Tax

Goldfarb Seligman’s Tax Department is one of the largest, most experienced and leading tax departments in Israel.

The department’s attorneys possess extensive experience and expertise in a wide array of domestic and international tax issues, and provide the firm’s clients, both corporations and individuals, with business and strategic planning, while providing creative solutions which suit the evolving regulatory environment.

The department is an integral part of the firm’s practice relating to corporate and commercial transactions, and its attorneys advise on some of the largest transactions within the Israeli market and worldwide. The extensive knowledge accumulated in the department, together with ongoing advice on transactions, places the department at the forefront of the tax law arena. In addition, the department’s legal teams provide clients with ongoing tax counsel, including with regard to audits, tax litigation, obtaining tax rulings from the Israel Tax Authority and other various government authorities, as well as legal opinions on various tax issues. The department’s partners are widely considered thought leaders in the tax field, both in Israel and abroad, and possess an in-depth understanding of a wide variety of tax issues, as well as fiscal, corporate and commercial matters.

Our Tax Department has a branch in Zurich, Switzerland. The branch provides unique legal services to local and foreign clients, in Israel and Switzerland, including HNW families, individuals and financial institutions. Our legal teams in Zurich provide legal services on tax and private client matters, including international tax planning, VAT and customs, establishment of trusts, estates, intergenerational transfer and more.

The department’s legal teams advise on a wide range of areas, including:

  • Corporate Tax and Complex Transactions – taxation of domestic and international transactions, mergers and acquisitions, ongoing tax planning for companies, partnerships and other corporations, and tax advice relating to restructuring and joint ventures.
  • Customs – goods classification, goods valuation, importer affidavits, rules of origin, various customs proceedings: restitution, conditional exemption, cancellation and reduction of tariffs, and more.
  • VAT – tax planning, audits and criminal investigations.
  • Executive Compensation – advising corporations and their Boards of Directors on tax and securities aspects of executive compensation plans.
  • Tax Litigation – advising on various tax disputes, including income tax, land taxation, VAT and more.
  • Capital Markets Taxation – for companies and individuals, including tax aspects of public and private offerings, bonds and other financial products, as well as insolvency taxation.
  • Taxation  of Restructuring– tax advice regarding mergers, acquisitions and spin offs.
  • Private Client and Family Wealth Management – tax planning for high net worth individuals and families, in particular advising domestic and foreign trusts, intergenerational wealth transfers, and creating legal structures for protecting assets from creditors.
  • Voluntary Disclosure – representing individuals and corporations declaring undisclosed capital and assets.
  • International Taxation for Corporations and Individuals – counsel on tax treaties and residency issues for individuals, including new immigrants and returning residents.
  • Real Estate Taxation – taxation of complex real estate transactions, taxation of acquisition groups, contractors, developers and real estate organizations, urban renewal taxation, and more.
  • Maritime Law – representing importers, exporters, forwarders, insurers and others.

Our Tax Department is regularly ranked at the very top of professional rankings by local and international ranking guides, such as Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500, BDICode and Dun’s 100. The department was recognized as a market leader in the fields of tax, real estate tax and private wealth law.

 

"Goldfarb Seligman & Co.'s tax is engaged by clients, including leading international and Israeli corporations, cryptocurrency platforms and high-net-worth individuals, to advise on income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax and VAT."

The Legal 500 | 2020

"Well-respected group handling tax matters for both domestic and international clients."

Chambers & Partners | 2019

"Runs an extremely active tax team, which has experience in global M&A and restructurings, tax assessments, executive compensation and capital markets transactions."

The Legal 500 | 2018

"Highly regarded group that ably assists domestic and international clients with a broad range of tax issues."

Chambers & Partners | 2017

"Active in direct taxation matters stemming from complex transactions, handles litigation and is strong in indirect tax matters, particularly regarding international trade."

The Legal 500 | 2016