2019 was a turbulent year for businesses, with hiring across many industries suffering at the hands of Brexit. Despite all the political and economic turbulence, some professions – Tax, Public Practice, Risk, Investment Management and Legal – remained largely resilient, with vacancy numbers and salaries relatively similar to previous years.
Tax
While the pace of bank M&A transactions in 2018 has been on par with the same period in 2017, deal valuations are on the rise. During the first quarter, the aggregate value of all announced bank deals was $4.08 billion, down sharply from $9.08 billion a year earlier
The UK’s new Criminal Finances Act covers a broad range of issues relevant to UK financial institutions; but one area, failure to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion, is of particular concern. The fines for offenses, both domestic and foreign, are steep, with the potential for additional punishing ancillary orders; implementing effective preventive procedures is crucial.
The November elections are soon approaching for Americans, and it now looks increasingly like a two-horse race for the US presidency. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have emerged as clear contenders in the last few weeks, leaving their rivals by the wayside.