Sweden

Baker McKenzie is best known for its structuring tax advice and tax disputes. The team is led by partner Linnea Back, who practises transactional tax, tax litigation, and reorganisation for national and international companies.

The firm advised Colliers on its acquisition of a controlling interest in Pangea Property Partners. It also acted for 4C Group AB in an IPO with cross-border structuring recommendations.

Associates Martha Lindmark and Linn Ersbring joined the firm in 2022.

Bird & Bird offers a highly experienced tax department in Sweden. Head of Tax, Carl-Magnus Uggla, specialises in transactional tax within the real estate and private equity sectors. Staffan Andersson is senior counsel, focused on tax advice for high-net-worth individuals. Victor Stålblad has experience litigating incentive programmes.

The firm advised Garantum Invest AB in connection with the completion of its Global Invest merger. It also acted for Zimpler AB in tax structuring, pertaining to dividend withholding and profit repatriation in the South American market.

Senior associate Victor Stålblad was promoted to senior counsel in May 2022.

Client feedback

“Pragmatic approach to guide the transaction through.”

“Fast and reliable, pragmatic, focus on the important parts of the scope, Innovative thinking.”

Deloitte Sweden is an internationally renowned advisory firm. It is the preferred counsel for cloud compliance, corporate income tax, and transfer pricing mandates. Digitisation is a facet incorporated into their indirect and transaction service lines. Key practitioners are partners Henrik Karlsson, head of corporate tax Lars Franck, and Johan Rasmussen, head of M&A tax.

The firm performed a feasibility analysis and restructuring for an intellectual property transfer. It also merged two Swedish entities and devised a suitable restructuring model to mitigate shared liabilities.

Client feedback

“Highly skilled and professional.”

“High degree of knowledge.”

DLA Piper Sweden is led by partner and head of tax Erik Björkeson, who is supported by new partner Karin Attorps and associate Sonja Nilsson. A closer collaboration between the tax group and the corporate group has increased M&A tax-related issues.

The firm provided post-acquisition structuring work for a financial services provider and completed a separate intra-group restructuring.

Partner Karin Attorps joined the practice from EY in January 2022. Senior associate Andreas Lundqvist arrived in March 2022. Outgoing senior associate Magnus Hagevi retired in April 2022.

Client feedback

“Quality, efficiency.”

“Proactive, knowledgeable.”

EY Sweden offers a full complement of tax services for corporations and private clients. Services cover compliance, controversy, transactions, transfer pricing, and digital analytics. The practice has a strong industry segment focus in the private equity, real estate, and telecommunications industries. Partner Katrin Norell leads the Swedish team, alongside Nordics managing partner Carl Pihlgren and transfer pricing head Olov Persson.

The firm represented a logistics client in a complex customs mandate concerning the treatment of special procedures and the related import VAT treatment. It also established a new structure for a petroleum client.

Partner Mårten Sundholm and director Karolina Silvén joined the firm in 2022 with seven senior managers.

Client feedback

“Well prepared, detail oriented.”

“This is an area where special knowledge is needed and EY possesses that knowledge and can make it understandable for a wider audience. They have also provided their advice in a timely manner.”

“Competent, pragmatic, solutions oriented, open to dialogue.”

Grant Thornton Sweden provides Indirect and direct tax, transfer pricing and international mobility tax. Clients are also provided with M&A assistance pertaining to accounting advice. Head of transaction tax is partner Carl Ljungdahl, working with head of VAT Lena Westfahl and transfer pricing lead Lars Jernkrok.

The firm provided assorted re-domiciliation, global restructuring, and intellectual property transference advice. It also implemented a new transfer pricing model for a software firm.

M&A Tax Director Martin Strand arrived in December 2022, and VAT Director Sarah Backlund joined in September 2022. Senior managers Charlotte Hillerström and Henrik Antonsson were also acquired.

Client feedback

“Service minded, easy to work with. Works efficiently.”

“Responsive and comprehensive.”

