Tax Advisory Survey 2019

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Tax Advisory Survey 2019

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Tax and trade wars among governments and the battles companies face against tax authorities through audits and inevitable disputes mean even the most super-human tax director among us needs a little help.

Besides the growing risks of audits and reputational damage, the kryptonite threatening most multinational businesses today is the digital tax debate. And, if following the OECD's efforts has not been tough enough, many companies are having to plan their tax strategies around the numerous 'supervillains' emerging worldwide in the form of unilateral digital tax measures. For some, the risk of a tax on revenues, rather than profits, could mean bankruptcy.

Furthermore, with some tax authorities given tough targets and bonuses for uncovering more revenues through audits and investigations, taxpayers are having to prepare their documents with the vision of what the world may look like in a decade.

This may be possible for some companies that have an army of 100 or more tax professionals working in-house. However, the 'justice league' for the majority of tax functions consists of merely four or five individuals tackling the tax challenges of the whole world.

This is where advisory firms come into their own. With the firepower of a global network, tax advisory firms can offer taxpayers the expertise and end-to-end advice that could be the difference between success and failure. In some countries, where the tax legislation makes War and Peace seem like a short comic, advisors offer an invaluable service.

Therefore, ITR is pleased to present its 2019 Tax Advisory Survey, ranking firms based on their ability to carry out tax planning work for multinational clients.

They give advice on structures designed to pay the right amount of tax in the right place at the right time, in accordance with both the letter and spirit of the law.

In this spirit, we hope that this year's rankings prove useful to those looking to arm themselves with the strongest advisors. They may not wear capes or have super powers, but many of the firms do have the ability to deal with tax authorities.

Methodology

Between October and January, ITR asked its readers, including the tax directors of the world's leading multinational companies, to vote for their top three tax advisory firms in more than 50 jurisdictions across the world. The votes were added up to produce the survey results. No votes from advisory firms were counted and firms could not send submissions to improve their chances of being ranked.

The objective of the survey is to recognise any firms that do not appear in our World Tax and World Transfer Pricing guides, for whatever reason, that the market regards highly because they have a particular focus. Or, if there are firms that appear in World Tax and World Transfer Pricing and are known as dependable groups of tax advisors without having any star practitioners, they can also be rated for their excellence in tax advisory matters. This survey should be seen as complementary to World Tax and World Transfer Pricing, which look at the whole profile of a firm, not just its size and its well-known practitioners. This survey specifically concerns firms' overall tax advisory strengths.


Americas

Argentina

Tier 1

Bruchou, Fernández Madero & Lombardi, Taxand Argentina

Deloitte

KPMG

Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal

Pistrelli, Henry Martin & Asociados – EY

PwC

Rosso Alba, Francia & Asociados

Teijeiro & Ballone Abogados

Tier 2

Asorey & Navarrine

Baker McKenzie

Bulit Goñi & Tarsitano Abogados y Consultores

Estudio O’Farrell

Goldemberg, Saladino, Hermida, Rolando & Asociados

Grupo GNP

Perez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen


Brazil

Tier 1

Advocacia Krakowiak

Deloitte

EY Terco

KPMG

Lacaz Martins, Pereira Neto, Gurevich & Schoueri Advogados

Lilla, Huck, Otranto, Camargo Advogados

Machado Associados Advogados & Consultores

Machado Meyer Sendacz e Opice Advogados

Mariz de Oliveira & Siqueira Campos Advogados

Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr & Quiroga Advogados

Pinheiro Neto Advogados

PwC

Rolim, Viotti & Leite Campos Advogados

Trench Rossi Watanabe (Baker McKenzie)

