Accounting, payroll and HR

The Nowium’s Accounting & Tax team provides a wide range of services tailored to the size and needs of each client:

• Bookkeeping and Reporting
• Accounting and Tax Assistance
• VAT
• Direct Taxes
• Other Services

Payroll and HR:

• Outsourcing the payroll services to Nowium
• Outsource human resources (HR) to Nowium
• Foreign citizens’ services
• HR consulting services
• Organisation of training courses

Bookkeeping and Reporting

• Outsourced accounting services for companies, NGOs, representative offices and authorized individuals
• Draft tax returns and submit to the tax authorities
• Draft Statutory Financial Statements and Financial Reporting
• Prepare accounting reports for the Group
• Financial Analysis
• IFRS Reporting

Outsourcing accounting to Nowium involves a true partnership between us and our client through which we want to contribute with useful information in the financial, accounting, tax and legal areas to the client’s decision-making process and business development. It involves the total or partial takeover by our team of the client’s financial-accounting processes.

The client should not bother about running his own department and transfers responsibility for applying accounting and tax rules to Nowium, while benefiting from the experience of a multidisciplinary team of experts.

Outsourcing to Nowium also includes consulting services provided to the client to establish common working procedures, to understand and comply with accounting and tax rules and to identify risks in advance.

The major benefits of outsourcing accounting services to Nowium are:

• reducing the risk of accounting and tax errors by shifting responsibility
• high efficiency and access to a range of resources that could not be provided internally at reasonable costs
• elimination of risk of staff shortages
• availability of services and their scaling much more efficiently
• focus on operational activities

Examples of processes that can be included in the scope of accounting services outsourced to Nowium:

• analysis and registration of source documents according to accounting regulations and managerial reporting needs
• management of fixed assets register and monthly accounting/tax depreciation calculation
• cost of sales and stock discharge (based on client’s business records)
• accrue income and expense, record provisions, release prepaid expenses and deferred income on a monthly basis, as needed.
• book travel expenses and employees salaries
• account for loan and lease operations
• record bank statement activity and cash operations
• allocate payments and receipts
• revalue foreign currency-denominated accounts each month
• process specific VAT transactions, administer VAT Cash Accounting Scheme and close VAT accounts
• perform month-end accounting operations: record direct taxes, close trial balance
• compile and validate VAT journals
• prepare and submit periodic tax returns related to direct taxes, VAT and others
• extract, process and provide reports to Group each month, according to agreed-upon procedures and schedule
• preparation of annual financial statements and mid-year accounting reports
• various formalities with tax authorities
• other related reports and services

In addition, the Nowium team of experts is in constant contact with the client analyzing the financial-accounting information in order to understand the client’s transactions and intentions, in order to identify possible accounting and fiscal risks to be subsequently reduced and eliminated.

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Accounting and Tax Assistance

• Recurrent Accounting/Tax Assistance/Review (Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-annually, Annually)
• Assistance for SAF-T implementation and reporting
• Assistance in implementing information systems and in defining information flows

Recurrent Accounting/Tax Assistance/Review

The accounting and tax assistance services are offered to clients who already have their own financial-accounting team and who outsource the process of validation the applied treatments and certifying the accounting and tax reports. It is a service through which medium and large clients complement the benefits of their own team with the safety of a team of experts who validate the results of the internal team and ensure the correct reporting of tax obligations to authorities.

The assistance is the solution selected in cases where companies start with full outsourcing, but the development of the entity’s activity leads to the need for an internal accounting department to solve daily information and documentary requirements, where a consultant intervenes during the most important stages of verification and certification of results.

Accounting / tax assistance can be provided on a continuous, recurring basis, or only on request, occasionally.

In case of recurring variant (monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, annual) it is the equivalent of a partial outsourcing of the accounting / tax function.

Periodic accounting and tax assistance is similar to full outsourcing of the accounting function, yet daily recurring operations, data entry of primary accounting documents into informational systems and other primary accounting operations are performed by the client’s team.

The client collaborates with a dedicated team from Nowium, the intervention dates and the action plan are agreed upon.

