FBK Legal on Art of Negotiation with Tax Authorities

Galina Akchurina, a Partner of FBK Legal, has participated in a Pravo.ru conference titled “Tax Policy and Tax Disputes”. She moderated a session on relevant tax practices and cases, and explained how not to be afraid of the most controversial article of the Tax Code.

She mentioned in her speech that at the pre-audit stage the parties have the best opportunities for negotiations. This should be taken into account: companies should not ignore requests from tax authorities and should provide assistance to the inspector.

?By ignoring tax officials, you can come across the main ?weak spot? of the tax law — article 51.4 of the Tax Code. This is the most popular and the most controversial article of the code, which is used to charge additional taxes. 80% of audits that caused tax authorities to make decisions based on this article are impossible to challenge. It is better not to bring the matter to court if it is not an exceptional case,? Galina Akchurina said.

The conference brought together top lawyers, who discussed relevant court decisions and tax benefits, as well as explained how to interact with tax authorities and clients to avoid problems.