Taxes
Our tax team provides advice in all areas of direct and indirect taxation, both nationally and internationally. Our clients are multinational companies, financial institutions, SMEs, nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurs, investors, and private individuals.
Our team members are also involved in advisory commissions and tax tribunals, and regularly contribute to specialist journals and seminars.
Expertise
Taxation of companies
A core area of activity for our team is providing planning and consultation services for corporate structures and related transactions. Our specialists work closely with the other Kellerhals Carrard teams in order to offer our clients comprehensive services.
We regularly work for listed companies, Swiss and foreign companies, institutional investors, and banks to optimize their tax burden and limit their tax risks. We are particularly active in the following areas:
- Tax compliance and optimization of tax administration
- International tax law (with access to an extensive network of correspondents)
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Remediation and restructuring
- Financing operations
- Private equity and venture capital operations
- Setting up distribution systems and management of intellectual property rights
- Employee profit-sharing scheme
- Investment funds
- Taxing trusts, foundations
- Establishments and tax breaks for new companies
- Negotiations with tax authorities, tax rulings
- Conducting litigation procedures
Taxation of individuals
We advise private individuals living in Switzerland and abroad – in particular, entrepreneurs, company management, investors, and family business owners - on the taxation of their income and assets, both in Switzerland and abroad, as well as about questions relating to gifts and inheritance. This includes the following aspects in particular:
- Tax planning, especially in the structuring of income and assets
- Taking up residence in Switzerland and leaving Switzerland
- Special tax regimes (for foreigners in Switzerland and for Swiss people abroad)
- Estate planning
- Real estate taxation
- Negotiations with tax authorities, tax rulings
- Conducting litigation procedures
- Spontaneous denunciations and criminal tax law issues
Special taxes and customs duties
In addition to taxes on profits and income, corporate activity gives rise to a whole series of indirect taxes and contributions, particularly with regard to value-added tax (VAT) and customs duties. We advise our clients on the following topics in particular:
- Structuring the supply chain within groups of companies for VAT optimization
- VAT on real estate
- Implementing systematic checks and processes within groups of companies to reduce indirect tax risks and identify optimization opportunities
- Preparation and support for VAT audits
- Negotiations with tax authorities, tax rulings
- Conducting litigation procedures
Taxation of artists and sportspeople
We advise athletes, artists, lecturers, and corporate bodies on tax issues specific to these groups of people, including Swiss and foreign withholding taxes, domiciliary issues, and VAT.