In today’s complex world, a growing number of lawsuits hinge on an expert’s opinion. So the matter of who testifies as an expert witness in your legal case does make a difference. Fortunately – due in no small measure to the new code of procedure – it is now possible to influence this.
With almost ten years of hindsight we can safely say that although the construction trusteeship system created to prevent circular debt in the construction industry has essentially lived up to expectations, the system still has some unresolved flaws. What’s more, the taking effect of the new Civil Procedure Code this January will present a further challenge for the system.
Based on a recently announced EU directive, your name and any tax advice you have received could end up with the tax authority. From July 2020, tax advisors, or in certain cases the taxpayers themselves, will be required to inform the tax authority of the details of certain tax planning structures that are classified as aggressive under the new directive. And what’s more, the disclosure obligation will apply retrospectively to all structures that taxpayers started implementing after 25 June 2018.
Companies are faced with countless situations where, for reasons beyond their control, they are unable to collect the money owed to them, including its VAT part. In such cases the tax authority often refuses to allow the reclaim of the lost VAT even where this would not incur a loss for the budget. Based on recent judgements by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), however, the VAT should be recoverable in many cases of this kind.
A rule in the bankruptcy act that had been in effect for over 10 years presented an impossible dilemma for the senior officers of companies under threat of insolvency. An amendment of the law that recently took effect, however, resolves the stalemate and opens the possibility for managers to make sound business decisions in crisis situations.
You’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t…
There comes a time in the life of almost every business when it finds itself unable to meet all its due payment obligations at the same time. It’s often unclear, however, whether this inability to pay is just a temporary cashflow problem for the company, or indicative of a deeper problem that’s likely to lead to the company’s bankruptcy.