Last week, Institute representatives attended an information meeting hosted by the Department of Finance in conjunction with officials from Revenue. An update on the revised EU “Green Deal” General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), which was adopted on 1 July 2023 and comes into effect from 1 January 2024, and its impact was provided.  GBER is a European Commission regulation that allows Member States to put certain State aid schemes into place without prior notification to the EU Commission, provided certain conditions are met. The Employment Investment Incentive (EII), the Start-Up Relief for Entrepreneurs (SURE) and the Start-Up Capital Incentive (SCI must comply with GBER for all shares issued on or after 13 October 2015.   A copy of the slides from the meeting are available here. 

Revenue has updated its process to automatically offset relevant contracts tax (RCT) credits against tax liabilities as they fall due and tax returns are filed. Upon receipt of the RCT deducted by a principal contractor from a sub-contractor Revenue will automatically credit the subcontractor’s tax record. Automatic RCT offsets apply to employer’s PAYE, income tax, corporation tax, preliminary tax and VAT liabilities.   All automatic system offsets happen no later than seven days from the date the liability becomes due following submission of the relevant tax return. The taxpayer will receive a statement of account to their ROS inbox confirming an offset has been made.   Automatic offset of RCT credits does not apply to liabilities covered by the debt warehousing scheme or a phased payment agreement. Such an offset must be requested via MyEnquiries.

Last week, the Institute, under the auspices of the CCAB-I, wrote to the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D., and the Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath T.D., to express our members’ concern about the tax treatment of General Medical Services (GMS) income of General Practitioners (GPs) which will change from 1 January 2024. The CCAB-I and other bodies have been discussing this matter with Revenue over the past two years through the Tax Administration Liaison Committee (TALC) forum.  As previously reported, GPs in a medical practice, be they principals, partners or employees, will be required to self-assess for tax purposes on the GMS income earned in their name, with a credit for the attaching professional services withholding tax (PSWT).    Our members are concerned that taxing the GMS income of GPs in this manner does not make provision for the practice-wide scope of the GMS contract and will result in complex administrative procedures for medical practices where income is allocated between GPs and the practice depending on who treats certain categories of patient.   In addition, certain GPs employed by medical practices, that previously were simply subject to PAYE on their salary, will now also be subject to self-assessment on their GMS income. They will be required to file income tax returns and pay preliminary tax, while at the same time continuing as an employee of the practice. They may also be exposed to the 3 percent USC surcharge as self-employed individuals.   In light of such practical difficulties, CCAB-I requested that the tax treatment of income earned under contract by individuals acting on behalf of a practice be assessed on the principal or partners of the practice.  Revenue has confirmed that it will publish an updated Tax and Duty Manual in the coming weeks, in relation to the tax treatment of GMS income of GPs. CCAB-I will continue to liaise with Revenue and will inform members via Tax News.  

Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society has announced its shortlist for the 46th Annual Published Accounts Awards. The awards celebrate companies, on the Island of Ireland, for their excellence in corporate reporting. The Awards are sponsored by Euronext Dublin. This year’s shortlist includes a total of 28 public and private companies, and 10 not-for-profit organisations. The winners will be announced at a special gala event, taking place in The Shelbourne Hotel on Thursday 09 November 2023 commencing at 7.30pm, with special guest Colm O’Regan overseeing the proceedings. FINALISTS FOR THE 46th PUBLISHED ACCOUNTS AWARDS 2023 Euronext Growth Award Origin Enterprises Uniphar Euronext Dublin (SME <€1bn) Glenveagh Properties plc Irish Continental Group plc Cairn Homes plc Dalata Hotel Group plc Kenmare Resources plc IRES REIT FBD Holdings Euronext Dublin (Large Cap >€1bn) CRH plc Bank of Ireland Kerry Group Flutter Entertainment plc Company Listed on a Foreign Market Grafton Group C&C Group plc DCC plc Oneview Healthcare Statutory or Unquoted Entity (IFRS) An Post Eirgrid Northern Ireland  Water ESB Statutory or Unquoted Entity (Non-IFRS) CIÉ  Tusla Central Bank of Ireland Coillte CGA DAA Home Building Finance Ireland Irish Football Association Not for Profit - Large Barnardos Jigsaw Concern Kare Focus Ireland CLG Inspire Wellbeing CLG Not for Profit - Small / Medium The Care Trust The Wheel Dogs Trust Barretstown In addition to the category awards, there are also a number of other awards consisting of the: Overall Winner’s Award, Sustainability and ESG Reporting Awards, Branding, Communication and Digital Award, and the Diversity and Inclusion Awards. Dedicated PAA webpage: https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/Leinster/PAA Event details Thursday 09 November 2023 in The Shelbourne Hotel, 7:30pm. M.C. is critically acclaimed broadcaster, author and comedian, Colm O’Regan. Tickets are €130 per person / €1300 for a table of ten. Individual tickets and tables are available. To book or for more information please contact LeinsterSociety@charteredaccountants.ie. Dress: Business / Cocktail This event is sponsored by: 

Gemma O’Connor outlines practical tips for maintaining employee connections during illness-related absences Keeping in contact with an employee who is off work due to illness can be a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, you need to know when the employee will be fit to resume work. Conversely, you don’t want the employee to feel pressure to return to work before they’re better. If an employee is absent for an extended spell, they may feel out of touch and undervalued if you don’t reach out to see how they are recovering. As this can be a sensitive issue, here are some ground rules around contacting staff who are absent through illness. Making contact It is usually the responsibility of line managers to keep in regular contact with any of their staff who are absent. They typically know the individual best and are equipped to discuss sensitive issues. If it’s a minor illness likely to end within five days, contact is not usually necessary. No matter the duration of the absence, however, a return-to-work interview should be carried out to update people about the status of their work. This meeting also gives your employee a private opportunity to discuss concerns about their health or other matters affecting their performance or attendance. In the case of an employee’s sudden or traumatic illness, communicate your sympathies and use your discretion until a firm diagnosis is made. Call vs text Once you have a diagnosis and time has passed, you will want to contact the employee for further information about their health and return to work. All contact about an illness-related absence is typically by phone. Some employees might prefer to text. To give them time to prepare for a call, managers should send a message to set up a suitable time for a conversation that works for the employee. The discussion The call must focus only on the employee’s health and return to work. Before you pick up the phone, consider what organisational matters need to be in place before the employee returns to work (for example, if a temporary employee has been put in place, will a handover be required, etc.) or what support the employee might need to encourage a speedier return. It’s important not to make assumptions about the employee’s situation. Remember to listen and be flexible and consistent. Recovery times for the same condition can vary significantly from person to person. Do not mention the workload being taken on by other people or strained resources because of their absence. Once you get an absent employee on the phone, ask them how they are getting on and explain it’s a routine call to see how they are and when they will likely be well enough to return to work. If the employee makes it clear they don’t want to talk, remain polite and end the call. Keep records of conversations Keep a note of your conversation with the absent employee. If any subsequent claims arise from the employee’s absence, you must have a paper trail supporting your management of the situation. Ongoing assistance If the employee’s absence is stress-related, try to find out if it’s connected in any way to the employee’s job, conflict with a colleague or some other workplace concern and address any issues when the employee returns to work. Direct the employee to the Employee Assistance Programme if you think a confidential third-party discussion with a counsellor will help. Gemma O’Connor is Head of Service at Peninsula Ireland

