Roundup 25 November 2022 Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup. In developments this week, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group has announced that it has delivered the first set of draft European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) to the European Commission. These standards were approved at EFRAG’s meeting on 15 November. The International Sustainability Standards Board have issued their November 2022 update and this includes details of items discussed at their meeting in Frankfurt on 15-16 November. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Auditing IAASA has published its Work Programme for the period 2023 - 2025. IAASA has recently redefined its mission as upholding quality corporate reporting and an accountable profession.  The programme builds on IAASA’s work to date towards achieving that mission across its broad spectrum of activities. The strands of the work programme encompass regulation, promotion of high standards and maximising our impact, and the programme builds strategies around each of these strands and also around the enablers that support the strategies. Commenting on the programme, Chief Executive Kevin Prendergast expects that the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive is likely to permeate many aspects of the Authority’s work over the lifetime of the programme, but he is confident that the Authority can deliver on these challenges. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has today published a new report setting out examples of good practice to improve auditor scepticism and challenge. Financial Reporting The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has announced that it has delivered the first set of draft European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) to the European Commission (EC). These standards were approved at EFRAG’s meeting on 15 November and will now be considered for adoption by the EC. The ISSB have issued their November 2022 update. This includes details of items discussed at their meeting in Frankfurt on 15-16 November. This update is also available via podcast. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) have issued amendments to the application guidance to FRS 100. These amendments were consulted on earlier this year, via FRED 80. The amendments to the application guidance to FRS 100 provide guidance on how Irish intermediate parents with a UK parent can assess equivalence of consolidated financial statements when applying section 300 of the Companies Act 2014. Similarly, the amendments provide application guidance on equivalence when applying section 401 of the Companies Act 2006 in the UK. The FRC has published its “Review of Stewardship Reporting”. This report, which looks at the quality of stewardship reporting in 2022 and expectations for 2023 found improvements in multiple areas when compared to 2021. Insolvency A reminder that the Institute is hosting a webinar on SCARP – what we know so far now scheduled for Thursday, 1 December 2022 at 10am. Des Gibney of McStay Luby and Hilary Larkin of Mazars along with Laura-Michelle Moore from Chartered Accountants Ireland will discuss the SCARP process, how to prepare for it, what to look out for and key matters to be aware of when considering it. We will explore some practical issues including how SCARP is working in practice, dealing with creditors and what your balance sheet may look like before entering the process versus afterwards. This is a free event and open to all to attend. Sustainability EFRAG has submitted the first set of draft European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) to the European Commission in its role as technical adviser to the European Commission. This first set, approved by the EFRAG Sustainability Reporting Board, supported by the EFRAG SR Technical Expert Group, takes into consideration the input from the public consultation on the draft ESRS Exposure Drafts.  See EFRAG's advice package here which includes the ESRSs, and appendices with a TCFD-EFRAG comparative analysis, a comparison of ESRS to IFRS Sustainability Reporting Standards  and final CSRD requirements for ESRS. Accountancy Europe has published some FAQs showing some of the key changes that the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will bring. The Financial Conduct Authority in the UK has announced the formation of a group to develop a Code of Conduct for Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) data and ratings providers. It refers to the increasing reliance on third party ESG data and ratings services by financial services firms as they integrate ESG into their activities and expand their ESG-focussed products. Click here to go to the FCA website to read the background and next steps. The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) in collaboration with EY, has recently published ‘ESG and the Role of Compliance’, which sets out observations on how compliance functions can support their firms in robustly and transparently managing the regulatory risks associated with Environmental, Societal and Governance (ESG). The landing page describes how the report covers seven themes around the topic of how compliance functions address ESG, including: strategy, organisation and coverage, compliance risk management framework, systems and capabilities, regulatory environment, data and key performance/key risk indicators. You can click here to access a copy of the report. Anti-money laundering/Sanctions Beneficial ownership registers The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) recently held invalid the provisions of fourth (as amended by the fifth) Anti Money Laundering Directive which require information on the beneficial ownership of corporate and other legal entities incorporated within the territory of Member States to be accessible in all cases to any member of the general public. You can read here the press release from the ECJ. Readers may be aware that in order to fulfil its obligations under the Directives Ireland in recent years has introduced a number of registers on which ownership details must be recorded. For example, the register of beneficial ownership of corporate entities, trusts register, register of certain financial vehicles and very recently the register of safe deposit boxes bank and payment accounts .These registers do not give public access to all the information .For example the register of beneficial ownership of corporate entities gives access to all information on the register to certain entities such as law enforcement but restricted access to others .It remains to be seen what effect the ECJ ruling will have on registers already put in place by member states . Central Bank (CBI) The Deputy Governor delivered a speech recently, entitled “Breaking new ground: regulating for emerging risks “at the Annual Irish Funds UK Symposium. She spoke about a number of areas of interest in the sector including sustainable finance and digital assets. On ESG CBI is concerned about the risks to regulated firms’ sound functioning, and more broadly to financial stability and to ensure that investors are fully informed and not misled. On digital assets she said there are many black boxes and clearly not all of them are fully understood.  She said this asset class has done real harm to retail investors in the last year and the digital assets ecosystem is not a suitable or safe space for retail investors. You can read the full contents of her speech here. Other news Companies House in the UK has published a useful article on filing accounts and are encouraging users to file early and file online. Accountancy Europe has published a paper which explores the different corporate governance systems based on a survey of 17 European countries. It identifies significant differences in national legislation and practice to lay the groundwork for EU sustainable corporate governance initiatives to be well integrated into the national corporate structures. New rules have been introduced from 1 December 2022 as to how employers will have to share tips, gratuities and service charges amongst employees. It will also be illegal for employers to use these to form part of the basic wages. Please click here to read some useful information from the Workplace Relations Commission website on key features such as what is a “tip or gratuity” ,what is a mandatory service charge and what happens if an employee is not satisfied with the way tips and gratuities are distributed. The National Cyber Security centre in the UK has issued some good advice on how to stay secure online. Please click here for some tips on keeping your e mail secure, two actions to instantly help to protect-a strong and different password and turning on 2-Step Verification. There are also some other tips for other ways to stay secure online and keep your devices safe. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub on the Institute website. 

