Ekaterina Smolovaya is a Head of Tax practice at CLS.

Ekaterina specializes in intra-group structuring, reorganization and analyzing tax consequences of corporate procedures. Ekaterina also has significant experience in advising clients on taxation of intellectual property and digital assets. Ekaterina has experience in implementing projects on tax due diligence and providing support for an international gas export company and a major Russian online cinema.

Ekaterina consults Russian and foreign clients on issues of structuring assets in Russia and abroad, as well as on issues of increasing business profitability. A broad network of foreign contacts helps Ekaterina to provide support to clients in various jurisdictions.

Ekaterina gives lectures on tax issues on the basis of Moscow Digital School, she has scientific publications and actively participates in conferences on taxation issues and student competitions as a judge. Ekaterina has been a trainer and consultant for the student team of the St. Petersburg State University Law School in the Russian tax competition.

The Tax practice at CLS headed by Ekaterina is noted on a regular basis by researchers of international and domestic ratings such as The Legal 500, Pravo-300, Kommersant, Forbes in Tax, International Trade, Customs and Currency regulation, Private Wealth, Banking and Financial law.

 Ekaterina is ranked among the best experts in International Trade, Customs and Currency regulation by the national rating Pravo-300. 

Education

• St. Petersburg State University, Law School (bachelor), 2011-2015
• St. Petersburg State University, Law School, tax law major, 2015-2017

Languages

• English
• Russian

Recent projects

• Advising and providing support for a major Russian online cinema on issues related to taxation of digital assets and IT activities. Developing a strategy and analyzing tax consequences of a company entering foreign markets. Analyzing risks and drafting memoranda on taxation of electronic service, as well as performing comprehensive examination of tax consequences arising from implementing a large-scale marketing strategy of a company.
• Representing a major online cinema during an in-house tax audit on verifying whether contracting parties of the company have the actual right to income under license agreements. Providing successful defense for the online cinema at the pre-trial stage. Providing comprehensive support and advice for the company in terms of taxation of license payments.
• Providing support for a major natural gas exporter, including support and analysis of tax risks of intra-group transactions and transactions related to cross-border transfer of assets, advising European subsidiaries of the company on applying European laws, analyzing the tax burden on the group and developing recommendations for restructuring the group’s business. Consulting on issues of obtaining rulings in foreign jurisdictions, on trading and communicating with Russian and foreign tax authorities. Preparing memoranda and analysis of tax consequences as part of implementation of major international infrastructure projects.
• Developing a legal position for a major natural gas exporter on taxation of benefits for employees sent on long-term business trips to EU countries, analyzing risks of establishing permanent representative offices in the relevant countries, monitoring and communicating with the client’s representative offices in foreign countries in order to manage and minimize emerging risks.
• Developing a legal position and successful defense of a major timber enterprise during a field tax audit on whether calculating and paying VAT is legal when providing services for supplying and cleaning freight cars for transportation of goods. 
• Preparing consultations and defense of clients in disputes related to claims of tax authorities against the clients as to receiving allegedly unreasonable tax benefits.
• Advising a client during a field tax audit based on the tax inspectorate’s claims regarding personal income tax payable when employees receive material benefits.
• Preparing legal memoranda on applying Russian tax and currency laws, as well as developing recommendations for minimizing and eliminating emerging risks.