With Budget Day approaching, Tom Woods outlines his recommendations for ensuring this year’s measures support social and economic progress With Budget 2024 just two weeks away, Ireland is experiencing mixed economic fortunes. On the positive side, near full employment and significant exchequer receipts would suggest that the Government has an unprecedented range of policy choices to consider. Nevertheless, the economy is also facing constraints. Inflation and interest rates offer limited room for manoeuvre, making selecting the right policy choices much more difficult. Housing KPMG suggests introducing a new low VAT rate on the sale of new builds to help with the affordability of purchasing a new home. We also support the reintroduction of mortgage interest relief to help homeowners with rising interest rates and growing mortgage repayments. We recommend that the taxation of professional landlords be reformed to put them on a similar footing to trading businesses. This would help to attract and retain more landlords and boost the supply of housing stock in the rental market. Reintroducing a controlled and targeted Section 23-type rented residential relief (tax relief applying to rented residential property in a tax incentive area) would also promote housing investment in less sought-after areas. The workforce As a small, open economy, our successful tax policy has helped make Ireland a location of choice for multinational business. As a country at close to full employment, we need an attractive personal tax regime to keep and grow mobile talent to support the growth of domestic and international businesses in Ireland. There is a range of budgetary measures that would help us in this regard, including the widening of the personal tax bands and credits, consideration of a new intermediate tax rate of, say, 30 percent, and the automatic indexation of credits and bands to help dampen the impact of inflation and protect the value of wages. The taxation of share-based remuneration could also be simplified, and we would like to see some improvements to the Special Assignee Relief Programme (SARP). Innovation and entrepreneurship The impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the Irish economy can’t be overstated. However, the ongoing changes to the international tax landscape emphasise the importance of having the most enticing regime within the new rules. As mentioned above, an inviting personal tax regime will become more critical, as will having an appealing research and development (R&D) regime to promote and foster more innovation. Several measures could be introduced to promote more innovation, including an upfront entitlement to cash refunds of R&D tax credits for smaller businesses. The R&D tax credit of 25 percent could be improved to either 30 percent or 35 percent to make it more attractive internationally. Moreover, the rules and the application process to qualify for this credit should be simplified. Other jurisdictions continue to refine and improve their R&D offering, so it has never been more important for Ireland’s regime to be as inviting as possible. International changes also underscore the need to support the growth of the domestic sector.  We have made several recommendations to support SMEs. These include introducing a new 20 percent capital gains tax (CGT) rate on the sale of shares in SMEs and some improvements to entrepreneurs’ relief to promote investment in SMEs. We advocate simplifying the rules underpinning the Employment Incentive Investment Scheme (EIIS) to make it more accessible and easier for businesses to raise capital. We also propose that the standard income tax rate of 20 percent be applied to dividends paid by SMEs. This should encourage promoters of SMEs to remain committed to growing their business and enable companies of scale to emerge from the domestic SME sector without the need to sell down equity. Climate Ireland’s ambitious climate goals will present challenges and opportunities for individuals and businesses. Several tax supports could be considered to help Ireland achieve its climate goals. These include measures to promote private finance for green investments via ESG bonds and pension funds. We also believe that tax measures could be introduced to help accelerate the move to electric and hybrid vehicles and support the agricultural sector in its transition to more sustainable practices. Inflation While the exchequer receipts are in rude health currently, this revenue may be vulnerable in the future, and a measured approach will be needed when deploying the available resources. While there is potential for some measures to impact inflation, the significant benefits of achieving policy objectives need to be weighed up against their inflationary impact. The measures unveiled in the forthcoming budget will signal the Government’s direction of travel across many issues. The good news is the resources are there to help sustain our social and economic progress. Tom Woods is Head of Tax at KPMG