Our team is often responsible for the following activities:

• identification of errors and omissions, discrepancies between accounts and documents, between registers and accounting sub-registers
• ensure correct application of accounting and tax treatment
• adjustments for corrections
• determining and proposing certain types of complex operations and tax adjustments which the consultant is contractually responsible for
• validation or calculation of corporate or microenterprise income tax
• validation or preparation VAT journals and VAT returns
• validation or preparation of tax returns
• identification of risks and presentation to the client, along with proposals to mitigate or minimize such risks

Assistance for SAF-T implementation and reporting

SAF-T (Standard Audit File for Taxation) reporting is, in our view, the most complex tax reporting currently available. It was introduced in Romania since January 1, 2022 as part of the process of digitalization of tax authorities and is mandatory for large taxpayers. This reporting implies the transparency of all the company’s transactions to the tax authorities and leads to a rigorous closing of each accounting month.

Nowium provides the technical solution for SAF-T reporting, along with assistance in implementing and performing these reports.

Assistance in implementing information systems and defining information flows

Nowium team is the ideal solution in providing assitance in the implementation of financial-accounting information systems without any problems that may arise during this process.

According to our experience, in most cases, the decision to change the financial-accounting information system is taken for two reasons. Either the Romanian company is part of an international group that wants to align the information systems and to obtain easier management reports, or the company has an old system that needs modernization.

Often, this type of change is not properly or fully managed. If the primary purpose is management reporting to the Group, too little attention is paid to compliance with accounting requirements, especially Romanian tax matters which, in turn, leads to frequent use of manual procedures.

In the case of an old system, inadequate coordination tends to cause replication of all the shortcomings and drawbacks of the old system in the new system. This comes from lack of vision and experience in knowing what to ask of a new system.

How can Nowium help you:

• Analysing existing information flows and proposals for redesign
• Defining clear and complete requirements ensuring system compatibility with statutory requirements in Romania, and with the management information needs, as well
• Communicating with the client and implementation team on choosing the best solution
• Requesting functionalities that the client is unaware of or which the implementor does not propose
• Avoiding an implementation strictly limited to standard functionalities

Maximising capabilities of the new IT solution.

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VAT

• Assistance in obtaining a VAT code
• Managing VAT registration for non-residents
• Assistance in ensuring compliance with legal VAT requirements
• Preparation, assistance in preparation, and submission of VAT returns
• Assistance in VAT reimbursement process
• Consultancy in establishing VAT treatment for various transactions
• Certification of VAT returns

Assistance in obtaining a VAT code

VAT registration of a Romanian entity is more than an administrative process. In recent years, numerous risk criteria, limitations and filtering have been introduced into the VAT registration process, so it is often very difficult for a newly-created entity to quickly get a VAT code.
Nowium specialists can assist you in meeting all tax requirements to receive a VAT code as quickly as possible

Managing VAT registration for non-residents

For non-resident companies based in other EU Member States, Nowium ensures full compliance with VAT requirements in Romania:

• initial registration of non-resident entity for VAT purposes in Romania
• recurring management of all VAT obligations in Romania:
  • drafting VAT journals
  • reviewing invoices for compliance with legal requirements
  • compilation and submission of VAT tax returns (D300, D390, D394)
  • information on VAT
  • assistance with the VAT reimbursement process
• communicate with Romanian tax authorities on behalf of clients
• cancel VAT code

Assistance in ensuring compliance with legal VAT requirements

Nowium can provide a recurring review of transactions and documents in terms of VAT compliance. This involves checking documents for compliance with all legal requirements regarding VAT to ensure a low risk profile.

At the same time, Nowium may draft or validate VAT journals and VAT returns (the VAT return, intra-Community return, recapitulative statement 394 and others).

Preparation, assistance in preparation, and submission of VAT returns

To ensure the accuracy of VAT returns are accurate, you can call Nowium specialists. We can validate the relationship between VAT journals and VAT returns. With a power of attorney, we can electronically sign and file tax returns on your behalf.

Assistance during VAT reimbursement process

Nowium has tax and legal specialists who can assist you during tax audits or throughout the VAT reimbursement process. This may involve several steps:

• review of documents before requesting VAT reimbursement to ensure compliance with legal requirements and the existence of all mandatory elements/documents
• collaborating with tax inspectors and preparing analytical data they require during tax audits
• provide legal reasoning for treatments appliedand support the client’s position
• assistance in counteracting adverse opinions and in issuing opinions and appeals
• client support during meetings with of tax authority managers
• legal actions taken by the client in case of unfavorable conclusions in a tax inspection

Consultancy in establishing VAT treatment for various transactions

Nowium’s experts can help you clarify how to correctly handle transactions. Consultancy services may be occasional, one-time or recurring, as part of a monthly subscription.