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) have issued amendments to the application guidance to FRS 100. These amendments were consulted on earlier this year, via FRED 80.  The amendments to the application guidance to FRS 100 provide guidance on how Irish intermediate parents with a UK parent can assess equivalence of consolidated financial statements when applying section 300 of the Companies Act 2014. Similarly, the amendments provide application guidance on equivalence when applying section 401 of the Companies Act 2006 in the UK. In addition to the amendments, the FRC has also issued a revised edition of FRS 100. This incorporates all changes to the standard since the previous edition was issued in 2018.

Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup. In developments this week, a reminder that the Institute is hosting a webinar on SCARP – what we know so far now scheduled for Thursday, 1 December 2022 at 10am. Des Gibney of McStay Luby and Hilary Larkin of Mazars along with Laura-Michelle Moore from Chartered Accountants Ireland will discuss the SCARP process, how to prepare for it, what to look out for and key matters to be aware of when considering it; and the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) is seeking comments on its draft endorsement advice on amendments to IFRS 16 by 9 January 2023. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Auditing The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has published a set of principles that it will use to assess whether the public interest is best served by carrying out regulatory, supervisory and enforcement work that is outside of its primary regulatory perimeter as it transitions to the Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA). The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has published new guidance to help users understand the impact on the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) due to narrow-scope amendments made to International Accounting Standard (IAS) 1, Presentation of Financial Statements by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). While the IAASB remains framework neutral when developing the ISAs, it considers financial reporting framework developments that may affect the ISAs, such as changes to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Amendments to IAS 1 and the Impact on the ISAs: Disclosure of Material Accounting Policy Information, among other matters, provides users with guidance on how to address the effect of the amendments on a number of illustrative auditor reports throughout the ISAs that assume, as part of the fact pattern, that the financial statements are prepared by the management of the entity in accordance with IFRSs Financial Reporting On Thursday 17 November the FRC Directors of Strategy and Change, Stakeholder Engagement and Corporate Affairs and the FRC Lab explored via a webinar recently published set of principles that they use to assess whether the public interest is best served by carrying out regulatory, supervisory and enforcement work that is outside of their primary regulatory focus. The IFRS Foundation has published Proposed Update 1 General Improvements and Common Practice, which amends the IFRS Accounting Taxonomy 2022. The proposed changes aim to improve the quality of tagged data and to make the IFRS Accounting Taxonomy easier to use. The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) is seeking comments on its draft endorsement advice on amendments to IFRS 16. Comments are requested by 9 January 2023. The International Accounting Standards Board will host a research forum in November 2023. The purpose of this forum is to give researchers the opportunity to give recommendations on the projects researchers look into. The deadline for the submission of research papers is 31 March 2023. Insolvency A reminder that the Institute is hosting a webinar on SCARP – what we know so far now scheduled for Thursday, 1 December 2022 at 10am. Des Gibney of McStay Luby and Hilary Larkin of Mazars along with Laura-Michelle Moore from Chartered Accountants Ireland will discuss the SCARP process, how to prepare for it, what to look out for and key matters to be aware of when considering it. We will explore some practical issues including how SCARP is working in practice, dealing with creditors and what your balance sheet may look like before entering the process versus afterwards. This is a free event and open to all to attend. Sustainability The ISSB have released a podcast which discusses their highlights from COP27. The Irish Central Bank  recently hosted a seminar on the Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation (SFDR) for the asset management sector. Comments made by the Deputy Governor are reported on the Central Bank website. She said that they are placing significant emphasis on supporting delivery of the sustainable finance agenda through the implementation of related legislative initiatives. She referred to CBI role at ESMA, where the CBI has helped shape and develop the organisation’s ambitious agenda in the ESG/sustainability area and to the Sustainable Finance Roadmap 2022-2024 published in February by ESMA. She also referred to CBI domestic focus, the dedicated Climate Change Unit and legislative implementation and supervision of the new requirements in this area – including the SFDR, Taxonomy Regulation and the amendments to UCITS / AIFMD for management companies. You can read her comments in full at the link above. Also, in November 2022 the Central Bank issued an information note entitled Sustainable finance and the asset management sector: Disclosures, investment processes & risk management. You can read the Information Note here. Anti-money laundering/Sanctions The UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation HM Treasury has published its annual review for dates April 2021 to August 2022.In the review OFSI director refers to the extra focus  given to the first 6 months of the invasion of Ukraine to provide context and clarity on what he says is OFSI’s critical  work on sanctions which he says  continues to be integral to the UK’s ability to respond to geo-political issues. Please also click here for the associated HM Treasury news story which reports that the new figures released reveal the full effect of UK sanctions on Russia – with over £18 billion frozen and reported to OFSI. In November 2022 HM Treasury in the UK issued an updated Advisory Notice: High Risk Third Countries. The notice refers to Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (High-Risk Countries) (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations 2022 and states that the statutory instrument will come into force on 7 November 2022 and substitute the list of high-risk third countries specified in Schedule 3ZA of the Money Laundering Regulations with a new list. This list will continue to mirror both the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) ‘Jurisdictions under increased monitoring’ and ‘High-risk jurisdictions subject to a call for action’ documents. Click here to read the advisory notice. Central Bank Readers may know about Irish regulations passed in February 2022 which provided for a central database of information to be supplied by credit institutions to the Irish Central Bank on safe-deposit boxes and bank and payment accounts. The regulations were brought into force to give further effect to the EU fourth and fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directives. In recent weeks the Irish Central Bank has launched a webpage Ireland Safe Deposit Box Bank and Payment Accounts Register (ISBAR) which  sets out the information to be contained on the register and says that the register ensures that flows of money can be properly traced to individuals, entities and illicit networks at an early stage .Technical guidance documents, a reporting template and some FAQs are also accessible on the page. Please also click here for a recent Institute news item on the register. Other news The Irish Companies registration office has in  recent weeks publicised on its website the Christmas 2022 deadline for company incorporations, change of name, re-registration and company name reservations which readers should take note of. The CRO says that it cannot guarantee that submissions received after the dates set out below will be processed before the Christmas break. Fé PHRAINN ONLINE SCHEME 14 December 2022 A1 ORDINARY ONLINE SCHEME 8 December 2022 CHANGE OF NAME 8 December 2022 REREGISTRATIONS 8 December 2022 COMPANY NAME RESERVATIONS 16 December 2022 Readers may recall that earlier this year, the Institute, as part of CCAB-I, responded to a public consultation from the Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on new legislation for the co-operative sector. The Government has now approved the drafting of what is billed as ground-breaking legislation for the sector. Please click here for more details contained in the press release and here to go to the page with a link to the General Scheme of the Co-operative Societies Bill 2022. You can also click here to read the submissions made to the Department in February  2022 including the CCAB-I response. This week the Tánaiste announced the introduction of a national living wage. It will be set at 60% of the hourly median wages in line with the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission. It will be introduced over a four-year period and will be in place by 2026, at which point it will replace the National Minimum Wage. Readers can find  more details in the Dept. news  here . The latest InterTradeIreland Business Monitor (Q3 2022) more details on which, including a Q3 2022  infographic, you can find here, reveals that while businesses are still expanding, the pace of growth is starting to flatten. The latest data shows that while sales and profits remain relatively buoyant, quarter-on-quarter, a pattern of slowing growth is emerging as rising costs pile on the pressure. Last week the Pensions Authority published information for group pension schemes that are subject to the 1 January 2023 compliance deadline for pension schemes, and it has issued a video reminder of it this week. You can click here for the press release and to access the video. The Companies House in the UK has published its  annual report and accounts for the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022. The companies register had grown to holding information on around 4.9 million incorporated companies at the end of March 2022. NI Charity regulator opens a consultation: Joint consultation on draft Strategic Plan 2023-2026 and Engagement Strategy The Commission is developing a new strategic plan alongside a new engagement strategy, both of which are being undertaken following the Independent Review of Charity Regulation commissioned by the Minister for Communities in January 2021. The draft strategic plan will set out the Commission’s priorities over the next three years as it responds to the review of charity regulation, the new Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 and delivers charity regulation in Northern Ireland. The engagement strategy will set out how the Commission will become more outward facing and actively engage with stakeholders. This engagement is designed to support charities in complying with charity law while also educating and raising awareness of the Commission’s work amongst the public, including those who support, work for or avail of the services offered by charities. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub on the Institute website. 