Shadow boards can unlock innovation, bridge generational divides and boost profits. Stephen Conmy explains why Many businesses struggle with two seemingly unrelated issues: disengaged younger employees and a lack of response among senior executives to shifting market trends. Some companies have tackled these problems by creating a “shadow board” – a group of non-executive employees who work with senior executives on strategic initiatives so the organisation can gain insights from the younger generation while broadening the view of senior executives. The specific roles, responsibilities and authority of a shadow board can vary widely depending on the organisation and its goals, however. So what exactly is a shadow board? Generational perspective A shadow board is typically sponsored by the CEO and consists of nine to thirteen younger people (either millennials or Gen Z) from a cross-section of the business whose primary purpose is to provide insight, feedback and ideas to senior decision-makers in the company, representing their generation’s perspective. Members of the shadow board learn about the company’s strategy and decisions so that they can share with their peers and network. The shadow board at work Harvard Business Review (HBR) reported that when Gucci created a shadow board of younger employees, its profits soared. By contrast, when Prada didn’t pay attention to the creative input of its younger employees and failed to recognise the growing power of digital influencers, its profits fell. The tale of these two fashion giants is a valuable lesson for all companies regarding the potential creative energy of a shadow board. As reported by HBR, in the past, Prada had high margins, a legendarily creative director and good growth prospects. Since 2014, however, sales have declined. In 2017, the company admitted that it had “been slow in realising the importance of digital channels and online influencers disrupting the industry”.  Meanwhile, during the same period, Gucci created a shadow board.  Gucci’s shadow board is made up of millennials, and in 2015, met regularly with senior management. The shadow board’s insights have “served as a wake-up call for the executives”, and Gucci’s sales grew by 136 percent. This growth was primarily driven by the success of both its internet and digital strategies.  In the same period, Prada’s sales dropped by 11.5 percent.  Types of shadow boards There are three different types of shadow boards: Developmental shadow board Shadow boards are used by certain businesses to prepare and promote younger or less-experienced staff for future leadership positions.  A shadow board, in this context, is made up of people who do not have formal authority inside the organisation but participate in board-like conversations to provide new perspectives, develop novel ideas or gain experience in board-level decision-making.  It’s a learning experience for these people, as well as a method for the organisation to gain diverse perspectives. Checks and balances shadow board In other situations, a shadow board might act as a separate, unofficial group that reviews and critiques the decisions of the official board of directors. It can offer alternative perspectives or point out potential flaws in the board’s decisions. This structure is less common and can sometimes arise in activist or oversight situations. Perspective shadow board Especially in larger or more complex organisations, a shadow board can be formed to offer viewpoints from different parts of the company or from different stakeholder groups. For instance, a non-profit might have a shadow board made up of the people it serves rather than employees. Mutually beneficial arrangement Shadow boards provide younger workers with the visibility and access they desire, which can often lead to significant career advancement. Notably, the impact and insights of the shadow board can drive valuable offshoots more senior executives might otherwise miss. Not only is a shadow board beneficial to both the members and its organisation, it can also contribute significantly to effective governance, innovation and leadership succession planning. Stephen Conmy is Head of Content at the Corporate Governance Institute

  In this week’s Sustainability/ESG bulletin, read about the release of the final recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) for reporting on nature and biodiversity-related risks and opportunities. Also covered is Ireland’s signing of a landmark UN oceans agreement, the publication of the Department of Transport’s Climate Action Roadmap, public sector funding for climate action, a €500 million Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme, EU developments on greenwashing, and a webinar on the proposed International Standards on Sustainability Assurance, as well as the usual roundup of tax and technical updates, articles and events. Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) releases final recommendations The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) has released its final recommendations for reporting on nature and biodiversity-related risks and opportunities. The publication of the 14 disclosure recommendations has been described as “key milestone in the relationship between nature, business and financial capital, positioning nature risk alongside financial, operational and climate risk and helping to shift capital flows to nature-positive outcomes.”  The TNFD will now begin the process of encouraging and supporting voluntary market adoption of the Recommendations and will track voluntary market adoption annually through an annual status update report beginning in 2024. Tánaiste signs landmark UN oceans agreement The Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin TD, has signed a landmark international agreement on global ocean conservation at the United Nations in New York. The Agreement on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), which will provide for the creation of a global network of High Seas marine protected areas (MPAs), marks a significant milestone in international cooperation as the first dedicated global treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of the High Seas. The news comes during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which marks a