Chartered Accountants Abroad

Having lived and worked in six countries, I have realised that there is a price to be paid for being an average networker. By Kingsley Aikins At its core, networking is about taking three key actions: changing our attitudes, altering our behaviours and learning new skills. In a world where life is a game of inches, we need to see networking as the key difference- maker. One introduction or conversation can change your life, but they don’t happen when you are lying in bed or sitting at your desk – they happen when you are in motion, when you are out and about, when you develop a reputation and put your talents on display. Networking is the key to career progression – the future leadership of your organisation will not consist of unknown people. The challenges However, there are some real challenges with networking. First, most people say they hate it and it tends to get a pretty negative press. It is sometimes seen as an inelegant way of using people and is regarded as both insincere and manipulative. We tend to mix up networking and sociability, and assume that the most sociable person is the best networker. In fact, it can be the exact opposite. Shy, introvert types can be better at networking than extroverts because they do it with decency, authenticity and integrity – and that comes across. They ask questions and are better listeners. Second, networking is not taught at school and college. Companies don’t have strategies for it, yet everybody says that it’s really important. A third problem is that many people don’t realise that, as their career progresses, the skills and qualifications that enabled them to get their job in the first place become less important (because everyone has them and you can’t compete with what everyone else has). Relationships therefore become more important. Finally, people don’t ask themselves the brutal question – is my network good enough for where I want to be in the next five years? Give and take Key then is to put networking front and centre of your personal and professional life and to realise that there is a process to networking – a learned process which, if followed and implemented, will give you a better chance of success. The bedrock to this is to accept a key foundational concept which, at first glance, might appear counter-intuitive. Networking is all about giving rather than getting. Most people think they have to focus on networking because they want to get something for themselves such as a new job or a new sale. What I am saying is the exact opposite. Think first how you can help other people – how you can put your network at the disposal of others. This is based on a very simple and fundamental premise: in life, the more you give, the more you get. When you give consistently to individuals, it comes back from the network. Networking is not about any one big thing – it is about a lot of small behaviour changes which, when implemented on a daily basis, become habits and, eventually, rituals. They then become the way you lead your life.  A personal asset A harsh reality in life is that you can’t go it alone; you have to network your way to success. The way to opportunities you don’t know is through people you do. Networking can obviously have practical returns in terms of getting more business, staff and investors. However, research shows that people who build strong and diverse networks live longer, are stronger mentally and physically, earn more money and are happier. In a world where people are constantly changing jobs, networking is the way to get your next one – the vast majority of good jobs are not advertised. Also, companies want to ‘hire and wire’ – hire people and wire into their network. Now, when you are being interviewed, people want to know about your qualifications and experience, but they also want to know who you know. We live in a world where it is not what you know or who you know, but who knows you. Networking is the way to get out of your silo and get to know people from different backgrounds. Research shows that if your organisation doesn’t reflect the diversity of the economy in which you operate and the society in which you live, then you, as a company and as an individual, underperform. Also, your network is portable. You own it. It’s part of your personal asset base. When you move, it goes with you. Networking abroad Having lived and worked in six countries, I have found networking to be the glue that makes everything happen and I realised that there was a price to be paid for being an average networker. Having observed good networkers in action, I now realise that they have certain things in common. They work hard at it, they don’t brag about it, they don’t keep score. They are confident it works, even if they are not quite sure how. They understand the power of asking and referrals. They think like farmers who plant a seed in the spring, water and nurture it and look after it, confident that there will be a harvest.  They understand the importance and potential of technology in networking, but also realise the power of personal face-to-face connections. In that sense, they are hi-tech and hi-touch. They are curious and they ask questions. Great networkers are great salespeople because they create a vast and spreading sphere of goodwill around them and they constantly add value to the people they meet. There is a precise four-phase process to networking, which is about research, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. If you follow this process, there is a greater chance of success than if you don’t. Kingsley Aikins is CEO at The Networking Institute.   You can read more about living and working overseas in Chartered Accountants Abroad, the publication from Accountancy Ireland for Chartered Accountants Ireland members abroad.