We recommend analyzing the implications of transactions before doing the actual transactions. We have encountered multiple situations in which clients have become concerned about the tax treatment and implications of transactions after they have already been reported. Sometimes it’s too late to change a transaction which has been incorrectly handled, or a correction may be made, accompanied by payment of some penalties.

We have always recommended that the treatment associated with transactions, especially new or highly  complex transactions, be analyzed and validated before recording the actual transactions. This allows for risk identification and corrective action without subsequent collateral effects.

Nowium is here to assist you in explaining the correct VAT treatment for your company’s transactions.

Certification of VAT returns

Certification of VAT returns is formal attestation by Nowium, as a tax consultant, that VAT returns comply with legal requirements.

Certification is a useful tool in reducing the entity’s fiscal risk, especially for VAT reimbursements.

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Direct Taxes

• Calculation and review of corporate or microenterprise income taxes
• Certification of annual corporate income tax return
• Taxation of non-resident income (WHT) – assistance in applying local law and double taxation avoidance conventions
• Applying income tax regulations
• Assistance in determining tax on prizes and other direct taxes

Calculation and review of corporate or microenterprise income taxes

Romanian legislation is rather restrictive and complex regarding rules for determining corporate income tax and deductibility of various expenses, where the need for documentation is high. The profit tax calculation is a complex process involving thorough knowledge on correctly applying rules and limitations.

Although microenterprise income taxes are considered easy, applicability rules have a complicated mechanism for determining the tax.

Moreover, in recent years there have been many specific rules of deduction, tax facilities, tax cuts, rules that require thorough knowledge in the field of taxation.

Nowium specialists can assist you in identifying and mitigating risks associated with various transactions, and also provide support in correctly interpreting legislation and in applying appropriate treatments.

Nowium’s involvement in the direct tax area can be varied:

• direct involvement in tax calculations, especially for fully outsourced accounting and recurring assistance assignments
• review of transactions and assistance in preparation of direct taxes calculations
• timely analysis of and issuing opinions on transactions.

Certification of annual corporate income tax return

Certification of corporate income tax returns is official attestation by Nowium, as tax consultant, that the corporate income tax return and treatments applied have been reviewed and comply with legal provisions in force.
Certification is a useful tool in reducing the entity’s tax risk level. We recall that the fiscal risk indicator which tax authorities assign to each entity may determine whether or not the entity is included in the sample of tax audits, may result in faster VAT reimbursement and, in general, a better perception of the entity by tax authorities.

Taxation of non-resident income (WHT) – assistance in applying local law and double taxation avoidance conventions

Non-resident income tax is another high-complexity tax subject. Interpretation and analysis of contractual provisions in conjunction with provisions of the Fiscal Code, Double Taxation Avoidance Conventions and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Norms give rise to a highly complex process for which you need specialists.
International taxation and avoidance of double taxation between countries is a topical subject, yet undergoing profound change and interpretation. Each country wishes to maximize its taxable income base, and hence there are many problems in applying treaties and other regulations on double taxation.
Nowium’s specialists can help you by interpreting contracts and transactions you carry out, by identifying risk areas and by recommending fair treatment.

Assistance during tax inspections in the direct tax field

Nowium has specialists who can assist you during tax audits of direct taxes and VAT returns.

This may involve several steps:

• review documents prior to requesting VAT reimbursement to ensure compliance with legal requirements and existence of all mandatory elements/documents
• collaborating with tax inspectors and preparing analyses required during the audit
• provide legal reasoning behind the various treatments applied and support of client’s position
• assistance in counteracting adverse opinions and in issuing opinions and appeals
• client support when meeting with managers from tax authority
• legal actions taken by the client in case of unfavorable conclusions in a tax inspection

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Other Services

• Hosting a virtual corporate headquarters for our clients
• Accounting, tax and payroll formalities post-incorporation
• Various administrative procedures in relation to ANAF, Trade Registry (ONRC)and other authorities
• Other administrative and financial support services

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Payroll and HR

Nowium Payroll team can ensure the complete and correct management of staff salaries by completely or partially outsourcing the services you need:

• Complete outsourcing of payroll services
• Drafting and submitting payroll tax returns
• Drafting and submitting tax returns for detached employees
• Review of salary calculations
• Social Audit
• HR platform access services for client’s employees

Salary and human resources are a sensitive area in any entity regardless of company size.  Sensitivity is given by several factors: the confidentiality of salary information, the correctness of the preparation of documents and ensuring the correct calculations.

