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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

Niyazi Comez leads Deloitte's Turkish tax practice of 13 partners and 179 fee earners. Notable additions to staff this year include Orhan Kahraman from the Ministry of Finance as a tax director, providing the practice with a close link to tax authorities. ... [more]

Niyazi Comez leads Deloitte's Turkish tax practice of 13 partners and 179 fee earners. Notable additions to staff this year include Orhan Kahraman from the Ministry of Finance as a tax director, providing the practice with a close link to tax authorities. The addition of Lerzan Nalbantoglu as legal services director has also reinforced the firm's abilities in contentious tax. The firm is particularly noted for its strength in capital markets and financial products, with Sedat Eratalar highly recommended by competitors. This year, the firm was engaged in the first transfer pricing audit defence under the new transfer pricing rules in Turkey that were implemented in 2007 and obtained a successful result for the client. This is a particularly important result in light of the absence of existing case law and judicial guidance on the new transfer pricing rules. Transfer pricing was also the major issue in advice provided to the Turkish subsidiary of a multinational group. The movement of certain operations to the subsidiary involved the transfer of intangible assets fundamental to the business. The practice advised the client on whether the intangibles presented any transfer pricing implications in the absence of any definite legal guidance on marketing intangibles.

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Ernst & Young's tax practice in Turkey has expanded this year under department head Erdal Calikoglu, with 32 fee earners joining the department over the last year. This brings the total number of tax professionals to more than 250, making the firm one ... [more]

Ernst & Young's tax practice in Turkey has expanded this year under department head Erdal Calikoglu, with 32 fee earners joining the department over the last year. This brings the total number of tax professionals to more than 250, making the firm one of the largest in the Turkish tax market. The firm provides clients with a full range of tax services, but has focused on its transfer pricing service line in particular since legislation was introduced in Turkey in 2007. Alper Yılmaz was transferred from the firm's US office this year to lead the transfer pricing service line. He has served as the head of transfer pricing for multinational companies and is expected to bolster the firm's knowledge of related-party transactions. The firm has also been active in M&A this year and claims to have the largest and busiest M&A tax service in Turkey.

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Leon Coskun is the head of Mazars's tax department and chairman of the firm. The department consists of 13 partners and 74 other fee earners spread across the Ankara and Bursa offices. The practice has also broadened its capabilities this year with the ... [more]

Leon Coskun is the head of Mazars's tax department and chairman of the firm. The department consists of 13 partners and 74 other fee earners spread across the Ankara and Bursa offices. The practice has also broadened its capabilities this year with the addition of transfer pricing partner Metin Duran from KPMG and is equipped to provide tax advice and service across the full range of corporate tax issues. The practice is distinguished in indirect tax and transfer pricing and is identified by competitors for being strong in these areas. This is reflected in their clients, which include the Turkish transport sector company IC Holdings as well as multinational car parts manufacturer MGI Coutier and Dogan Media.

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PwC's tax team has a strong reputation in Turkey and several of its practitioners are singled out by competitors for their ability. Recep Bıyık is commended for his practical approach and comprehensive knowledge of corporate tax. Similarly, Bilgutay ... [more]

PwC's tax team has a strong reputation in Turkey and several of its practitioners are singled out by competitors for their ability. Recep Bıyık is commended for his practical approach and comprehensive knowledge of corporate tax. Similarly, Bilgutay Yasar receives praise for his work in transfer pricing. The firm handles a full range of tax issues for its clients and is one of the largest tax teams in the country. Zeki Gündüz now leads the firm's tax department in the country after Adnan Nas was promoted to be one of the firm's managing partners in Turkey.

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BDO Denet is led by Haluk Kaptanoglu and is capable of providing clients with tax advice in corporate tax planning, international tax and structuring, corporate financing, M&A, employee incentives and tax due diligence. As part of the international BDO ... [more]

BDO Denet is led by Haluk Kaptanoglu and is capable of providing clients with tax advice in corporate tax planning, international tax and structuring, corporate financing, M&A, employee incentives and tax due diligence. As part of the international BDO network, the firm is also capable of coordinating cross border matters.

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Uluc Ozcan leads the practice of dedicated tax firm Erdikler-Taxand, which has several highly respected practitioners. For cross-border structuring matters Saban Erdikler is singled out by his peers as an adept practitioner. Recent highlights of the ... [more]

Uluc Ozcan leads the practice of dedicated tax firm Erdikler-Taxand, which has several highly respected practitioners. For cross-border structuring matters Saban Erdikler is singled out by his peers as an adept practitioner. Recent highlights of the firm's work include their role in providing tax due diligence and structuring advice to power companies Alstom and Schneider in their purchase of French nuclear power group Areva as part of a wider consortium of companies. The firm dealt with the tax aspects relating to Areva's Turkish subsidiary including advice on the best structure to use to carve out the company's distribution and transmission operations. This deal illustrates the firm's ability to handle large international projects via its membership of the Taxand organisation as this deal involved member firms in eight countries. The firm also advised the beneficial owners of a pharmaceutical group on the best structure to use to allow some of them to transfer their shares to an outside investor, though some wished to retain their shares. A partial demerger was conducted by the firm to accommodate the differing desires of the owners. The firm was also able to ensure that no tax liability arose from the transfer of shares by those wishing to exit by creating four separate companies with shares in the group's holding company. Shares in the original holding company were treated as a capital-in-kind of the newly incorporated companies, allowing those selling to receive the proceeds of sale free of tax.