crucial milestone in the journey towards achieving the 2030 Agenda and putting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track. It is also seen as a milestone in the lead-up to COP28, the international climate summit which this year takes place in Dubai in November and December. Ireland is expected to play a leading role at this summit in negotiating for accelerated action on climate and the transition to renewable energy. Department of Transport publishes Climate Action Roadmap 2023 - 2030 The Department of Transport has published a Climate Action Roadmap setting out an analysis of its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions-reduction target and identifying current and planned actions to bridge any gaps between now and 2030. The roadmap, which was developed with the support of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), reflects one of the goals of the Climate Action Plan 2021 (CAP21) that the public sector lead by example on climate action to reach the target of reducing Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions by 51 percent by 2030 and becoming climate neutral no later than 2050. Public sector funding for climate action in Ireland’s regions The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, has committed to provide funding over the next six years for Ireland’s Climate Action Regional Offices (CAROs), including €2.97 million for the Dublin area, €3.09 million for the Eastern and Midlands region, and €2.97 million for the North-west region. The funding will help local authorities to deliver climate policies and behavioural change within their own organisations and to empower citizens, businesses and neighbourhoods to better understand the impacts of climate change and to embrace the need for climate action. €500 million Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme Bank of Ireland has announced a €500 million Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme, which will provide eligible SMEs, including farmers, fishers, and Small Mid-Caps, with competitively priced loans of between €25,000 and €3 million for terms of up to ten years. Loans of up to €500,000 will also be available unsecured, when investing in the growth and resilience of their business, and/or contribute to climate action and environmental sustainability. Loans for climate action and environmental sustainability purposes will also benefit from an additional interest rate discount. EU developments: greenwashing, product durability, critical raw materials and air quality   The EU Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement on new rules to ban misleading advertisements and provide consumers with better product information. The agreement updates the existing EU list of banned commercial practices and adds to it several ‘problematic’ marketing habits related to greenwashing and early obsolescence of goods. MEPs are expected to vote in November for the provision deal to become law and member states will have 24 months to incorporate the new rules into their law once the directive comes into force.   Separately, MEPs have adopted their position on boosting the supply of strategic raw materials, crucial to secure the EU’s transition to a sustainable, digital and sovereign future. The Critical Raw Materials Act is intended to make the EU more competitive and autonomous, cutting cut red tape, promoting innovation along the entire value chain, supporting SMEs and boosting research and the development of alternative materials and more environmentally friendly mining and production methods.   The EU Parliament has also adopted its position on a revised law to improve air quality in the EU. The new rules would ensure air quality in the EU is not harmful to human health, natural ecosystems and biodiversity and would align EU rules with the most recent World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines. Parliament will next start negotiations with Council on the final shape of the law.   Webinar on the proposed International Standards on Sustainability Assurance IAASB has announced it will hosting a deep dive webinar on 29 September about (ISSA) 5000. External assurance plays a key role in enhancing trust and confidence in financial and non-financial reporting, and the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB)’s proposed standard - International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000 - will serve as a comprehensive, stand-alone standard suitable for any sustainability assurance engagement. Read more from our colleagues in Professional Accounting. Technical updates (From our colleagues in Professional Accounting) Accountancy Europe, in collaboration with the European Sustainable Business Federation, has issued ‘5-step starting guide to a sustainable transition for SMEs. This paper has five first steps an SME can take to begin its sustainable journey.   EFRAG and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) have issued a joint statement confirming that they have achieved a high level of interoperability between their respective standards in relation to impact reporting.   EFRAG has published its final comment letters on the ISSB consultation on Agenda Priorities and SASB methodology. Tax updates (From our colleagues in Tax) The Platform for Collaboration on Tax (PCT) – a joint initiative of the IMF, OECD, UN and World Bank Group – released a new report on carbon pricing metrics. The purpose of the report is to help policymakers, businesses and other stakeholders strengthen the understanding of different carbon pricing metrics of the largest international organisations.  