Malta and Cyprus undeniably have the most favourable citizenship by investment programmes in Europe. This article will compare the passport programmes on offer by Cyprus and Malta, as well as the differences in the tax regulations for both countries.

Section 2(1) of the Singapore Income Tax Act (SITA) defines a PE to mean a fixed place where a business is wholly or partly carried out including a place of management, a branch, an office, a factory, a warehouse, a workshop, a farm or plantation, a mine, oil well, quarry or other place of extraction of natural resources, a building or work site or a construction, installation or assembly project.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is consulting on a proposal to expand the existing Investment Manager Exception (IME Exception) to include crypto assets. The IME exemption defines the types of investment transactions that UK collective investment agreement managers may undertake on behalf of non-UK resident investors.

AGENDA: Criteria for choosing your bank, Corporate Bank Account Opening, What you need to know for each jurisdiction, Corporate Bank Account Maintenance & Bank Transfer Fees, Costs, Why Banks are closing Corporate Bank Accounts, Voluntary closing of a Corporate Bank Account

Each licensed Administrative Service Provider (ASP) in Cyprus is registered under CySEC, and must comply with the preparation and submission of the required reports in order to be eligible for maintaining a valid license in Cyprus.

No withholding tax applies on interest and royalties when paid from a Russian Company to a Cypriot company. This was ratified on the Protocol and signed by Russia and Cyprus during 2012 and implemented in 2013.

On the 7th of May, 2015 a new legislation was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cyprus, that of Insolvency Consultants Law of 2015 (64(I)/2015 (the “Law”). This new legislation outlines the criteria for qualification, regulation and monitoring of persons that have the role of insolvency consultant.

AGENDA: Different types of interviews & situations for different jobs, What does a competency based interview usually involve, The pros & cons of a competency based interview, How to use this method in practice & preparation tips, How to stand out from other candidates.

COVID-19 and related quarantines and restrictions have damaged the image of Hong Kong, considered the international centre of Asia, provoked the departure of expats and spurred the ambitions of rival cities to replace Hong Kong and take its place as the preeminent financial centre of the region.

The following article will examine various duties of loyalty to a business that are owed by Senior Employees, partners, Company Directors, and mere employees using supporting legislation from the Companies Act 2006 and principles established from UK common law cases.

AGENDA: Definition of ICOs, Users - Investors, Cryptocurrencies vs Tokens, ICOs vs IPOs, Legal approach (U.S. – Singapore), Examples of regulation in Singapore

Singapore provides a well-regulated legal framework as well as all the benefits of a stable financial centre with a reliable reputation, excellent banking system and low tax rate. Due to these factors, Singapore is one of the most optimal jurisdictions for Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) fundraising.

A Creditor may apply to court for the issuance of a liquidation order against a company that does not comply with a demand notice to pay any outstanding debts. The notice of demand is served to the registered office of the company, who then has 21 days to pay the fine.

the Singapore Government amended the Singapore Companies Act 2017 which introduced an inward re-domicile (or relocation) regime in an effort to boost Singapore’s attractiveness as a business hub.

Significant changes to the commercial and company law in Singapore have come into effect. The changes to the Singapore Companies Act will hopefully make business entities more transparent as well as mitigating the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing.

AGENDA: The Cyprus registrar of companies, The types of Cyprus companies, The KYC rule, Nominee service, Company incorporation procedure, Company maintenance and financials, The methods of dissolving a Cyprus company

As per Hong Kong company’s ordinance subdivision 3 section 379 subsection 1, a Company Director will have to prepare year-end financial accounts that comply with sections 380 and 383.

The Cyprus Tax Department has released a notification to all Cyprus based Financial Institutions & Service Providers of the new guidance notes on the Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information and other information relating to the Common Reporting Standard (CRS).

Paid-up capital refers to the amount paid on shares issued by a company. These may be ordinary, preference shares or shares of some other class.

This year, the Republic of Cyprus ratified The Hague Conventions’ definition of the legislation applicable to trusts and furthering the regulations surrounding their recognition. Cyprus common law now recognises trusts as a unique legal institution under equity.

HM Treasury has approved the final Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB) on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) guidance 2022 for the accounting sector.

In an effort to improve the global reporting standard of local tax systems and combat tax avoidance, governments from various jurisdictions will bring the automatic exchange of information in tax matters for all countries up to the same standard. This is referred to as the Common Reporting Standard (CRS).

