To continue to practice or service clients in the EU, you will need to ensure your UK qualifications are recognised by the relevant EU regulatory or professional bodyMake sure your EU-qualified staff can continue to provide professional services to clients in the UK by ensuring their professional qualification(s) are recognised by the relevant regulatory or professional body in the UK. You can find out more here.
To continue to practice or service clients in the EU, you will need to ensure your UK qualifications are recognised by the relevant EU regulatory or professional body. You will need to do this even if you are providing short-term or occasional professional services. Where a qualification has already been recognised by the relevant regulator in the EEA or Switzerland, you should make sure you understand the terms of the recognition decision by checking with that regulator. Find out more information here.
Decisions you’ll need to make
- Identify which EU/EFTA nations you are providing services to
- Check if your profession is regulated in your target market by checking the European Commission’s Regulated Professions Database.
Actions you might need to take
If you provide services to the EU, you will need to check the national regulations of the country you are doing business in to understand how best to operate.
- Get your professional qualifications recognised by EU regulators. You will need to have your UK qualifications recognised by the appropriate regulator in each country you intend to work in if the profession is regulated there. A country-by-country guide can be found here
- Decide how you will account for VAT. Find out how and when you can apply for zero-rated VAT to exported services, and which transactions are subject to tax. You can find more guidance here
- Check if there are any changes to who can own, manage or direct companies in EEA countries you are active in. You can find more guidance here
Sector Specific Actions:
If you provide services remotely, such as over e-mail or video call, check if you face additional authorisation requirements.
- This is likely if you provide highly regulated services, such as legal, accounting or healthcare-related services. More guidance can be found here
Check if your business will need to report new information to Companies House.
- This applies to businesses with EEA corporate officers, or EU entities registered in the UK. More guidance can be found here
For free exporting advice and guidance, you can contact the Government’s Business Support Helpline on 0800 998 1098 (England), 0300 060 3000 (Wales), 0300 303 0660 (Scotland) or 0800 181 4422 (Northern Ireland).
The Institute of Chartered Accountants’ have also produced this helpful Brexit Checklist.
