World Tax - Home
The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

The tax practice at Deloitte comprises about 40 professionals and is headed by the highly-regarded Steve Gawromski, who specialises in corporate tax and tax planning, especially for financial products. Adham Hafoudh is the only other tax partner at the ... [more]

The tax practice at Deloitte comprises about 40 professionals and is headed by the highly-regarded Steve Gawromski, who specialises in corporate tax and tax planning, especially for financial products. Adham Hafoudh is the only other tax partner at the firm and joined from Deloitte in the Czech Republic last year and is seen as a rising star in the market.

The practice specialises in all areas of tax including corporate tax, tax planning, VAT and M&A. The practice also offers legal advice through Deloitte Legal. Out of all the areas corporate and indirect tax are the largest, though Michal Antala the leads a strong transfer pricing team. Each practitioner specialises in one area rather than being generalists.

This year Pavol Berec advised on a major demerger involving a listed Norwegian energy company in a deal valued at $20m. Miriam Patiova also obtained a VAT refund of about €5 million ($7 million) for a financial services client. Other work this year includes restructuring the European operations of a US company.

Most of the practice's clients are Slovakian subsidiaries of multinationals. The practice is particularly strong in the financial services sector, advising five out of the six biggest banks in the jurisdiction. The group also advised five out of the 10 largest non-financial companies in the Slovak economy last year.

Ernst & Young's tax practice in the Slovak Republic is led by national director of tax Stan Jakubek. Günter Oszwald is the only other partner in a team of about 43 professionals.Though the practice is not organised into separate service lines like elsewhere ... [more]

Ernst & Young's tax practice in the Slovak Republic is led by national director of tax Stan Jakubek. Günter Oszwald is the only other partner in a team of about 43 professionals.

Though the practice is not organised into separate service lines like elsewhere in the Ernst & Young network the group can offer the same breadth of services as elsewhere. International tax services is the largest, counting for about 35% of fee income. Transfer pricing has grown rapidly since the government introduced new guidelines in 2009 and this is something the practice expects to continue.

The group has seen an increase in M&A activity from the second half of 2010 onwards. The practice worked on the first retroactive merger since the laws were changed last year. The entire value of the transaction was about €30 million. Contentious work has increased this year and the group is representing two large clients in transfer pricing disputes.

The group has clients from most of the key global industries, particularly the energy sector, and also advises the largest telecommunications operator in the Slovak Republic. A lot of clients are referred from other member firms in the Ernst & Young network, particularly Austria and Germany, though the practice is also active in the local market and has seen a steady increase in outbound work this year.

KPMG's tax practice is led by Tomas Ciran and has been active in Bratislava since 1991.The practice provides a broad range of business tax services including corporate tax advisory, international tax, VAT, customs and excise, M&A tax, transfer pricing, ... [more]

KPMG's tax practice is led by Tomas Ciran and has been active in Bratislava since 1991.

The practice provides a broad range of business tax services including corporate tax advisory, international tax, VAT, customs and excise, M&A tax, transfer pricing, global tax outsourcing and in personal tax, payroll services and international executive services.

The practice is particularly used to dealing with foreign companies investing in the Slovak Republic, especially since the country's accession to the EU. The practice has developed a Ton Verbraeken-led service covering investment incentives and EU structural funds which deals with analysing and negotiating with the authorities to obtain investment incentives.

The practice serves a broad range of clients, mostly multinational.

Todd Bradshaw runs the tax practice at PwC consisting of 60 advisers, which makes it the biggest tax practice of the big-four firms in the Slovak Republic and so the biggest in the country. The practice provides a complete range of tax services and is ... [more]

Todd Bradshaw runs the tax practice at PwC consisting of 60 advisers, which makes it the biggest tax practice of the big-four firms in the Slovak Republic and so the biggest in the country. The practice provides a complete range of tax services and is structured across four main areas: corporate income tax, human resources, indirect tax and transfer pricing. Out of those areas corporate tax and VAT are the two largest areas but all parts of the practice have grown in the last year. The practice can also provide legal services, where Marc-Tell Madl, another partner, heads the team. He joined this May from PwC in the Ukraine.

