The A&O Shearman tax team is ‘able to drill down complex matters to their essence’, handling stand-alone tax advice, transactional advice, and tax litigation. Its expertise in corporate tax, employee benefits, real estate tax, and investment funds is noted. Private equity sector clients seek out the team, which leverages the firm’s corporate and PE strength to advise investors and management teams internationally. Team head Patrick Smet is ‘one of the leading tax litigators in Belgium’, often also representing clients in tax investigations and administrative controversies. Transactional work is the cornerstone of Isabelle Panis‘ practice, along with tax risk management advice.

Arteo offers a triad of focused areas of expertise: full spectrum tax services; wealth and estate planning; and Supreme Court procedures. Its experience in tax issues spans strategic advice, complex, often cross-border, reorganisations, and corporate actions. Practice head Daniel Garabedian has longstanding experience of the market, supporting large-scale corporate clients and acting as an expert in tax disputes. For international tax planning and corporate reorganisations, Jean-Michel Degée is a go-to, and An Weyn is noted for her focus on advising family-controlled enterprises. Steven Peeters is particularly knowledgeable regarding international tax disputes.

Linklaters fields a tax team made up of ‘key advisors’ to financial institutions, corporates, and funds. Its tax advisory and planning service supports both domestic and international clients with tax structuring, financing activities, and complex corporate income tax, while its disputes offering is experienced in both administrative matters and criminal litigation. Henk Vanhulle heads up the practice, often advising on the tax aspects of corporate M&A, capital markets, and real estate transactions. Caroline Borgers regularly handles international matters, and has experience of the healthcare, private equity, banking, and insurance sectors.

The ‘very efficient, capable and dedicated’ international tax and transfer pricing team at Loyens & Loeff fields a large team with specialists across compliance, employment, private wealth, and corporate tax. It advises on all aspects of Benelux and European indirect tax, and supports tax departments of multinational corporates in their risk management issues, including tax audits and litigation. Team head Nicolas Lippens is skilled in handling such litigation, while Natalie Reypens is particularly experienced in transfer pricing matters and Bert Gevers heads up both the indirect tax and international trade teams.

Tiberghien, a boutique firm fielding a ‘very technical and sharp tax team’, advises family-owned businesses, multinationals, start-ups, financial institutions and private clients, with longstanding experience of the Belgian market. It also offers civil law and transfer pricing expertise, alongside its corporate tax, estate planning, VAT, and tax litigation workload. The team is co-headed by partners Koen Morbée, Robin Minjauw, Emilie Van Goidsenhoven, and Griet Vanden Abeele. Morbée is a go-to for corporate clients; this is also an area of expertise for Minjauw and Bernard Peeters. Van Goidsenhoven and Vanden Abeele regularly advise at the intersection of estate planning and tax. The team often handles international tax matters, where Ahmed El Jilali is a key name.

Baker McKenzie CVBA/SCRL‘s ‘very hands-on and practical’ tax team focuses on providing advice to multinationals and major Belgian corporates on their tax structuring matters, with an emphasis on inbound and outbound tax strategies, alongside tax litigation capabilities. Géry Bombeke heads up the practice; he is a specialist in transfer pricing matters and also often handles the tax elements of corporate restructuring matters. Tax controversy matters, including audits, disputes, and mutual agreement procedures, are an area of expertise for Alain Huyghe, who has particular knowledge of the insurance sector. Julie Permeke is a go-to for complex disputes, and offers particular expertise in wealth management.

Deloitte Legal‘s tax practice encompasses Danny Stas and Tim Wustenberghs‘ advisory team, Annick Visschers‘ tax controversy solutions group, and Mathieu Ex‘s private client team. Its wide-ranging expertise is utilised by both domestic and multinational corporate entities as well as private individuals. For VAT matters, Stas is the go-to, and Wustenberghs specialises in international tax. In the private client space, Ex’s team advises on income tax as well as wealth, gift, and estate taxes. Filip Smet is a key part of the tax controversy team, recommended for contentious matters.

Eubelius offers triple strength in its tax team, with tax advice to corporate clients offered by Wouter Claes and Korneel Decroix‘s team, Svjatoslav Gnedasj‘s tax litigation department, and Kelly Moens‘ increasing focus on private clients and investment management. Gnedasj’s tax litigation work spans white-collar crime cases and tax class actions, with notable experience before the Supreme Court, while Claes is a go-to for real estate sector clients and Decroix specialises in VAT matters.

The tax practice at Stibbe handles complex tax litigation, large-scale transactions, and support to high net worth individuals across both Belgium and the Benelux region. VAT expert Wim Panis heads the team, offering a deep knowledge of the Belgian tax authorities and particular strength in the real estate sector. For tax litigation, Henk Verstraete is recommended, combining international tax experience with expertise in the fund industry. The team’s corporate tax offering includes transfer pricing expertise; Giovanni Smet is a key name here.

ARGO Law fields specialised experts in its tax and private client practices, regularly supporting private equity and venture capital funds, listed companies, private and family businesses, and ultra-high net worth individuals. Its three-pronged transactional, advisory and litigation tax practice works closely with private wealth planning and litigation experts. Tax team co-head Philippe Rens focuses on corporate and personal tax, particularly VAT and M&A tax structuring, co-head Wouter Verhoeye regularly advises high profile corporate clients, and Hannes Casier heads up the private estate planning offering.

Clifford Chance‘s tax team stands out for its in-depth knowledge in real estate tax work, acting for institutional investors and developers in fund structuring, transactional work, and disputes. In addition, it regularly assists in the tax restructuring of M&A deals for international corporates. Alexandre Ooms heads the team, a ‘star’ with particular experience advising private equity clients and managing cross-border tax litigation. The team’s growing tax disputes practice has experience before the Supreme Court.

The team at CMS covers the full range of tax law, counting amongst its clients a number of high-profile, multinational corporations. The work handled by the team includes the taxation of M&A transactions, disputes, and regulatory matters including the taxation of employee benefits. Olivier Querinjean, ‘a very skilled tax adviser’, co-heads the team; a corporate tax specialist, his experience includes company restructuring. Co-head Stéphanie Houx is a go-to for real estate taxes and civil law matters.

Liedekerke‘s tax team is praised for its ‘personalized and proactive service’, assisting clients both regionally and at the federal level with advisory support and tax litigation, with particular real estate sector expertise. Lievin De Wulf co-heads the team, handling both domestic and cross-border transactions as well as tax controversy matters, such as administrative and judicial tax procedures. Co-head Pierre Desenfans is the go-to for real estate matters, including tax structuring for developments and transactional support.

PwC Legal‘s tax team offers threefold expertise in tax controversy and dispute resolution, headed by Véronique De Brabanter; financial services regulatory matters, led by Olivier Hermand; and corporate wealth, for which the go-to is Patrice Delacroix. Working closely with PwC’s tax branch, the team handles complex international matters for both large-scale companies and ultra-high net worth individuals.

Tax boutique Advisius advises a wide range of listed companies, family-owned businesses and both domestic and international investment funds, with expertise spanning transfer pricing, restructuring, international mobility, and estate planning. Its dedicated French desk is a standout element of the practice, with team head Laurent Donnay de Casteau a notable member. Donnay de Casteau specialises in direct taxation, while tax audits and disputes are regularly handled by Jean Meeùs.

R&D and innovation tax work forms the cornerstone of the Bird & Bird tax practice, which has a notable focus on the life sciences sector and a specialism in IP-related tax issues. Its growing tax disputes offering is another standout element. Brent Springael, ‘a highly skilled and dedicated lawyer’ and authority on patent box cases, heads the team while Olivier Bertin takes the lead in tax litigation and controversy matters.

DLA Piper‘s tax offering provides a ‘holistic’ service through its ‘deep and wide expertise’, with sector strengths across insurance, real estate, sports, and IT. Its focuses on international tax matters, with experience of double taxation treaties and EU directives. Team head Nicolas Engelmann ‘is exceptional’, often handling strategic restructuring projects, and Chris Thompson has notable expertise regarding operational taxes, VAT, and sector-specific levies.

Fieldfisher houses a tax team made up of specialists, regularly supporting clients in large-scale M&A deals and reorganisations. Team head Geoffroy Galéa handles both direct and indirect taxation matters, including issues related to income tax, transfer pricing, VAT, and registration duties. Real estate matters are a particular area of strength for Stefanie Hardy, and Alain Thilmany has experience in tax disputes and administrative proceedings.

The tax practice group at Monard law, joined by Buyle is headed by Hilde Van den Keybus, and takes on tax litigation, advisory, and estate planning work, with experience handling disputes regarding transfer pricing and payroll tax exemption matters. Its expertise in innovation income deduction and R&D tax incentives is a particular standout element of the team: Pieter Van Den Berghe is a go-to for these matters.

The ‘hands on’ NautaDutilh tax team is ‘skilled in complex tax matters’, working closely with the firm’s corporate and real estate offerings in their transactional work as well as taking on tax litigation matters, and advising on international taxation issues. Practice head Ken Lioen is particularly experienced in cross-border transactions and international tax planning, with a strong track record of supporting multinational corporate clients and private equity funds.