Roundup 11 November 2022 Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup. In developments this week, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has issued its October 2022 edition of the EFRAG Update. This summarises public technical discussions held and decisions taken during the month; the Irish Pensions Authority published information this week for group pension schemes that are subject to the 1 January 2023 compliance deadline where these pension schemes must meet the full requirements of the Pensions Act, 1990, as amended, including the new requirements of the IORP II Directive, from 1 January 2023 onwards. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Auditing The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched a consultation on its draft proposal for a minimum standard for audit committees.  This follows the UK Government's Response to its consultation on Restoring Trust in Audit and Corporate Governance, which set out its intention to give ARGA statutory powers to mandate minimum standards for audit committees in their role on the external audit. The FRC are holding a webinar entitled “Effective and Transparent Regulating” on 24 November. This will provide an update of the work of the FRC in 2022 and a look ahead to 2023. Financial Reporting The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has issued its October 2022 edition of the EFRAG Update. This summarises public technical discussions held and decisions taken during the month. EFRAG and the IASB are holding a joint online roundtable for preparers, users and auditors on Primary Financial Statements on Tuesday 15 November. The International Forum of Accounting Standard Setters (IFASS) have released a report with their key messages from their September 2022 meeting.               The IASB has published a user feedback newsletter on the IFRS for SMEs Accounting standard update. This newsletter explains how the IASB has responded to feedback from users of SMEs’ financial statements and describes the proposals the IASB published in its recent Exposure Draft. On 7 December 2022, EFRAG will hold its conference "Where is Corporate Reporting heading?" in Brussels to celebrate its 21-year anniversary and discuss EFRAG's major accomplishments, past and future. It will be an occasion to debate the new trends in corporate reporting following the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) revolution and the connectivity with financial reporting. Insolvency The Institute is hosting a webinar on SCARP – what we know so far now scheduled for Thursday, 1 December 2022 at 10am. Des Gibney of McStay Luby and Hilary Larkin of Mazars along with Laura-Michelle Moore from Chartered Accountants Ireland will discuss the SCARP process, how to prepare for it, what to look out for and key matters to be aware of when considering it. We will explore some practical issues including how SCARP is working in practice, dealing with creditors and what your balance sheet may look like before entering the process versus afterwards. This is a free event and open to all to attend. Sustainability The European Parliament has this week adopted the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) with 525 votes in favour, 60 votes against and 28 abstentions. The CSRD was originally proposed by the European Commission in April 2021, and it will make companies more accountable by obliging them to disclose information on their societal and environmental impact. This will now go forward to the Council of the European Union for adoption of the proposal on 28 November 2022. The first new sustainability reporting standards will be adopted by the Commission in 2023 with these becoming mandatory over the next few years, beginning in 2024 for the very large companies. Please see the press release and the text of the CSRD adopted by the EU Parliament for further information. CDP, the not-for-profit which runs the global environmental disclosure platform for corporations, and the IFRS Foundation have announced that CDP will incorporate the International Sustainability Standard Board’s (ISSB) IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures Standard [IFRS S2] into its global environmental disclosure platform, in a major step towards delivering a comprehensive global baseline for capital markets through the adoption of ISSB standards. The ISSB have also made some other announcements in the past week, including; Details of discussions held on the reference to other standards to support interoperability with other sustainability related standards November 2022 supplementary update A summary of its main achievements, in the year following its creation at COP 26 in November 2021. Announcement of implementation steps that will help jurisdictions prepare for its implementation. The Irish government this week launched a report outlining the skills required by the domestic retail financial services sector to finance Ireland’s net zero transition. You can read the press release here. The report highlights how education and training in sustainable finance to date has concentrated on the financial and capital markets, such as green bonds, regulatory developments, and sustainable investment funds, with a greater focus on the Irish retail financial services sector talent development a next key step. Click here for a copy of the report. In its recently released report “Getting to Net Zero: A Global Review of Corporate Disclosures” the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) have highlighted the inconsistency and incomparability of target disclosures and have highlighted that COP27 is the perfect time to dig into what is being disclosed and to explore how emission disclosures can become more decision-useful. Anti-money laundering The latest edition of the UK Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU)'s SARs Reporter Booklet is now available on the NCA website and can be accessed here. It is a product for reporters of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and readers are reminded that if you are making a SARs report you must use a glossary code, details of which are set out in the booklet. Chartered Accountants Ireland Professional Standards has recently issued the UK AML Supervision Report 2021/2022 in accordance with Reg 46A of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 (as amended). The report reflects the significant efforts of Chartered Accountants Ireland in meeting its anti-money laundering (AML) supervisory obligations for the year to 5 April 2022. It also provides details of firm inspection activity for the year and the results arising from this. Readers can access a copy of the report here . Other news A reminder to readers that Charity Trustees’ Week is taking place from 14 - 18 November 2022.It is hosted in partnership by the Charities Regulator, Boardmatch Ireland, Carmichael, Charities Institute Ireland, Dóchas, Pobal, The Wheel, and Volunteer Ireland. The Charities Regulator has put up a calendar of events on its website and you can click here to get further information on those events. The Pensions Authority published information this week for group pension schemes that are subject to the 1 January 2023 compliance deadline where these pension schemes must meet the full requirements of the Pensions Act, 1990, as amended, including the new requirements of the IORP II Directive, from 1 January 2023 onwards. Please click here to see the press release on the Authority’s website. The Irish government recently amended the Work Life Balance Bill and approved the integration of the right to request remote work for all workers into the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill. This bill is expected to be delivered by the end of the year. Under the new legislation employees will have a legal right to request remote working from their employer. In addition, employers will now be required to have regard to a code of practice when considering requests. The principal differences in the integrated Bill compared with the original Right to Request Remote Working Bill are in the grounds for refusal and the right to redress.  Readers can find out further information on this development in the press release here . The latest blog from the Governor of the Central Bank may be of interest to some readers. It discusses the sector of non -banks, their growth, vulnerabilities, and the need for well-developed macroprudential policy for non-banks. You can read the blog here. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform this week issued interim guidance for public bodies and prescribed persons on the Protected Disclosures Act. Amending legislation will commence on 1 January 2023.The interim guidance has been prepared to assist public sector employers and prescribed persons in implementing the new requirements of the amended legislation as regards the establishment and operation of internal and external reporting channels. Following commencement, this interim Guidance will be issued as formal Statutory Guidance. Please  click here for the press release and click here and scroll to bottom of the page  for a copy of the interim guidance. The UK FCA Chief Data, Information and Intelligence Officer, spoke recently on the area of regulation and risk management of Artificial Intelligence in financial services. Topics included the central role of the governance framework for AI and the key question for financial services of whether AI can be managed through fine-tuning the existing regulatory framework, or whether a new approach is needed. Here she made reference to the FCA and Bank of England’s AI Discussion Paper which can be accessed from within the speech. Access to the contents of the speech can be found here. The UK Charity Commission have provided some guidance on their new way of engaging with charities via their “My Charities Commission Account”. The Charity Commission in Northern Ireland has released a report on its Independent Review of Charity Regulation. The report contains 93 recommendations on changes that could be considered to improve the delivery of services and the operation of the regulatory framework. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub on the Institute website. 