There are various conditions a company must fulfil in order to be struck-off legitimately. One of the conditions is that the company must have filed all the tax returns until the date of the strike off. The Directors and Shareholders must ensure that any outstanding income, tax returns, accounts and tax computation have been submitted up to the date of cessation.

Belize has amended its International Business Companies Act. These changes were to maintain its financial services industry in the increasingly regulated international market & meet the OECD white list requirements.

Registration is open to all types of ships which includes offshore vessels like oil rigs and floating platforms. The vessel should be less than 17 years old and classed with any of the nine recognised classification societies.

AGENDA: Definition of the term brand and HR brand, The purpose of HR Branding for various organizations, Components of the HR Brand, Work Environment, Compensation and benefits, Achieving appropriate work – life balance, Company culture and environment.

To Brexit or not to Brexit – this has been the question of the year for Britain and with the referendum taking place imminently, just two options remain: leave the EU or stay in.

The provision of Payment Services in Cyprus is regulated by The Payment Services and Access to Payment Systems Laws of 2018 and 2019, which transposed into national law regarding the provisions of the Payment Services Directive in the Cyprus market. With the license, an EMI in Cyprus may offer its services freely within the entire EU market.

The amendments of the Assessment and Collection of Taxes Law 78/2014, made on the 20th of June, 2014 with regards to the Law 4/1978, is a clear demonstration of the Cyprus Government’s commitment to the reforms proposed by the Troika.

The Central Bank of Cyprus has released new guidance for all credit institutions on the island, refining the definition for shell companies and subsidiary entities; coming into effect from November 2018.

The list is an EU-provided of high-risk third countries; including the non-cooperative and other monitored jurisdictions that have been officially identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

After a recent review, changes have been made to the Singapore Companies Act 2014, which came into force on July 1st, 2015. These changes are to ensure that Singapore’s corporate regulatory framework will continue to meet changing business practices, to reduce the compliance and regulatory burden for companies.

Since the report on the collapse of the Cooperative Credit System was released recently, everyone seemed to have an opinion on the matter about who was to blame for the whole debacle. The report was fairly conclusive, giving a general overview of what the public enquiry discovered.

This article looks at the many benefits associated with overseas banking; and how this has left the industry open to abuse.

The legislation for Scottish Limited Partnerships have changed regarding the disclosure of information. Going forward, Scottish LPs will have to register all information about PSCs and Business Owners with the UK Companies House from July 24th 2017.

A Shareholders’ Agreement (SHA) is a confidential legal document distinct from all other statutory documents of a corporation, applicable in cases where there are more than two shareholders and it is essentially an agreement between all the Company Shareholders that covers how the business is going to operate.

Following Circulars No.2011/11 and No.2011/5, this article will explain what a “dormant company” is, its symptoms and consequent requirements. The following is an extract from PART 1.7 of the “Company Income Statement” form (EP 4), whereby a definition of a dormant company is considered to be a company that meets certain conditions.

Gibraltar is working to implement all EU legislation relating to the 4th Anti Money Laundering Directive into national law, in addition to the current EU legislation on financial supervision and direct taxation, and to this affect, the Government of Gibraltar have established a Central Register of Beneficial Ownership that will be effective from June 26th 2017.

Following the recent commotion created by the Swiss National Bank’s decision to discontinue the minimum exchange rate of 1.20 Swiss francs per euro with immediate effect, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) is endeavouring to instigate an assessment of how far Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs) have been affected.

AGENDA: Introduction To Copyrights, Patents & Trademarks, Nature of Rights, Rental and Lending Rights, Duration of copyright and moral rights, Exclusive rights, the fair use doctrine, Absolute grounds for refusal, Relative Grounds for Refusal, Exploitation and use of trademarks, Limitations, Infringement and possible remedies, Misrepresentation.

AGENDA: Personal income tax, Special contribution, Corporate tax, Back to back loans, Annual levy, Special defense contribution tax, Capital gains tax, Immovable property tax

AGENDA: Main criteria for choosing of a bank, Corporate Bank account Opening, What you need to know for Singapore as jurisdiction, Main requirements for a bank account opening in Singapore, Corporate Bank Account Maintenance, Automatic exchange of Information, Closing of Corporate Bank Accounts in Singapore

The Accounting and Corporate Regulation Authority (ACRA) of the Republic of Singapore defines the Charge as “a form of security interest usually taken by a lender or creditor (“chargee”) to secure the repayment of a loan”.