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KPMG's tax team in Turkey is led by Abdulkadir Kahraman who is identified by his competitors as a very able tax adviser in several practice areas. The firm provides clients with a full range of tax services, but its transfer pricing service line is especially ... [more]

KPMG's tax team in Turkey is led by Abdulkadir Kahraman who is identified by his competitors as a very able tax adviser in several practice areas. The firm provides clients with a full range of tax services, but its transfer pricing service line is especially distinguished. An outstanding transfer pricing matter completed by the firm was its advice to a multinational food company in its dispute with the Turkish tax authorities. The firm implemented a successful strategy to explain the group's transfer pricing arrangements and ensured the client did not bear any additional tax liability as a result of the audit and dispute. The team from the firm also updated the group's transfer pricing strategy and procedures to ensure that such challenges are less likely to occur in future.

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Ali Sanver and Ahmed Pekin lead the tax practice of Pekin & Pekin, which consists of four other fee earners and a small, experienced tax disputes team. Tax controversy and M&A are two areas the firm highlights as strengths of the practice, though work ... [more]

Ali Sanver and Ahmed Pekin lead the tax practice of Pekin & Pekin, which consists of four other fee earners and a small, experienced tax disputes team. Tax controversy and M&A are two areas the firm highlights as strengths of the practice, though work is also generated by debt and equity financing matters. The firm's international clients this year included the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and investment bank West LB as the arranger, in a €325 million ($457 million) purchase of notes under a Turkish bank's Diversified Payment Rights (DPR) cross-border securitisation scheme. Pekin & Pekin advised on the Turkish law aspects, including capital markets, finance and tax law matters. The team was successful in creating an efficient structure for the transaction deemed transparent enough by both EBRD and WestLB to allow a release of funds without pre-insurance coverage. The A rating received from Fitch Ratings for the DPR notes was the highest ever in a Turkish cross-border issue. After this transaction the EBRD appointed the firm as lead Turkish counsel when it established a regional hub in Istanbul in late 2010. Corporate finance matters have been a significant source of work for the firm recently and it also advised a petroleum company on the tax implications of obtaining a senior secured revolving reducing base loan facility using its Turkish petroleum licences as collateral.

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Sigma provides clients with tax consulting services but has particular strength in tax controversy services. The firm also provides clients with real estate and indirect tax advice. Both Turkish and international companies rely on the firm for tax ad... [more]

Sigma provides clients with tax consulting services but has particular strength in tax controversy services. The firm also provides clients with real estate and indirect tax advice. Both Turkish and international companies rely on the firm for tax advice.

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The tax practice of White & Case in Turkey provides its clients with a range of tax services including international tax planning. However, the firm's general strengths in M&A and capital markets mean that much of the tax work concluded is associated ... [more]

The tax practice of White & Case in Turkey provides its clients with a range of tax services including international tax planning. However, the firm's general strengths in M&A and capital markets mean that much of the tax work concluded is associated with the activity of those departments.

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Baker Tilly Gureli provides clients with a wide range of tax certification services as well as tax consultancy services. Hüsnü Güreli is the managing partner of the firm. The firm has recently opened offices in Ankara and Trakya, consolidating its ability ... [more]

Baker Tilly Gureli provides clients with a wide range of tax certification services as well as tax consultancy services. Hüsnü Güreli is the managing partner of the firm. The firm has recently opened offices in Ankara and Trakya, consolidating its ability to provide clients with tax services across the country. As part of the Baker Tilly International network, the firm is able to assist clients with outbound investments and gets inbound investment work referred from other member firms. [hide]

The tax practice of Gide Loyrette Nouel in Turkey is largely focused on assisting its French clients active in the region with tax advice in M&A and corporate financing matters. Though he is not a tax specialist, Jean Gabriel Flandrois advises clients ... [more]

The tax practice of Gide Loyrette Nouel in Turkey is largely focused on assisting its French clients active in the region with tax advice in M&A and corporate financing matters. Though he is not a tax specialist, Jean Gabriel Flandrois advises clients on restructuring and cross-border investments and coordinates matters for the firm's clients in Turkey.

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Grant Thornton's Turkish tax team is led by Emin Taylan who is an international tax specialist . As a former specialist accountant with the Ministry of Finance, Taylan has extensive knowledge of the Turkish tax system. The firm provides a full range ... [more]

Grant Thornton's Turkish tax team is led by Emin Taylan who is an international tax specialist . As a former specialist accountant with the Ministry of Finance, Taylan has extensive knowledge of the Turkish tax system. The firm provides a full range of tax services to clients ranging from local to multinational companies, with the exception of tax controversy services.

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