Tax compliance management

The new consulting area of tax management set up in 2015 combines tax law with business management. It evolved from years of work with project consulting in the area of tax planning and structuring and the extensive experience with defence consultation, adjustments and voluntary declarations with groups, medium-sized companies and their owners, real estate companies, foundations and family offices. Our interdisciplinary tax management teams correspondingly consist exclusively of tax consultants and lawyers with practical experience from projects. We support clients with all matters concerning tax compliance and mitigation of tax.

The regulatory developments in Germany and abroad require processes tailored specifically to the individual requirements of the company which meet the flood of tax regulations and directives and keep the cost of taxation down to a minimum. The aim is to ensure that the management of tax in the company is legally compliant and to recognise, quantify and minimise process risks early on.

The multi-disciplinary orientation of the specialist colleagues in the area of tax management combined with access to over 100 own offices around the world enables us to actively manage ever more complex tax issues, i.e. to analyse, to mitigate the tax burden for relevant processes and recognise and eliminate risks in a timely manner. Our consulting approach combines the whole area of operational taxes for the company (income tax, sales tax and payroll tax) and also depending on the company considers the frequently underestimated interfaces between the company and owner, which in particular in relation to clients from German medium-sized companies sets us apart from the consulting approach of large US-American consulting firms. Based on many practical cases, we have, especially for German medium-sized companies, developed an implementation model for a tax compliance management system (tax CMS). Furthermore, we offer attractive and practical solutions for selective tax screening and in particular for real estate companies and family offices.

• Consistent and cost-efficient tax planning to represent the individual interests of the company and mitigate tax under consideration of avoiding liability risks
• Compliance with German and international tax regulations and requirements of the financial administration
• Fulfilment of obligation to cooperate with regard to tax such as the obligation to prepare and submit a correct and complete tax return and the substantiated documentation of matters and processes relevant for tax
• Timely and correct declaration and payment of tax liabilities and withholding tax to avoid additional cash outflow

A functioning organisational structure in particular considers that the information flow within the company is ensured between the departments (in particular the personnel department, marketing, legal department, purchasing/sales, financial accounting) in a timely manner. This is the only way the financial accounting department or tax department can obtain the information and facts necessary to meet the tax obligations and therefore provide the board or company management with the information required to make important decisions. The same is valid for the design of the information flow in the family office even with very varied requirements for asset managers, banks, family and advisors.

Key benefits for our clients

• Long-term, sustainable support with tax matters at all stages of the life of the company and family
• Maintenance of the reputation of the company and family
• Protection against unplanned cash outflows
• Security through qualified and integrated risk management

Main areas of tax management consulting

• Analysis and implementation of a tax information and management system or a formal tax compliance management system (tax CMS)
• Equal partner for tax departments and tax compliance officers regarding questions concerning tax risk management
• Workshops and seminars for clients
• Tax risk screenings (e.g. with mass processes)
• Design and structuring or restructuring to mitigate tax of individual business processes, functional company units and subgroups up to the complete company structure
• Development of tax strategies and guidelines under consideration of cash tax and tax accounting implications
• Support to meet obligations to cooperate and documentation regulations
• Coordination with the financial authority and obtaining of binding information, solution of procedural questions
• Taking on of responsibility for individual tax functions with outsourcing of companies, in particular when the dual control principle between the auditor and tax consultant is required or if these consulting areas are to be intentionally separated (e.g. cooperation, review or preparation of tax returns, tax reporting, review of tax notices, support for external tax audits and support for legal proceedings and extrajudicial remedial proceedings)