Lured by Ireland’s rudely healthy economy and the superior quality of life offered by their native land, an increasing number of Chartered Accountants are choosing to return home to Ireland. Barry O’Leary looks at some of the practicalities involved. Wanting to come home and actually making it happen are two very different things. Many people who yearn to bring up their families in Ireland and have also had the opportunity to do so, haven’t yet made it back. This is usually because of something quite simple, which could have been addressed with some advance planning. The best way to approach this life-changing move is to treat it as a project and plan accordingly. The first stage is to investigate the job market and assess the opportunities that may or may not be there. This is a relatively simple process and a routine scan of recruitment websites, as well as those of reputable recruitment specialists, will give a fair indication of the roles available. This should be backed up with further research to establish the quality of the opportunities. The Leinster Society Salary Survey will give an indication of salary scales, for example. Also, contact friends and reach out to LinkedIn contacts to hear what they have to say about the climate back home. Before you apply… If the results are positive, the next natural step is to start applying for roles. However, a few pieces of the jigsaw need to be put in place first. The first step is to figure out what you are going to do if you do get a job. Clearly, if you are going to start a job in Ireland, you are going to need a place to live, schools for children and so on. Of course, buying a house or even renting one back in Ireland while still living overseas and before you have even landed a new job is an expensive – and possibly unnecessary – step to take. Better to consult with family and friends first and establish if there is a possibility of staying somewhere temporarily, say for three months, while you get settled in the new job and make arrangements for your family to follow you back. That gives you the breathing space to sell up property and other assets overseas while going house-hunting in Ireland. Another essential early step is to speak to the banks about your prospects of getting a mortgage. Having preliminary approval in place will guide the house search. Next is to talk to estate agents and get them looking out for suitable homes. None of this costs money, but it can save a lot of time and heartache in the long run. The other issue to take care of at this point is insurance. Many Irish people returning home are surprised at how difficult, and expensive, it can be to get motor insurance. Shop around the insurance companies to get some prices to avoid nasty shocks later. That can also influence your job search as a company car can suddenly become a lot more alluring. Interview stage The next thing to think about is interview availability. People living in the UK might be able to hop on a Ryanair flight at fairly short notice to attend an interview and be there and back in a day but for those living further afield, more advanced planning is required. One option is to arrange to spend a week at home a month and inform prospective employers of your availability during that time window. Generally speaking, if they are sufficiently interested in you, they will do their best to accommodate you. Having gone through all of that, it’s time for the job hunt itself. This starts with updating your CV and your LinkedIn profile. It might be worth getting advice from a fellow professional or a recruiter back home at this stage. They can help with the design of the CV and what aspects to highlight in the context of the prevailing jobs market. After that, you’ve got to decide on the type of role you’re looking for, and where. Is it practice, industry, or the public sector? If it’s industry, what sector? And where? If it’s Dublin, can you afford housing and can you find schools for your children? You also have to consider your partner at this stage. Will they also be seeking a job when they return home? What area of the country and what sectors best suit them? Dealing with these questions probably requires the assistance of on an Ireland-based recruitment consultant who can help with the job search and move back home.  They can offer independent advice on the process and help ensure that you make the right decisions in all circumstances. The first job offer is not always the best one, and the best paid offer is not always the right one – an experienced consultant can help match the right role to the right person as well as assisting with some of the more practical aspects of the move, such as recommending insurance brokers, mortgage lenders and so on. If you follow this basic roadmap, you will give yourself a much better chance of making a successful move back to the auld sod. Barry O’Leary is the Co-Founder of ACCPRO. Taxing times One of the problems most frequently encountered by accountants returning home is personal taxation. If you want to avoid being subject to Emergency Tax of up to 41%, give your employer your PPS number (Irish people generally have one before returning home) so they can request a Revenue Payroll Notification (RPN) from Revenue. The RPN will show your total tax credits, tax rate band and USC rate band so your employer can make the correct tax deductions from your pay. If you are starting your first job in Ireland, you must register online though Revenue’s myAccount where you can view your personal tax record. You can read more about living and working overseas in Chartered Accountants Abroad, the publication from Accountancy Ireland for Chartered Accountants Ireland members abroad.

