WTS Consulting LLC is Ukrainian consulting firm, operating and mostly known under the trademark (hereinafter – KM Partners), specializing in tax, legal and consulting services. KM Partners has been working on the legal services market of Ukraine since 1999.
KM Partners is the exclusive member firm of WTS Global in Ukraine. With representation in over 100 countries, WTS Global is a leading global tax practice offering the full range of tax services. All member firms of WTS Global are carefully selected through stringent quality reviews, and are strong local players in their home markets. WTS Global deliberately refrains from conducting the audit, as the audit defined by current legislation in order to avoid any conflicts of interest and to be a long-term trusted advisor to its international clients. Clients of WTS Global include multinational companies, international mid-size companies as well as private clients and family offices.
Such approach (that we do not conduct audit) is driven by the desire to avoid even a potential conflict of interest and prohibitions related to the combination of audit and consulting activities.
Thus, even part 4 of article 6 of the Law “On financial statement audit and audit activity” provides following limitations:
“4. This Law provides limitation on simultaneous provision of services to enterprises of public interest on compulsory audit of financial statement and following non-audit services:
1) preparation of tax return, calculation of obligatory levies and payments, representation of legal entities in disputes on mentioned matters;
2) consulting on management, development and support of management decisions;
3) accounting and preparation of financial statement;
4) development and implementation of internal control and risk management procedures, as well as information technologies in financial sphere;
5) provision of legal assistance by means of: services of legal counsel on ensuring of conduction of business activity; negotiation on behalf of legal entities; litigation;
6) staffing of legal entities in accounting, taxation and finances spheres, including services on provision of personnel, that make management decisions and is responsible for preparation of financial statement;
7) assessment services;
8) services, related to fund raising, profit distribution, development of investment strategy, except for financial information assurance services, in particular conduction of procedures, necessary for preparation, discussion and issuance of confirmation letters regarding issuance of securities of legal entities” etc.
In a number of countries the requirements regarding prevention of combination of audit activity and activity related to tax and customs consulting and tax audit are much more severe and are applied to prohibit the combination of such activities at the level of one person (including legal entity), but also for actually related persons. Ans such limitations increase over time.
That’s why in order to avoid any misconceptions, WTS Global, on a global basis is not engaged in audit, as it is defined by the legislation, in particular by part 1 of article 1 of abovementioned law as “audit services on accounting data and financial statement and/or consolidated financial statement audit of legal entity or establishment of foreign companies, or other entity, that submits financial statement or consolidated financial statement of the group for the purpose of expression of auditor’s independent opinion on its compliance in all essential matters with the requirements of national accounting regulations (standards) and international financial reporting standards or other requirements”.
However, it should be added that while we do not conduct audit, this does not preclude the provision of services, for example, on conducting special reviews or procedures to verify the overall formulation of tax reporting, in accordance with tax law, correctness and reasonableness (the presence and degree of risks, security) of the tax accounting position and the reflection of certain transactions or activities, etc.
In our services we use innovative approaches in compliance with international standards of consulting. A close cooperation with our colleagues from WTS Global allows fulfillment of complicated projects on the international level. Due to this fact we offer our clients the unique combination of the experience of our local specialists and access to resources and experts in many jurisdictions worldwide.
Our experience includes more than 20 years of practice in tax, legal and consulting area in Ukraine.
The primary spheres of our firm’s activity are:
- taxation;
- customs law;
- transfer pricing;
- M&A and restructurings;
- contract and business law;
- litigation;
- agriculture;
- real estate and construction;
- distribution;
- competition and antitrust law;
- corporate law;
- labour law/ labour disputes;
- currency control;
- intellectual property;
- bankruptcy.
Our clients include international leading companies and their subsidiaries in Ukraine, mid-sized businesses, as well as Ukrainian companies.
The services related to protection in criminal proceedings on white collar crimes are provided by KM Partners Attorneys At Law.
KM Partners is a member of the European Business Association, the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), German-Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs.