Our innovative tax disputes and investigations team specialises in handling tax risks that arise in sectors most affected by technological change, with a wealth of experience leading complex tax disclosure projects.

Tax disputes have quickly gained importance in recent years due to an increasingly confrontational approach taken by global tax authorities and the potential for tax controversies to cause significant reputational damage. Our team is dedicated full time to the resolution of disputes with the tax authorities. It provides clients with assistance throughout the life cycle of a dispute, including pre-emptive advice to help manage the risk of a future dispute, the identification and disclosure of information and documents during an investigation, and litigation in the tax tribunals and courts. Combined with the deep industry knowledge of Bird & Bird’s lawyers, the team’s understanding of how the tax authorities handle investigations and litigation and its track record of resolving disputes through out-of-court settlement, means that it is well placed to help both corporate and individual clients navigate the most challenging of contentious tax matters.

The team’s focus on large-scale tax disclosure projects means that it is able to quickly understand and advise clients on how to deal with tax risks that arise in factually complex or difficult circumstances, such as where deliberate or fraudulent behaviour is alleged or suspected. We regularly assemble and manage multi-disciplinary project teams (drawing in IT specialists, forensic accountants and clients’ personnel) to undertake forensic internal investigations with a view to making a disclosure to the tax authority which maximises the chances of a settlement.