A tax lawyer is a legal professional specialized in taxation.
They advise and represent individuals, companies and institutions on issues relating to taxes and tax regulations.
His main role is to optimize his clients’ tax situation while ensuring compliance with current legislation.
The role and responsibilities of the tax lawyer
Tax lawyers play a crucial role in providing strategic advice to optimize their clients’ tax situation, ensuring compliance with tax regulations, planning finances to minimize future tax burdens, and defending their clients’ interests in tax disputes.
He also keeps abreast of legislative developments to ensure that his advice is always relevant and up to date.
Tax advice
One of the tax lawyer’s main missions is to provide strategic advice to optimize his clients’ tax situation.
This includes :
- Tax optimization: Developing strategies to reduce your tax burden while remaining compliant with the law.
- Tax strategy: advice on structuring financial transactions, investments and commercial operations.
Compliance and regulation
Tax lawyers ensure that their clients comply with tax obligations and regulations in force:
- Tax returns: Assistance in preparing and submitting tax returns.
- Legal compliance: Monitoring legislative changes to ensure ongoing compliance.
Tax planning
He helps his clients plan their finances to minimize their future tax burden:
- Anticipating legislative changes: Monitoring changes in tax laws to advise on necessary adjustments.
- Optimizing financial flows: proposing solutions to optimize cash flows and investments.
Contentieux fiscal
In the event of a dispute with the tax authorities, a tax lawyer intervenes to defend the interests of his clients:
- Legal representation: Defending clients before the courts or tax authorities.
- Settlement negotiation: Negotiating agreements to resolve tax disputes.
Legal watch
Tax lawyers must constantly keep abreast of legislative and regulatory developments:
- Ongoing updates: Monitoring of new legislation, case law and administrative directives.
- Ongoing training: Participation in training courses and seminars to keep skills up to date.
Importance for customers
The tax lawyer is essential to our customers, helping them to achieve significant tax savings, improve profitability and competitiveness.
They also ensure legal compliance, protecting against the risk of tax reassessments and penalties.
What’s more, their expertise enables companies to make informed business decisions, taking tax implications into account, which optimizes investments and commercial operations.
Tax savings
Thanks to the advice of a tax lawyer, clients can achieve significant savings on their taxes, improving their profitability and competitiveness.
Legal certainty
By ensuring compliance with tax laws, tax lawyers protect their clients against the risk of tax reassessments and penalties.
Optimizing business decisions
The expertise of a tax lawyer enables companies to make informed decisions about their investments and business operations, taking into account the tax implications.
How much does a tax lawyer charge?
A tax lawyer’s fees can vary considerably depending on a number of factors, such as the complexity of the case, the lawyer’s reputation, and geographical location.
In general, fees can be charged by the hour, on a flat-rate basis, or by the result.
- Hourly rates: Hourly rates can range from €150 to €500 or more, depending on the lawyer’s experience and reputation.
- Fixed-price billing: For specific assignments, such as setting up a company or drafting tax returns, a lawyer may propose a fixed price.
- Result-based billing: In certain cases, fees can be calculated on the basis of the result obtained, particularly in the case of tax disputes, where part of the savings made can be passed on to the lawyer.
When should a tax lawyer be called in?
It is advisable to consult a tax lawyer in several situations:
- Tax optimization: To minimize the tax due by using legal mechanisms.
- Tax compliance: To ensure that all tax declarations and payments comply with current legislation.
- Tax litigation: In the event of a dispute with the tax authorities, a tax lawyer can represent and defend your interests.
- International tax consultancy: for companies and individuals with activities or investments abroad.
Need help? AlterTax has a tax lawyer!
Cyril Maucour is the Managing Partner of AlterTax, with over 20 years’ experience in corporate and executive taxation, gained in major international and French law firms. His multi-sector expertise enables him to provide effective advice to any client in need of a tax lawyer. Contact us
Tax lawyer’s profession
Tax lawyers specialize in tax law. Find out about their salaries, studies and career paths.
Studying to become a tax lawyer
To become a tax lawyer, you need to follow a rigorous academic path:
- Law degree: Future lawyers generally begin by obtaining a law degree.
- Master’s degree in tax law: A Master’s degree in tax law is often required to specialize in this field.
- CAPA (Certificat d’Aptitude à la Profession d’Avocat): After the Master’s degree, you need to pass the CAPA to practice as a lawyer.
- Internships and continuing education: Internships with specialized law firms and continuing education are essential to keep abreast of changes in legislation and case law.
Salary of a tax lawyer
A tax lawyer’s salary can vary according to his or her experience, specialization and the size of the firm in which he or she works:
- Career start: A junior tax lawyer can expect a gross annual salary of between €35,000 and €50,000.
- Intermediate experience: With a few years’ experience, salary can reach between €50,000 and €100,000 per year.
- Experienced lawyers and partners: for highly experienced lawyers or those who are partners in a law firm, remuneration can be well in excess of €100,000, sometimes reaching several hundred thousand euros a year.
What career paths are open to tax lawyers?
There are several ways in which a tax lawyer can develop throughout his or her career:
- Increased expertise: By specializing further, for example in international tax law or corporate taxation.
- Partnership in a law firm: Becoming a partner in a law firm involves not only an advisory role, but also management responsibilities.
- In-house counsel: Some tax lawyers choose to join companies as in-house counsel or general counsel.
- Teaching and research: For those interested in tax law theory, opportunities exist in higher education and research.