KPMG is a leading tax network that has continued to grow in Sweden. The team now consists of over 200 employees and is led by Head of Tax and Legal, Annika Lindström. The team is innovative, with tax technology at the forefront of KPMG’s offering. Transfer pricing specialist Maria Andersson and corporate practitioner Filip Christensson are key partner contacts.

The firm advised a financial institution on holding structure tax risk mitigation, It also represented a Swedish multinational in tax controversy pertaining to taxable income subject to CFC rules.

Partner Filip Christensson joined the practice in September 2022. Outgoing partner Mårten Sundholm departed to EY in April 2022.

Client feedback

“Know them and know the capability in the chosen areas.”

“KPMG has a good local team in Sweden that deal with all aspects of the work, including managing their foreign KPMG teams. It becomes more or less a one-stop-shop for us as clients.”

“The have a great knowledge of both EU and domestic legislation and have a long experience of our business.”

“Great technical understanding and also understand my business challenges. Shows reliability. On the edge when it comes to explaining and foresee potential trending changes.”

“Attention - understand my need listen - quickly change to feedback and change the way of working.”

“My main experience concerns TP issues why the answer is for that service. Maria Andersson and Fredrika Wendleby have very good knowledge of our and the whole group’s operation and are well aware of the issues which needs more attention. They are also proactive and let us know if there are coming issues, new developments or cases that may affect our operation.”

“Amazing skills, proactive and great knowhow.”

“Very knowledgeable and have a good understanding of our business, history, corporate values and what is important considering all these issues.”

“Proactive partner that reaches out about new case law, regulations and requirements that could have an impact on our set-up. You get a sense that they are always considering us. Further, they give pragmatic and clear advice, and finds the right specialist (locally or in other countries) when they can't reply themselves, which results in high trust and confidence.”

“Highly skilled on procedural legislation, proactive and pragmatic in contact with client and efficient in identifying and countering on flaws of tax agency's approach.”

“Deep understanding of our business. Very close attention to what we ask for from them. Appropriately scoped proposals. Thinking laterally.”

“The consultants I hire are very professional and they work efficiently. They give quick and good feedback.”

“KPMG Sweden’s TP team that we work with are very proactive and understand our business and our challenges. They keep us updated with all current ongoing projects all the time which is very appreciated. They reach out when they come across information that might be useful for our business continuously and thereby help us to keep track of the development in all countries where we operate.”

“Deep understanding of the current legislation and on the edge knowledge of what is likely to be the future challenges and how to mitigate these.”

Mannheimer Swartling is a leading Swedish law firm, with a practice advising on international tax matters through its foreign offices, as well as reorganisations, M&A, IPOs, real estate tax, financial structuring, fund formation and tax litigation. It is led by three partners, Niklas Hagbard, Anders Erasmie, and Joachim Agrell. A team of advisers and lawyers assist the partners.

The firm advised MediaMarktSaturn on due diligence and structuring after a divestment agreement with Power International AS. It also acted for Handelsbanken to divest its Danish operations to Jyske Bank.

Partner Martin Nilsson departed to the Supreme Administrative Court in July 2022.

Client feedback

“Vast experience from handling a wide range of complex tax litigation matters.”

“Provide advice and responses to the courts in a timely and technically accurate way.”

“Have expertise on the whole project and specific knowledges in VAT when structuring these kinds of projects.”

“Deep team, highly knowledgeable and commercial.”

“High knowledge, good understanding of our business and to the point advice.”

“Joachim Agrell, who is our main contact, always delivers advice that are well written and easy to understand. He has an extensive knowledge about the financial sector business which is of great benefit for us as a client.”

“Highly skilled, very responsive and to the point in their advice.”

PwC operates a versatile consultancy practice in Sweden. The firm operates a sophisticated transfer pricing department as well as offering tax services for all direct and indirect taxes, including financial services taxation, M&A tax, real estate tax and international tax services. Kajsa Boqvist is the head of tax and legal at the firm.

Former head of tax Mikael Carlén departed the firm in June 2021.

Client feedback

“Largest tax practise in Sweden and the only one with partly similar quality as Svalner.”

“Full service. Strong market position.”

