
Benjamin Bergau
Biography
Benjamin Bergau is an associate and a member of Baker McKenzie’s Tax Practice Group in Frankfurt. Benjamin joined the Firm in 2014 after having worked as a VAT specialist at PricewaterhouseCoopers for six years. He has taught German VAT law at the university level, pro-bono, since 2010.
Practice Focus
Benjamin advises national and international companies in all VAT-related matters, including VAT planning and restructuring. He has extensive experience in compliance matters, such as risk assessments and reduction, fraud protection and defense positions, binding rulings, voluntary self-disclosures, assistance in tax audits, as well as appeal and settlement procedures. He has consulted on a number of high-profile M&A transactions and VAT settlements, and regularly advises on VAT matters associated with international retail, e-commerce and financial services. Benjamin’s work comprises legal opinions on complex VAT cases, applications for binding rulings and general guidance on VAT compliance.
Representative Legal Matters
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Advised leading global investment bank in VAT structuring of BREXIT migration of regulated financial service business lines to Germany;
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Advised US-based company in the financial sector in court level litigation regarding VAT implications of its business model.
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Advised in a complex strategic disclosure of presumed errors in taxing cross-border chain supplies of goods in order to develop a defence strategy, to coordinate multiple tax audits, to.set-up the methodology for VAT adjustments in the reporting for the head office and its distribution companies abroad.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Tax Bar Frankfurt - Member
Admissions
- Germany (2020)
Education
- Certified Tax Advisor (Steuerberater) (2020)
- European University Viadrina (MBA) (2012)
Languages
- English
- German
Baker & McKenzie Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten und Steuerberatern mbB is a professional partnership under German law registered with the Local Court of Frankfurt/Main at PR No. 1602. It is associated with Baker & McKenzie International, a Verein organized under the laws of Switzerland.