Facilitated by qualified early childhood educators, sessions include water, paint, sand and more, and offer children an opportunity to stimulate their senses as they discover and explore the world around them.

This event will take place on the 1st Friday of every month.

Ages: 6 months to 3 years

Time: 9.30am to 11.00am

Cost: $15/child (includes tea/coffee for mum)

Please register for this event via the NMSG Meetup group

New Mothers Support Group Singapore looks forward to seeing you there.

Location: Art Pegola @ Tanderra, Block 73 Loewen Road, #01­21, Singapore 248843 www.tanderrasingapore.com

Friday 2 September

Friday 7 October

Friday 4 November

Friday 2 December      

Nicole O'Connor

 

 

> Starting an operation in Japan

> Bookkeeping and reports

> Payroll services

> Corporate tax compliance services

> Tax Auditing for foreigners/foreign companies

> International tax consulting services

> Expat's Tax Treatment

> Consulting for all tax-related matters

> One Stop Service available

 

We have a range of specialists including lawyers and judicial scriveners within our network. 

Our “One Stop Service” saves our clients time and effort.

 

Starting an operation in Japan

 

When you start a business in Japan, it is important to choose the appropriate entity, such as a representative office, a branch office, and/or a Japanese subsidiary. Additionally, we provide advice and planning services concerning all issues of your visa.

 

 

We provide bookkeeping services tailored to the specific needs of our clients. 

We also prepare reports in English for foreign head offices and have an ability to contact the head office directly through conference calls, live video, etc.

 

We provide payroll services for local employees, including the calculation of withholding taxes, social insurance premiums (pension, health care), labor insurance premiums (accident and unemployment insurances), etc.

 

 

We provide corporate compliance services which include the preparation of tax returns for corporate tax, consumption tax, fixed assets tax, and business premises tax. We are able to give expert advice on strategic tax-planning in order to minimize our clients’ tax burdens.

 

In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of non-Japanese and foreign companies being audited by the Japanese tax authority, sometimes with heavy penalties being imposed only because they are unaware of the correct tax requirements. We support all such cases and can solve these problems for you, bringing you peace of mind.

 

 

Our international tax consulting services include Transfer Pricing, Withholding tax treatment, Permanent Establishment (PE), Tax Havens, Foreign Dividend Exemption Systems, and Tax Treaties. Additionally, we have set up a tax consulting firm in Hong Kong and provide high quality services based on our strong network within and outside of Japan, especially in Hong Kong, Korea, and Vietnam. Be sure to contact us if your company is looking to expand into Asian countries.

 

 

We handle tax matters for individual expatriates (tax returns, consulting services), as well as tax agent duties.

 

Please also feel free to contact us about the handling of non-resident and non-permanent resident tax matters.

 

We offer an inexpensive alternative to the major tax accounting firms, while still maintaining consistent quality through tax treaty applications and the processing of foreign income tax credits.

 

 

All manners of tax consulting services are available upon our clients’ request, including the calculation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, attendance at a tax audit, preparation of transfer-price study reports, the filing of applications related to tax treaties, the appointing of a tax representative for foreigners, and the preparation of inheritance tax returns, etc.

 

 

Initial Tax Consulting rate: 30,000yen / 60min.

The new data centers, announced in a statement on Wednesday, follow decisions by IBM and Microsoft Corp. in the past two months to expand their cloud computing infrastructure in the U.K.

The U.K. data region, which comprises two zones, each consisting of multiple data centers, is the 16th Amazon Web Services operates worldwide and it’s third in Europe. A fourth in France has already been announced and will open next year.

Governments are increasingly moving computing functions into the cloud. But they are often required for regulatory and security purposes to hold data within their national borders. The same applies for sensitive health-care information. Meeting these demands is one reason cloud providers are rushing to open more data centers around the globe.

"This is a great enabler for data that has to remain in the U.K., like health-care," Chris Hayman, who manages Amazon Web Services’ British government accounts, said in an interview.

Liam Maxwell, the U.K.’s national technology adviser, said in a statement that the government had saved 3.5 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) so far by choosing to host data in the cloud rather than on its own servers.

Financial-service firms are also often concerned with minimizing the time it takes to connect to trading venues, another reason to expand in the U.K., said Teresa Carlson, vice president for worldwide public sector operations for Amazon Web Services. “The U.K. is a really important part of the world, being a center of the financial industry,” she said.

