The Making Tax Digital initiative is aiming to simplify the UK’s tax system, but many business owners feel that it is going to complicate their tax affairs and ultimately end up costing them more. The good news is that this shouldn’t be the case if you’re properly prepared.

If you’re an EU passport holder and you’re living in the UK, or even if you’re thinking about moving there, you will be pleased to know that the UK and the EU have reached an agreement about the terms on which EU nationals will be able to stay in the UK after Brexit. A transition period will take place, but there are some key steps you need to take to ensure that you secure your rights to live and work in the UK in a post-Brexit world.

A recent ruling by the Supreme Court in the UK has opened a new route to British citizenship for thousands of previously disqualified South Africans. The ruling remedies some gender discrimination in the UK’s nationality legislation. If you have a mother who is British by descent (i.e. your mother’s father was born in the UK), then you could now have a claim to British citizenship through double descent.

South Africans who have already emigrated, or are thinking of doing so, have probably heard of the process of financial emigration. This process is more than just sending your South African assets overseas when you leave. Financial emigration allows you to withdraw and transfer your retirement annuities offshore before the age of 55. This way you don’t have to leave your retirement savings behind when you emigrate.

Portugal’s Golden Residence Permit Programme (GRPP) has become one of the most popular residency-by-investment programmes in the world. According to recent figures released by the Portuguese Immigration Services (SEF), over 6,000 applications have already been approved since the programme’s inception. In the last month, we have seen a record number of successful applicants approved, with South African participants on a steady rise.

The UK government has announced the new visa, immigration and citizenship application fees for 2018. The increases will affect visitor visas, work visas, student visas and settlement and naturalisation applications. Here’s what you’re going to pay if you apply after 6 April 2018.

You’ve probably considered getting an accountant to handle your financial affairs at some point. However, the type of accounting help you need will depend greatly on the size and structure of your business. We cover a few scenarios below so you can figure out what kind of accounting help would best suit your needs.

A new visa scheme to attract highly skilled migrants and help Australia compete globally will be piloted from 1 July 2018. The government hopes the Global Talent Scheme will deliver innovation, transfer skills to local workers and help grow Australian businesses. If you’re skilled in your field, this could be your opportunity to move Down Under.

For UK-based businesses, the road to hiring a non-EU national is fraught with what seems like endless red tape and legislation. But with an understanding of what is required, and a little bit of help, the process can become a whole lot easier. Before you hire anyone, you should always make sure you’re clued up on what your options, responsibilities and duties are.

Working as a contractor in the UK has some great benefits. You’re effectively freelancing and, for the most part, you remain in control of when you work, how you work and what you choose to work on. This freedom can be incredibly rewarding, but for some, it can also lead to four-hour lunch breaks and leaving tax filing to the last minute. Structure and organisation are your friends when you’re your own boss, let’s take a look how you can make the most out of your career as a contractor.