As one of the region's largest tax litigation and disputes legal practice, King & Wood Mallesons is at the forefront of the market’s most complex tax disputes, investigations, mediations and inquiries. Our team is known and respected for their unique blend of tax advisory and litigation skills, and their track record in minimising tax risk and efficiently achieving full resolution of disputes.
Despite a policy towards early engagement and reducing the compliance burden, disputes are increasing in number and complexity as global tax authorities converge their enforcement strategies. Although not currently faced with a shrinking tax base to the extent of its European and US counterparts, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) continues to outline a focus on risk reviews and tax audits within its current compliance program.
With experts in both tax advisory and litigation and the ability to call upon all other areas of legal practice (i.e. banking, corporate and property), clients look to our robust resources to pursue all types of tax disputes.
Across disputes, clients are provided with streamlined matter management, a focus on strategic planning and innovative database technology for identifying and categorising privileged material. This approach ensures no double handling of matters and timely best outcomes, as we provide advisory opinions, prepare voluntary disclosures and ruling requests, assist with ATO enquiries and responses (including s.264 interviews) and represent clients at required panels and meetings.
Overlaying these capabilities is our well established relationships with the ATO, government solicitors and other tax authorities. Our strong understanding of their approach provides greater opportunity for early resolution as we undertake alternate dispute resolution and effectively explore avenues for settlement. For more complex disputes, we are able to engage the best senior and junior counsel from the tax and commercial bar in Australia. For multinational clients involved in related-party transactions, they benefit from our international reach and experience in the complex areas of transfer pricing, audit defence, tax treaties and international tax dispute resolution.