More and more people are returning to Ireland having worked abroad for a number of years. More often than not, this process also involves starting a new job and, inevitably, paying Irish tax. With that in mind, this article aims to provide a practical guide to some of the tax and pension issues our members should think about as they plan their return home. By Bríd Heffernan Back to basics First, let us briefly cover some of the basics of the Irish income tax system. Employees pay tax through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system which, since 1 January 2019, operates in real time. This means that income tax, pay-related social insurance (PRSI) and the universal social charge (USC) are deducted at source by your employer and subsequently paid to Revenue. As an employee, you can manage your taxes online through Revenue’s MyAccount system. If you have a new job, you will need to register your new role with Revenue in order to be taxed correctly. On your return to Ireland, one of the first practical steps to take is to apply for a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN). As a returner to Ireland, you should already have one but your children (if they were born abroad) or your partner (if he or she is not an Irish citizen) will require one. The PPSN will provide access to social welfare benefits, public services and information in Ireland. Tax residence  On returning home, your liability to Irish tax depends on your residence, ordinary residence and domicile position in Ireland. Residence for tax purposes depends on how many days you spend in the country. Even if you are not actually resident in a particular year, Ireland can still be your ordinary residence as this term refers to the country where you are usually resident over a number of years. The country that is your permanent home is known as your domicile. If you are tax resident in Ireland for a tax year, you pay Irish tax on your worldwide income and any gains you make in that year. Worldwide income is the total income that you earn anywhere in the world. Residence and domicile are taken into account for a number of taxes including income tax, deposit interest retention tax, capital acquisitions tax and capital gains tax. For more information on determining your residence status in any year, visit www.revenue.ie. Tax reliefs You may return to Ireland mid-way through a tax year and therefore, have income on which you may have to pay Irish and foreign tax. In this instance, it may be possible to claim relief from the foreign country if it has a double taxation agreement (DTA) with Ireland. Or, you can avail of a tax relief called “split-year treatment” for the year you return to Ireland. Split-year treatment has the benefit of taxing employment income for only part of a year (any foreign employment income earned before returning to Ireland and becoming tax resident again is not subject to Irish tax), while affording the full range of tax allowances and credits and rate bands of a resident. To avail of this treatment, you will need to contact Revenue in writing. Another relief available to individuals returning home is the Special Assignee Relief Programme (SARP). This provides income tax relief for certain people who are assigned to work in Ireland from abroad up to the year 2020. A number of conditions must be met in order to claim SARP and where you qualify, a proportion of your employment earnings are disregarded for income tax. To claim this relief, your employer must send Form SARP 1A to Revenue within 90 days of your return to Ireland. Social security and pension considerations There may be significant differences between the Irish social security system and the system in the country you are moving from. It is therefore worth familiarising yourself with these differences in order to protect your social security entitlements. In the EU, each country has its own social security laws. However, EU rules coordinate national systems to ensure that people moving to other EU countries do not lose security cover and can amalgamate their contributions from member states when applying for a pension. If you are returning to Ireland from a country within the EU or EEA, you should bring an E104 and U1 form back with you as it will provide details of the insurance contributions you made in that country. Ireland also has bilateral agreements with a number of countries outside the EU including the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Consequently, contributions paid in these countries can be added to your Irish social insurance contributions. When it comes to protecting your pension contributions made in Ireland or abroad, there are a number of things to consider. While working abroad, you may be able to claim Migrants Members Relief. This provides relief on pension contributions paid to a pre-existing qualifying pension scheme. If you have made contributions to a foreign pension fund while living abroad, it is important to note that the rules for transferring or accessing the pension’s funds when you return to Ireland are usually determined by the foreign country. Each country will have different rules for such transfers, and you should contact your pension administrator in the foreign jurisdiction to discuss the options available to you. In general, Revenue will allow foreign pensions to be transferred to an approved occupational pension scheme or Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) provided a number of conditions are met. Conclusion These are just some of the tax, social security and pension considerations to think about on your return to Ireland. It’s important to be familiar with these issues to avoid situations where you could end up paying double tax and to ensure that you protect your social security and pension contributions. Bríd Heffernan is a Tax Manager at Chartered Accountants Ireland. You can read more about living and working overseas in Chartered Accountants Abroad, the publication from Accountancy Ireland for Chartered Accountants Ireland members abroad.

Caroline McGroary went to Riyadh for four months, but stayed for six years – and her adventure isn’t over yet. How did you end up volunteering to go overseas? In August 2013, while working for Dublin City University (DCU) as a Lecturer in Accounting, I had the opportunity to travel to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia after DCU signed a partnership with Princess Norah Bint Abdulrahman University (PNU). PNU is the country’s foremost female educational institution and the largest women’s-only university in the world, with capacity for 60,000 students. DCU established a division of DCU Business School within PNU, delivering two undergraduate degree programmes in Finance and Marketing and one postgraduate degree programme in Business Administration. Eager to be part of this project, I volunteered as a member of an initial team of four DCU staff who relocated to Riyadh to initiate the collaboration. What did the role entail? My initial four-month appointment was as Programme Director at PNU and I also held the position of Lecturer in Accounting, Finance and Business Strategy. The task of establishing a women’s business school in a foreign country was in many ways similar to a start-up business venture. Leaving the cultural differences and language barrier aside, we assumed responsibility for all business school operations as well as lecturing responsibilities. We were required to train our Saudi academic colleagues and to liaise with the senior