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Taxation

At WILLIAMS & ASSOCIATES, we are committed to providing our clients with tailor-made solutions, including tax and estate planning through a variety of corporate vehicles and other legal means. In this regard, we offer a wide range of services to assist our clients in any tax-related branch

TAX ACCOUNTING FOR BUSINESSES IN PANAMA

With a growing and booming economy in recent years, the new government of Panama has introduced significant changes in tax legislation. These changes make it challenging for companies and their owners not only to comply with the law but also to identify and seize opportunities to reduce their tax liability. Our advisory services encompass custom tax planning to meet your needs or, if necessary, specific advice related to your day-to-day operations.

We are convinced that with proper tax planning for your business, you will not only be delighted to be in control of your taxes but also ensure the continuity and future of your company while achieving considerable savings. 

As a multidisciplinary firm, we can provide comprehensive advice on a wide range of topics, including:

  • Tax structuring
  • Due diligence for buyers, sellers, and financing providers
  • Negotiations
  • Valuations, both commercial and tax-related
  • Exit planning
  • Reorganizations
  • Refinancing

We also advise clients on international tax matters arising from cross-border transactions, both within and outside Panama, including:

  • Transfer pricing and thin capitalization
  • Maximizing benefits from double taxation treaties
  • Withholding taxes
  • Profit repatriation
  • Commercial status and entity classification.

If your organization is facing any of the following situations, it is essential to align your tax compliance controls with your business objectives and risk management strategies to add value to your company and reinforce a culture of compliance within the organization:

  • Uncertainty about whether your company is complying with regulatory norms.
  • Out-of-control compliance costs for your company.
  • Need for staff training to adopt new compliance methods.
  • Concerns about potential business disruption or losses due to proposed regulations.
  • Worries about the risk to your reputation if regulatory compliance is not met.
  • Verification of your company’s sales and marketing team’s adherence to established codes of conduct.

For all organizations subject to regulatory oversight, our firm provides support, guidance, and security to help manage risks. In an ever-changing regulatory environment, we help you identify, manage, and control both current and future regulatory risks. Taking a proactive approach instead of just monitoring regulations is a strategic necessity at this time.

Our teams consist of experienced risk specialists, including former regulators who not only understand the rules but have also implemented and evaluated non-compliance. Our staff can assist you at a strategic level, maximizing competitive advantages from regulatory compliance to operational levels while minimizing costs and disruptions to your business, thus providing you with more management time.

Our services include:

  • Evaluation of your current and future regulatory risk profile and the impact of new regulations.
  • Assistance in establishing an appropriate compliance culture within your business.
  • Assessment of how new regulations affect your business model.
  • Advisory and support services for regulatory relations and compliance with regulatory norms and expectations.

Our professionals prepare annual income tax returns and, when necessary, amended returns, refund requests, accounting methods, or change of period requests. Our tax professionals are committed to maintaining the required expertise due to the complexity and ever-changing nature of tax legislation.

In addition to the preparation of the annual tax return, our clients rely on us for inquiries, observations, and suggestions on issues that arise during the preparation process. Our strong client relationships and the information developed from the annual tax return process create a foundation for providing reliable advice.

We also offer a variety of personal financial planning services to help executives enhance their income, reduce after-tax debt and obligations costs, and create their own plan for improved financial security for themselves and their families.

In recent years, a significant number of changes have been introduced through new legislation, making personal tax planning much more complex. Our tax team has extensive experience in advising on capital gains, inheritance, and income tax.

We encourage you to consider lifelong personal tax planning, focusing on the different opportunities available to you at various stages of your personal and professional life, such as starting your business or career, family commitments, retirement planning, or transferring your assets or business heritage to other family members.

When it comes to significant transactions, we take a holistic approach to your personal tax planning, considering your other interests and concerns and coordinating both personal and business tax objectives.

Value Added Taxes

The ITBMS or VAT is not a single and straightforward tax. It is a complex and ever-evolving tax regime that many organizations find challenging to understand.

If you are undertaking a new project, we can help ensure that you avoid the pitfalls of ITBMS or VAT. We can work with you from the outset to ensure that your project is carried out in the most efficient manner.

Land and property are a particularly complex area regarding VAT. We assist you in understanding how tax options, exemption waivers, standard rates, 7% rates, and zero rates may apply to your transaction. It is an area where our specialized advice and support have proven beneficial for our clients.

We understand that regardless of the size of your business, there are VAT-related issues that require guidance. For example, you may have a significant contract that needs to be signed, or you may need assistance in filing your VAT return. Whatever the need, we are available to address your inquiries and provide specialized advice to simplify the complexity of the matter.

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