M&A in Cyprus

When it comes to M&A in Cyprus, there are a number of major laws one should be aware of, as follows: 1. Companies Law Cap. 113 (a) Sections 198-201 of Companies Law regulate mergers, divisions, partial divisions, transfers of assets and exchange of shares in two or more companies intending to merge together. (b) Sections 201A – H of Companies Law as amended by Law 70(I) of 2003 regulate mergers of public companies in line with European practices. (c) Sections…

Republic Srpska Tax Update

The National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska (RS) adopted amendments to the Profit Tax Law on 28 December 2016. The main changes have become effective as of 1 January 2017 and will be briefly presented in this article. With the amendments, the Law clarifies the definition of “taxable person” and harmonizes the concept of residence with the Profit Tax Law of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Brcko District in order to avoid double taxation. Namely, a…

Belarus Tax Note

A draft law that would amend the Tax Code of the Republic of Belarus has been posted on the website of the Belarusian Ministry of Finance (the “Draft Law”). This time the draft has been published long before the start of the calendar year in which the amendments are to take effect, giving taxpayers a chance to understand the changes and prepare for them. In addition to the traditional indexation of tax rates in Belarusian rubles, the draft law contains…

Cyprus: Proposed amendment in regards to automatic exchange of information

An important amendment to the Assessment and Collection of Taxes Law (N.4/1978) in Cyprus is currently under consideration by the Council of Ministers regarding automatic exchange of information. More specifically, the proposed amendment aims at regulating the conditions under which the Cypriot Tax Commissioner may disclose information on any person with a view to complying with agreements for automatic exchange of information between Cyprus and other countries (both EU and non-EU countries). While the notion of automatic exchange of information…

Banking Secrecy in Cyprus

Complete bank secrecy is fast becoming a matter of the past.  The Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) portal provides a comprehensive overview of the work the OECD and the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes in the area of the automatic exchange of information, in particular with respect to the Common Reporting Standard. That is why your account provider (bank, building society, insurance or investment firm) may ask you to provide certain information about yourself…

Brexit – Potential impact on London based private equity managers

On the 23rd of June, the UK voted to leave the European Union. Known as “Brexit”, the UK Government with now initiate Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, starting the two year procedure leading to the UK’s eventual withdrawal from the EU and, ultimately, to the establishment of a new relationship with its former EU partners. Whatever your position, it is clear that Brexit will have a significant impact across a wide range of sectors – financial services, trade, employment,…

M&A in Cyprus

When it comes to M&A in Cyprus, there are a number of major laws one should be aware of, as follows: 1. Companies Law Cap. 113 (a) Sections 198-201 of Companies Law regulate mergers, divisions, partial divisions, transfers of assets and exchange of shares in two or more companies intending to merge together. (b) Sections 201A – H of Companies Law as amended by Law 70(I) of 2003 regulate mergers of public companies in line with European practices. (c) Sections…

Republic Srpska Tax Update

The National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska (RS) adopted amendments to the Profit Tax Law on 28 December 2016. The main changes have become effective as of 1 January 2017 and will be briefly presented in this article. With the amendments, the Law clarifies the definition of “taxable person” and harmonizes the concept of residence with the Profit Tax Law of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Brcko District in order to avoid double taxation. Namely, a…

Belarus Tax Note

A draft law that would amend the Tax Code of the Republic of Belarus has been posted on the website of the Belarusian Ministry of Finance (the “Draft Law”). This time the draft has been published long before the start of the calendar year in which the amendments are to take effect, giving taxpayers a chance to understand the changes and prepare for them. In addition to the traditional indexation of tax rates in Belarusian rubles, the draft law contains…

Cyprus: Proposed amendment in regards to automatic exchange of information

An important amendment to the Assessment and Collection of Taxes Law (N.4/1978) in Cyprus is currently under consideration by the Council of Ministers regarding automatic exchange of information. More specifically, the proposed amendment aims at regulating the conditions under which the Cypriot Tax Commissioner may disclose information on any person with a view to complying with agreements for automatic exchange of information between Cyprus and other countries (both EU and non-EU countries). While the notion of automatic exchange of information…

Banking Secrecy in Cyprus

Complete bank secrecy is fast becoming a matter of the past.  The Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) portal provides a comprehensive overview of the work the OECD and the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes in the area of the automatic exchange of information, in particular with respect to the Common Reporting Standard. That is why your account provider (bank, building society, insurance or investment firm) may ask you to provide certain information about yourself…

Brexit – Potential impact on London based private equity managers

On the 23rd of June, the UK voted to leave the European Union. Known as “Brexit”, the UK Government with now initiate Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, starting the two year procedure leading to the UK’s eventual withdrawal from the EU and, ultimately, to the establishment of a new relationship with its former EU partners. Whatever your position, it is clear that Brexit will have a significant impact across a wide range of sectors – financial services, trade, employment,…