Igor Shikov, head of tax practice at EPAM, presented at the TaxExpo 2010 INTERNATIONAL TAX CONGRESS, held in Moscow on 15-16 December 2010.

It was the first time that Russia had hosted a tax-related event of such magnitude. The project was organized with participation by the European Tax Consultants Confederation (CFE), relevant committees of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the RF Ministry of Finance, the RF Federal Tax Service, political parties and the Public Chamber.

The forum brought together consulting companies from Russia, CIS and non-CIS countries, representatives of legislative, executive and judicial authorities, academic organizations, professional media, HR agencies and taxpayers, legal entities and individuals.

The agenda of the Congress included a wide range of matters discussed in three streams:

• Russia’s Tax Policy 2011 and the new international reality
• Tax Consultancy as a business in Russia and abroad
• Tax planning: Russian and foreign experience. Judicial practice

During the session on International Tax Planning, Igor Shikov spoke on an International Tax Planning Framework and State Protection of Sources of Tax Proceeds. Igor's report was a thorough and detailed presentation of the main objectives and tools required for international tax planning. Special attention was given to legal regulation as a pre-requisite for countering ‘aggressive’ tax planning.