The decision to build new data centers in the U.K. predates the country’s June vote to leave the European Union, Carlson said. But giving customers the ability to store data in the U.K. has taken on increased importance since the Brexit vote as clients worry about whether British data privacy rules will diverge from European standards. “Now, whether the U.K. is in Europe or not, they have their own region,” she said.

Amazon Web Services declined to specify exactly how many facilities it operates in the country, how many people will be employed or how much money it will invest.

Karen Bradley, U.K. Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said in a statement that Amazon’s action “is a strong endorsement of our approach to the digital economy” and “shows a clear confidence in the U.K. being open for business and one of the best places in the world for technology companies to invest in and grow.”

 

We are also able to assist businesses in the increasingly complex area of corporate financial planning, from pensions through to insuring against the loss of a key Director.

 

Investment Planning

Personal & Corporate Tax Planning

 

Business Protection        

Trust and Estate Planning*

 

Income Protection          

Private Medical Insurance

 

Portfolio Management**            

Critical Illness

 

Inheritance Tax Planning              

Retirement Planning

 

Employee Benefits          

Life Assurance

 

Pensions in Divorce service         

Business Exit Strategy**

 

Trustee Investment Planning

 

Whatever your circumstances, we can create a financial strategy personalised to the specific needs relevant to you as an individual, your family or your business.

 

Tyre&Auto Southbourne Group could indeed provide utmost care to your car with their meticulous work. Each manager is equipped with extensive experience in this particular field. George Mandair, as well as other managers, usually gets good feedbacks from the customers. It’s nothing surprising for a trustworthy service. People with car related concerns can count on the capabilities of the company in giving solutions to their problems.

Tyre&Auto Southbourne Group has been involved in the trades in South Coast of Hampshire, building their firm reputation throughout the years. It is also a family run company that can truly handle any of your car problems with proper care.

Included in their services are brake checks, car servicing, searching for good tyres, MOTs, as well as free seasonal checks. You can also obtain a quick tyre quote and reserve your tyres for fitting through their online service.

The company always target to provide convenience to their customers and as a result, they also offer a local collect and a return service to them. We suggest to ask them about the service when you booked since their team can answer and address any of your other car concerns.

All of their depots can also check your car’s windscreen wipers and can conduct a full engine overhaul. Many customers have been satisfied with their ability in handling car works. What’s more is the company’s good selection of free service checks.

You may contact the local depot of Tyre&Auto Southbourne Group for further information about their car services.

 

 

Departure: Please check the calendar

(Can be arranged by your request)

Availability: 10 persons each day

Duration: About 6 hours

Price: 9000yen/person

 

Included: Rental bike, Nationally lisenced English speaking guide, helmet (on request), cruise fair and insurance.

Not-included: Lunch

 

Meeting at Kachidoki (9:30am)

Tsukiji Fish Market (wholesale market is closed on Sundays, some Wednesdays and holidays. In the case, we will visit either the retail market area or Hamarikyu Japanese Garden.)

Rainbow Bridge walk 

Odaiba Marine Park

Diver City Tokyo

Lunch (around 12:00pm)

Ariake 

Tokyo Bay cruise from Odaiba to Hinode ( 20 minutes)

End at Yurikamome Hinode Station (U04) (3:15pm)

You can stay in Odaina and take the cruise later if you want.

 

Note: Visiting places may be omitted or replaced because of operational reason. The guide will explain in that case. 

 

The Rainy Day Tour

- We conduct the tour by using public transportation on rainy days. We may omit or replace some places.

 

After-tour recommendations:

- Hot spring experience at Oedo Onsen (No bathing suit allowed)

- National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (10-17, close on Tuesdays)

- Trick Art Museum

- Fuji TV station observatory (500yen)

- Gotouch Menmatsuri (Ramen restaurants)

- Takoyaki Museum (Takoyaki shops)

- Venus Fort Outlet

- Lego Land Discovery Center Tokyo

- Tokyo Joy Police (Sega amusement park)

 

 

On this tour we mainly explore Odaiba which is on man-made islands located in the Tokyo Bay. This area has many interesting spots but it's too large to walk. Biking is the best way to look around this huge area. We stop by some interesting facilities and give you time to look around. Probably you want to come back to these facilities later and spend more time. That's why we end this tour in Odaiba. We finish the tour with the cruise. We againg cross Rainbow Bridge but this time you will see it from the cruise ship.