In the report, the PCT Partners concur on a crucial message: “Energy prices are poorly aligned with climate, environmental and health costs. Carbon pricing signals to date are insufficient.”  A definition of carbon pricing can be found in the Chartered Accountants Ireland Sustainability Glossary. Articles Q&A: How sustainable is Ireland as a data centre hub? (Irish Times) ‘B Corp’ status vital for firms keen to mark sustainability credentials, says environmental consultant (Irish Times) Helping to make SMEs smarter, leaner and greener (Irish Independent) What Sunak’s net zero pivot means for UK climate goals and the next election (Financial Times) No 'urban-rural divide' on environmental protection, committee told (RTÉ) Certificate in Sustainability Strategy, Risk and Reporting Classes start Wednesday 5 October Following four sellout sittings, our Certificate in Sustainability Strategy, Risk and Reporting for accountants is back again in October 2023. Over 8 weeks, you'll cover key reporting frameworks and metrics, and learn to address the ESG opportunities and challenges that organisations already face. Upcoming events   Dublin Chamber – Sustainability Academy Workshops Dublin Chamber has announced it will offer Sustainability Academy workshops in Autumn. Beginning with a workshop on Sustainability/ESG 101 in September, the 3-hour Zoom workshops includes a free one-hour, post-workshop one-on-one advisory consultation per company with an expert advisor. Find out more here. Online, September 2023  ESDN: European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW) 2023 18 September – 08 October. 113 initiatives in 10 countries. Irish Museum of Modern Art: EARTH RISING Four-day festival of free events and experiences aimed at addressing the climate crisis and aiming to provoke, empower and inspire collective action in audiences to become agents of change for a sustainable and hopeful future.~ In person: 21–24 September, IMMA site, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin 8, D08 FW31. EPA: Circular Economy Conference This hybrid event will be an opportunity to learn about recent developments in the circular economy and the opportunities and challenges in implementing a circular economy in Ireland. There will be opportunities to network and participate in polling and Q&A sessions. In person: 27 September, The Aviva Stadium, Dublin. Green Team Network: ESG Networking Breakfast An intensive session tailored for Ireland's industry leaders seeking to understand and act upon the financial implications of climate change, this event aims to bridge the gap between climate financial risk and sustainability education. In person: 27 Sept, 08:00 – 9:45, Dean Hotel, 33 Harcourt St, Saint Kevin's, Dublin 2, Ireland. Chartered Accountants Ireland: Integrating sustainability into information systems and decision making This course will deliver core knowledge about how to integrate sustainability data into the decision-making process. Virtual: 27 September, 09:30 – 12:30 Women in Business (Northern Ireland) Women in Finance Women in Business is running a wide-ranging programme of female entrepreneurship events over the upcoming months. The events include sectoral networking, webinars, and training courses for essential skills. A specific session on women in finance will focus on work in finance departments, small scale accountancy or work for yourself, both members and non-members are welcome to join this online event. Virtual: 25 October, 10.00-11.30am Sustainable Finance Skillnet is offering funded training opportunities until October 2023 to Irish employees in the financial services sector at 30 percent of course fees (with 70 percent funding available for members of the International Sustainable Finance Centre of Excellence). Virtual: September-October 2023 IAASB: Webinar of Proposed International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000 to the IAAS Join the Irish Auditing & Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) and IAASB webinar to hear about ISSA 5000 Proposed International Standards on Sustainability Assurance Webinar: 29 September, 14.00 Dublin time Accountancy Europe: Preparing for high-quality sustainability assurance engagements In person: 3 October, 14.00-17.00, ACE events - Av. d'Auderghem 22, 1040 Brussels Chartered Accountants Ireland: Ask the Expert, Supply chain sustainability (ROI/NI) Under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), many SMEs will form part of the supply chains of companies that are required to report on their supply chain’s sustainability. In this interview, Shane Faulkner, Sustainability Manager at KPMG Ireland, will answer your questions on supply chain sustainability, questions SMEs might be asked and how they might respond. Virtual: 12 October, 12:45-13.00 Climate Finance Week Ireland 2023 In person and virtual: Monday, 20 November – Friday, 24 November Network for Chartered Accountants working on ESG projects Are you a Chartered Accountant working in ESG or working on ESG-related projects? Would you like an opportunity to engage with other Chartered Accountants working in this space to share insights, challenges and opportunities? Chartered Accountants Ireland now has a network to allow members working in sustainability/ESG to meet and discuss all matters of interest re ESG and accounting. 3rd or 4th Wednesday of every month Next: 27 September 2023  14.00-15.00/30 Teams If you would like to attend please email sustainability@charteredaccountants.ie   You can find information, guidance and supports to understand sustainability and meet the challenges it presents in our online Sustainability Centre.    

