Lawyer's Blogs

The development of e-commerce and digital services within the European Union has significantly complicated VAT administration for businesses. Selling goods and services to end consumers in different EU countries traditionally required VAT registration in each jurisdiction separately.To simplify these processes, the European Union introduced the One Stop Shop (OSS) mechanism — a single system for declaring and paying VAT for cross-border B2C operations. For Cypriot companies actively operating in the European market, OSS has become a key tool for tax compliance.What OSS is and how it worksOne Stop Shop is an electronic portal that allows businesses to:● register for VAT purposes in one EU member state;● submit a single quarterly declaration for all relevant B2C operations within the EU;● pay VAT centrally, after which tax authorities distribute the amounts among the countries of consumption.The OSS system was launched on 1 July 2021 as part of a major EU VAT reform and is now the main mechanism for accounting for distance sales of goods within the EU and providing certain services to individuals in various member states.Who can use OSSThe OSS scheme covers several...

Today, entrepreneurs especially in the small and medium-sized business sector are increasingly facing a paradox: trademark registration seems like something technical and simple. Everything looks quite intuitive: you go to the USPTO website, fill out a form, pay $350, and receive a certificate. But this apparent simplicity is the biggest trap.In reality, trademark registration is a high-stakes legal game. And, as practice shows, most entrepreneurs lose it not because they have a bad brand, but because they do not understand the rules of the game.A trademark is not just a logo. It is your property. Your market. Your monopolized segment. And any mistake in the registration process or in maintaining your rights can cost you tens of thousands of dollars, years of work, and sometimes even the business itself.In this article, we as lawyers practicing intellectual property law in the United States will explain:• why most self-filed applications end in refusals or disputes;• what specific mistakes applicants make and why they are critical;• which risks are not obvious at the filing stage but become decisive after 6-12 months;• how real court cases demonstrate how fragile...

With the rise of digital content, copyright and intellectual property doctrines are being interpreted in new ways and shaping modern judicial and legal practice. Authors of digital (and other) works, some based on their own experience, others following recommendations, often include intellectual property disclaimers and claims of undisputed authorship as a preventive measure against potential lawsuits and media scandals. Yet, such “amulets” do not guarantee protection.Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Yonay v. Paramount Pictures Corporation, concerning copyright claims over the film Top Gun: Maverick. The plaintiffs, Shosh Yonay and Yuval Yonay, heirs of Ehud Yonay, author of the article Top Guns (1983) which inspired the original 1986 film, argued that the 2022 film infringed their copyrights because Paramount had not renewed the license after the rights reverted in 2020. The appellate court affirmed the lower court’s decision dismissing the claim due to the absence of the circumstances cited by the plaintiffs. Let’s examine the arguments and key factors behind the ruling.The lawsuit followed the 2020 legal termination of the...

The Mercury payment service began to close the accounts of American companies that have Ukrainian founders or employees. Shocked customers received a message from Mercury telling them their accounts had been closed. In its further explanations, the service clarified that strict measures will be applied to companies where Ukrainians live in Ukraine. A significant number of clients faced the urgent task of opening accounts elsewhere in a short period of time. The situation does not become simpler, because Ukrainians also face the question of remote opening procedures. Here are some alternative options for opening: 1. Payoneer • Features: Payoneer allows you to open a business account with the ability to receive payments in different currencies. The registration and verification procedure takes place online. This platform is popular among freelancers and small businesses. • Important: We are the official representative of Payoneer in Ukraine, and our partnership agreement allows us to offer unique service conditions to our clients (dedicated private manager, special reduced rates for service). 2. Wise Business • Features: Wise provides a multi-currency...