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has published an infographic outlining the timeline and processes for the implementation of the Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT). The first phase commenced 1 November 2022 when local authorities published draft maps showing lands that will be subject to RZLT. Landowners and others have until 1 January 2023 to make a submission to their local authority regarding the inclusion/exclusion of their lands from the draft maps, or to request a change of zoning of land. The RZLT will apply from 2024 to relevant land at a rate of 3 percent of market value. Considered by government to be an important component of the pathway to increasing new housing supply, contained in the Housing for All plan to 2030, the aim of the tax is to activate land for residential development rather than to raise revenue. Welcoming the publication of the Draft Residential Zoned Land Tax Maps, Minister Donohoe said: “This is an important step in the RZLT implementation process whereby land within scope of the tax has been identified by local authorities. Landowners whose land is included on a draft map should now review the map and consider if their land meets the criteria for inclusion and make submissions to their local authority accordingly. Residential properties, while they might be on the map, are not liable for the tax if they are subject to LPT. In the course of 2023, supplemental and final maps will be prepared by local authorities identifying the land within scope; the final map will be revised annually from 2025 onwards. Ireland requires increased housing supply to meet our housing needs. The RZLT aims to incentivise landowners to activate existing zoned and serviced residential development land for housing on identified lands and lead to the building of more homes.” Further details are included in the Department of Finance press release.

