Special Focus
Mergers & Acquisitions

Special Focus Archive

Earn-out complicates SuccessFactor deal

Erin Kelechava reports on the tax issues surrounding rewards for the executives of an Australian business software company acquired by a US rival
Brazil: Structuring the acquisition of a Brazilian business

Tax saving opportunities carry considerable weight in the decision about the best M&A structure in Brazil, explain Cristiane Magalhães and Fabíola Costa Girão of Machado Associados
Canada: Structuring private equity funds for cross-border acquisitions

A bewildering array of business, legal, regulatory, accounting and tax issues apply to private equity funds, reveals Brent Kerr of Gowlings – Taxand
Cyprus: European directive helps Cyprus

The incorporation into local law of the EU merger directive has created the possibility of tax-neutral international mergers using Cyprus, explains Sophie Stylianou of Eurofast Taxand – Cyprus
France: French companies offered benefits of lower tax costs

Tax reforms have given companies in France have got plenty of incentives to make and structure acquisitions to their advantage, explains Xavier Etienne of Landwell et Associés
Germany: New tax relief gives hope to market for 2010

It is reassuring that the legislature has come up with tax relief measures to support companies in managing the crisis, although the new provisions are not exhaustive, explain Michael Hartmann, Klaus Schmidt and Christian Tempich of PricewaterhouseCoopers
Kazakhstan: On guard for constant change

Tax and other rules for doing business can change frequently in Kazakhstan. Foreign investors need to be aware of the authorities' approach to areas such as capital gains tax, CFC rules and transfer pricing when planning a transaction there, report Erlan Dosymbekov and Jahangir Juraev of Ernst & Young
Mexico: Investors dare to take post-crisis investment opportunities

Any company thinking of investing in Mexico needs to consider the tax implications of issues such as how to fund an investment and the type of investment vehicle and its location, believe Adriana Rodríguez, Araceli Sosa and Fernando López of PricewaterhouseCoopers
Russia: Why Russian acquisitions deserve careful scrutiny

Tax concepts, such as consolidation, that are familiar in other jurisdictions are unknown in Russia. That makes it important to consider the tax aspects of each M&A transaction in Russia carefully, explain Reece Jenkins and Evgeny Bezlepko of Ernst & Young
Switzerland: Holding companies get legislative boost

The new VAT regime and other developments in its tax law make Switzerland even more attractive as location for holding companies and international group companies with financing activities there, believe Markus Prinzen, Mathias Bopp, Marcel Angehrn and Timo Haack of PricewaterhouseCoopers
Ukraine: Tax and investments rules are tests for the brave

Immature tax and regulatory rules mean that investment in Ukraine is only for hardened risk takers. However, the new government should give investors hope that things may change, say Viktor Nevmerzhitsky and Andriy Dovbenko of Ernst & Young
UK: Doubts continue to undermine transactions

The possibilities for using the tax assets of a UK acquisition are dogged by uncertainties this year, not least the possible reform of controlled foreign company rules, point-out Mike Lane and Stephen Edge of Slaughter and May
US: Acquiring US businesses with an eye on the exits

How to dispose of an acquisition tax efficiently should be planned in advance, warn Jasper Cummings, Jr and Andrew Immerman of Alston & Bird