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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

Deloitte Tohmatsu Tax Co's tax practice in Japan operates with 440 professionals and 37 partners across the firm's 13 offices. The firm has maintained a strong reputation in the marketplace as a leader in the development of client tax solutions, whether ... [more]

Deloitte Tohmatsu Tax Co's tax practice in Japan operates with 440 professionals and 37 partners across the firm's 13 offices. The firm has maintained a strong reputation in the marketplace as a leader in the development of client tax solutions, whether via corporate tax services, international tax strategies or reorganisation consulting.

The firm has continued to grow over the past year and have brought in four new professionals. Shingo Iizuka joins the global employer services practice after leaving a senior position at the Tokyo bureau of the National Tax Agency. Noburu Uchida joined from PricewaterhouseCoopers and is a specialist in M&A. Patrick Miller and Clare Stobbs were also hired.

Like its big-four rivals, Ernst & Young Shinnihon Tax has had to adapt their tax practices quickly to try and mitigate the impacts of the economic downturn. The firm, which is led by managing partner Akio Takisaki, has found itself involved in vast amounts ... [more]

Like its big-four rivals, Ernst & Young Shinnihon Tax has had to adapt their tax practices quickly to try and mitigate the impacts of the economic downturn. The firm, which is led by managing partner Akio Takisaki, has found itself involved in vast amounts of due diligence and tax structuring work.

Most of the firm's work has stemmed from the tax transaction department led by Koichi Sekiya. Managed by Sekiya, Kenji Ueda and Ken Nakamura handled the tax due diligence and tax structuring advisory work for the integration of Meiji Seika Kaisha and Meiji Dairies to establish the country's second biggest food manufacturer, Meiji Holdings. The transaction was worth $3 billion and took over six months to complete.

Sekiya and his team also supported the Japan Private Equity Association in the introduction of the Investment Fund Taxation Rules under which certain qualified investors in private equity funds are exempt from Japanese capital gains tax.

Partner Masako Kanaya provided tax due diligence and tax structuring advisory work for the management buyout of Universal Studios Japan (USJ) supported by Goldman Sachs. This transaction involved a 100% acquisition of USJ through a takeover bid and minority squeeze-out, followed by the delisting of USJ. This was one of the largest private equity deals over the past year.

With over 550 tax professionals and 34 tax partners, KPMG offers one of the largest tax practices in Japan. Like the other large accountancy firms, it offers the full spectrum of tax needs including tax advisory and compliance advice for large domestic ... [more]

With over 550 tax professionals and 34 tax partners, KPMG offers one of the largest tax practices in Japan. Like the other large accountancy firms, it offers the full spectrum of tax needs including tax advisory and compliance advice for large domestic and foreign multinationals.

The tax group is headed by Hiroaki Sasaki who explained that despite the economic slowdown, "work is still going on".

One area of focus for the firm over the past year has been transfer pricing. Daisuke Horiguchi and Yoko Hatta are well-known for their transfer pricing work. They have been involved in a number of audits and in numerous advance pricing agreements.

Just like other firms, M&A work has slowed down at KPMG, but efforts have been made to ensure that clients are ready to go once the economy picks up again.

The firm brought in Akihiro Yamada from the Japanese Ministry of Finance as a director. Yamada is well-known by the tax community because of his important role in formulating tax rules during his spell at the ministry. He will take on an international tax policy role.

With over 500 tax professionals at hand, PricewaterhouseCoopers is more than capable of providing a full range of tax services. Hiroyuki Suzuki oversees the whole practice in his role as its chief executive officer and has experience in the structuring ... [more]

With over 500 tax professionals at hand, PricewaterhouseCoopers is more than capable of providing a full range of tax services. Hiroyuki Suzuki oversees the whole practice in his role as its chief executive officer and has experience in the structuring of cross-border and domestic real estate investments. The team boasts one of the largest financial services groups among its big-four rivals in Japan: eight partners and 104 support staff. This group complements a strong transfer pricing team consisting of four partners and 42 professionals, led by Akio Miyamoto. Miyamoto is one of the longest serving transfer pricing practitioners out of all the big-four firms.

Peers have recommended Jack Bird for his cross-border M&A work. Other notable specialists include Sachihiko Fujimoto, the head of the financial services tax practice, Kazuya Miyakawa for M&A and cross-border structuring, Raymond Kahn for real estate and Munehiko Nagai for customs matters.

Baker & McKenzie is one of the leading full-service, independent tax practices in Japan with a group consisting of six partners, two counse and three associates. The firm regularly provides comprehensive domestic and international tax planning, structuring ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie is one of the leading full-service, independent tax practices in Japan with a group consisting of six partners, two counse and three associates. The firm regularly provides comprehensive domestic and international tax planning, structuring and controversy services.

The firm includes specialists in transfer pricing and corporate tax planning and structuring. In transfer pricing, Ken Okawara leads a team with extensive experience in handling planning, audits and disputes involving Japan, the US and other countries, relating to a broad range of industries. Lawyers in the tax planning and structuring practice provide comprehensive advice on direct and indirect tax matters relevant to investments and business operations in Japan, including structuring advice for M&A, inbound and outbound investments, real estate transactions, and financial product transactions. The tax litigation group is headed by Hideyuki Yamamoto and provides comprehensive representations in tax controversies including tax audits, domestic appeals and competent authority proceedings.

Both Yamamoto and Toshio Ishikawa represented Adobe Systems in the country's first ever successful transfer pricing case brought by the taxpayer.

Kojima Law - Taxand started its tax practice with the arrival of Eiki Kawakami, a former KPMG partner, in December 2007. In February 2008, the firm joined the Taxand network of independent tax firms. Five other tax professionals work under the leadership ... [more]

Kojima Law - Taxand started its tax practice with the arrival of Eiki Kawakami, a former KPMG partner, in December 2007. In February 2008, the firm joined the Taxand network of independent tax firms. Five other tax professionals work under the leadership of Kawakami. Partner Hiromasa Ogawa operates alongside three associates and foreign attorney, Gerald Goldberg.

In February 2009, the firm received a request from a Japanese automobile manufacturer to provide a solution to shift profits legitimately from overseas to Japan following changes to Japan's foreign dividend exemption and controlled foreign company rules. This was unique because the initiative has been taken in the loss country following the impact of the rule change on Japanese car manufacturers. It is expected that this tax planning will reap benefits during 2010 as the tax law changes begin to take affect.

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu has four tax partners: Yuko Miyazaki, Atsushi Fujieda, Yushi Hegawa and Takashi Saida. Alongside them, special counsel Mamoru Toba, a former director-general of the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau, brings significant insights ... [more]

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu has four tax partners: Yuko Miyazaki, Atsushi Fujieda, Yushi Hegawa and Takashi Saida. Alongside them, special counsel Mamoru Toba, a former director-general of the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau, brings significant insights to the tax enforcement practice of the government.

Fujieda and Hegawa successfully defended a large Japanese multinational electric company in a transfer pricing audit brought by the NTA. Their successful defence resulted in zero amount of tax assessed.

Hegawa also devised a tax-efficient structure for the acquisition by a Chinese sportswear company of a Japanese competitor. The innovative structure was complex and involved using a Dutch co-operative as a vehicle for the acquisition.

White & Case has been involved in some of the country's largest transactions, despite its size when compared to the much larger accountancy firms. It advised European investment banks on issues connected with their derivatives and securities businesses, ... [more]

White & Case has been involved in some of the country's largest transactions, despite its size when compared to the much larger accountancy firms. It advised European investment banks on issues connected with their derivatives and securities businesses, assisted leading international fund groups with their investments into Japan and guided major foreign and Japanese multinational companies with regard to the Japan and international tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganisations and real property investments in Japan and globally.

Michael Shikuma was promoted to partner in January 2009. He specialises in the taxation of cross-border M&A, leasing transactions and investment funds, as well as international estate planning in the US, Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, and has extensive US federal and state income, sales and transfer tax experience, including experience in representing multinational corporate and individual clients in tax controversy cases.

Transfer pricing specialist, Gary Thomas has been described by peers as the "authority" for transfer pricing in Japan and one client described him as the "leading guy when something blows up" in Japanese transfer pricing.