Setterwalls is one of Sweden’s most prominent tax firms with a full complement across restructuring, tax litigation, remuneration programmes and real estate transactions. Services are provided for the construction, automotive, software and public sectors. The tax practice comprises twelve lawyers, including partners Niclas Hermansson, Sören Brekell and Setterwalls’ tax team in Gothenburg, Christian Sjöqvist.

The firm advised on a lucrative joint venture in the real estate sector, including structuring guidance. It also restructured a healthcare multinational with complex VAT dimensions.

Associate Fabian Isaksson joined the firm in February 2022. Outgoing associate Kristin Svärd departed in 2022.

Client feedback

“Very competent within tax. Certainly very solution oriented advisory focused on finding opportunities rather than only spotting risks.”

Skeppsbron Skatt is a leading independent tax firm on the Swedish market. It has evolved its versatile corporate service line to include corporate tax, tax litigation, transfer pricing and VAT. Skeppsbron Skatt is part of the Aspia Group for accounting and pay-roll provision advice. Key practitioners are corporate specialists, Mac Berlin, Jari Burmeister, and Niklas Bång. Björn Johansson is known for compensation mandates, while Joakim Wittkull is the firm’s litigator. Partner Mikael Jacobsen is the transfer pricing specialist.

The firm provided structuring advice pertaining to a Swedish spin-off assignment. It also relayed transfer pricing policy and related corporate tax advice to an intra-group company structure.

Litigation director Malin Asplund and fellow director Markus Zung arrived in 2022. Outgoing partner Erik Frösdal departed to Unum Tax in March 2022.

Svalner is a member of the international WTS Global network. It is one of the leading Swedish advisers in real estate and construction taxes, transactional tax, indirect taxes, and litigation. Key partners are Carl Lindberg, David Klingberg and Fredrik Berndt. Managing partner is Viktor Sandberg.

The firm advised KPA Pension in connection with structuring and share price agreement advice. It also acted for AXA Logistics in a cross-border transaction. Transfer pricing benchmarking and debt-capacity analyses were undertaken for assorted clients.

Directors Gustav Åberg and Tobias Lantoo were appointed in 2022.

Client feedback

“They provide relevant and accurate advice on indirect tax matters. Their employees are business oriented and excellent at following-up and communicating options.”

“We have had very good and professional support from Svalner in this VAT litigation case, that is not yet finalized but the outcome looks quite promising.”

“Superior material knowledge about local VAT legal VAT matters and great client engagement, often better than the Big 4 advisors.”

Unum Tax is an independent tax advisory firm based in Stockholm. The firm was founded in 2019 by leading tax practitioners, under managing partner Lynda Ondrasek Olofsson. Full-service provision includes tax litigation, structuring, corporate tax, and VAT services. Mandates derive from financial services, humanitarian foundations, and real estate. Corporate tax partners are Henrik Kjellgren, Karl-Johan Nörklit, Hussein Abdali and Ulf Tivéus. Partner Maria Thuresson is the indirect specialist.

The firm acted for the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise in litigation pertaining to employee stock options.  Success in the first instance garnered media attention. It also assisted a Swedish company with foreign subsidiary asset sales to a new fund.

Partner Erik Frösdal joined the practice in April 2022.

Client feedback

“Pedagogical and clear.”

“Unum Tax's guidance and advice are always clear, concise, and highly effective. Further, Unum Tax always takes the time to understand our specific needs and concerns and provide us with individualised solutions that help us achieve our main objectives. The Unum team is always responsive and keeps us informed throughout the process (which help us to feel confident and supported).”

“Very competitive for our special tax situation with both non-profit and for-profit business. Always the highest service and quick response.”

“Clear and educational presentation.”

“Good advice how to reduce VAT risks and also inform us about certain risks. They give advice that i can use in the business and not only related to the law.”

“Deep and competent analysis and well-structured application.”

“High level of knowledge and experience, active on the full spectrum of tax matters. Excellent quality of people and always responsive. Always high-quality work and deliver advice that is easy to understand and relevant for the business.”

“Very dedicated and knowledgeable.”