With the New Year comes the implementation of the Dutch budget for 2019, which includes some changes in taxation. VAT INCREASE AND COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE There have been VAT increases, most notably on groceries, the impact of which has been offset by a decrease in income tax rates. As a result, the impact of…

The EU continues to put pressure on large tech companies to rein in the exploitations they are seeing on all sides. From tax fraud to fake news monitoring, companies like Apple and Google won’t be counting themselves exempt from EU standards. Apple Pays Ireland €14bn in Taxes and Interest Ireland recently received more than €14 Billion…

Expat retirees will now be allowed to stay in the UAE, even after they have retired from their position. The country has just passed a new Visa law that allows expats over the age of 55 to remain, for a period of up to 5 years after they require with a possibility of extension should they…

The Brexit countdown is coming to a close as the UK struggles to make a deal before leaving the European Union on 29 March 2019. As of now, there has been an additional meeting scheduled for November for any last minute attempts at a deal but both sides seem to be digging their heels in. Theresa…

The annual budget day, better known as Prinsjesdag, was held yesterday September 18, 2018 in The Hague. Leaders in the Netherlands meet every year to announce budget plans for the following year. This year, the 30% ruling has been the topic of debate with details regarding the changes to come, kept under wraps. The 30%…

The Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) has forecasted that the Dutch economy is growing, despite the percentage decrease from the last forecast in June. The CPB reported in June, that the economic growth was projected at 2.9% for 2018 and 2.7% for 2019. The adjusted rate now is 2.8 for 2018 and 2.5…

The Netherlands has partnered with the Government of Canada to pilot a Known Traveller Digital Identity (KTDI) Project in which emerging digital technologies will be used to increase safe and seamless air travel. Along with the World Economic Forum and the global firm, Accenture, the two countries began testing in January of 2018 using the…

Finding a way to work in a new country, legally, can be a daunting task. Each permit has specific requirements and while one is better for a specific case, it may not be the best option for you. Here we break down the most often used permits and visas in the Netherlands. For more information…

The Ministry of Finance in Sweden has released a new memorandum regarding a supplementary proposal on the taxation and payment of tax on temporary assignments as of 14 August 2018. The original ruling stated that a foreign employee hired by a company to do work in Sweden, but does not have a permanent establishment (PE)…

ExpatFinder.com has received the results of their latest annual survey of international school fees and we have seen a hike in school fees since 2017. The organization surveyed 688 international schools across 27 countries revealing a 19% rise in 2018. This follows a 2% increase in 2017. Why the drastic increase? While some of the…

New restrictions on travel through the Schengen area have been approved to take place. The European Parliament approved the implementation of ETIAS, or European Travel Information and Authorization System, earlier this month. The new system, modelled after the United States’ Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), requires adults from countries exempt from the visa requirement…

As of 8 July 2018, expats on short or long-term assignments in Russia are no longer allowed to register using their employer’s address. Foreigners must register with the Russian government shortly after arrival in the country and many employers register their employees at their work address in order to simplify the process. This is no…

As globalization and technology continue to grow, so too will the amount of globally mobile employees.  According to Strategy Analytics, the globally mobile workforce is set to increase to 1.87 billion people by 2022, which is about 42.5% of the global workforce. Millennials are increasingly becoming interested in working internationally and are proactively reaching out…

The UK government has announced their plan to fast-track the registration process allowing EU citizens to remain in the country after Brexit. This new scheme will reduce the decision-making period after the application is submitted from an average of six months to a few days. The Home Office has stated that the new application will…

As of 1 July 2018, all employers with job vacancies in Switzerland must post their vacancies with the regional employment centers (i.e. RAVs) for a set period of time before opening the position up to outside areas. This is to ensure that priority is given to Swiss and EU nationals residing in Switzerland over non-European…

As of 1 July 2018, the Netherlands has lifted the restrictions for Croatian workers in the country, closely following the UK’s decision to do the same. In 2013, Croatia was established as a full member of the EU and was given a restriction for employment in the Netherlands, along with a few other member states. This restriction required Croatian…

The European Council has made a final agreement for new rules on tax information exchange between tax consultants and other intermediaries, such as tax advisors, accountants, and lawyers, who advise on tax. This rule will apply to cross-border transactions that meet certain characteristics, which indicate undesirable tax planning and will have a deadline of 31…

As of Tuesday, May 29, 2018, a petition was submitted signed by almost 30,000 expats asking that the government re-think its plan to reduce the 30% tax ruling. Last month, members of the Dutch government agreed upon a new proposal to reduce the 30% Ruling for qualifying foreign nationals from 8 years to 5 years,…

Sweden has drafted a new tax bill amending the previous tax on temporary foreign employees. Currently, employees that are hired by a foreign company without a permanent establishment, or PE, in Sweden are not taxed if they do not exceed a stay of 183 days in a 12-month period. Temporary foreign employees are only taxed…

The number of American companies choosing the Netherlands as the place to settle is rapidly decreasing. Many companies from the United States are looking to other European countries to open up shop due to an unfavorable business climate. The corporate tax rate and the soon to be changed, favorable tax regime for expats, are cited…