It’s no secret that 2020 has been an unprecedented year; and just about everyone writing a commentary on the last twelve months would probably say the same. But how has STEP fared during this turbulent time? I wrote in June of how lucky we were to be part of an organisation that strove to keep… Read More We’ve reached the end of an unprecedented year, but how has STEP fared?
On 24 November, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) held its private sector consultative forum on beneficial ownership of legal persons, which focused on Recommendation 24 Transparency and beneficial ownership of legal persons of the FATF Recommendations. FATF stated that it is undergoing a major review of this area, which may lead to a comprehensive… Read More FATF holds consultative forum to inform review of beneficial ownership system
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) have jointly initiated a project to modernise the process of making and registering lasting powers of attorney (LPAs), which may include an element of digitisation. They will be collaborating on a series of scoping events, roundtables and surveys to obtain research that… Read More Modernising Lasting Powers of Attorneys in England and Wales
On 18 November STEP will hold its third webinar in the Thought Leadership webinar series, following webinars on the remote witnessing of wills and wealth taxes earlier in the autumn. Mental Health and the Financial Advice Relationship will be chaired by Mark Dunkley TEP, Shakespeare Martineau LLP (UK); and the panel will consist of Carol… Read More STEP webinar on Mental Health and the Financial Advice Relationship
When was the last time you had a career check-up? With client concerns, professional development and a pandemic to contend with, STEP members might quite reasonably believe that career development comes low on the priority list. Actually, the turbulence of the times is exactly why you should be investing in your career health. Digitisation combined… Read More How’s your career health these days?
One of the most exciting things set to happen in STEP this year was to be our fourth Global Congress, which would have brought together leading experts in Dublin to exchange insight and expertise with delegates from all over the world. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant the event has had to be postponed, but… Read More STEP’s upcoming Thought Leadership Series: expert perspectives on today’s big issues
The England and Wales Law Society has issued guidance to solicitors who advise on tax, drawing out their obligations within the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) rules and regulations. The new guidance acknowledges the Professional Conduct in Relation to Taxation (PCRT), which has been developed and published by several UK accounting and tax professional bodies, including STEP,… Read More Law Society issues guidance to solicitors advising on tax
Each year, STEP supports a charitable organisation through its Private Client Awards. Instead of charging an entry fee to the Awards, we ask entrants to make a donation to our chosen charity; attendees can donate at the event itself, and STEP members can also donate online here. Charity partnerships are for three years, and previous… Read More Introducing STEP’s new Private Client Awards charity partner, the World Literacy Foundation
When writing this blog, usually the first thing I do is to refer to my previous one I posted to comment or update England and Wales members on items mentioned. Not this time. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone, whether they have contracted the virus or not. It is in such circumstances that the… Read More Belonging to a supportive organisation like STEP come into its own in such difficult times
On 13 May 2020 the STEP Philanthropy Special Interest Group (SIG) in partnership with Philanthropy Impact hosted the first of its 2020 Philanthropy Programme series of events with a webinar entitled ‘Core Components of a Professional Philanthropy Advisory Practice’. The event attracted a number of delegates from 18 different jurisdictions, and discussed a range of… Read More The COVID-19 crisis prompts a rash of philanthropic giving
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