management of PNU, on behalf of DCU, on a regular basis. Navigating the challenges of the first semester required immense teamwork and organisation. At the end of the term, I took the decision to extend my contract for the remainder of the academic year. Six years on, having overseen the graduation of over 500 students with DCU degrees, I am still living in Riyadh and embracing the opportunities and experiences that this collaboration continues to offer. What in particular struck you about life in Saudi Arabia? Saudi Arabia is routinely portrayed in mainstream Western media in a negative light, primarily due to its strict legal, religious, cultural and societal norms. However, the experience of living in Riyadh at a time when the country is undergoing dramatic economic and societal change has given me a very different perspective on life here. Through my position, I’ve both educated and worked alongside Saudi women and I’ve witnessed first-hand my Saudi students and colleagues undergo increased empowerment and social participation, contributing fully to the development of their country. How did you benefit as a result? While there are many highlights from my time here so far, there are a number of key experiences that have benefited me both professionally and personally. First, the most notable has been educating young, bright, tenacious Saudi women, which is an extremely rewarding experience. Second, participating in initiatives such as setting up the Irish Business Network in Saudi Arabia (IBN-SA) in partnership with the Irish Ambassador, His Excellency Tony Cotter has served as an important platform for my professional engagement with the Irish business community, the Saudi business community and other communities in the Kingdom. This has led to many other opportunities, such as working with high-profile companies and governmental bodies on projects that have had educational, economic and social impact, with much of this work achieving international recognition. You took up some non-profit work while in Riyadh. What was your experience of volunteering overseas? Since moving to Saudi Arabia, I have actively sought out ways to give back to the local Saudi and Irish communities. I am one of the founding members of the IBN-SA and I volunteer with the local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club (Naomh Alee), teach Irish dance classes, engage in charity events – including the ‘Riyadh Darkness into Light’ event which raised funds for Pieta House in Ireland – and regularly create opportunities for my students to engage in local community events, such as the promotion of physical activity among their local communities and engaging with local charities. What advice would you give someone who is considering moving overseas? The prospect of moving overseas can be very daunting. However, my time in Riyadh has taught me to be open-minded about new experiences and to use challenges as a platform for growth and development. Personally, my time living in Saudi Arabia – one of the most conservative countries in the world – has been the experience of a lifetime. Not only has it allowed me be part of a historical movement centred around the empowerment of women through education, it has also afforded me the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture, contribute to the local community and to travel extensively. The experience has enabled me to meet people from so many different backgrounds and cultures, which has been an incredible personal as well as professional journey. For these reasons, I’m a strong advocate of gaining international experience and I actively encourage anyone who has this opportunity to embrace it.   You can read more about living and working overseas in Chartered Accountants Abroad, the publication from Accountancy Ireland for Chartered Accountants Ireland members abroad.

Chartered Accountants considering a career abroad can benefit from a number of mutual reciprocity agreements with fellow Institutes worldwide. Chartered Accountants Ireland, through the Common Content Project (CCP), has been working with leading European Institutes to develop a new education benchmark for professional accountants that is fully EU and IFAC compliant and which supports auditor mobility within the EU. Following the agreement of the new benchmark, the Institute’s own education and assessment processes were assessed, confirming compliance with the CCP requirements. If you are a registered auditor in Ireland, you can gain audit rights (and depending on the country, membership rights) through the passing of a local law and tax examination. Further details are available about the project at www.commoncontent.com.   Other agreements include: Access to membership Chartered Accountants Ireland has mutual reciprocity agreements (MRAs) with a number of other leading global Institutes, which allow Chartered Accountants Ireland members to apply for membership of those bodies and allow members of those Institutes to apply to Chartered Accountants Ireland for membership. Applicants to Chartered Accountants Ireland will usually have access to membership without examination. To do so, you will need to contact the relevant reciprocal body and provide evidence of good standing and pay the requisite fee. Retention of membership is a requirement of this process. Practice rights Access to practice rights is not automatic and will normally require the passing of local company law and taxation (or similar) exams. Should you wish to gain practice rights, it is suggested that you should preferably gain rights in Ireland before seeking rights overseas. In those jurisdictions where practice rights and membership are synonymous, an examination must be passed. Audit rights are not automatically covered by these agreements as there can be specific local requirements in some cases.  Irish Chartered Accountants who are planning on gaining audit practice rights should gain Irish audit rights first before leaving home.   Chartered Accountants Ireland has MRAs with the following Institutes: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)/National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). This agreement provides access to membership, practice rights and audit rights subject to members meeting the specific entry criteria and the passing of the IQEX examination. NASBA administers the IQEX and issues the AICPA license; Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ, formerly the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants); Chartered Professional Accountants Canada (CPA Canada, formerly the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants); The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA); The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS). No examination is required to gain practice rights); The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW). No examination is required to gain practice rights; The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ); The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA); and The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). For more information, contact Paula Dreelan on +353 1 637 7216 or email registry@charteredaccountants.ie. For any technical queries, contact Ronan O’Loughlin, Director of Education and Training at ronan.oloughlin@charteredaccountants.ie or 01 637 7329. You can read more about living and working overseas in Chartered Accountants Abroad, the publication from Accountancy Ireland for Chartered Accountants Ireland members abroad.