AGENDA: Advantages & Disadvantages of UK life, Advantages & Disadvantages of Cyprus life, The Cyprus Island Divide: Reunification prospects & what it means in 2018, Cost of living comparison: basics, What constitutes quality family life?, Why do so many UK expats relocate to Cyprus?, Buying a holiday or second home in Cyprus? Main considerations, Considering retirement in Cyprus?

The Cyprus banking sector is struggling with the overwhelming level of NPLs, no matter the efforts exerted by the main banks in Cyprus by following conventional banking models to balance their profit/loss reports, NPLs remain to be the proverbial hole in the bucket. More radical and revolutionary approaches and actions should be considered by banks and lenders in Cyprus.

The financial and reporting requirements for Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLPs) vary depending on whether the company is a micro-entity, or a small, medium or large entity. Micro-entities and small companies benefit from less burdensome requirements.

Application of a manual process could work when managers have the persuasive skills and time to carry busy employees with them and apply the rigour required to consistently apply invoice approval and coding practices. Alternatively, the process can be significantly improved by introducing software.

Being unaware of Compliance Matters in Singapore could end up with Business Owners and founders of Singapore companies heading to Court, as ACRA puts a stop on companies that consistently do not hold an Annual General Meetings or AGM.

An individual is not regarded as a shadow Director solely because the Company Directors act on the advice given by that individual in a professional capacity. There are various exceptions and whether or not a person is a shadow director is a question of fact and dependent upon all the relevant circumstances.

The Finance Committee in Cyprus discussed the long-awaited and somewhat revolutionary new competition law that allows foreign individuals to have the possibility of obtaining Cyprus tax resident status while on the island only for 60 days in any calendar year.

To the inexperienced trader, ICOs might sound similar to Initial Public Offerings however there are resounding differences between the two. Even with the vast amount of funding being spent and the craze surrounding them, most retail investors have little in-depth knowledge of this ground-breaking fundraising vehicle.

AGENDA: Tax Residency – general application, Cyprus Tax Residency rules, General Rule VS “60 Day” Rule, Procedure to obtain Cyprus Tax Residency under “60 Day” Rule, Main tax guidelines for Cyprus Tax residents

Generally speaking, overseas or offshore banking has garnered a bad reputation in the financial world. Usually the term is synonymously used with embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion. This article will discuss the benefits, associated with offshore banking as well as dispelling any myths.

Regardless of an individuals’ status of tax residency or domicile, an expat relocating to Cyprus from overseas qualifies for one of 2 income tax reductions on revenue generated from legitimate employment.

A Power of Attorney (POA) is a document created by a person who appoints another person to act on his behalf. The creator of the POA is called the donor, and the person appointed to act on behalf of the donor is called the donee. There are several types of POA, each with different functions. Powers of Attorney are used in a wide variety of transactions.

Poland is one of the European countries with a stable economic position, whose attractive system attracts citizens from neighbouring countries to conduct business within the country. It is the Polish taxation system that is advantageous for businessmen willing to enter the international market.

The foreign exchange market is where money in one currency is exchanged, purchased or sold for another. The fluctuation in value between one currency or amenity and another one can be a profitable hobby or business venture, if the correct expertise is applied.

In this article, we will try to succinctly describe the technical and legal characteristics of Cryptocurrencies. The understanding of Cryptocurrencies is crucial for today’s modern payment services and investment opportunities around the world.

AGENDA: Eltoma Corporate Services in Singapore, Companies in Singapore, Company incorporation, Company maintenance, Tax treatment, Key benefits

A beneficial owner is a person (group of persons) who is the actual controlling owner of a legal entity. In this article, we will consider essential points regarding registers of beneficiaries and the regulation on this issue.

AGENDA:- Two options to close a company- Strike- Off Procedure- Strike- Off Procedure in Tax Heaven Jurisdictions - Liquidation Procedure- Voluntary Winding Up- Risks for Directors in Abandoned Cyprus Companies

Money laundering is the act of transforming money or other money obtained as a result of any illegal activity, in money or investments that appear legal, so that their illegal source cannot be traced.

