Tax

Trusted experts in national and international tax law

Setting standards for complex tax advice in Central and Eastern Europe

Wolf Theiss was ahead of the curve, becoming one of the first law firms in Austria to provide advice on national and international tax law. From a quick glance at our clients, it’s easy to see why we’re still setting standards for tax advice in Austria and CEE/SEE. We do not shy from large and complex cases – if your business has a cross-border element, our regional breadth and understanding of tax matters throughout the region is what you need.

You also benefit from the fact that our partners have dual qualifications as certified public tax advisors and attorneys-at-law. They not only have years of experience but also regularly hold lectures and publish on recent developments in this continuously changing field. This combination of practical experience, academic research and continuous training guarantees that you and your organisation receive advice that doesn’t just follow trends but anticipates them, so you can plan accordingly.

Key Contacts

All team members

Areas of specialisation

Tax Advice in M&A

M&A transactions and reorganisations can sometimes seem like a maze. When you’re standing at the crossroads of different tax structures, how do you know which way to go? Our tax lawyers routinely advise investment banks and corporations on large transactions by assessing the tax ramifications of potential tax structures with an eye to producing tax savings for you.

We will work to find you and your business savings anywhere we can, such as structures aimed at minimising taxable gains upon disposals, achieving the tax deductibility of acquisition-related interest expenses, potentially utilising goodwill amortisation under group taxation regimes and avoiding stamp duties.

Tax Disputes and Litigation

We will advise you on how to effectively handle and react to tax challenges at any stage in the process, from negotiations in tax audits to the finalisation of assessments.

Our team works to help you avoid time-consuming disputes and to minimise back payments and penalties. We will defend your interests as far as we can, even up to having the respective Constitutional Court or the Administrative Court repeal or at least mitigate decisions from lower authorities.

Fiscal Criminal Law

A criminal proceeding is no place for you to skimp on your defence. We draw on the strength of our tax and dispute resolution experts to get you practical, helpful advice in your time of need. We have extensive experience in filing self-disclosures for individuals and business enterprises, in particular in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. We can also defend you from allegations of balance sheet fraud.

Tax Planning

High net worth individuals and corporations turn to us for cross-border tax planning. We implement structures aimed at lowering your overall tax burden; not by making use of off-shore locations but through various other vehicles, including Austrian private foundations (which offer substantial tax planning opportunities).

And, with us, you don’t need to fear too much of a good thing: we are always mindful of the restrictions imposed by abuse of law doctrines or developments from the OECD, and try to find creative ways to overcome obstacles.

Private Clients

Individuals come with individualised tax needs. Let us help you plan your succession matters as well as any cross-border relocation of residence issues that might come up – we specialise in tax law services for German clients who for reasons of German inheritance tax decide to move to Austria.

We can also help you with optimising tax implications associated with wealth structuring, realisation of potential tax savings through pension contributions and advice on tax aspects related to the creation and operation of foundations and trusts.

Financial Products

Are you looking at purchasing, holding or selling an investment? We advise individual and institutional investors on all aspects of tax for financial matters. Are you considering a creative solution, perhaps a new financial product? We can help you exploit opportunities in statutory law and counsel you on tax and other legal questions.

Leading the legal field

Our lawyers are involved in key transactions and matters across the region, bringing their industry expertise and specialised business knowledge to add value to our clients’ work.

Advised shareholders on €600 million exit tax

Tax advice for novel Additional Tier 1 instruments in Austrian market

Advised on restructuring of tax resident stakeholders

Offering a wide spectrum of tax experience from M&A transactions to litigation

€600 million exit tax

Our team successfully advised the shareholders of an Austrian corporation which in the views of the tax authorities had inadvertently triggered an exit tax amounting to more than EUR 600 million.

Tax aspects of first Additional Tier 1 instruments in Austria

Our tax attorneys advised Erste Group Bank AG, Austria’s largest bank, on Austrian tax aspects of the first issuance of Additional Tier 1 instruments on the Austrian market.

Tax consequences of restructuring for a pan-European organisation

We advised one of the largest and oldest pan-European charitable organisations in respect of the Austrian tax consequences of a restructuring of its Austrian tax resident stakeholders.

What others say about us

“Wolf Theiss is a practice where partners are closely connected to clients. They have excellent understanding of current tax issues and are able to advise in advance suitable solutions. They provide services in a very constructive and direct way with very good value for money. Communication and access to service is quick and there is no problem to get ad hoc service when urgency requires. I would definitely recommend Wolf Theiss as a practice for any CFO who has to deal with difficult and non-standard issues.”
– The Legal 500

“The firm has an exceptionally strong tax practice, we are very much satisfied with the high level of their services, deep knowledge and commercial approach.”
– The Legal 500