FBK GT's Expert Becomes Tax Mediator

Head of Practice Alexander Grigoriev has arranged the first tax mediation in Russia.

This trilateral negotiation assisted by the mediator as an independent and neutral person helped the parties to identify their interests and reach a mediation agreement.

When speaking at a roundtable organised by the St. Petersburg business ombudsman and attended by officials from the Federal Tax Service Office in St. Petersburg, businesspersons and mediators, Alexander Grigoriev said that mediation is a voluntary procedure and a mediator cannot impose a decision, which should be made by the parties themselves though a consensus. There are no losers in mediation, which is a positive experience for everyone involved.

“Mediation has been getting more and more popular. In my opinion, this is a natural and global process. For example, mediation has been applied in tax disputes for many years in the UK, the US, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany and other countries. I hope that it will promote trust-based relationships among people more efficiently than any other institution,” he said.

Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution with the help of an impartial, neutral and independent third person, a mediator, who assists the parties in finding and negotiating a viable solution tailored to accommodate the interests and meet the needs of both parties.