How disruptive technologies create opportunities for a green and digital economy Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain are two of the most significant disruptive technologies of our time, set to have a major impact on future societies and economies. But the European Union accounts only for 7% of annual equity investments in both technologies, while the US and China together account for 80%. However, the EU excels in research and has the largest pool of digital talents. Artificial intelligence, blockchain and the future of Europe: How...

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the VAT exemption for the ‘management of special investment funds’ may under certain conditions also encompass tax-compliance services, as well as the use of software designed for the management of special investment funds. K case K is a service provider to whom investment management companies (IMCs) outsourced certain activities for the determination of taxable figures at the level of unitholders in investment funds managed by the IMC. While the IMCs retained the position of...

Key insights Inflation is the highest it has been for more than a decade. Inflation is a normal part of the economic cycle, but can be concerning when it is caused by all three contributing causes of inflation: supply and demand issues along with a dramatic increase in monetary policy. The current administration may be drawing upon lessons learned from the 2008 – 2009 financial crisis. Don’t damage your financial plan by reacting emotionally to current headlines, but consider...

In this week’s Roar, goods are still stuck on the Ever Given, the U.S. and EU suspended tariffs on $11.5B of products, carriers could be legally obligated to ship U.S. exports, the Port of L.A. had its busiest month ever, and the Port of Liverpool is apparently imploding with growing congestion.  It’s been almost three months since Ever Given first blocked the Suez Canal, and many companies with products onboard are still left waiting in the dark as the $600 million...

Many companies have already introduced internal whistleblowing policies. The EU Whistleblower Directive (EU Directive 2019/1937) will be soon transposed into German law by the Whistleblower Protection Act . The German government has just presented a corresponding draft bill. The legal implications of the Whistleblower Protection Act are profound: Mandatory introduction of whistleblowing hotline The Whistleblower Protection Act obliges all companies with 50 or more employees (including freelancers) and companies with an annual turnover of 10 million euros or more to set up an internal "whistleblowing hotline" for...

We examine accounting and valuation issues for the financial instruments that fuel the booming special purpose acquisition company market. The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) market experienced breakneck growth over the last 15 months. More than 300 SPAC IPOs were completed in the first quarter of 2021 representing $100 billion in capital raised (compared with $83 billion raised during 2020). SPACs are investment products that provide a mechanism for private companies to access the public capital markets. In the simplest terms,...

Pool Safety This Summer With the warm weather of summer upon us and your activities around the house being more focused outside and by your pool, it is a good idea to properly maintained the area to reduce the risk of a loss. If you don't currently have a pool and are thinking of adding one, this will increase your liability risk so you may want to consider purchasing additional insurance to make sure you are covered in the event of...