Eric Roose and Linda Ng worked together on a complex joint-venture between Iconix Brand Group and Novel Fashion Holdings. The transaction involved a complicated series of intellectual property assignments and licences and corporate arrangements that were all carefully scrutinised for tax purposes by the NTA.

Assisting many overseas corporations carrying on business in Japan, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune's tax attorneys regularly help clients reach an understanding of their tax position in Japan, including tax treatment for Japan subsidiaries, branch offices ... [more]

Assisting many overseas corporations carrying on business in Japan, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune's tax attorneys regularly help clients reach an understanding of their tax position in Japan, including tax treatment for Japan subsidiaries, branch offices and other business vehicles.

The firm offers a wide range of tax services including tax planning for financial transactions and M&A, as well as tax litigation. The litigation practice is led by Eiichiro Nakatani, who has overseen disputes with the NTA and prepared responses to tax investigations and examinations.

Jones Day does not boast a standalone tax practice, but its six tax lawyers have been providing significant tax advice for large US and European companies. Koichi Inoue, Takashi Hiroshige and Yasunobu Takatama have all been providing detailed analysis ... [more]

Jones Day does not boast a standalone tax practice, but its six tax lawyers have been providing significant tax advice for large US and European companies. Koichi Inoue, Takashi Hiroshige and Yasunobu Takatama have all been providing detailed analysis and strategic advice about the refund of withholding tax on royalties for a large Swiss company.

Allen & Overy's tax practice has only been operating for two years. The firm lost highly-regarded tax specialist Hidehiro Utsumi to TMI Associates. Before leaving, he advised both foreign and Japanese clients on some of the most high profile deals, such ... [more]

Allen & Overy's tax practice has only been operating for two years. The firm lost highly-regarded tax specialist Hidehiro Utsumi to TMI Associates. Before leaving, he advised both foreign and Japanese clients on some of the most high profile deals, such as advising on the tax structuring of the transaction, as well as advising on the process of transferring shares from Vodafone to Softbank in relation to the $15.5 billion sale of Vodafone Japan to SoftBank Corporation. He also gave both legal and tax advice to PricewaterhouseCoopers on establishing an entity in Japan, which involved setting up a new holding corporation, as well as re-evaluating the tax structure.

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto did not take the economic slump lying down and quickly found itself involved in a number of large scale transactions. Partner Atsushi Oishi handled the tax matters on one of the largest outbound investments made by a Japanese ... [more]

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto did not take the economic slump lying down and quickly found itself involved in a number of large scale transactions. Partner Atsushi Oishi handled the tax matters on one of the largest outbound investments made by a Japanese company in recent times. Oishi represented Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group in their $7.8 billion acquisition of preferred shares with a 10% dividend in Morgan Stanley.

Nishimura & Asahi's Masakazu Iwakura and Kazuhiro Takei lead a team consisting of nine partners all involved in international taxation. The firm offers a full range of tax services and is respected for its dispute work with the NTA.Not only did the firm ... [more]

Nishimura & Asahi's Masakazu Iwakura and Kazuhiro Takei lead a team consisting of nine partners all involved in international taxation. The firm offers a full range of tax services and is respected for its dispute work with the NTA.

Not only did the firm win a judgment on behalf of a major Japanese insurance company at the Tokyo District Court in November concerning complex reinsurance transactions, revoking a tax disposition of $46 million, it also represented Takeda Pharmaceutical in the largest transfer pricing tax case in Japanese history, estimated to be worth $570 million.

Tokyo Kyodo Accounting has developed a strong reputation as one of Japan's leading boutique tax firms. Work regularly involves tax planning, structuring and financing for large multinational transactions.Recommended by his peers, partner Ryutaro Uchiyama ... [more]

Tokyo Kyodo Accounting has developed a strong reputation as one of Japan's leading boutique tax firms. Work regularly involves tax planning, structuring and financing for large multinational transactions.

Recommended by his peers, partner Ryutaro Uchiyama has developed a leading status in the Japanese capital markets sector. Sensing that work will not fall at its feet, the firm has been proactive in the market. The firm has provided tax planning advice for a large semiconductor company, as well as planning for leading Japanese investors seeking key Brazilian mining investments. The latter of those examples involved rigorous attention while simultaneously juggling Japanese GAAP and IFRS rules.