On 4 September 2024, the Cabinet Office published further guidance on the Procurement Act 2023 (the ‘Act’) which is now due to “go live” on 24 February 2025. The new guidance covers contract modifications under the Manage phase of the commercial pathway. Contract modifications may need to be made to reflect commercial reality, as demands and circumstances change throughout the lifetime of the contract ...
By: Michael V. Capellupo, Esq. and Mark S. Fawer, Esq. The Federal Reserve last Wednesday voted to lower its target range for the federal funds rate by 50 basis points (from a range of 5.25%-5.50%, down to 4.75%-5.00%), marking the first decrease in this benchmark interest rate since rate hikes began in March 2022 ...
ALRUD has received information from various sources indicating that this increase is under consideration. Reports suggest that the exit tax could rise to as much as ****40% of the valuation**** of the relevant asset. Despite conflicting information circulating in public sources, our contacts within the authorities have stated that ****no official decisions have been made**** regarding this matter ...
SyCipLaw's Tax Department has prepared Tax Issues and Practical Solutions (T.I.P.S.) for July which covers the following tax issues: 1. Is a taxpayer always required to make the "payment under protest" under Section 252 of the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended, to assail real property taxes? 2. May services rendered to foreign entities outsourcing manpower recruitment in the Philippines qualify for a zero percent rate of value-added tax ("VAT")? 3 ...
So far this year, three False Claims Act defendants have challenged judgments against them based on the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment. Remarkably, two were successful, as the District of Minnesota more than halved a large award, and the Eighth Circuit vacated and remanded a much smaller award in which the penalties substantially outpaced the actual damages ...
On 9 September 2024, Mario Draghi, former Italian Prime Minister and European Central Bank President, presented his highly anticipated report on «The Future of European Competitiveness» to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen [1][2]. This comprehensive report analyzes the challenges faced by European industries and companies in the Single Market and proposes strategies to enhance the EU’s competitiveness [2] ...
The EU's comprehensive data and AI regulatory package is about to become operational. This year, the Krogerus Data Symposium will highlight some of the most impactful changes of the Data Act and the AI Act, which will profoundly influence the application of AI, how companies and communities can utilise IoT data, and how data usage agreements are formed ...
The Ministry for Home Affairs, Security and Employment (MHSE) published the proposed Maltese draft order for the transposition of the EU Network and Information Systems Directive II (‘NIS 2’) on 6 September 2024 ...
In August 2024 the European Commission published draft guidelines on the application of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (“TFEU”) to abusive exclusionary conduct by dominant undertakings. Rather than the current guidance on enforcement priorities, this document has taken the shape of guidelines proper, similar to those found in respect of Article 101 TFEU ...
SyCipLaw's Tax Department has prepared a double edition of its Tax Issues and Practical Solutions (T.I.P.S.) for May-June. The May-June 2024 issue covers the following tax issues: 1. Under the current VAT regulations, is input tax required to be directly attributable (or a factor in the production chain) to zero-rated sales, i.e., to come from purchases of goods and services that form part of the finished product of the zero-rated taxpayer in order to be creditable or refundable? 2 ...
The UK Cabinet Office has just announced, in a brief statement that the date for the Procurement Act 2023 to enter into force has been postponed. At less than 2 months from the planned “go live” date which was slated for 28 October 2024, in a surprise announcement, the new Government has decided to push this back. The reasoning for the decision stems directly from the change in administration following this year’s General Election ...
SyCipLaw's Tax Department has prepared Tax Issues and Practical Solutions (T.I.P.S.) for April. The April 2024 issue covers the following tax issues: 1. In assessing deficiency withholding tax on compensation of employees who were not individually identified, is it proper for the Commissioner of Internal Revenue ("CIR") to use the top withholding tax rate of 32%? 2. Which court has exclusive and original jurisdiction over criminal offenses involving tax claims amounting to PhP 1,000,000 ...
The Court of Justice of the European Union (the “CJEU”) has issued a decision (C-109/23) on a reference for a preliminary ruling requested by a German court in relation to a potential breach of restrictive measures issued against Russia ...
This newsletter features a look into notable recent case law and other developments in Finnish competition law and other regulatory issues. The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority proposes a first ever fine for an alleged obstruction of a dawn raid In May 2024, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) proposed that the Market Court imposes an infringement fine of approximately EUR 4.4 million for an alleged obstruction of the FCCA's unannounced inspection ...
In recent years, the emphasis on sustainable and responsible investment has grown significantly. This shift is driven by increasing awareness of environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) issues among investors, regulators, and the public ...
In this article, Shoosmiths and KPMG explore some of the key policy and business implications for organisations deploying connected and automated mobility (CAM) in the UK market. The Automated Vehicles Act (the AV Act) came into force on 20 May 2024. This important piece of legislation signals a major step towards the widescale adoption and use of CAM within the UK ...
The Council of Europe has recently published a guidance note to the general public considering the best practices for the effective implementation of restrictive measures. This guidance note sets out to provide a non-exhaustive list of recommendations for the effective implementation of restrictive measures. The first set of recommendations relates to the designation and identification of persons and entities which are subject to restrictive measures ...
The European Union's NIS2 Directive is a significant update to the original NIS Directive which was implemented in 2018 and which the NIS2 Directive is set to repeal this autumn. The original NIS Directive was the first EU-wide legislation focusing on network and information system security. The deadline for member states to transpose NIS2 Directive into national law is just around the corner (17 October 2024), and the implementing provisions will be applicable from 18 October 2024 onwards ...
On July 22, 2024, the European Commission approved revised Interpretative Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (“Regulation 261/2004”), which address air passenger rights concerning compensation and assistance for denied boarding, cancellations, and delays and on Regulation (EC) No 2027/97 on air carrier liability in case of accidents ...
On July 26, 2024, the Ministry of Natural Resources ("MNR") promulgated the Notice of the Ministry of Natural Resources on Strengthening the Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation Security of Intelligent Connected Vehicles ("Notice 139"), reiterating the importance of the security of surveying, mapping and geoinformation ...
August 14, 2024 By: Wendy Lee A little more than a year ago, on July 23, 2023, the Washington My Health My Data Act (WMHMDA) was passed into law. The law originally went into effect on March 31, 2024, however the compliance deadline for small businesses was June 30, 2024. This law was passed as a reaction to the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court ruling and was designed to protect consumer health data ...
Simplified Stock Companies (SAS) have been implemented in El Salvador as a corporate solution aimed at micro-entrepreneurs and informal sector merchants who, due to entry barriers established in various regulatory bodies, were discouraged from forming a traditional corporate vehicle (e.g., Corporation, Limited Partnership, Limited Liability Company, among others) to conduct their business. In pursuit of the objective mentioned above, the reforms to the Commercial Code (C. Com ...
Introduction On July 11, 2024, the Court of Appeal1 rendered a decision that, for the first time, addresses the question of whether the elected domicile appearing in the Québec Enterprise Register (the ?REQ?), established under the Act respecting the legal publicity of enterprises,2 can provide a basis for the Superior Court?s territorial jurisdiction within the meaning of article 41(3) of the Code of Civil Procedure ...
Tax opportunities under the Indian Act Although it is not often well-understood in business and tax circles, the Indian Act (the ?Act?), coupled with federal and provincial tax laws, provides several tax planning opportunities for Indigenous taxpayers. These laws provide various tax exemptions for people who qualify as ?Indians? under the Act, as well as for ?bands? and other ?councils ...