Barden, Ireland's leading talent advisory and recruitment firm, is continuing to grow with the announcement of two new senior appointments at its Munster hub.  Barden has appointment Denis Galvin as Partner, Senior Appointments and Life Sciences, and Tara Higgins as Partner, Business Support and Operational Finance, for Munster.   These announcements reflect the firm’s continued growth and commitment to bringing the best service to clients and professionals in Cork, Munster and beyond.   “When we started Barden, we wanted do things a bit differently. To achieve this, we had to work with extremely talented people, but endeavour to ensure that we could provide real opportunities for them in the future," said Jonathan Olden, Managing Partner, Barden Munster.   "I am extremely proud of everyone at Barden that we have been able to provide such opportunities so far. The recent appointments of Tara and Denis as Partners are more than deserved. Their ambition and vision for what Barden can become pushes us all every day and I am extremely lucky to have them as colleagues. As they embark on their new journey, I wish them every bit of success and fun along the way."   Accountant Denis Galvin joined Barden in 2018 having spent more than 10 years working in practice, multinational and start-up environments. An expert in recruitment, talent and career advisory, he leads Barden's life sciences team, partnering with global and indigenous businesses across the pharmaceutical, medical device, FMCG and agricultural sectors.   Galvin specialises in senior appointments in finance, general management and executive leadership, while also collaborating with clients' leadership teams on people strategies and supporting the candidate community with career planning.   A graduate of University College Cork, Tara Higgins began her career in finance before moving into recruitment in 2015. She joined Barden in April 2018 when the Munster office was in start-up mode and has since played a key role in helping the firm's Managing Partners to grow various areas of the Munster business.  A core part of Higgin's new role will involve working directly with professionals in the areas of business support, human resources and operational finance, helping them to identify and map out their future career path, and secure their ideal roles. She will also partner with clients to build world-class teams in these, and other, areas.  Commenting on the new appointments, Ed Heffernan, Managing Partner, Barden Ireland, said: "It's a source of great pride for us here at Barden, and for me personally, when key people step up and take on new challenges. Denis and Tara are exemplars of this. Their vision and ambition for Barden is what will shape the future of our talent advisory and recruitment practice over the coming years. It's a privilege for me to be here and to be a part of what they are creating."   Barden is a partner-led talent advisory and recruitment firm consumed with supporting companies that really know the value of their people. Barden’s expertise covers accounting and tax, business support, financial services, legal, life sciences, supply chain and technology talent advisory and recruitment. Chartered Accountants specifically choose to join Barden in order to use their qualification in a different way.  For more, see Barden.ie This article is sponsored by Barden

External assurance plays a key role in enhancing trust and confidence in financial and non-financial reporting. With the goal of enhancing the trust and confidence investors, regulators and other stakeholders have in sustainability information the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has developed a landmark, global sustainability assurance standard. This proposed International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000, General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements, was issued  for public consultation on August 2 and stakeholders have until December 1 to provide feedback and insights to the IAASB. The final standard will be issued before the end of 2024. Join the Irish Auditing & Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) and IAASB webinar to hear about ISSA 5000.  Proposed International Standards on Sustainability Assurance Webinar - 29 September - 2pm You can register for the webinar at the following link: https://lnkd.in/e6ZetJKg You can find more information about the proposed standard on the website of the IAASB 

