Tax Amsterdam. Innovative tax solutions helping you seize opportunities and solve business issues

Transcription

1 Tax Amsterdam Innovative tax solutions helping you seize opportunities and solve business issues

2 Innovative tax solutions helping you seize opportunities and solve business issues The leading Tax Practice Group of Baker & McKenzie Amsterdam offers Dutch and foreign multinationals independent tax advice of the highest level, locally and across borders. Our innovative, independent and pragmatic way of thinking and working helps our clients seize opportunities, minimize risks and solve business and tax issues.

3 How we work The Tax Practice Group consists of 65 professionals with a variety of specializations: tax lawyers, economists and leading transfer pricing specialists. These professionals can advise you on structuring or restructuring, transfer pricing and employee benefits. We offer a fully integrated practice in which we work closely together with attorneys and civil-law notaries. By receiving advice from our integrated teams, you can view issues from different perspectives, choosing the best and most effective solution for you and your business. Our working method is pragmatic, we address issues from an entrepreneur s perspective and aim at maximum results. Being part of a law firm means we can represent your interests in legal proceedings against tax authorities and our tax professionals have attorney-client privilege. Integrated collaboration, nationally and internationally The Amsterdam Tax Practice Group is part of Baker & McKenzie s Global Tax Practice Group. The practice group employs over 700 tax professionals worldwide and has all the necessary specialist professional knowledge and experience that is indispensable to carry on a national and international practice successfully. Our extensive, international network guarantees our clients an optimum response among the various local tax regulations. The close relationship between our professionals around the world, results in the most creative advice from top legal minds for you and your business. Because we work seamlessly across borders and practices, you always have immediate access to tax advice and legal advice, no matter where you are. Leading in Tax Advice The strength and depth of the Amsterdam Tax Practice is recognized by the International Tax Review (ITR). Baker & McKenzie Amsterdam received the award for the Netherlands Tax Firm of the Year in 2012 and Moreover, we received the ITR awards for Netherlands Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year as well as European Indirect Tax form of the Year in It is not the first time Baker & McKenzie s Tax Practice Group was acknowledged for its high-end services. The Firm was previously awarded: Netherlands Tax Firm of the Year 2011 and 2008, Netherlands Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year, 2010, 2007, 2006 and 2005 and European Indirect Tax Firm of the Year, 2009.

4 How the Tax Practice Group can help you Corporate & International Tax Whether operating nationally or internationally, businesses aim to achieve optimum profitability. This requires thorough and up to date knowledge of tax legislation. The experts of the Corporate & International Tax Team can advise you on tax planning, addressing even the most complex and specialist issues. Our objective is to optimize your tax position locally and globally. We can assist you during (international) restructurings and spin-offs. We design group structures and group finance plans. We can advise you on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and real estate transactions. Through the close collaboration between the Corporate, Banking & Finance and Real Estate Practice Groups and the Reorganizations Specialist Team, we guarantee services of high quality. For a number of regions, we have created special desks such as for the United States, Japan, Latin America and the Middle East, in order to advise you on local investments as well as cross-border transactions. VAT Our VAT practice deals with all kinds of indirect taxes, in particular VAT and real estate transfer tax. These associated costs can be a heavy burden on a business with sizable national and international operations. The specialists of the VAT Practice Group advise Dutch and foreign multinationals on the right structures for their business activities and supply chain. We assist them in complying with their tax obligations. We make arrangements with the tax authorities and represent your interests in any legal proceedings that may be necessary. We provide quick, effective and pragmatic assistance for complex VAT issues arising from international business transactions. You can rely on our vast experience in advising on the purchase, sale, development and operation of real estate. The team coordinates projects Europewide and worldwide for our clients on a regular basis and is generally acknowledged as a Center of Excellence in the field of indirect taxes.

