
Indians have been the top non-Arab investor in the UAE since 2012. In 2014 the number of Indians investing in the real estate market in Dubai was double that of the nearest other non-Arab investor, which was Britain. The Burj Khalifa is one of the most famous buildings in the world due to the fact [...]
10 Actions Recommended by Self-Employment Review
On the 20th of April 2016 we reported regarding The All Party Parliamentary Group for Self-Employment and Freelancing (the ‘APPG’) which is a new group that has been set up to raise awareness within parliament about working independently. This group met for the first time on the 15th September 2015 and one of the main [...]
