Member News

CLA | The American Rescue Plan Broadens the Employee Retention Credit

Key insights The ERC is now available to eligible employers for all four quarters in 2021. Recovery start-up businesses can qualify for up to $50,000 per quarter. For severely distressed employers, the 500-employee limitation does not apply. The ARP provides clarity on what credits may not overlap with the ERC. The American Rescue Plan (ARP), signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021, gave some clarity and additional relief to organizations seeking to claim the employee retention credit...

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COVID-19 News, Member News

CEA Legal | The Restaurant Revitalization Fund Eligibility and Next Steps

In the gigantic $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Biden last week, $28.6 Billion have been allocated to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRV), a tax-free grant program that will be administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to save the hospitality industry. Eligible restaurants and other food service and drinking establishments will not be required to pay back the funds received as long as used for qualifying expenses incurred from 02/15/2020 through 12/31/2021, such as payroll and...

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Member News

Stout | M&A in the Time of COVID-19: Is It the Right Time to Sell?

The global pandemic has dramatically affected people, governments and businesses during the past year. Is it the right time to sell? The global pandemic has dramatically affected people, governments and businesses during the past year. Many companies have had to navigate a very dynamic and volatile environment, which has included employee and customer health concerns, rapid changes in product and service demand, and supply chain disruptions, among other items. Businesses that were contemplating M&A processes have had to carefully reassess...

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Chapter News

IMF | From Financial Innovation to Inclusion

For technology to benefit everyone, private sector innovation needs to be supported by public goods Digital technology is transforming the financial industry, changing the way payments, savings, borrowing, and investment services are provided and who provides them. Fintech and Big Tech companies now compete with banks and other incumbents across a range of markets. Meanwhile, digital currencies promise to transform the heart of finance: money itself. But just how much has technology advanced financial inclusion? For sure, in the past year...

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Member News

Loyens & Loeff | DAC7 approved: New reporting obligations for digital platforms

On 22 March 2021, the Council of the EU amended the directive on administrative cooperation (through the so-called “DAC7”) to expand reporting obligations and exchange of information to cover sales through digital platforms. These rules would apply from 2023. In addition, DAC7 amends the actual exchange of information and cooperation between EU member states, focusing on joint actions and joint audits. These rules would apply from 2024. 1. New Reporting obligation for digital platforms Digital platform operators with nexus in the EU...

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Member News

Houthoff | The interplay between transfer pricing and a tax governance code in the Netherlands

On Friday 5 March 2021, the Dutch Ministry of Finance (the "Ministry") organised a Tax Governance Code webinar. The webinar was held following the release of an essay bundle, Tax governance, social responsibility, and ethics. Time for a tax code? (the "essay bundle"), by the Ministry in December 2020. While the essay bundle is a local Dutch initiative, it can be seen as a continuation of the ongoing international tax reform which started with the OECD's BEPS Project in 2013. In this News...

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Member News

Portolano Cavallo | Protecting Business Know-How: Criminal and Employment Consequences of Employee Data Theft

This article is part of Portolano Cavallo’s “INFORM@Digital & IP” Newsletter. Click here to subscribe. | Protecting business know-how in the context of the employment relationship is also about preventing and managing data theft. As businesses increasingly rely on digital information storage, the risk of data exfiltration of financial records, customer information, and intellectual property/trade secrets is also increasing. Data theft often occurs when an employee leaves an organization to work for a competitor and transfers data from the company’s electronic archives to...

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Chapter News

Report confirms SURE’s success in protecting jobs and incomes

The EU Commission has published its first preliminary assessment of the impact of SURE, the €100 billion instrument designed to protect jobs and incomes affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The report finds that SURE has been successful in cushioning the severe socio-economic impact resulting from the COVID-19 crisis. It has helped to ensure that the increase in unemployment in the beneficiary Member States during the crisis has been significantly smaller than during the global financial crisis, despite them experiencing a...

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Chapter News

ECB | The paradox of banknotes: understanding the demand for cash beyond transactional use

1. Introduction A phenomenon referred to as the “paradox of banknotes” has been observed in the euro area; in recent years, the demand for euro banknotes has constantly increased while the use of banknotes for retail transactions seems to have decreased. Recent payment surveys indicate that the share of cash transactions in the euro area has decreased. This, together with ongoing digitalisation in retail payments, might have been expected to lead to a decrease in the demand for cash. However, this reduction in...

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Chapter News

The 37 Member Countries of OECD appoint Mr. Mathias Cormann of Australia to be next Secretary General starting 1 June 2021

Today, the Council of the OECD composed of Ambassadors representing the 37 Member Countries, took the formal decision to appoint Mr. Mathias Cormann of Australia to become the sixth Secretary-General of the Organisation, for a 5 year-term beginning on 1 June 2021. Member countries took this decision following the conclusion of the seven-month Selection Process led by the Dean of the Council, and chair of the Selection Committee, Ambassador Christopher Sharrock of the United Kingdom, that began in August 2020....

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