 

 

Departure: Please check the calendar

(Can be arranged by your request)

Availability: 10 persons each day

Duration: About 6 hours

Price: 9000yen/person

 

Included: Rental bike, Nationally lisenced English speaking guide, helmet (on request), Sea Life Park admission and insurance.

 

Meeting at Edogawa Municipal Baseball Stadium <MAP><pdf> (9:30am)

Gyosen Park with the Japanese Garden and the Zoo.

Riverside cycling road

Local supermarket

Kasai Rinkai Park

Lunch break (around 12:30pm)

Tokyo Sea Life Park (Aquarium) entry

Tokyo Disney Resort area(1:30pm)

Picture stops at TDL

End at IKSPIARI in the Tokyo Disney Resort (3:30pm)

Note: Visiting places may be omitted or replaced because of operational reason. The guide will explain in that case. 

 

The Rainy day tour

- We conduct the tour by using public transportation on rainy days. We may omit or replace some places.

 

After-tour recommendations:

-Tokyo Disney land/Disney Sea entrance with the Night Passport.

-Tokyo helicopter cruise

-Hot spring experience in Urayasu Mangekyo (Bathing suit partially OK)

-Dinner at Ikspiari shopping mall

 

 

Edogawa Ward is located in the east end of Tokyo prefecture and facing the Tokyo Bay. This area is densely populated as it is close to the centre of Tokyo, but it is still rich in nature. On our tour, we visit a lot of local parks including Kasai Rinkai Park which is famous for Tokyo Sea Life Park and the biggest Ferris wheel in Japan. We also drop by a big supermarket which you can't find in the center of Tokyo. In the later half of the tour, we cross the Edo River and explore the Tokyo Disney Resort area. We make some photo stops at major spots in the resort and also secret spots that only locals know.

 

 

Departure: Please check the calendar

(Can be arranged by your request)

Availability: 10 persons each day

Duration: About 6 hours

Price: 9000 yen /person

 

Included: Rental bike, Nationally lisenced English speaking guide, helmet (on request), Kiyosumi garden admission and insurance.

 

Meeting at Kachidoki <MAP><pdf> (9:30am)

Fukagawa-fudo Buddhist Temple

Tomioka-hachimangu Shinto Shrine

Kiyosumi Japanese Garden

Lunch break (around 1:00pm)

Ryogoku Sumo Stadium

Tokyo Sky Tree Soramachi

End at Tokyo Sky Tree Soramachi (3:30pm)

Note: Tokyo Sky Tree Observatory entry is NOT included. (Waiting line for buying the ticket seems less than 30 minutes except for weekends and holidays as of September 2014).

Visiting places may be omitted or replaced because of operational reason. The guide will explain in that case. 

 

The Rainy day tour

- We conduct the tour by using public transportation on rainy days. We may omit or replace some places.

 

After-tour recommendations:

- Tokyo Sky Tree Observatory

- Tokyo Sky Tree Soramachi (shopping mall)

- Asakusa Sensouji Temple

- Sumida River Cruise

- Okachimachi market 

- Akihabara electric town

-Ueno Zoo

-Tokyo National Museum

 

 

Shitamachi literally means "lower town "where commoner lived during the Edo era. Shitamachi is one of a few places where old atmosphere remains in this modernized Tokyo.

First we run though an old town which still remains between high-rise condominiums. Then, visit a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple. Both of them are not famous among foreign tourists but they have something worth visiting. Only locals know what the charms of them are. If we are lucky, we will see some Sumo wrestlers walking around near the Sumo stadium. This tour ends at Tokyo Sky Tree which has just opened on the May 22, 2012. You can find some nice souvenirs at the Soramachi shopping mall for sure.

JAKARTA, NETRALNEWS.COM - The Jakarta Great Sale Festival (FJGS) 2017 is expected to increase the number of tourists visiting the country's capital city, a Jakarta tourism official stated.

"The FJGS program has continued to improve every year, and it is expected that the number of tourists will also increase through this activity," Head of Jakarta Tourism and Culture Service Catur Laswanto noted at a press conference on the FJGS 2017 in Jakarta on Thursday.

Laswanto remarked that Jakarta has an advantage in the form of numerous shopping centers and malls that make the capital a tourist destination.

