Tax law and tax disputes

A complex analysis of tax law to organise a business efficiently in the UAE The team of our Middle East Desk advised a major manufacturer of metal on the possibility to apply the 0% corporate tax rate to the profit from the trading of rolled steel.

Protected the client’s interests before the Supreme Court in a dispute concerning mineral extraction tax on the extraction of gold concentrates The tax practice has successfully protected the interests of Kosvinsky Kamen CJSC before the Russian Supreme Court in a dispute concerning the taxation of the extraction of concentrates and other intermediate materials containing gold, platinum and other precious metals.

Successfully defended a client in a precedent-setting case on the splitting up of a business Our team represented a management company in a tax dispute in a situation where the company was acquiring work and services from third parties using the simplified taxation system and selling them to owners of blocks of flats applying a VAT benefit. 

Reduced by 85% the tax authority's claims in the framework of a field tax audit The team represented the client in a project that involved challenging the field tax audit report. The company was accused of intentionally devising an unlawful tax scheme and charged with a 40% fine.

Successfully protected the client in tax proceedings which had continued for almost 5 years and reached the Supreme Court The team represented JSC Krastsvetmet, which was charged with claims of receiving tax benefit (compensation of VAT). To justify these claims, the tax authority presumed that the taxpayer's supplier had devised a scheme to withdraw gold from precious metal accounts with banks without paying VAT.

Reduced the additionally assessed tax by almost RUB 500 million The team was protecting the client under a pre-trial procedure in a tax dispute resulting from the tax authority’s use of an incorrect approach.

The return of over RUB 650 million of taxes collected in excess with RUB 120 million of interest accrued The team represented the client in a tax dispute. In the tax authority's opinion, the company devised a tax evasion scheme under which the real estate which the company uses is owned by individuals who are the actual beneficial owners of this business and who apply the simplified taxation system.

Tax and customs structuring of a project involving the construction of incineration plants We have performed tax and customs structuring during the planning of a project involving the construction of five incineration plants in Moscow Region and Tatarstan.

Pepeliaev Group’s lawyers provided legal and tax support to the large gold-mining company

Successfully protecting the interests of a credit institution in a dispute with the tax authority Lawyers from Pepeliaev Group’s tax practice successfully defended the interests of a credit institution in a dispute with the tax authority.

Proving the right to deduct the VAT on the restoration of architectural monuments in the Russian Supreme Court Lawyers from Pepeliaev Group’s tax practice successfully defended the interests of a company that owns a building which is an architectural monument of national significance in St Petersburg.

Working out the founding principles of the new regulation for leasing relationships Pepeliaev Group lawyers have worked out founding principles of the new regulation for leasing relationships.

Representing companies of TELE2 group in tax disputes Our tax lawyers successfully represented companies of TELE2 group in a number of disputes with regard to a foreign shareholder being recognised as the actual recipient of income.

Advising on the preparation of uniform methodology and the procedure for the calculation of profit generated by controlled foreign companies ("CFC") of the Gazprom group Pepeliaev Group was selected to advise Gazprom PJSC; it won in a public tender for advisory services.

Settlement of a tax dispute at the pre-trial stage Pepeliaev Group’s lawyers succeeded in settling at the pre-trial stage a tax dispute regarding a VAT refund of RUB 906 million for one of Russia's largest precious metals refineries.

Preparing objections to a field tax audit report Lawyers of the St Petersburg Tax Practice successfully completed a project to prepare objections against the field tax audit report drafted in relation to our client, an entrepreneur.

The Russian Constitutional Court has upheld Sony Mobile’s appeal, which was prepared by lawyers from Pepeliaev Group

The Russian Constitutional Court has broadened the range of possibilities to protect taxpayers' rights

Pepeliaev Group has successfully defended a major foreign bank in a case concerning the deduction of expenses relating to futures transactions for profit tax purposes

IMMOFINANZ sells logistics portfolio to Blackstone IMMOFINANZ has signed a contract with Blackstone for the sale of its entire logistics portfolio. The transaction covers all 36 logistics standing investments with approx. one million sqm of rentable space, which are located for the most part in Germany (24 properties) as well as in Hungary (5), Romania (3), Poland (2), Slovakia (1) and Russia (1). Blackstone will also purchase three development projects with approx. 65,000 sqm currently under construction in Hamburg (DE), Bucharest and Ploiesti (RO), which will be completed by IMMOFINANZ, as well as land reserves. Blackstone will integrate all the assets into Logicor, its European logistics platform. Pepeliaev Group provided legal support within the Russian aspects of this transaction.