As a leading provider of Mastercard Gift Cards for the Small Benefit Scheme, Allgo Rewards is offering you a free info pack for your clients. Our Accountants Pack provides you with our comprehensive Small Benefit Guide 6th Edition and the Allgo Mastercard brochure. Ideal for sharing with clients! Allgo Rewards Allgo Rewards is an award-winning, guaranteed-Irish company that helps businesses reward staff and save tax. Allgo provides the market-leading tax-free gift card in Ireland, the Allgo Mastercard Gift Card, which is used by over 6,000 Irish businesses of all sizes to reward their employees tax-free up to €1,000 on the Small Benefit Scheme. Allgo also provides a points-based technology platform that manages ongoing incentives and recognition programmes for clients in Ireland, UK, EMEA, & Australia. Founded in 2010, Allgo Rewards employs 40 people in its state-of-the-art offices in the Digital Hub, Dublin 8. See allgo.ie for more details. Click here to download the FREE Accountants Pack Small Benefit Scheme The Small Benefit Scheme (SBS) is a statutory tax relief scheme offered by Irish Revenue that allows employers to provide a tax-exempt benefit to Irish employees of up to €1,000 per year. To provide tax-free rewards to employees under the Scheme, you must adhere to four basic rules: 1. Below the €1,000 threshold The benefit cannot exceed the threshold, which was increased from €500 to €1,000 in Budget 2023. The employer can award an amount of €1,000 or lower, or different amounts to different employees, but no employee can receive more than €1,000 in any one year. 2. Twice per year The benefit can only be given a maximum two times per year up to a total combined value of €1,000. As the tax year in Ireland is 1 January to 31 December, this means that an employer can make a €500 award to an employee in January, and then another €500 award in December without any income tax, PRSI (employer or employee) or USC. 3. Non-cash The benefit must be in non-cash form that cannot be converted into cash. This means that it cannot be paid through payroll, or, for example, on any company expense credit card that could be used at an ATM to withdraw cash. 4. No salary sacrifice The benefit cannot be funded from a deduction in salary from the employee, so the company needs to be invoiced for the total benefit amount and needs to pay for the total value of the rewards from the company’s own funds. Click here to download the FREE Accountants Pack Allgo Mastercard The Allgo Mastercard Gift Card is the use-anywhere gift card that gives you the ultimate freedom to choose where you spend – instore, online and even abroad. And it can be bought by all businesses for their Irish employees completely tax-free up to €1,000 on the Small Benefit Scheme. The physical Allgo Mastercard Gift Card can be spent in-store by swiping through the card machine at checkout or online by first registering the card on our Mastercard portal for 3D Secure. The Digital+ version can be spent online on any e-commerce site worldwide, and can be added to Google Pay and Apple Pay for spending by tap in-store. For full details, and to order online, visit allgo.ie/allgo-mastercard-gift-card Contact Allgo Rewards Web www.allgo.ie Email sales@allgo.ie Tel +353 1 253 0040 Allgo Rewards, Digital Depot, The Digital Hub, Dublin 8, D08TCV4, Ireland (This article is sponsored by Allgo)

In Irish news, the Minister for Finance publishes a roadmap for the introduction of a participation exemption and Revenue issue invitations to webinars on the new Enhanced Reporting Requirements for employers. In UK news, read our update on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self-Assessment and this week’s miscellaneous updates includes a request from HMRC for feedback on the impact that the recent closure of the Self-Assessment helpline has had on the work of agents. In International news, the European Commission publishes BEFIT and transfer pricing proposals.  Ireland The Minister for Finance has published a roadmap for the introduction of a participation exemption and has also launched a public consultation on the design of the proposed systems. Revenue is issuing notices to agents’ and employers’ ROS inboxes, inviting them to register for webinars on the new Enhanced Reporting Requirements for employers. UK Read our update on what’s been happening with Making Tax Digital for self-assessment. This week’s miscellaneous updates includes a request from HMRC for feedback on the impact that the recent closure of the Self-Assessment helpline has had on the work of agents. International The European Commission has published two key proposals in the past week; Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation (BEFIT) and harmonised transfer pricing rules. Keep up to date with all the latest Irish, UK, and international tax developments through Chartered Accountants Ireland’s Tax Newsletter. Subscribe to the Tax News by updating your preferences in MyAccount. You can also read this week’s EU exit corner here.