"Unlike other regions that have natural wealth that makes them a tourist destination, Jakarta has several shopping centers, and this is a tourist attraction," Laswanto emphasized.

The tourism official is optimistic that the FJGS 2017 will be able to compete with various shopping festivals in other Asian countries, as the products on offer are more complete and are available at lower prices.

"I laud the implementation of the FJGS 2017. Hopefully, this activity will continue to grow from time to time. We hope the FJGS would become a leading event in Jakarta," Laswanto affirmed.

This year, the FJGS will be held from June 2 to July 12, 2017. This event will be followed by 81 malls or shopping centers, 40 traditional markets of the Jakarta market operator PD Pasar Jaya, and 12 hotels and retailers from shopping centers.

During the FJGS 2017, a midnight shopping program or Midnight Sale will be held every week alternately in 27 shopping centers in Jakarta. In addition to the shopping program, the FJGS 2017 will also hold social activities.

In collaboration with the Jakarta Red Cross, the FJGS committee will hold Mass Blood Donation events in 36 shopping centers in Jakarta during the FJGS 2017.

The first tip that you need to know about is to have a list of questions ready which are related to your business.  These questions should include why an offshore company will work for your business.  You should also consider who will be involved with the business and what your business exit strategy will be if something were to go wrong.  Any question that you have about forming an offshore company should be put on the list and you need to have this with you when you visit an advisor.

DIY offshore company formation is not recommended because there is a lot of knowledge that you will not have.  This is why you will need to choose the right advisor to help you start your offshore company.  The advisor will need to have extensive knowledge about different offshore locations and how you would form a company in these locations.

When you meet with the advisor, you will need to find out about their experience and training.  You should also ask them the questions on the list that you have.  If they are able to adequately answer all of the questions, you should consider working with them.

One of the most important aspects of offshore company formation is choosing the right jurisdiction.  Not all jurisdictions will work for your company and it is important to know this.  You should look for a jurisdiction that has a good and long-standing reputation as well as being a stable country.  The company tax of the jurisdiction should also be looked at.  There are some popular jurisdictions such as Hong Kong and Belize, but you should ask your advisor for more information.

When looking at jurisdictions, you should also consider the other laws that govern the country.  There are some countries that have stricter regulations for certain types of businesses and you need to know about this.  You need to stay within the legal framework of the jurisdiction so knowing what this framework is will be important.

There are many services that can help you form an offshore company, but not all of them will have their costs on their website.  This is why you need to discuss the costs of using the service early to determine if the company is within your budget.  The costs will typically include setup fees as well as the annual renewal fees.

Offshore company formation is not something that you should do yourself.  However, there is a lot of research that you should do before you contact and advisor or choose a jurisdiction.

 

 

Is a war torn nation that no one knows much about, or has even heard of. The currency of choice here is single American dollars. The country is extremely poor and lacks almost any infrastructure of any kind. Will any entrepreneurs step up and make a difference in this country? Where there are problems, there is opportunity.

 

 

I have a friend who recently raised 30 million from the largest telecom in the country after being in the country for just 3 months. They now have the ENTIRE e-commerce marketplace to themselves. They are quite literally; they are the only company doing e-commerce at scale in the entire country. After a few weeks of operation, they eclipsed 101 employees today. Their headliner is a daily deals site / group-on clone: anything.lk

 

 

I’ll report back from Myanmar next week, as I’ll be jumping on a plane to head there shortly. For those who are interested in visiting, the visa situation is a pain! I decided to go last minute to attend a conference, and although I qualify for a “visa on arrival” the process is anything but clear. You need a letter from a Burmese business with address IN Myanmar (as well as permission from a ministry). Full details are available at this site. It is much, much easier to arrange a visa in advance at a local embassy.

 

 

From what I’ve seen so far from Indonesia, I enjoy this country. However, corruption at the lowest levels, as dealing with police (or the local banjar) can be burdensome for entrepreneurs. As for most places around the world, it’s best to enjoy your time here, follow the rules and don’t make too much noise. Although it is one of the largest emerging markets, if you are going to start a business here, you better have a great understanding of the culture, a well-connected local partner and deep pockets. I’ve written about starting a business in Bali in this post. If you are able to start a business, you’ll find incredible local talent for an inexpensive rate. The workforce is (by and large) more technically skilled than many other countries in the region, and there are great developers and designers.

