The Polish tax authorities have announced that, with effect from 1 November 2019, Poland is introducing what is known as a Split Payments Mechanism (SPM). Non-resident businesses that are registered for Value Added Tax (VAT) will need to have a bank account in Poland, and will require an additional VAT bank account that is dedicated to receiving and making VAT payments. Under an SPM arrangement, the seller of certain goods must include some additional wording in its sales invoices, indicating...

The global economy is evolving quickly, and tech and other startups are looking beyond traditional expansion targets like the UK and China. Popular targets now include relatively low cost, talent-rich countries like Israel, Ireland, the Czech Republic and Poland, which recently joined the ranks of FTSE Russell advanced economies, the first country to do so in nearly ten years. Throughout this evolution, many of the basic concepts of international expansion continue to hold true. As enforcement by tax and immigration...

By Yumiko Olsen, Dennis Schmidt, Christian Schröder and David Curtis | Orrick  On June 28, 2019, the German parliament (Bundestag) passed new legislation imposing several changes to the current German Federal Data Protection Act (“BDSG”).  Although many of the changes addressed privacy aspects of criminal proceedings, the new legislation makes an important change for small companies by increasing the threshold to designate a Data Protection Officer (“DPO”). Whereas currently companies have to designate a DPO if they constantly employ at least...

By Brent Carlson |  AlixPartners As part of the chronic trade tensions between the US and China, last year the US Congress passed the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), which expanded export controls to include "emerging" and "foundational" technologies. These technologies – such as AI, machine learning, and data analytics tools – were declared as essential to the national security of the US and therefore subject to the new export controls regime. In this piece published by the Association of Corporate...

The Italian whistleblowing reporting system (“Whistleblowing”) is regulated by Law no. 179 of 2017 (“Law”). In particular, the Law introduced new forms of protection for employees (in private and public companies) who report illicit acts occurred inside their company. According to this Law, employees may inform companies when he or she becomes aware of a violation of the Law no. 231/2001 system and/or the company ethic code and his or her identity will be protected. The law also introduced...

Spend 8 days traveling with a group in some of the most scenic parts of Costa Rica, from San José to Monteverde and La Fortuna. Learn about sustainable development initiatives with local experts and enjoy the natural beauty in one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. Spot unique wildlife, hike, swim, and make new friends on this award winning program! Key Info Locations: San José, Monteverde and La Fortuna, Costa Rica Program Dates: January 3 - 11, 2020 ...

By Ron Yearwood & David L. Best  | FTI Consulting  Most professionals are aware of the threat of a cyber attack that comes with the move toward a fully integrated digital workplace. Yet few seem to fully grasp just how vulnerable their organizations are, or where their major soft spots lie. Compounding this issue is the fact that organizations are often slow to recognize when their systems have been penetrated. The average time it takes for a company to identify...