Tier 2

Barbosa Müssnich Aragão

Castro, Barros, Sobral, Gomes Advogados

Dias de Souza Advogados Associados

Felsberg Advogados

Gaia Silva Gaede Advogados

Lefosse Advogados

Neiva, Barros & Figueiró Sociedade de Advogados

Neves & Battendieri Advogados

Sacha Calmon Misabel Derzi Consultores & Advogados

Siqueira Castro Advogados

TozziniFreire Advogados

Ulhôa Canto Rezende e Guerra Advogados


Canada

Tier 1

Blake, Cassels & Graydon

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg

Deloitte

EY

Goodmans

Gowling WLG

KPMG

McCarthy Tétrault

Osler Hoskin & Harcourt

PwC

Torys

Tier 2

Baker McKenzie

Grant Thornton

McMillan

Stikeman Elliott


Chile

Tier 1

Baker McKenzie

Carey

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

Barros & Errázuriz Abogados, Taxand Chile

Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos & Cía

Grant Thornton

Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría

Recabarren & Asociados

Salcedo & Cia


Colombia

Tier 1

Baker McKenzie

Brigard & Urrutia Abogados

Deloitte

EY

Godoy & Hoyos Abogados

Gómez-Pinzón Zuleta, Taxand Colombia

KPMG

Lewin & Wills Abogados

Posse Herrera Ruiz

PwC

Tier 2

Cahn-Speyer, Paredes & Asociados

Garrigues

Mauricio A Plazas Vega Abogados & Cia

Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría

Quiñones Cruz Abogados

SanintRivas

Mexico

Tier 1

Baker McKenzie

Basham Ringe & Correa

Chevez Ruiz Zamarripa

Deloitte

Mancera (EY)

PwC

Tier 2

BaseFirma

Creel García-Cuéllar, Aiza & Enriquez

KPMG

Manuel Tron

Muñoz Manzo y Ocampo

Ortíz Sainz & Erreguerena

Ritch Mueller Heather & Nicolau

Sanchez Devanny

Skatt International Tax Firm

Turanzas Bravo & Ambrosi


Peru

Tier 1

Deloitte

Estudio Echecopar

Estudio Olaechea

EY

KPMG

PwC

Rodrigo Elías & Medrano Abogados

Tier 2

García Sayán Abogados

Hernández & Cía Abogados

Muñiz Ramírez Pérez-Taiman & Olaya Abogados

Philippi Prietocarrizosa, Ferrero DU & Uría

Rubio Leguía Normand

Zuzunaga Assereto & Zegarra Abogados


Uruguay

Tier 1

Ferrere

Grant Thornton

Guyer & Regules

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

Bergstein Abogados

Deloitte

EY

Posadas, Posadas & Vecino

Rueda Abadi Pereira Consultores


US

Tier 1

Alston & Bird

Baker Botts

Baker McKenzie

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Cravath, Swaine & Moore

Davis Polk & Wardwell

Deloitte

DLA Piper

EY

Fenwick & West

Kirkland & Ellis

KPMG

Mayer Brown

McDermott Will & Emery

Miller & Chevalier Chartered

PwC

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom

Sullivan & Cromwell

Vinson & Elkins

Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz

Weil Gotshal & Manges

Tier 2

Akerman

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld

Aliant

Alvarez & Marsal, Taxand US

Andersen Tax

Aptis Global

Caplin & Drysdale

Cherry Bekaert

Covington & Burling

Debevoise & Plimpton

Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher

Grant Thornton

Latham & Watkins

Morgan Lewis & Bockius

Norton Rose Fulbright

Paul Hastings

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

Shearman & Sterling

Sidley Austin

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett

Steptoe & Johnson

Thompson & Knight

Weaver

White & Case

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Winston & Strawn


Venezuela

Tier 1

Baker McKenzie

Deloitte

D’Empaire Reyna Abogados

Norton Rose Fulbright

Tier 2

KPMG

Mendoza Delgado Labrador & Asociados (EY)