 

 

Korea is a place I don’t know much about. From an outsiders perspective, it’s not an emerging market, it seems expensive and difficult to penetrate as a foreigner without extensive time and effort. Although I have Korean friends who I know and love, it doesn’t attract me from an a macro-economic perspective and I can’t see this economy having the growth potential of others in the region. It is very well developed, and in many ways the polar opposite of its neighbor to the north…

 

 

North Korea is the last frontier of Asia – hidden behind a communist veil, much of the society is kept in secrecy. I do know some people who have been able to visit and do business in the country. Believe it or not, they run a consultancy that teaches social skills. I guess that proves that maybe there is a market in NK? Recently it came out that Google is trying to penetrate into the economy here, and bring peace to the people. This is an admirable goal in my mind, and displays how the free market and private business can accomplish something that bureaucracy and governments could never accomplish in the country – freedom, peace and profitability.

 

 

China is intimidating. A huge market full of opportunities. Learn more on how to incorporate a company and do business in China.

 

 

Hong Kong is amazing, I love spending time in this country and it is just so damn entertaining to go out for a night on the town in this city. Hong Kong has a great culture – its not overbearing with centuries of tradition, but its deep enough to have caught its voice and be able to proudly proclaim: this is what it’s like to be Hongkongnese.

 

Hong Kong simultaneously both IS and IS NOT China. Technically, it is a “special administrative republic” and Hong Kong S.A.R. is an exemplar for an efficient free market economy, yet for all intents and purposes, is subservient to the centrally controlled Mainland. Although the quality of life, language, way of doing business, food, travel documents, and a lot of other things are completely different – Hong Kong IS china.

 

The food and the people are great, the city is so much fun, and Hong Kong is the best place to open a bank account. Scratch that, it is the 2nd best place in the world for banking and starting a business, right behind…

 

 

Singapore is THE best place in the world to start a business. I’ve written about Singapore city here and also here. I have a deep respect for the ability of the government to spur entrepreneurship and innovation, and raise the quality of life for a society. Living here is a joy, and I love being here for that reason, now if I could only find some interests outside of my work…

 

 

I write too much about this country already. I’m redacting my previous statements on the LOS. There is “nothing” to see in Thailand, please move along… My advice to backpacking tourists looking to “find themselves” and “see elephants” and “ladyboys” is to stay for a day, visit Phuket and then get out. We never wanted you here anyway.

 

For those of you who want to see the real Thailand… I recommend at least a year on the ground. Learning the language, starting a business, getting a multiple entry visa in Thailand through a Thai Company, and living in Bangkok city.

 

Cambodia is the future rice bowl of SE Asia. Along with Thailand and Vietnam, this is where the bulk of food will be produced in the 21st century. it’s also a very young society, and its developing quickly. I’ve seen ventures fail here (premium beer, commerce) and other succeed (citizenship by investment, property investment, fund management, rice, micro lending) the business field is wide open. Read more about Cambodia here. Read more about Cambodia’s Flag Theory and How to Get Cambodian Citizenship | Frontier Investing | Private Equity

 

 

Vietnam has an emerging tech community. You would not believe the talent that comes out of this country in terms of technical ability. The currency is a dong, and the government makes it near impossible to start a business unless you know the right people. Even the locals have to go and stand in a room and be read a number in order to start a company here. I spoke to a young girl that did it herself (instead of pay a company rough $200). From the beginning, you should only pick a venture that the government will LIKE – because if they don’t like you – bye bye. Take for instance Facebook – which saw a countrywide ban when groups starting popping up opposing the incumbent party. Check this article on How to set up a Vietnam LLC for further information.

 

 

Ahhh the Philippines. The friendliest people on earth. Despite having one of the lowest GDP per capita, they have one of the highest happiness ratings. The women here are very intelligent. If you want to set up a business here, make sure you have strong females on your side, and great government connections. They are open to foreigners doing business, but all of the guys I know here that have had success know when to show their palms, and when to show their teeth. REAL power rules.

 

If you are interested in setting up a company in the Philippines, or learning more, check out this post on why it’s more fun in the Philippines…

 

There is a lot of opportunity here; partially displayed by the fact that Google is setting up a HQ in the Philippines. As a societal whole, you really want to root for them. They have the potential, they could do better, and they even know it themselves (see this commentary called “get real Philippines” or just look at the town slogans “aim high!”