An HR expert must be constantly informed of the multiple legislative changes and the tax treatment of various cases of their own employees. The pandemic period brought even greater complexity in the area of ​​salary calculations and tax reporting, the implementation of various schemes to support the affected entities (technical unemployment, compensation for reduced working time, telework, days off for parents). It is a real challenge to be constantly informed of all legislative changes, especially when many of them are incompletely regulated.

In addition, payroll errors can cause team dissatisfaction, which could have a negative effect on a company’s performance.

Nowium has the expertise to enforce legal requirements, has up-to-date technical tools for managing this information and can provide you with complete, successful outsourcing of payroll services, becoming your payroll reliable partner.

Our business card is given by the vast experience in the field, by a team of professionals with numerous recognition awards from accredited professional bodies, by a constantly updated salary management software, as well as by a large portfolio of satisfied clients.

Outsourcing the payroll services to Nowium

The advantages of outsourcing payroll services to Nowium:

• access to the experience of a team dedicated to HR, APEX Payroll consultants do not deal with other accounting or tax areas and their expertise is maximized in the HR area
• access to a complex team, from junior to manager and partner and to legal consultants, access to the know-how of Nowium expertise
• ability of the company’s management to organise their current activities more efficiently
• avoid the risk of losing HR department’s resources
• process simplification for the company
• avoid costs associated with training employees responsible for salary calculations and the costs to update payroll software
• timely delivery of salary documents to management and pay slips to employees
• ensure confidentiality of salary information
• Nowium assumes responsibility for wage calculation process
• full engagement with state institutions
• assist during audits by Labour Inspectorate
• assist in resolving various cases in HR area
• permanent information on legislative changes
• flexible work procedures

Outsourcing payroll calculation to Nowium involves following tasks:

• retrieve data from previous payroll records and set up IT system
• process payroll information received based on customized monthly timesheet(file provided by Nowium) or through the integrated HR platform (if the client chooses to implement it)
• warn of any errors in documents provided/medical leave certificates
• calculation of sick leave allowances, holiday leave, special events
• calculate gross equivalent of net bonuses/compensations communicated
• calculate exchange rate differences in foreign currency-denominated wages (net or gross) and premiums or bonuses in foreign currency
• process bonuses, compensation, guarantees, attachments, detentions, advances
• prepare the payroll statement
• prepare payment report for taxes and social contributions
• compile accounting report and personalized reports with emphasis on wage costs by various dimensions: work locations, departments, cost centers or sections
• prepare payment orders for taxes and salary contributions
• prepare file for payments to employee bank accounts
• prepare pay slips with the possibility of individual or centralized transmission, in paper format (in envelope or secured paper), by e-mail in a PDF file (password protected or unprotected)
• prepare and register file for refund from health/work accident funds
• draft, sign and transmit monthly or annual declarations: 100, 112, 205, etc.
• generate salary accounting entries for import into the accounting system
• manage meal vouchers
• complete forms to report employment metrics.

If the customer chooses to implement the HR platform and its associated services, a number of processes are automated, such as:

• submission of time sheets, including approval and transmission of holiday’s leave
• 24/7 self-service employee access to customer-defined reports, pay slips, the possibility of generating income certificates, access to the employment contract and other salary documents, access to copies of identity documents, diplomas and other automations.

Outsource human resources (HR) to Nowium

• manage staff files
• prepare individual labour contracts
• draft additional acts to labour contracts
• make decisions to terminate, suspend and/or resume work
• compile, update and transmit the General Register of Employees’ Evidence (REGES)
• prepare all types of certificates

Foreign citizens’ services

Foreign citizens coming from EU Member States or from the European Economic Area, who are active in Romania, must declare their residency to the Romanian authorities and declare income related to their activity in Romania.

Nowium Payroll team can assist the management of declaratory obligations:

• assist in obtaining registration certificate
• prepare and register statement 222 (at start and end of activity)
• monthly calculation, completion and recordation of statement 224.

HR consulting services

Nowium Payroll consultants can guide you in solving various issues on the HR area:

• Payroll – review salary calculation process
• Human Resources – Review staff files
• Social Audit – Full review of the entity’s HR function

Services may be subject to customer-specific requests or a monthy consulting subscription.

Organisation of training courses:

• payroll practices
• optimizing wage costs
• taxation of self-employment income
• labour law
• customized courses