The June 2019 plenary session of the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ended with the issuance of a binding interpretive note for international regulation of virtual assets and virtual-asset service providers.

AGENDA: The division of power between the board of directors and the shareholders, Types of directors, their appointment and removal procedures, The purpose and extent of directors’ duties including to whom directors owe their duties, Nominee directors and risks that may arise, The regulation of directors contracting with their companies, The remedies and reliefs for breach of duty

When income is paid to a non-resident of a country, it is typical of the country to collect tax from the non-resident; the payee is required to withhold tax before paying the net amount to the non-resident. It is a tax subsidised by a non-resident on income derived or deemed to be derived from Singapore.

According to a recent report published by the US State Department’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) unit, Cyprus continues to upgrade its established AML legal framework, while authorities successfully 26 individuals and entities for money laundering related offences in 2018.

On 17th June 2015 the European Commission has presented the Corporate Tax Reform Action Plan which signifies the second and more comprehensive step towards remodelling corporate taxation in the European Union.

Ship owners enjoy tax exemption on specified income derived from the operation of a Singapore-flagged or foreign flagged vessel under Section 13A and 13 F of the Singapore Income Tax Act (SITA).

The transformation of the sector inevitably requires appropriate funding, and ship financing has become critical for the shipbuilding sector and shipping companies worldwide. The financing aspect of shipping includes the corporate financial management of shipping companies to refinance existing debts and the financing of new shipbuilding.

The Cyprus Securities & Exchange Commission (CySEC) has revealed new details about its efforts to increase oversight of cryptocurrencies and related assets by integrating EU anti-money-laundering rules into Cyprus legislation.

The European Commission has recommended the implementation of a new regulation regarding companies or intermediaries who promote or design cross-border tax planning schemes will going forward be required to provide full disclosure to the tax authorities of their relevant jurisdiction within five days of offering them to clients.

The Hong Kong government has published significant changes to its tax laws over four decades in its Official Gazette. These amendments introduced a tax on the profits of multinational enterprises from foreign sources, which is currently not taxed.

The Government in Panama officially approved Law Number 52; legislation which creates the regulatory framework for the implementation regarding automatically exchanging tax information, in a further attempt to comply with global regulations for tax transparency, and to be fully in line with all supervisory and compliance matters.

This article is intended to help corporate service providers understand and identity how money launderers typically operate in order to successfully target and stop those who are facilitating crimes being turned into profit.

The doctrine of the corporate veil was developed in the UK, where it finds its most frequent usage in case law. In practice, there are three occasions when the court has lifted the veil: application of the terms of a contract or statute, or as a matter of common law.

AGENDA: Definition of Cryptocurrencies, where we will cover some of the definitions issued by a few regulators and we will provide a the general technicalities of Cryptocurrencies, Cryptography, Blockchain, Distributed Ledger Technology, Legal approach, where we will discuss the regulatory approach towards Cryptocurrency around the world and with special focus in key jurisdictions, Regulatory outlook

On the 4th of August, 2015 Cyprus and Iran signed a Double Tax Treaty agreement during an official visit of the Iranian Finance Minister in Cyprus is hoped to strengthen and develop the economic relations and allow for the expansion of investment and business opportunities between Iran and Cyprus.

AGENDA: Part I: Definition, types and certainties of a trust, Part II: Analysis of the Cyprus International, Trusts - Conclusion

AGENDA: What is SAR, Importance of SAR reports, When do I need to send a SAR?, Sending SAR in non-regulated sectors, Reliability of information specified in the SAR, The concept of Tipping off, SAR Online

AGENDA: Classification of foreign companies, Company documents, Authorised capital, Offshores and offshore jurisdictions, Onshore companies, “Grey” and “Black” lists of countries, Nominee service, Beneficial Owner, Due Diligence & KYC, Company Tax Residency, Company liquidation

The Cyprus Assessment and Collection Law, as amended in 2002, introduced a regime with a provisional income tax system. Corporate tax in Cyprus is levied at a rate of 12.5% and can be paid through the JCC Smart platform. Based on the current period's results, companies that do not expect taxable profits do not submit a tax calculation.

ACRA have released new guidelines introduced to update the current system, bringing it transparently in line with other jurisdictions; going forward, businesses will be offered a copy of their business profile and the amount of information available for public use will increase substantially.