Bridging the divide: a special report on BEPS and IP

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Bridging the divide: a special report on BEPS and IP

johannes-plenio-ideas.jpg

ITR looks at the disconnect between many tax and IP professionals and how this holds companies back from meeting the challenge of BEPS.

Businesses around the world are grappling with the long-term tax and transfer pricing implications of BEPS for intellectual property. This is a serious problem for companies where tax and IP teams have been working in silos.

The OECD’s BEPS project, which was launched in 2015, has created more tax compliance challenges for intellectual property. But some tax and IP professionals are discovering late in the game that they have to work together.

BEPS may be old news to many tax experts, but the project is still being rolled out in many countries and its full impact is now being felt outside tax departments. The time to bridge the divide between tax and IP teams is long overdue.

With exclusive insight from heads of tax and IP directors at multinational companies and law firms, this special report looks at how tax and IP professionals can:

· Close the gap between tax and IP teams;

· Meet the IP challenges of BEPS; and

· Prevent costly tax disputes.

Here, we have the two-part report plus a preview feature, by Special Projects Editor Josh White, and an opinion article by our Editor-in-Chief Ed Conlon:

· Preview: BEPS is catching out IP – not just tax – teams

· Bridging the divide, part one

· Bridging the divide, part two

· Bridging the divide, part three

ITR will continue to follow the impact of BEPS on IP, which is such a key area for taxpayers today.

This is the first of a series of special reports on the most important issues in international tax. If you want to stay ahead of the game, sign up for a free trial to ITR.

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

ITR’s survey data reveals widespread client disappointment with firms’ use of technology but our upcoming AI in Tax event offers advisers a chance to flip the script
Firms announced key tax partner hires across the US and UK, while fintech and software providers revealed board appointments and new tools for multinational tax teams
It continues a prolific spree of investment for the firm, after it launched in Indonesia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Japan in 2025
Booming APA statistics reflect the growing credibility of India’s TP framework and the country’s shift toward a tax certainty approach, ITR has heard
Partners at both firms have voted in favour of the tie-up, which marks ‘the largest law firm merger in history’
The latest edition of Taxing Times with ITR covers all the controversy from a dramatic period for the carve-out deal, and also dissects the big four's AI strategies
Hany Elnaggar examines how the OECD’s global minimum tax is reshaping PE concepts across the GCC, shifting the focus from formal presence to substantive economic activity
The combination between Ashurst and Perkins Coie, which will create a $2.8 bn law firm, is expected to close in Q3
The ‘highly regarded’ Stephanie Pantelidaki, who has big four experience, will be based in the firm’s London office
A co-operative working relationship with the UK tax agency has helped 'unblock entrenched positions' to the benefit of clients, Kara Heggs tells ITR
Gift this article