PwC

Rodríguez & Mendoza

Taxand Venezuela

Torres Plaz & Araujo



Asia-Pacific

Australia

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills

King & Wood Mallesons

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

Allens

Ashurst

Baker McKenzie

Clayton Utz

MinterEllison


China

Tier 1

Baker McKenzie

Deloitte

DLA Piper

EY

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

FuJae Partners

Grant Thornton

Hendersen Taxand, Taxand China

Hwuason Lawyers

JunHe

King & Wood Mallesons

O’Melveny & Myers

WTS Global

Zhong Lun Law Firm


Hong Kong

Tier 1

Baker McKenzie

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

Clifford Chance

Deacons

DLA Piper

Quantera Global


India

Tier 1

Deloitte

Dhruva Advisors

EY

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

BDO India

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas

DHC

Economic Laws Practice

Grant Thornton

Khaitan & Co

Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan

Majmudar & Partners

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co

Sudit K Parekh & Co

TP Ostwal & Associates


Indonesia

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

Hadiputranto, Hadinoto & Partners

KPMG

PB Taxand, Taxand Indonesia

PwC

SF Consulting

Tier 2

DDTC

GNV Consulting

MUC Consulting Group

RSM Indonesia


Japan

Tier 1

Baker McKenzie

Deloitte Tohmatsu Tax

Ernst & Young Tax Co

KPMG

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

PwC Japan Group

Tier 2

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

Grant Thornton Taiyo

Kojima Law Office, Taxand Japan

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Nishimura & Asahi

Tokyo Kyodo Accounting Office

Withers Japan, Zeirishi Houjin


Malaysia

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Shearn Delamore & Co

Tier 2

Axcelasia, Taxand Malaysia

Baker Tilly Monteiro Heng Tax Services

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill

Raja Darryl & Loh

Wong & Partners


New Zealand

Tier 1

Bell Gully

Chapman Tripp

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Russell McVeagh

Tier 2

Buddle Findlay

Grant Thornton

MinterEllisonRuddWatts

Simpson Grierson


Philippines

Tier 1

Isla Lipana & Co

Navarro Amper & Co

RG Manabat & Co

SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co

Tier 2

Baniqued Layug & Bello

Du-Baladad and Associates

Quisumbing Torres

Salvador & Associates, Taxand Philippines

Zambrano Gruba Caganda & Advincula


Singapore

Tier 1

Allen & Gledhill

Baker McKenzie.Wong & Leow

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Wong Partnership

Tier 2

BDO Tax Advisory

Drew & Napier

Withers KhattarWong, Taxand Singapore


South Korea

Tier 1

Deloitte Anjin

Kim & Chang

Samil PwC

Samjong KPMG

Tier 2

EY

Yulchon


Taiwan

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

Baker McKenzie

Grant Thornton

Lee & Li


Vietnam

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

Baker McKenzie

DFDL

Grant Thornton

VDB Loi



Europe, Middle East & Africa

Austria

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

Leitner & Leitner

PwC

Tier 2

Baker McKenzie

Bpv Hügel

Dorda Brugger Jordis

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

TJP-Oaklins Group

Wolf Theiss


Baltic States

Tier 1

Cobalt

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Sorainen

Tier 2

Ellex

TGS Baltic


Belgium

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick

Linklaters

Loyens & Loeff

PwC

Tier 2

Baker McKenzie

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Mayer Brown

Stibbe

Tiberghien


Cyprus

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

Baker Tilly South East Europe

Chrysses Demetriades & Co

Consulco

Elias Neocleous & Co

Eurofast Taxand, Taxand Cyprus


Denmark

Tier 1

CORIT Advisory

Deloitte

EY

KPMG Acor Tax

Plesner

PwC

Tier 2

Bech-Bruun, Taxand Denmark

Bruun & Hjejle

Horten

Kromann Reumert


Finland

Tier 1

Alder & Sound

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

Borenius, Taxand Finland

Hannes Snellman

Roschier


France

Tier 1

Arsene Taxand, Taxand France

Bredin Prat

CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre

EY

Fidal

Taj – Deloitte

Tier 2

Allen & Overy

August & Debouzy

Baker McKenzie

Clifford Chance

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei

DLA Piper

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Gide Loyrette Nouel

Linklaters

Mayer Brown

PwC Société d’Avocats


Germany

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

Flick Gocke Schaumburg

PwC

Tier 2

Allen & Overy

Baker McKenzie

Baker Tilly

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Gleiss Lutz

Hengeler Mueller

KPMG

Linklaters

NERA

P+P Pöllath + Partners

WTS Germany


Greece

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Zepos & Yannopoulos, Taxand Greece

Tier 2

Bernitsas Law Firm

Dryllerakis & Associates

Koutalidis Law Firm

Photopoulos & Associates

UnityFour


Gulf Cooperation Council

Tier 1

Cragus Group

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

M/HQ

Stibbe

Withers


Ireland

Tier 1

A&L Goodbody

Arthur Cox

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

Matheson

PwC

William Fry, Taxand Ireland

Tier 2

Baker Tilly Hughes Blake

Grant Thornton

Maples & Calder

Mason Hayes & Curran

McCann FitzGerald


Israel

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

Gornitzky & Co

Herzog Fox & Neeman

PwC

Shekel & Co

Tier 2

BDO Israel

Fahn Kanne & Co

Goldfarb Seligman & Co

KPMG

Meitar Loquornik Geva Leshem Tal

S Horowitz & Co

Yigal Arnon & Co


Italy

Tier 1

BonelliErede

Chiomenti

EY

KPMG

Maisto e Associati

Studio Tributario e Societario (Deloitte)

