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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

KPMG has a substantial tax team of 16 partners and 154 professionals in Belgium, led by Koen Maerovoet. KPMG also works with K Law, which is made up of a number of professionals formerly with KPMG's legal department, on the legal aspects of tax. They ... [more]

KPMG has a substantial tax team of 16 partners and 154 professionals in Belgium, led by Koen Maerovoet. KPMG also works with K Law, which is made up of a number of professionals formerly with KPMG's legal department, on the legal aspects of tax. They also have KPMG Fiduciaire, which does more entrepreneurial, SME-type work.

The firm's financial services practice is headed by Paul Op de Beeck, with Dirk Van Stappen leading its transfer pricing team. Peter Ackerman manages the indirect tax team with Wouter Lauwers leading the corporate practice and acting as managing partner of K law.

In corporate tax, partners Soren Reinhold Andersen, Morten Reinholdt Nielsen and manager Jesper Skriver-Simony advised a global industrial buyer with on the Danish tax aspects of the €9.6 billion ($12.1 billion) acquisition of a global medical devices ... [more]

In corporate tax, partners Soren Reinhold Andersen, Morten Reinholdt Nielsen and manager Jesper Skriver-Simony advised a global industrial buyer with on the Danish tax aspects of the €9.6 billion ($12.1 billion) acquisition of a global medical devices group. KPMG is another big player in the Danish tax market. Its team consists of 24 partners and 172 other professionals, overseen by Martin Nielsen, the national partner, who succeeded Soeren Soenderholm on January 1 2012, and Hans Henrik Bonde Eriksen, senior international tax partner.

"KPMG has a very good TP practice and a strong high net-worth individual client base. Very good firm," said one competitor.

KPMG is a big player in the Finnish market, with a team of 12 partners and 130 fee earners led by the respected Timo Torkkel. The team covers all advisory areas of tax, with peers reporting the firm as an almost omnipotent presence."KPMG is around all ... [more]

KPMG is a big player in the Finnish market, with a team of 12 partners and 130 fee earners led by the respected Timo Torkkel. The team covers all advisory areas of tax, with peers reporting the firm as an almost omnipotent presence.

"KPMG is around all the time," said one competitor, and another partner agreed: "In the market, KPMG is the firm we see most often."

The firm puts a lot of resources into its corporate team, which has more than 90 professionals. A good representative piece of work was advice from a team, led by Jyrki Holla, on a large due diligence matter worth $4 billion to the client that took in 10 different jurisdictions.

Transfer pricing is of course a big concern for taxpayers everywhere and Eric Sandelin has led teams that have provided transfer pricing audit assistance in more than 50 cases this year.

KPMG has been operating in Greece for 40 years. It offers audit, tax, advisory and bookkeeping services to domestic and international businesses."They are professional, accurate, [with a] good knowledge of issues," says one client, adding: "The only ... [more]

KPMG has been operating in Greece for 40 years. It offers audit, tax, advisory and bookkeeping services to domestic and international businesses.

"They are professional, accurate, [with a] good knowledge of issues," says one client, adding: "The only issue that I would like to mention is their fees. I find these expensive and suggest that [they] could decrease especially [in] this period of finance crisis that applies to Greece."

George Mavraganis, based in Athens, is head of the tax department leading a team of six partners and three fee earners.

With offices in Athens and Thessaloniki, the firm employs around 400 professionals, most with specialised expertise. Energy, pharmaceuticals and food are key sectors for the firm, which has a number of ongoing deals in all three.

Over the past 12 months the firm has been most active in ccorporate taxation and transfer pricing. The firm represented clients on the restructuring of large Greek groups and foreign groups with a presence in Greece.

In a deal still being worked on, Mavraganis and Effie Adamidou are assisting in the preparation of a transfer pricing file for the Greek Public Gas and Energy Company. This is the first time a file is being prepared for a public interest company.

The firm has also represented clients in the energy and pharmaceutical sectors on tax disputes before the Tax Committee of Disputes.

KPMG is one of the preeminent tax practices in Ireland. It is led by Shaun Murphy and has a headcount of around 400 professionals. The firm has a number of recommended partners, including Colm Rogers for banking, Jim Cleary on pharmaceuticals and, in ... [more]

KPMG is one of the preeminent tax practices in Ireland. It is led by Shaun Murphy and has a headcount of around 400 professionals. The firm has a number of recommended partners, including Colm Rogers for banking, Jim Cleary on pharmaceuticals and, in aircraft leasing, Tom Wood, Conor O'Brien and Seamus Hand.

Peers are also quick to acknowledge the practice's strength. "KPMG is very strong," comments one partner, and another adds: "KPMG is on the big ticket stuff in Ireland."

KPMG has had a busy year working predominantly in the financial and aircraft leasing sectors as well as on a number of restructuring matters for confidential clients.

KPMG is led by Georges Bock in Luxembourg, who oversees a team that saw 32 new professionals join the firm and only 13 leave this year. Philippe Neefs, the head of KPMG's transfer pricing practice, is recommended, as is Bock, who is the recipient of ... [more]

KPMG is led by Georges Bock in Luxembourg, who oversees a team that saw 32 new professionals join the firm and only 13 leave this year. Philippe Neefs, the head of KPMG's transfer pricing practice, is recommended, as is Bock, who is the recipient of praise from clients.

