Jos Hellebrekers is a Tax Lawyer and Partner at Otterspeer, Haasnoot & Partners, an international tax boutique firm which specializes even further in certain areas, based in Rotterdam (the Netherlands). He manages a team of about eight dedicated tax specialists. Together they are able to deal with the maze which has been created by the OECD anti-base erosion profit shifting measures and the EU tax avoidance directive.

EU law is important. Obtaining a tax ruling is one challenge, making sure that it cannot be undone as harmful state aid later is another. EU law permits reclaiming dividend withholding tax for pension funds, insurance companies or CIV’s from within or outside the EU. Often, Jos will co-ordinate the implementation of setting up of corporate structures or M&A projects, together with a team of external professionals, but ongoing  work for existing clients is equally important. Such clients are often groups combining local operational activities with a substantial regional headquarters or holding company, or joint ventures on neutral ground. Being able to do transfer pricing research and documentation in-house gives the firm a competitive edge. Being based in Rotterdam, Jos also belongs to the select group of advisers who can deal with ocean shipping taxation of shipowners and agents. Also members of a Board of Directors or Private Equity Managers may turn to Jos for advice re employment related securities, 30% rulings or split salary analyses.

Although Jos’ client base is worldwide, his focus is on Germany, (greater) China, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France and Italy. He is fluent in German, expects to be fluent in Chinese in about two years, and speaks adequate French. Together with a firm of solicitors/abogados, Jos serves the Spanish and the Latin American market. Jos provides the comments to five Dutch tax treaties, including Belgium, for an online tax encyclopedia (NDFR). He is a fellow of the Dutch Order of Tax Advisers (NOB), and a member of a.o. the International Fiscal Association, the Inter Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) and the International Business Structuring Association (IBSA).