5 Customs Our Tax Practice is one of very few to boast a dedicated Customs Practice. Sound planning and compliance strategies are critical when navigating the global trading environment, especially to avoid deficiencies in customs duties, import GST and excise taxes. Baker & McKenzie s Customs Team delivers coordinated tax and legal services to help you optimize supply and sourcing chains and fully satisfy customs requirements in the Netherlands and worldwide. The Customs Team works closely together with the colleagues from our Trade Group. Access to Baker & McKenzie s global network allows us to assist you in a multitude of customs issues wherever your operations are located. Our Amsterdam Customs Team has extensive experience coordinating Dutch, European as well as global customs matters. The Customs Team can assist you in the following matters: Interaction between transfer pricing, IP Taxation, customs valuation and supply chain efficiencies Customs Valuation and supply chain modelling Customs Classification (including Binding Tariff Information) Assistance with Customs Audits Arranging for rulings with Customs Authorities Benefits from the extensive range of Free Trade Agreements Preferential duty arrangements (including Binding Origin Information). If necessary, Litigation

6 Transfer Pricing As your products, services and intellectual assets cross more borders, your tax obligations become more complex. The increasing volume and importance of cross-border transactions between affiliated companies have also captured the attention of tax authorities worldwide. New substantive transfer pricing rules, expanding new documentation requirements and penalties, and a stronger focus on enforcement are now the order of the day. Our Transfer Pricing Team has been established to assist you in facing the ever-increasing complexity of managing your company s transfer pricing risk, including: Review, design, advise and coach you with respect to your company s transfer pricing policy Perform functional and economic analyses for your company (such as conducting comparability analyses and financial modelling including the valuation of companies, ongoing concerns and intangible assets) Prepare your transfer pricing documentation Prepare and manage Advance Pricing Agreements Assist you in transfer pricing audits and controversies Assist you with alternative dispute resolution procedures Design and implement tax-efficient supply chain structures, including intangible migrations The Amsterdam Transfer Pricing Team is experienced in transactions involving financial services, climate change, the pharmaceutical industry and tax controversy assistance. The team acts as knowledge center for Baker & McKenzie s European Transfer Pricing Team.

7 Compensation & Benefits The drafting and implementation of employment terms invariably involves dealing with a great number of tax issues. Tax laws and regulations national and international are often subject to radical changes. Baker & McKenzie s Compensation & Benefits team provides completely independent advice from both a legal and tax perspective. This includes the optimization of remuneration packages from a tax and social security angle, handling all aspects of individual and collective employment and industrial relations law, self-employment status, and pensions, with a particular focus on the ever more pervasive applications of EU law. With our forward-thinking approach to current compensation and benefits issues, we provide relevant, integrated, and tailor-made advice to best address your needs. The team consists of lawyers and tax advisors and covers both Dutch and international tax law, securities law, corporate law, employment law, and laws on exchange control and data privacy. Our specialists work closely together to design those tax and legal structures that will allow you optimum profitability. Needless to say, we work closely with the other tax practice groups and with Baker & McKenzie s Employment Law Practice Group. Tax Compliance Both the increased focus on the tax position in the financial statements and the increased focus of the Dutch tax authorities on the timely filing of tax returns underscore the importance of tax compliance in helping avoid penalties and possible discussions with the Dutch tax authorities. The Tax Compliance Team of Baker & McKenzie Amsterdam covers all matters relating to Dutch tax compliance, thus ensuring a correct and timely filing of Dutch tax returns. Its services also include assisting auditors in determining the tax position in financial statements. Tax compliance is an essential and integral part of tax planning. Baker & McKenzie strongly believes that providing tax planning without being in control of the tax compliance work is not in the benefit of clients and may increase the tax risk profile as a result of potentially incorrect positions in the tax returns. Being in control of the tax compliance and being certain that the tax compliance is aligned with tax advice previously rendered are key to being able to proactively identify and address tax issues.

8 Baker & McKenzie has been global since inception. Being global is part of our DNA. Our difference is the way we think, work and behave we combine an instinctively global perspective with a genuinely multicultural approach, enabled by collaborative relationships and yielding practical, innovative advice. Serving our clients with more than 4,000 lawyers in over 40 countries, we have a deep understanding of the culture of business the world over and are able to bring the talent and experience needed to navigate complexity across practices and borders with ease. Visit to learn more For more information, please contact: Corporate & International Tax Tax Compliance Herman Huidink herman.huidink@bakermckenzie.com Transfer Pricing Antonio Russo antonio.russo@bakermckenzie.com VAT Folkert Idsinga folkert.idsinga@bakermckenzie.com Compensation & Benefits Jan-Willem de Tombe jan-willem.detombe@bakermckenzie.com Customs Erik Scheer erik.scheer@bakermckenzie.com 2013 Baker & McKenzie. All rights reserved. Baker & McKenzie Amsterdam N.V. is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein with member law firms around the world. In accordance with the common terminology used in professional service organizations, reference to a partner means a person who is a partner, or equivalent, in such a law firm. Similarly, reference to an office means an office of any such law firm.