The October Exchequer figures show that tax revenues were €6.4 billion ahead of profile and €13 billion up on the same period last year. Contributing to this was the strong performance of corporation tax receipts, which were nearly €4.8 billion higher than profiled. The annual increase is, in part, flattered by Covid-19 restrictions that were in place in the early part of last year. Corporation tax receipts of €2.3 billion were reported in the October tax revenues. This is €1.2 billion higher than profiled. The Department of Finance press release on the publication of the October Exchequer figures, notes that it is not expected that such a high level of receipts will be repeated in future years. The Minister for Finance discussed the continued uncertainty within the corporation tax base despite the 12-month rolling Exchequer surplus of €7.3 billion, as such revenues may prove transitory. Commenting on the figures, the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe T.D. said: “Today’s figures show that tax receipts remain strong at the start of the fourth quarter. However, the strength of potentially volatile corporate tax receipts continue to provide an artificially positive picture of the public finances. As I have warned on many occasions, while these receipts are welcome, it is imperative that that Government does not build up permanent fiscal commitments on the basis of revenues that may prove transitory.   Budget 2023 was, of course, a ‘Cost of Living Budget’ focused on mitigating inflationary pressures. The Government has aimed to strike a delicate balance between providing assistance to those suffering the most but without adding fuel to the fire of inflation, while ensuring that we retain sufficient firepower to respond to further challenges over the coming years.   That is why I allocated €2 billion to the National Reserve Fund this year, with a further €4 billion to be transferred next year.  This policy instrument is aimed at further enhancing the resilience of the public finances and will enable the Government to respond in a pro-active manner should risks materialise over the coming period.” Further details are included in the Fiscal Monitor October 2022.    

Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup. In developments this week, the IFRS Foundation has issued a summary of the recent World Standard Setters Conference held on 26-27 September. This includes updates on recent, ongoing and upcoming work by the IASB and ISSB and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has recently published its latest edition of its Spotlight on Markets Newsletter. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Financial Reporting The Financial Reporting Lab is launching a project to understand how companies develop, assess and use materiality and to consider how enhancements to disclosure about materiality processes might assist investors. The project is expected to cover financial and non-financial reporting. The IASB have released the final instalment of its Dynamic Risk Management (DRM) webcast series. These webcasts explain the DRM project based on the IASB’s tentative decisions to date. The IFRS Foundation has issued a summary of the recent World Standard Setters Conference, held on 26-27 September. This includes updates on recent, ongoing and upcoming work by the IASB and ISSB. The FRC will be holding a webinar on Structured digital reporting – improving quality and usability on 8 November. This will cover some of the key points raised in the FRC Lab’s recent report on Structured Digital Reporting. The FRC will also be holding a webinar on this year’s Annual Review of Corporate Reporting on 2 November. EFRAG has released its educational session on the Primary Financial Statements project. Audit - Quality Management IAASA over recent weeks has published a series of videos designed to provide information on the new suite of Quality Management Standards in Ireland. The full series is available here. To accompany the video series, IAASA has published a factsheet for each Quality Management Standard available here. The new standards apply to periods from 15 December 2022. See our QM resource pages for links to the standards and further guidance. Anti-money laundering, sanctions Click here for the “Inside FCA Podcast: Fighting Financial Crime” where the FCA Executive Director of Markets speaks at the Financial Crime Summit in London. Also see the remarks by the  interim Chair of the FCA and Chief Executive of the FCA delivered recently at the FCA's 2022 Annual Public Meeting. The UK National Crime Agency’s latest edition of SARs in action is now available. It includes items on the red alert issued by the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce in July 2022 on Russia elite and enablers, non-fungible tokens and money laundering and trade-based money laundering. Please click here to access the October issue. Other The Corporate Enforcement Authority, (CEA), has drafted an Information Note concerning the European Union (Preventive Restructuring) Regulations 2022. The Note will provide a list of potential early warning indicators which may help directors to identify that the company is approaching financial difficulties. It will also give information on the restructuring options available to companies facing financial difficulties, but which may otherwise have a reasonable prospect of survival. CEA is inviting interested parties to submit their views on the draft Information Note by 5pm on 1 November 2022.Readers can access the draft information note here. Revenue has announced a 12-month extension to the Debt Warehousing Scheme to continue to support businesses. Under the scheme, businesses with warehoused debt were due to enter into an arrangement with Revenue to deal with that debt by the end of the year - or by 1 May 2023 for those subject to an extended deadline.  But given the current economic uncertainty, Revenue said it was now extending that timeline to 1 May 2024. Th Minister for Business, Employment and Retail recently introduced draft legislation, the Employment Permits Bill 2022 which if enacted will help modernise the Employment Permit system in Ireland. You can read the press release and access the draft bill on this page. The Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Ireland recently spoke at Climate Finance Week 2022 on the topic of addressing Climate Risk in the Financial System today. She talked about prioritising climate risk at the Central Bank and how firms should identify and manage climate risks. You can click here to read the speech. Announcing the Northern Ireland Charity Commission’s first public meeting since pre COVID-19, Chief Charity Commissioner, Nicole Lappin, highlighted the event as an important opportunity for the charity sector, and for the Commission itself.  The event will include an overview of the Commission’s work and development in recent years, the changes brought in following new Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 as well as the regulator’s plans for the future. Date: Wednesday 16 November 2022 Time: 10am – 12.30pm (registration from 9.45am, refreshments will be available) Venue: Chestnut Suite, Lagan Valley Island, Lisburn The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has recently published its latest edition of its Spotlight on Markets Newsletter. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub on the Institute website. 

The Tax Appeals Commission (TAC) has published a catalogue of the TAC determinations published since its establishment in 2016 up to 3 October 2022. TAC determinations are catagorised by tax head and are accessible here.

Prior to the introduction of the Special Assignee Relief Programme (SARP) there was an expatriate-based tax relief available under section 825B Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 to individuals who were not Irish domiciled and who, before they came to the State, were living and working in a country with which Ireland had a double taxation agreement. As the latest tax year in which the relief could be claimed was 2015, Revenue has removed Tax and Duty Manual Part 34-00-08 as it is no longer relevant.

Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup. In developments this week, IAASA has published a paper setting out information requests that it has raised with companies on their climate-related disclosures in their annual financial reports and did you know about the European Commission’s podcasts? Short episodes are released at the same time as the monthly EU Commission Finance Newsletter on topics related to banks, capital markets, insurance, digital or sustainable finance, anti-money laundering, sanctions, etc. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Financial Reporting In their latest edition of “Insight from SME accountants” series, Accountancy Europe looks at how sustainability matters for the new generation of accountant. The IASB has produced a series of eight webcasts to explain the Dynamic Risk Management project to date. The FRC Lab has published a report on the disclosure of net zero commitments. This provides tips for companies on how to consider when disclosing their commitments. IAASA has published a paper setting out information requests that it has raised with companies on their climate-related disclosures in their annual financial reports. Anti-Money laundering, sanctions On 6 October 2022 the European Union announced its eighth package of sanctions. Click here for a press release on the eighth package of sanctions and please also visit our sanctions webpages “Europe & International” for more details of what the eighth package consists of. HMRC in the UK has recently issued an economic crime supervision annual self-assessment report for the period  1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 which it says  analyses the extent to which HMRC is meeting its obligations under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, as well as comparing it to the standards set for professional body anti-money laundering supervisors. The National Cyber Security Centre Ireland has a quick guide to phishing to help to avoid being phished, spotting the giveaway signs of phishing e-mails, and what to do if you think you’ve already clicked the attacker’s bait. Other The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform recently signed the commencement order for the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 to set 1 January 2023 as the date on which the Act will commence in its entirety. Readers may be aware that the new legislation will substantially amend the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. It will expand the categories of protected person to include protections for volunteers, shareholders, board members and job applicants for the first time. It also expands the wrongs in respect of which a protected disclosure can be made. It imposes requirements on organisations to put internal whistleblowing procedures in place and a new Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner will be established. You can read more in the Department’s press release on its website here and we will provide more information to members in due course on this topic. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has published its October's Enterprise Newsletter. This includes information about Budget 2023 helping businesses and families with escalating energy costs, the Cross-Government launch of a new National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals 2022-2024, and EU trade sanctions in response to situation in Ukraine. There are also details of a new pay agreement providing pay increases and wage structure for early learning and childcare workers, publication of the Final Report of the LEEF High-Level Working Group on Collective Bargaining, and public consultation on the Single Market Emergency Instrument. The newsletter can be found here. The Pensions Authority has published the results of a survey conducted on trustees’ IORP II preparedness. The survey provides information on pension scheme trustees’ progress since a similar survey was carried out in 2020. The survey findings indicate that while significant progress has been made by scheme trustees to meet the requirements of the Act, there is still work to be done by trustees to ensure compliance ahead of the 1 January 2023 deadline. The survey findings also indicate that most DB scheme trustees surveyed intend to continue their scheme, while almost half of the DC trustee respondents noted an intention to wind up their scheme and move to a master trust. Further information and the results can be found here. Did you know about the European Commission’s podcasts? Short episodes are released at the same time as the monthly EU Commission Finance Newsletter on topics related to banks, capital markets, insurance, digital or sustainable finance, anti-money laundering, sanctions, etc. The latest one “the on about Anti Money laundering dated 29 September 2022 can be accessed now. Please also click here to read the European Commission’s latest Banking and Finance newsletter where DG FISMA's Director-General talks about topics including the energy crisis and  sanctions, and includes a short discussion about cryptocurrencies, the current ‘crypto winter’, and the digital euro. Cathy Shivnan, the Corporate Enforcement Authority’s (CEA) Director of Insolvency Supervision, sat down recently with Graham Kenny of Eversheds Sutherland LLP to talk about the role of the newly established CEA. The CEA is now the competent authority in Ireland for the investigation of breaches of the Companies Acts and the taking of necessary enforcement actions. You can listen here. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub on the Institute website. 

The FRC Lab has published a report entitled "Net zero disclosures". This report, which highlights examples of current practice, discusses some of the key considerations for investors who use net zero disclosures and the elements of net zero disclosures that investors want to understand. The report builds on three key elements of net zero disclosures (commitments, impacts and performance) and discusses areas of consideration and challenge within these topics. The report provides some useful guidance for preparers seeking to navigate the difficult area of reporting on their greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments.

Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup. In developments this week, the IFRS Foundation has published its September 2022 monthly news summary which highlights the news and events from the past month and in a recently released episode of the International Accounting Standards Board podcast, Chair Andreas Barckow and Executive Technical Director Nili Shah, talk through the highlights from the September 2022 IASB meeting. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Financial Reporting IAASA has published its annual Observations paper highlighting matters that those charged with governance should consider when preparing their financial statements for 2022. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) Lab have issued their September 2022 news roundup. EFRAG, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group has published its September 2022 update. In its September 2022 podcast, the ISSB discuss the highlights from its recent board meeting. The IASB have also released its September 2022 podcast. The IFRS Foundation has published its September 2022 monthly news summary which highlights the news and events from the past month. The FRC has published a report on Navigating barriers to senior leadership for people from minority ethnic groups in FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies.  Auditing and Assurance The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has opened a post implementation review of the auditing standard (ISA) (UK) 540 (Revised December 2018) Auditing Accounting Estimates and Related Disclosures. This ISA became effective for audits of accounting periods beginning on or after 15 December 2019. Interested stakeholders are also invited to attend one of two roundtables to support the call for feedback. These are being held on: Wednesday 23 November 2022, 14:00-15:00 (online) Thursday 24 November 2022, 11:00-12:00 (in person at the FRC’s offices) To RSVP for the roundtables please email stakeholderengagement@frc.org.uk. The call for feedback is open until 13 January 2023. Accounting In a recently released episode of the IASB podcast, Chair Andreas Barckow and Executive Technical Director Nili Shah talk through the highlights from the September 2022 IASB meeting. Ethics and the Ukraine Conflict The Staff of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants have released the Staff Alert, The Ukraine Conflict: Key Ethics and Independence Considerations. The publication draws the attention of professional accountants in business and in public practice, including firms, to a number of important provisions in the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) with which they must comply in carrying out their work as they navigate the unprecedented challenges and risks arising from the Russia-Ukraine war. Other The Pensions Authority has published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2021. The Annual Report and Accounts for 2021 and an accompanying statement from the Pensions Regulator, Brendan Kennedy, can be read here. Also in Pensions Authority news, they recently published information in relation to exit charges, trustee annual reports and audited accounts for one member arrangements (OMAs) migrating into a master trust. You can read more details from their website here. The Pensions Authority has also published an update for trustees in relation to trustee annual reports and audited accounts for group schemes with less than 100 active and deferred members transferring to a master trust or PRSAs. The UK Financial Conduct Authority has published research showing that a quarter of consumers it surveyed would withdraw pension savings earlier to cover cost of living – making them vulnerable to scammer ‘misdirection’. It has recently launched its latest ScamSmart campaign aimed at giving consumers the knowledge and tools to avoid pension scams and you can read more about it here. The Central Bank has recently announced a review of the Consumer Protection Code 2012 (“Code”) to modernise it and ensure it is fit for purpose. The Code is a set of principles and rules that regulated financial firms must follow when they sell financial products and services, give financial information or advice, advertise financial products or services and handle complaints of consumers. A discussion paper has been published and you can click on the link to access the discussion paper and complete the survey. The Central Bank published its final Quarterly Bulletin of 2022 and  you can read the press release here. Chartered Accountants Ireland Western Society was pleased to co-host the launch of the Bulletin in the Galmont Hotel Galway on 6 October 2022. The event was an opportunity to discuss the general outlook for the Irish economy and the Bulletin which noted that energy-driven inflation is causing uncertainty and challenges for domestic growth. Following a short presentation, attendees were invited to ask questions from the panel moderated by Dr Brian Keegan, Director of Advocacy and Voice, Chartered Accountants Ireland.  The panel included Robert Kelly, Director of Economics and Statistics, Ireland; Tara McIndoe-Calder – Senior Economist, Central Bank of Ireland and Cathal O'Donoghue – Established Chair, Social and Public Policy, National University of Ireland, Galway. Please click here to access a podcast by Europol on Ransomware. A number of cybercrime specialists speak about how law enforcement dealt with a cybercriminal network selling ransomware services. Also in Ireland on this topic, the National Cyber Security Centre and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau this week launched a joint public awareness campaign for European Cyber Security Month. The campaign this year is focused on the twin themes of phishing and ransomware, urging vigilance and outlining their potential impacts on the everyday lives of Irish citizens and businesses. You can read more in the Dept. of Justice press release here. On Wednesday of this week there was a cross government launch of  the new National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals 2022-2024. Its purpose is to  increase Ireland’s ambition and strengthen implementation structures to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (which are set out in the plan). The Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance, Seán Fleming, recently launched an update of the Ireland for Finance strategy. This update charts the future development of the international financial services sector in Ireland to the end of 2026. Under the updated strategy the government has a target to grow employment in the sector by 5,000 net new jobs. You can read the press release here and access the updated strategy by clicking here and clicking the Updated Ireland for Finance Strategy. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub on the Institute website. 

The Department of Finance published its Annual Report for 2021. The report relates to the Department’s performance and the work undertaken in achieving the strategic goals of the Department. These include achieving a balanced, sustainable macroeconomic environment and sound public finances, a well-regulated, sustainable financial sector, international leadership in economic, fiscal and financial decision making and promoting environmentally sustainable progress.

Revenue has updated its Guide to Exchange of Information under Council Directive 2011/16/EU, Ireland’s Double Taxation Agreements and Tax Information Exchange Agreements and the OECD/Council of Europe Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. The revised guidance sets out the role of the International Tax Division.

The Department of Finance has published a review of the Help to Buy Scheme by Mazars. The scheme is intended to assist first time buyers (FTBs) to save for the deposit required to qualify for a mortgage for the purchase of a newly built residential property. The report notes that the scheme is poorly targeted and promotes demand for new housing in a market where there are supply constraints, while highlighting the deadweight associated with the expenditure. The Mazars report states that, “[t]here are weaknesses in the Help to Buy scheme and it cannot be concluded that it is sufficiently efficient to represent good value for money. Consequently, we conclude that it should be withdrawn. However, now is not the time to do so.” The report recommends an extension of the scheme for two years only, while removing self-builds from the scheme and increasing the minimum mortgage loan-to-value ratio from 70 percent to 80 percent, during which time a move away from a tax expenditure scheme towards a scheme under the direction of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government should be facilitated. However, in Budget 2023 the Minister for Finance announced an extension of the Help to Buy scheme, at current rates, to the end of 2024.

Revenue has published a new Tax and Duty Manual to provide guidance for caseworkers conducting compliance interventions in respect of employers who have incorrectly operated payroll taxes. The guidance deals only with cases where an update of the employee’s payroll record is required due to the incorrect operation of the PAYE system by an employer as a result of error or carelessness. This guidance will apply to any self-correction or qualifying disclosure received and/or Revenue compliance intervention initiated following the publication of this Tax and Duty Manual.

Revenue has published updated guidance regarding its Revenue On-line Service (ROS) and useful ROS Pay and File tips in advance of the personal tax deadline of 31 October 2022. The deadline is extended to Wednesday, 16 November 2022 where the taxpayer both files their 2021 Form 11 return and makes the appropriate payment for 2022 Preliminary Tax and the balance of 2021 Income Tax using ROS. The extension does not apply where only one of these actions is completed through ROS. The updated ROS Tax and Duty Manual includes information on new services such as Trust Register Functions, the redesign of the ROS ‘Login’ and ‘Manage My Certificate’ screens, MyEnquiries auto-registration for new ROS registrations and information on updating a bank account in an RDI. The updated ROS Pay and File Useful Tips Tax and Duty Manual is to assist taxpayers and their agents to comply with their ROS Pay and File obligations. The guidance includes information on the calculation and payment of 2022 preliminary tax, CGT self-assessment, CAT and PAYE return deadlines, updates to the 2021 Form 11 and the ROS Offline application. Further information is available in Revenue eBrief no. 178/22.

Revenue has published information on the changes made to excise duty rates as part of Budget 2023 and has updated a number of Tax and Duty Manuals. Details on the changes made to excise duty rates as part of Budget 2022 are included in Tax and Duty Manual Budget 2023 - Excise Duty Rates. The Tax and Duty Manual Tobacco Products Tax has also been updated to reflect changes to the excise duty rates that take effect from 28 September 2022.

