Tax is a central concern in the structuring of any business arrangement and investment decision. The tax system, however, is complex and, often, opaque to non-experts. Composed by a complex web of different taxes, subject to an intricate political process that penalizes its logical coherence and encapsulated in a technical terminology of its own. The presence of international elements and actors in a transaction only exacerbates this innate tendency towards complexity and opacity.

Recognizing this reality, this Course proposes a different angle to approach the tax world. Based on a tax policy approach, it steps away from the details of specific code provisions and embraces the logic and the mechanics of the entire tax system. It analyses the design and operation of the overall tax system and the mechanics of each tax that composes it (including the Value Added Tax, the Corporate and Personal Income Taxes, and Property Taxes) in the specific context of business transactions. The international tax terminology is also covered.

The intent is to equip the business lawyer, or future researcher, with the fundamental skills and tools required to identify tax concerns in the structuring of business transactions, and to relate efficiently with experts, legislation, and literature in the field.