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The crisis caused by the coronavirus is coinciding with the peak season for preparing annual reports. It raises the question of whether and how aspects related to the coronavirus be recognized in the 2019 financial statements and if so, how? Grant Thornton Baltic partner Mart Nõmper gives instructions in his article.

Grant Thornton Baltic advises AS Baltika in reorganization proceedings. Grant Thornton Baltic’s team consists of partner Artur Suits, head of financial advisory Mikk Mägi and financial and business advisory manager Ants Ansper.

Temporary subsidies from the Unemployment Insurance Fund will be paid to those employees who are working under an employment contract and whose employers are significantly impacted by the current extraordinary circumstances. Grant Thornton Baltic advisors can help you assess whether your company qualifies for this measure, draw up the staff documents necessary to apply for the subsidy and assess the necessity and scope of applying for the subsidy.

Estonia declared a state of emergency (defined in national law as “emergency situation”) on 12 March 2020 and this affects the rights and responsibilities arising from employment relationships. What steps can an employer take to slow the spread of the virus while keeping the work processes flowing, and what are an employee’s rights to refuse to come to work? Grant Thornton Baltic specialists Kristel Tiits and Lee Laanemäe give overview and suggestions on how to best deal with the current situation.

In simple terms, copyright is the right over intellectual property. Copyright is gained automatically and requires no separate registration or other completion of formalities. Grant Thornton Baltic specialists Kristel Tiits and Lee Laanemäe are explaining the details in depth in their article.

Do companies take time out from everyday business operations for brainstorming on topics related to the company’s development and strategy, and if they do, how frequently?

Graanul Invest OÜ is Europe’s largest pellet producer and one of the biggest renewable energy producers in the Baltic Sea region. Grant Thornton Baltic conducted a valuation of the assets of Graanul Invest OÜ, which are pledged to Luminor Bank AS, i.e. property together with pellet factories and energy co-generation plants in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Auditors are like conspirators – people know they exist, but few understand what they are up to and why they are valuable. In general, the public hears about auditors only when something goes wrong somewhere.

In most countries, including Finland, Norway and Denmark, there are no form requirements for a sales contract of a share, yet Estonian law requires the contract to be notarised. Only if the company’s shares are registered in the Estonian securities register (hereinafter EVK) can the notarisation requirement be waived.

Finding competent top-level specialists is getting harder, forcing companies to adapt on the employee-centred labour market and recruit already today for tomorrow, stated the Äripäev (daily business newspaper) produced radio programme “Kasvukursil”.

Last year was a very successful one for Grant Thornton Baltic – total revenue in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania grew by 15.1%, reaching 9.3 million euros. The company was able to grow the volumes of all of its services, from accounting and auditing to business advisory and risk management services.

When it is time for the parent to return to work after childcare leave, they are entitled under the Employment Contracts Act to improved work conditions, including a pay raise, if conditions and salary level have improved for other employees in the meantime. Is the returning employee on par with others?

In the beginning of the year, several tax changes were introduced in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Some of the changes will become effective in 2020. In addition we shall highlight tax rates applicable in the Baltics as of 2020.

Some of you of a certain age reading this post will remember in the mid-1980s, the representation of an Artificial Intelligence character called Max Headroom. (For those of you a little younger, look for Max Headroom in an Internet search engine). The background story provided for the Max Headroom character in his original appearance comes from a concept of a future dominated by television and large corporations.

This year we have again reason to eat birthday cake: It Is the 15th anniversary of the opening of Grant Thornton Baltic’s Tartu office. But time has moved on and a new question has now come up, and that is, whether the existence of a physical office is important at all in the age of email and cloud services?

ISS Eesti AS is the largest facility management and technical maintenance services and second largest cleaning services’ company in Estonia, whose customers include retail chains, educational institutions and large office and production buildings. Grant Thornton Baltic advised investors on the acquisition of ISS Estonia's business.