Revenue published its Budget 2023 summary, detailing the key measures in this year’s budget.

Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup. In developments this week, the Irish Pensions Authority recently published information for trustees on the appointment of a service provider to carry out more than one key function and the Financial Reporting Council has published the revised ISA (UK) 600 (Revised September 2022) Special Considerations - Audits of Group Financial Statements (Including the Work of Component Auditors). Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Financial Reporting The UK Endorsement Board (UKEB) has published a report entitled “Subsequent Measurement of Goodwill: A Hybrid Model”. This report contributes to the ongoing international debate on the subsequent measurement of goodwill. The Financial Reporting Council Lab has published a report entitled “Structured Digital Reporting - Improving quality and usability”. This report identifies lessons learned from the first year of mandatory structured digital reporting. The FRC are holding a joint webinar with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to discuss the regulators views on the first year of TCFD-aligned disclosures. The FRC has also published its thematic review of the accounting and reporting for business combinations. The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has published a discussion paper on Accounting for Variable Consideration from a Purchaser’s Perspective, and invites constituents to comment by 31 May 2023. IAASA has published a Consultation Paper on its proposed revised Policy Paper – Publication of information regarding IAASA’s financial reporting supervision activities. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has issued narrow-scope amendments to IFRS 16 Leases, which add to requirements explaining how a company accounts for a sale and leaseback after the date of the transaction. These amendments will apply for periods beginning on or after 1 January 2024, with early adoption permitted. The IASB has issued its September 2022 update. The taskforce on Disclosures about Expected Credit Losses has published a report entitled “Recommendations on a comprehensive set of IFRS 9 Expected Credit Loss disclosures”. The guidance is aimed primarily at the biggest UK-headquartered banks and building societies but is also likely to be relevant to a much wider group of preparers. Auditing and Assurance Revisions to ISA (UK) 600 The FRC has published the revised ISA (UK) 600 (Revised September 2022) Special Considerations -Audits of Group Financial Statements (Including the Work of Component Auditors). IAASA has published its fourth video in a series designed to provide information on the Quality Management Standards in Ireland. This video provides an overview of International Standard on Quality Management 2 – Engagement Quality Reviews. Click here to access the video. Sustainability The IFRS Foundation staff has prepared the staff request for feedback on the draft of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Taxonomy. The document outlines staff recommendations reflecting the proposals in the two exposure drafts published by the International Sustainability Standards Board: [Draft] IFRS S1 General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information; and [Draft] IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures. The European Securities and Market Authority (ESMA) has updated its sustainable finance implementation timeline with an interesting infographic. EFRAG is establishing Community Sector Groups across a number of sectors to allow a range of external stakeholders to provide their input in the development of sector specific draft European Sustainability Reporting Standards. Stakeholders with a direct interest in the sectors listed below can apply to join these groups via the EFRAG website. The groups being established cover the following sectors; Agriculture, Farming and Fishing Coal Mining & Mining Energy and Utilities Food and Beverages Motor Vehicles Oil and Gas Mid to Downstream & Oil and Gas Upstream Road Transport Textiles, Accessories, Jewellery and Footwear The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has issued its September 2022 update. Corporate Governance The Wates Principles have been widely adopted by large private companies and have become an important part of the UK’s corporate governance environment.  The FRC invites you to an event on 25 October that will explore benefits and opportunities the principles bring to individual companies and the good practice in corporate governance. Other The Irish Pensions Authority recently published information for trustees on the appointment of a service provider to carry out more than one key function. Read further information in their press release. The Authority reminds trustees that they must notify the Authority of any arrangement concerning the outsourcing of a key function within a certain timeframe and it also provides guidance on its website on how to notify the Authority of key function holder appointments. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s securities markets regulator, has this week published its Report on the distributed ledger technology pilot regime (DLT Pilot). The Central Bank is holding a conference on 2/3 November 2022 the theme of which will be Supporting the Economy, Delivering for the Consumer. Discussions will cover the challenges and opportunities facing the financial system, including climate change, consumer protection, innovation, disruption and regulation. There is a good line up of speakers already with more to be announced. Interested readers can go to the relevant webpage here for further information. Arbitration Ireland recently published “A Concise Guide to Arbitration in Dublin”. It describes the guide as providing the essentials for anyone participating in an arbitration in Dublin, from the basis of the arbitration agreement, the appointment of arbitrators, to the making, challenging and enforcement of the award. This text includes a synopsis of decisions under the Arbitration Act 2010, a summary of the Commercial Court in Ireland and considers the role of Ireland’s designated arbitration judge in addition to general guidance on Irish contract law. Interested readers can download their free copy by following this link. The Financial Conduct Authority in the UK has recently updated its page on Cryptoassets: AML / CTF regime. Click the link to access the page for further information. In the UK the government has recently introduced the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill  Click here to read the UK Government press release on the Bill  and click here for a government factsheet. According to an article on the Bill by Eversheds Sutherland the Bill builds on the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 which came into effect in the UK on 15 March 2022. The Bill proposes to expand the powers given to Companies House and to improve transparency over UK companies to better protect the UK economy and improve its reputation as a place of legitimate business. It also includes plans to expand the Serious Fraud Office’s  investigative powers. Also see here an article from Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP solicitors (RPC) on the provisions in the Bill to make it quicker and easier for law enforcement agencies, such as the National Crime Agency, to seize, freeze and recover cryptoassets used by criminals to launder the proceeds of crime. According to RPC the Bill is due to have its second reading in October and a number of amendments can be expected before the Bill is enacted. In its fifth episode of “The Fast Future with IFAC” Amy Bridges, Professional Development Manager at CPA.com offers an expert view of the market for client advisory services and a wide range of opportunities and challenges for Small and Medium Practitioners. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has informed the Decision Support Service (DSS) that a ‘go-live’ date of 21 November 2022 has been selected for the full commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act). The DSS will provide further updates in advance of its commencement. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub on the Institute website.