Ecovis in Australia

Digital Nomads in Greece: Work Independently with Benefits and Privileges

Greece is seen as an attractive destination for digital nomads. This is particularly due to the benefits and privileges, such as lower income tax, provided for in law L. 4825/2021 passed by the Greek parliament. However, there are some bureaucratic hurdles to overcome for digital nomads wishing to work in Greece.

Αccording to the provisions of L. 4825/2021 Art. 11, digital nomads are usually considered to be residents of third countries who may work remotely through the use of digital devices for a period of at least twelve (12) months. To obtain their national visa, these people must submit the following documentation to the Greek consular authorities:

• • A) A solemn declaration declaring their will to stay in Greece based on the national visa they hold and at the same time assuring that they will not provide their services to any employer based in Greece.
  • B) An employment agreement with the employer, individual or legal entity based in a foreign country.
  • C) Details of the digital nomad work, i.e. the profession, name, legal seat or object of the company in cases where the person comes from a third country and keeps his/her own business based outside of Greece.
  • D) Any certificates proving their economic self-sufficiency and independence meaning that they will be able to cover their daily living expenses during their stay in Greece.
  • E) A national visa fee of EUR 75.

Do you have questions about income tax in Greece? Contact us.

Anastasia Moschovaki, Tax Lawyer, ECOVIS HELLAS L.T.D., Athens, Greece

Digital nomads may be accompanied in Greece by their family members who, in turn, may obtain a national visa with same expiry date as that of the digital nomad, explain the experts from Ecovis.

For further information please contact:

Dimitrios Leventakis, Managing Director, ECOVIS HELLAS L.T.D., Athens, Greece
Email: dimitrios.leventakis@ecovis.gr

Anastasia Moschovaki, Tax Lawyer, ECOVIS HELLAS L.T.D., Athens, Greece
Email: moschovaki.anastasia@ecovis.gr

Transparency Register Germany: A Paradigm Shift and What it Means for Companies

Germany is intensifying the fight against money laundering (see also Tip). Against this backdrop, the German parliament has also passed a new law governing the “Transparency Register and Financial Information” (Transparenzregister- und Finanzinformationsgesetz, TraFinG), which came into effect on 1 August 2021.

While the amendment is a step towards the interconnection of all European transparency registers, the changes come with a variety of new obligations for companies which were previously exempt from registration obligations.

Previously, mandatory registration in the transparency register only applied to cases where the beneficial owners were not mentioned elsewhere, such as in the commercial, cooperative or partnership register. However, with the new regulation, the paragraph under which companies were previously exempted from registration has been omitted without replacement. As a result, many companies that previously benefited from an exemption must now comply with the new bureaucratic challenges.

We can answer your questions about the transparency register and take care of registration for you.

Richard Hoffmann, Lawyer, Ecovis Heidelberg, Germany

The German Parliament (Bundestag) has indicated that approximately 2.3 million companies will now be subject to mandatory registration. For foreign companies, this regulation applies if the company directly or indirectly owns real estate in Germany (e.g., with GmbH shares).

Transition Period

Companies that were previously exempted from mandatory registration can take advantage of a transition period, during which they can prepare the necessary steps. The deadlines differ according to the company form, as set out in the new law:

Registration after the deadline could lead to heavy fines. It is important to note that these transition periods only apply to companies which, under the old regulation, were exempted from registration in the transparency register before 31 July 2021. This means that the majority of limited partnerships (including GmbH & Co. KG) are already obliged to register now. The transition period also does not apply to companies founded after 31 July 2021.

What Companies Should Do Now

Even if the coming year is still a long way off, businesses should act now. To avoid fines or complications, the beneficial owner of the company must be determined and the necessary information must be submitted to the transparency register, explain the Ecovis experts.

For further information please contact:

Richard Hoffmann, Lawyer, Ecovis Heidelberg, Germany
Email: Richard.Hoffmann@ecovis.com

Pingwen Hu, Certified Public Accountant, CPA, ECOVIS Ruide Certified Public Accountants Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
Email: pingwen.hu@ecovis.cn

Ecovis is now offering legal services in Norway

In addition to our existing partners of ECOVIS Ardur Tax AS we welcome our new partners from ECOVIS Legal Norway AS headquartered in Oslo.

Geir Peter Hole will be your first point of contact for legal services in Norway. Geir had many years’ experience as a legal advisor at Oslo Tax Office before joining Ernst & Young, where he was stationed in Oslo and London. He then joined Wiersholm, one of Norway’s largest and most prestigious law firms where he further developed his specialty areas. In addition to having worked in London he has consistently served international clients on cross-border issues and assignments, lastly in the position of Head of Tax and Legal Norway in Grant Thornton International from 2009-2017.

We warmly welcome our new colleague from Oslo to the Ecovis family!