Article structure:The concept of venture investment Venture investment goalsInvestment stagesWe attract investment in startups. Convertible Notes, SAFETaxation of investmentsHow FBS can help1. What is venture investing?Venture investing (VC) in IT solutions, in contrast to conservative investment methods, for example, shares, ETF, or government bonds, is a high-risk way of investing to obtain multiple returns from innovative solutions in the field of modern technologies. Successful cases in this business amount to rates of x100 or more (in fact, much more) of the invested funds of investors.For example, one of the most successful venture funds Andreessen Horowitz has the following successful investment examples:  - 2009: $50 million in Skype, which will be acquired by Microsoft in 2011 for $8.5 billion.  - 2011: Investments in Zynga, Groupon and Instagram. Investments in Instagram amounted to 250 thousand US dollars, and income from the acquisition of Facebook in 2012 amounted to 78 million US dollars.  - 2012: $100 million investment in GitHub, generating $1 billion in profit for the fund.It should be noted that venture capital is not necessarily financial resources - it can...

Merchant account - what is it, who needs it and why? Merchant account is a special merchant account that allows the merchant company to accept payments from its clients 24 hours a day and 7 days a week without reference to the opening hours of the financial institution where the account is opened. Merchant accounts are opened for companies to be able to accept payments from clients of the company that pay with debit and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and others). The availability of such an account at the company allows its customers to pay for goods at any time. Besides, existence of merchant account allows business to step boldly beyond geographical boundaries, since payments can be made from anywhere in the world. Both traditional banks and digital neo-banks open such accounts. Types of merchant accounts. Depending on the level of business risks accounts are divided into high-risk (high risk) and low-risk (low risk) groups. Often, high risk business includes such activities as dating sites and adult services (adult service); astrology, fortune telling, horoscopes; lotteries; travel services and air travel; gambling, betting, gaming; activities related to smoking and tobacco;...

What is an offshore company? To understand the definition of an offshore company, we must first understand what a "company" is and what is meant by "offshore". We can then better focus on a detailed understanding of the offshore company. We may define a company as any legal entity engaged in a legitimate business activity such as a property, partnership or corporation (whether public or private). Companies have various rights under the law. Offshore is a term that means outside of your own jurisdiction (i.e. offshore jurisdiction). Being on the water is not necessary to provide individuals with the security tax benefits that come with managing money in such companies. As a rule, offshore companies are located in another country/other countries with low or no tax. An offshore company structure is a legal offshore entity created in a particular jurisdiction, tax haven or offshore financial center, protected by special legislation that guarantees all the benefits of full tax exemption, except for a small annual license fee and, as a rule, a high level. privacy. This is a legal entity or company registered or created specifically for use by non-residents...

As a foreign citizen working in Romania or planning to start a business there, it is important to understand the concept of tax residency and its impact on your income. Tax residency refers to the place where taxation takes place, depending on the physical region in which the income is generated. If you plan on doing any income-generating activity in Romania for more than 183 days a year, you should consider declaring your tax residency. After this period, you must declare the income earned in Romania and pay the relevant taxes. To determine your tax residency status in Romania, you can obtain a tax residency certificate issued by the Romanian tax authority (ANAF). This certificate certifies the fiscal residency of an individual or company in a particular country. Any entity that is engaged in economic activity in Romania for more than 183 days must obtain this certificate in order to avoid double taxation. With this certificate, you can avoid double taxation of your income, as many countries have concluded double tax treaties with Romania. If you are outside Romania for more than 183 days a year, you must fill out a form to establish tax residency (as an individual) when...

Digital banks (other names: neobanks, payment systems) have become significant players in the world of financial services in recent years, and in many respects even confidently pushed conservative banks. This became possible due to the fact that digital banks open accounts faster, do not need to immerse themselves in bureaucratic procedures, are quite client-oriented and, in addition, make payments quickly and at fairly low rates compared to banks. Digital banks have become a powerful tool for international business and it is now rare to find a company operating in the global market with a single account in a traditional bank. Often corporate clients have a set of accounts in a bank and a payment system, or several accounts in different non-banks. But, sometimes in payment systems, client accounts are blocked / limited, and sometimes they are completely closed. In contrast to the limitation of the account, the closure is a non-returnable event and is the termination of the client's cooperation with the financial institution. Why this happens and how to avoid it for the client - these are the questions we will consider with you in our article. Suspicious operations and...