"Outstanding work was and is delivered by KPMG, especially by Georges Bock and Frank Stoltz. Besides the outstanding knowledge it's the personal engagement and integrity combined with creativity for successful solutions which fit into the specific needs that is good," commented one client.

Another client was also happy: "In this matter, the service was optimum and they went beyond what was contractually stated. It could not have been better. I guess it is the first time I've ever made that statement about a consultant – I am quite a critical person and want value for my money!"

KPMG has worked on some very valuable transactions over the past 12 months. Neefs completed transfer pricing analyses for Fiat Finance and Trade and Fiat Industrial Finance Europe.

James O'Neal led the Luxembourg tax planning side of a multiple-entity Luxembourg holding and finance structure. These 10 Luxembourg entities had subsidiary operations across the globe.

KPMG is another big hitter in the Maltese tax market. It has a team of four partners and 60 fee earners led by André Zarb. The firm prides itself on a multidisciplinary approach, and has been advising many clients in the financial sector over the past ... [more]

KPMG is another big hitter in the Maltese tax market. It has a team of four partners and 60 fee earners led by André Zarb. The firm prides itself on a multidisciplinary approach, and has been advising many clients in the financial sector over the past 12 months.

Anthony Pace teamed up with Zarb and Demanuele Bianco to advise on the restructuring a Malta-listed bank in line with the revised tax system brought in two years ago.

Pace was also active, alongside Chris Borg, acting for another Maltese bank as it sold off a non-core business to a multinational operator. John Ellul Sullivan is another experienced and recommended practitioner, and he teamed up with Zarb and Doreen Fenech in advising an investment fund on a special setup comprising the interposition of a Malta holding company into units of the fund.

Luís Magalhães is head of the tax department at KPMG. The team is made up of five partners and 166 fee earners.The firm provides tax professional services to Portuguese, North-American, Brazilian and Chinese investors in the country, as well as local ... [more]

Luís Magalhães is head of the tax department at KPMG. The team is made up of five partners and 166 fee earners.

The firm provides tax professional services to Portuguese, North-American, Brazilian and Chinese investors in the country, as well as local companies.

Notable work over the past 12 months includes advising on the transfer of group commercial activities to another group company and subsequent transfer pricing analysis of the remuneration of the post-restructuring controlled transactions. The deal was led by Magalhães and closed in September 2011.

In other work, the tax team provided analysis of tax implications on proposals presented by the tenders on a privatisation of a large energy company.

KPMG is also working with clients to give guidance on the Angolan Tax System Reform Project and participates in events including the Investing in Angola seminar.

KPMG has a strong presence across Spain with offices in 12 locations around the country. The firm's tax department is its strongest and represents 70% of the firm's total turnover.Maria José Aguilo is the firm's head of tax and leads a team of 39 partners ... [more]

KPMG has a strong presence across Spain with offices in 12 locations around the country. The firm's tax department is its strongest and represents 70% of the firm's total turnover.

Maria José Aguilo is the firm's head of tax and leads a team of 39 partners and 559 fee earners. The team is reputable with many of its members being mentioned by peers and important market practitioners. Montserrat Trapé, for transfer pricing, Carlos Heredia, in cross-border structuring, and Natalia Pastor, an indirect tax specialist, are three partners that have been highlighted by competitors.

"We work principally with Victor Mendoza in international financial tax services. We are satisfied with the services provided by him and KPMG Spain, especially in coordination of international and global transactions involving more than two countries," said one client.

The firm has more VAT work and welcomed new hire Javier Sanchez Gallardo in 2011 from tax boutique Arco Abogados as a new indirect tax partner dedicated to this line of work. He has more than 10 years of experience.

Over the past 12 months, the firm advised an important telecommunications group on the procedure for recovering Spanish VAT. The firm also advised Ford España on VAT recovery.

Other work includes representing foreign funds in connection with withholding tax refunds the Spanish authorities have had to make because of European Court of Justice decisions.

KPMG's work, like the practice, has been very broad over the past 12 months. It is a solid and respected team in Sweden. Helena Robertsson, a financial services specialist, leads a team of 12 partners and 120 fee earners. Clients include the Swedish ... [more]

KPMG's work, like the practice, has been very broad over the past 12 months. It is a solid and respected team in Sweden. Helena Robertsson, a financial services specialist, leads a team of 12 partners and 120 fee earners. Clients include the Swedish multinationals Skanska, Vattenfall and Scania.

"KPMG is fine, and does more with listed companies," commented one partner.

In autumn 2011 David Perrone carried out an economic benefit analysis on the brand Diaverum, a transfer pricing client, which had brought in a new trademark and brand name and wanted to ascertain whether royalty payments were to be made. In indirect matters Gunnar Jonsson, Bo Ahlstrand and Peter Iwarsson have been acting for LKAB on input VAT recovery questions related to relocated dwellings and infrastructure.

A standout corporate mandate for the firm was Jörgen Graner's advising of Cinven and Goldman Sachs as it sold Ahsell, a technical products wholesaler, for $2.34 billion. This entailed solutions to cross-border tax issues as well as a pre-sale tax optimisation of the group.