Valente Associati GEB Partners / Crowe Valente

Tier 2

Allen & Overy

Baker McKenzie

Belluzzo & Partners

Bernoni Grant Thornton

Fantozzi & Associati Studio Legale Tributario, Taxand Italy

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Hager & Partners

Salvini Escalar & Associati

Studio Tributario Associato Facchini Rossi & Soci

Tremonti Romagnoli Piccardi & Associati


Luxembourg

Tier 1

Allen & Overy

Arendt & Medernach

Baker McKenzie

Deloitte

KPMG

Loyens & Loeff

PwC

Tier 2

ATOZ, Taxand Luxembourg

Bonn Steichen & Partners

Clifford Chance

EY


Malta

Tier 1

Avanzia Taxand, Taxand Malta

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Tier 2

Fenech & Fenech Advocates


Netherlands

Tier 1

Baker McKenzie

Deloitte

EY

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

KPMG Meijburg & Co

Loyens & Loeff

PwC

Tier 2

Allen & Overy

Atlas Tax Lawyers

BDO

Clifford Chance

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek

Grant Thornton

Ryan

Stibbe

Taxand Netherlands


Norway

Tier 1

BAHR

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Thommessen

Wiersholm

Tier 2

Arntzen de Besche

BDO


Poland

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

MDDP

PwC

Tier 2

Baker McKenzie

Crido Taxand, Taxand Poland

Dentons

DLA Piper

Grant Thornton

Linklaters


Portugal

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

Garrigues, Taxand Portugal

KPMG

Morais Leitão Galvão Teles Soares da Silva & Associados

NGMS & Associados – Andersen Tax & Legal

PwC

Rogério Fernandes Ferreira & Associados

Uría Menéndez – Proença de Carvalho

Vieira de Almeida & Associados

Tier 2

Abreu Advogados

CMS Rui Pena & Arnaut

Cuatrecasas

Grant Thornton

PLMJ

Ricardo da Palma Borges & Associados


Russia

Tier 1

Baker McKenzie

Deloitte

Dentons

EY

KPMG

Pepeliaev Group, Taxand Russia

PwC

Tier 2

BDO Unicon

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

CMS Russia

Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners

FBK Legal

Sameta

Taxology


South Africa

Tier 1

Deloitte

ENSafrica, Taxand South Africa

EY

KPMG

PwC

Webber Wentzel

Tier 2

Bowmans

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr

Fasken Martineau

Grant Thornton

Werksmans Attorneys


Spain

Tier 1

Baker McKenzie

Cuatrecasas

Deloitte

EY

Garrigues, Taxand Spain

KPMG

Landwell

Uría Menéndez

Tier 2

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Grant Thornton

GTA Villamagna

Latham & Watkins

PwC


Sweden

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

Mannheimer Swartling

PwC

Tier 2

Grant Thornton

Skeppsbron Skatt, Taxand Sweden

Svalner

Vinge


Switzerland

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

Homburger

KPMG

Oberson Abels SA

PwC

Tax Partner, Taxand Switzerland

Tier 2

Lenz & Staehelin

MME Legal | Tax | Compliance

Pestalozzi

Schellenberg Wittmer

Tax Expert International

Walder Wyss


Turkey

Tier 1

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

Mazars Denge

PwC

Tier 2

BDO Denet

Centrum Auditing & Consulting

Erdikler, Taxand Turkey

Esin Attorney Partnership (Baker McKenzie)

WTS & Çelen


Ukraine

Tier 1

Baker McKenzie

Deloitte

EY

KPMG

PwC

Sayenko Kharenko

WTS Tax Legal Consulting / KM Partners

Tier 2

Asters

Avellum Partners

Dentons

DLA Piper

International Legal Center EUCON

Law Offices of OMP


United Kingdom

Tier 1

Allen & Overy

Baker McKenzie

Clifford Chance

Deloitte

EY

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Grant Thornton

KPMG

Linklaters

PwC

Slaughter and May

Tier 2

Alvarez & Marsal, Taxand UK

Ashurst

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

DLA Piper

FTI Consulting

Herbert Smith Freehills

Hogan Lovells

Latham & Watkins

Macfarlanes

Mayer Brown

Norton Rose Fulbright

Paul Hastings

Pinsent Masons

Simmons & Simmons

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom

Sullivan & Cromwell


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