tax

Tax law practice

Advising corporate clients during a period of rapidly changing tax policy is difficult. We believe our success in this area comes from studying and understanding our clients’ needs and goals, keeping up with the long and short-term tax models and the personalities of those in charge of national tax policy, and synthesizing this information to help clients strategically plan for the future.

Paz Horowitz provides tax advice on a wide spectrum of issues and situations, ranging from representing taxpayers before the Ecuadorian IRS, to tax litigation, to complex business tax transactions. We have specialized tax knowledge is such areas as Oil & Gas, Mining, Intellectual Property, Floriculture and Agriculture, NGO’s and Off-shore matters. Our experienced tax attorneys assist clients with tax matters arising from business transactions, legislative initiatives, administrative rulings, litigation, and tax planning.

Tax compliance

We counsel and advise on compliance with central, provincial and local Ecuadorian tax legislation in the following areas:

Income Tax and Source Withholding
Employee-Profit Sharing
VAT
Municipal Patents
Taxes on Assets
Sales Taxes
Required Contributions to Ecuadorian Governmental Institutions (e.g., Superintendence of Companies)

Corporate taxation

Provision of tax advice in conjunction with the structuring of complex transactions including mergers and acquisitions, and the tax consequences of these transactions.
Drafting of tax representations in merger agreements.
Counseling on choice of entity issues and the Ecuadorian tax ramifications of establishing new business organizations.
Conducting of due diligence with particular attention to tax matters to ensure that our clients are not acquiring unanticipated tax liabilities.
Advising on capitalization and amortization issues.
Counseling clients with respect to Ecuadorian accounting rules.
VAT tax mitigation.

Declarations of assets

We advise both foreigners and Ecuadorian nationals on complying with the duty to submit a declaration of assets.

Tax claims and litigation

With the recent overhaul and restructuring of the Ecuadorian IRS, the firm’s tax practice has handled an increasing volume of tax disputes and litigation concerning matters such as:

Drafting responses to proposed audit adjustments.
Advising on audit strategies.
Challenging tax assessments and filing refund claims
Negotiating solutions to tax disputes at the administrative audit and appeal level.
Litigating tax cases brought before the Ecuadorian tax authorities at the administrative, trial and appellate court levels.