Since the introduction of documentation requirements in 2009 transfer pricing has certainly been a source of more work. The team is headed by Christina Serugova.

The practice advises both local and international clients across a wide range of industries. Advisers on the German desk support the many clients from there.

BDO has an office in Bratislava, the capital, with others in Piest'any and Trencin.The practice provides tax advisory services to clients across a broad range of industries including financial services, food & beverages, manufacturing, hotel and tourism, ... [more]

BDO has an office in Bratislava, the capital, with others in Piest'any and Trencin.

The practice provides tax advisory services to clients across a broad range of industries including financial services, food & beverages, manufacturing, hotel and tourism, automotive and information technology.

BMBLeitner has been the Slovak Republic firm of LeitnerLeitner, the Central European tax and accounting firm, since 1996. The practice is viewed very highly in the market. "They are probably number five after the big-four" said one partner. "They have ... [more]

BMBLeitner has been the Slovak Republic firm of LeitnerLeitner, the Central European tax and accounting firm, since 1996. The practice is viewed very highly in the market. "They are probably number five after the big-four" said one partner. "They have a very sizeable tax team within the firm".

Three partners specialise in tax. Renata Blahova has been partner at the firm since 2003 and specialises in international and Slovak tax, with a particular focus on M&A and transfer pricing. Barbora Secova is particularly used to advising on banking & financing matters and also VAT and tax audits, while Anna Fabryova specialises in VAT and taxation of real estate.

The practice is particularly used to advising English- and German-speaking clients looking to set up operations in the Slovak Republic and also throughout central and Eastern Europe, being able to make use of LeitnerLeitner advisers in the rest of the region. The practice also advises a lot of big and small domestic clients.

Milan Kvasnovsky leads a team at Grant Thornton of five tax professionals. The practice has grown impressively over the last few years over the last three years, a development the practice puts down to a stable team combined with efforts and improving ... [more]

Milan Kvasnovsky leads a team at Grant Thornton of five tax professionals. The practice has grown impressively over the last few years over the last three years, a development the practice puts down to a stable team combined with efforts and improving efficiency.

The practice is different from the rest of the market because it does not have any domestic clients, only international. The practice is particularly strong in outsourcing work and has also seen an increase in transfer pricing work since the changes to rules in 2009. It advises clients across a broad range of sectors, though is particularly strong in the automotive sector and also financial leasing and information technology.

White & Case's tax practice is led by Marek Staron and comprises three practitioners. The practice is one of the strongest in a law firms in the Slovak Republic and they view their main competitors in the market as the big-four. The practice mostly advises ... [more]

White & Case's tax practice is led by Marek Staron and comprises three practitioners. The practice is one of the strongest in a law firms in the Slovak Republic and they view their main competitors in the market as the big-four. The practice mostly advises on M&A, cross-border structuring and litigation.

The group has been very busy this year, advising on a number of high-profile deals. Staron, Matej Firicky and Zoran Draskovic advised a Spanish company on the development of two solar power plants in Slovakia, which involved a lot of interesting structuring, including the use of a Cyprus holding company.

The practice also secured a VAT refund for Promens, a manufacturing company, which meant negotiations with the Ministry of Finance on the EU VAT Directive. Other clients include Doprastav, Enterprise Investors, Vectra and Heitman.

TPA Horwath's tax practice is led by Peter Danovsky. He advises on a broad range of tax areas, particularly real estate, manufacturing and financial services sector. He also has a particular expertise serving English and German-speaking clients.The practice ... [more]

TPA Horwath's tax practice is led by Peter Danovsky. He advises on a broad range of tax areas, particularly real estate, manufacturing and financial services sector. He also has a particular expertise serving English and German-speaking clients.

The practice is split between general tax consulting which includes tax planning and structuring, tax administration and accounting, legal representation in tax matters and payroll services on the one hand and international tax consulting on the other hand which includes transfer pricing, VAT and human resource management.

The practice is strong in advising clients that are looking to enter the central and eastern Europe market, benefiting from the firm's strength across that area. It has nearly 1,000 staff in 25 offices there. The firm is part of the Crowe Horwath International network.