Direct Tax – India

Indian revenue authorities are increasingly leveraging technology to expand the tax base. In this dynamic and evolving regulatory landscape, taxpayers often face uncertainty and potential litigation, resulting in tax demands. Accordingly, it is imperative to remain updated on applicable tax laws, ensure ongoing compliance, and proactively prepare for emerging tax risks.

Key Strengths

Comprehensive and Strategic Tax Advisory

  • Deep expertise in domestic and international tax laws, including cross-border structuring.
  • Tailored tax optimization strategies aligned with your business goals.
  • Guidance on tax implications of M&A, capital structuring, and repatriation planning.
  • Strong focus on aligning tax advice with commercial substance and regulatory expectations.
  • Support in tax planning for individuals, corporates, and trusts.

Robust Compliance and Representation Support

  • End-to-end assistance in tax return filings, TDS/TCS compliance, and reporting.
  • Expert representation during audits, assessments, and appeals before tax authorities.
  • Proactive identification of tax risks and implementation of mitigation strategies.
  • Regular updates on tax law changes and impact analysis for timely decision-making.
  • Leveraging technology to ensure accuracy, transparency, and process efficiency.
  • Proven track record of resolving complex tax issues across diverse industries.

Our Service

  • We design comprehensive tax optimization strategies through business model transformation, group restructuring, and identification of tax incentives, aligning tax outcomes with commercial objectives.
  • We advise on efficient capital structuring, fund-raising, and repatriation strategies, ensuring compliance and minimizing tax leakage across jurisdictions in both inbound and outbound investments.
  • We conduct in-depth tax analysis of complex transactions, factoring GAAR, BEPS, and other anti-avoidance rules to mitigate risk and enhance transaction value.
  • We manage tax return filings, tax audit reports, and related compliances through rigorous review of tax positions and evolving judicial and regulatory trends.
  • We assist in obtaining approvals and registrations under the Income-tax Act, including lower withholding certificates, PAN/TAN, and regulatory filings required for seamless operations.
  • We structure employee compensation packages, including ESOPs, RSUs, SARs and bonus plans, ensuring compliance with perquisite taxation, deferred tax implications, and employee retention strategy.

  • Conducting comprehensive tax and legal due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, private equity/VC deals, strategic investments, exits, and secondary transactions.
  • Advising on deal structuring, valuations, negotiation support, term-sheet review, and implementation of domestic and cross-border M&A transactions from a tax and regulatory lens.
  • Reorganizing group structure for consolidation, control alignment, IPO readiness, succession planning, and unlocking tax efficiencies or step-up in asset base.
  • Advising on inbound and outbound investment strategies, evaluating FDI/FEMA implications, round-tripping risks, treaty benefits, and regulatory filings.
  • Planning corporate actions such as buybacks, capital reduction, bonus issues, and delisting, ensuring compliance and minimizing shareholder-level tax leakage.
  • Offering end-to-end transaction management support, including shareholder agreements, post-deal integration, capital restructuring, and exit tax planning.

  • We represent clients across forums in assessments, appellate proceedings, and litigation, offering strategic advice and robust defense in complex tax disputes.
  • We assist clients in managing scrutiny assessments, surveys, and search-related proceedings, ensuring accurate documentation, consistent positions, and timely responses to queries and notices.
  • Our team specializes in preparing technically sound replies, rectification petitions, stay applications, appeals, and legal briefs tailored to address the specific facts and legal issues.
  • We help identify and evaluate potential tax exposures and conflict areas early, enabling preemptive planning and mitigation to avoid unnecessary litigation or reputational risk.
  • We offer robust support in high-value and high-risk litigation matters, including transfer pricing adjustments, international tax disputes, GAAR applicability, treaty interpretation, and PE attribution.