Author: kancelaria

ALTO has joined the ranks of partners of SoDA (Software Development Association Poland) – a dynamically developing organisation that brings together Polish service and product companies that develop contract software and provide a wide range of outsourced IT services to clients around the world.

SoDA’s mission is the integration of the Polish IT industry and its representation, as well as acting for its development.

In its activities SoDA is an organiser of trainings and events for professionals and managers, enabling free networking and exchange of experience.

It is the voice of the Polish IT industry and has a real impact on it, e.g. through numerous initiatives of the Public Advocacy Committee.

As a supporting member, ALTO will carry out ongoing legislative monitoring along with preparation of explanatory comments, positions, opinions and demands related to the organisation’s current activities.

We will participate in meetings with Ministries and other public institutions and support SoDA in the public consultation process related to emerging legislative changes. This will translate into real support in the process of commenting on legislative acts that directly affect the IT sector.

 

We know that successful cooperation awaits us!

More information about SoDA here>>

The Polish insurance market is constantly evolving through, among other things, the introduction of new products, distribution channels and increased investment in innovation. Although there has been no shortage of crises of various origins in recent years, the market is quite resistant to turbulence. In running their business in a stable and secure manner, companies in the insurance market are supported by professional tax and legal advisory entities such as ALTO.

At ALTO, we are familiar with the specifics of the insurance industry and the regulations relevant to it. Based on our many years of experience, we have developed a dedicated multidisciplinary team, the Insurance Tax Team, which supports insurance companies on a daily basis in all tax-related matters.

The leader of the Insurance Tax Team at ALTO is Aleksandra Bońkowska (Partner & Tax Advisor), who has nearly 20 years of experience in tax advice to insurance companies, including financial audits.

“Our knowledge of the specifics of the market and our insight into the topics that arise on an ongoing basis in the insurance sector allows us to support companies and find appropriate solutions in an extremely difficult regulatory environment” says Aleksandra Bońkowska.

The Insurance Tax Team consists of several substantive teams:

General Insurance – which, with regard to the day-to-day activities of industry players, advises on corporate taxes (CIT and VAT), in the area of Personal Income Tax (PIT) for employees and insurance agents cooperating with the companies, or PIT on protection and investment products. We provide advice on MDR, payment congestion and help implement solutions for new tax obligations.

Litigation Insurance. As part of this team, we provide representation and assistance in a wide-range of tax proceedings. The ALTO Litigation Team has a track record of numerous successes in proceedings including asset tax.

Insurance Premium Tax. With regard to global operations, our team provides comprehensive and ongoing support, including coordination of settlements in individual countries where Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) applies

Transfer Pricing. Comprehensive support for obligations related to the area of transfer pricing in insurance companies.

B+R Team. Advising on tax reliefs (e.g. R&D relief, innovative employee relief, 50% of tax-deductible costs), their implementation and efficiency audits.

Tax Tech Team. It provides automation of tax processes. It also deals with KSeF (national system of electronic invoices) implementations, which are already occupying a significant place on clients’ project agenda.

ALTO’s multidisciplinary Insurance Tax Team also provides support for various types of transactions, mergers and acquisitions, as well as consolidations from both the tax and legal side.

We share our expert knowledge not only directly with clients, but also in the press and on websites: we comment on the latest legal developments, judgments and interpretations of tax authorities. Articles and opinions of our experts are published in the insurance and legal press.

 

 

ALTO was nominated for the CEE Retail Awards in the Tax & Financial Adviser category. This is a great honor for us – we also congratulate all other nominated companies.

CEE Retail Awards is an event dedicated to the retail industry. It is the most important award ceremony in the region and, at the same time, an indicator of success. Companies related to the retail industry in various ways, as well as those originating from it, compete for awards in over thirty categories. The competition is organized by EuropaProperty.com.

The 15th annual CEE Retail Awards & Marketplace gala, during which the results and winners in each category will be announced, will take place on February 9, 2023 at the InterContinental Hotel in Warsaw.

On 1 February 2023 Przemysław Kaczmarek, previously a Senior Consultant in the Tax team at ALTO, was promoted to Assistant Manager. Congratulations!

Przemek is an Attorney-at-law who has been supporting ALTO clients with a range of tax matters since autumn 2020. He has several years of experience in tax and legal advice, and his main areas of specialisation are Value Added Tax (VAT) – which he predominantly deals with – and Corporate Income Tax (CIT). Over the past few years, the scope of his advice has evolved into an increasingly comprehensive service to ALTO’s many clients. He has demonstrated on more than one occasion that the meanderings of tax law have no secrets for him, and that turning the often intricate theory into practice comes naturally to him.

“For me, being promoted to Assistant Manager is both a joy of being recognised for my achievements to date and a boost to continue working hard. Although it would seem that I have only been involved with ALTO for a short time, it feels like I have been here practically ‘forever’. The people at ALTO, including those in my team, are truly fantastic and a pleasure to work with. And because a key value for me is relationships, both with clients and colleagues, I hope to continue to nurture them – especially given the challenges of my new role. At the end of the day, this also translates into service to our clients. A cohesive and professional team is, in my opinion, the key to success when it comes to complex issues that require working together hard and efficiently. I also hope that in the future I will be able to climb even higher in the structures of ALTO, with which I associate my plans for the further stages of my career.” – comments Przemysław Kaczmarek, Assistant Manager & Attorney-at-law at ALTO.

On a daily basis, he advises large Polish entities, including State Treasury companies, as well as international businesses operating in various industries. In addition to providing ongoing tax advisory services, he participates in tax reviews and due diligence. He also provides tax trainings.

Prior to joining ALTO, he worked in tax consulting firms and tax departments of law firms. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow.

ALTO advised REMER sp. z o.o. (“REMER“), a leader in telecommunications solutions, on the acquisition of 100% of its shares by Cellnex Poland sp. z o.o. (“Cellnex Poland“), a company of the Cellnex Group, a leading operator of wireless telecommunications infrastructure in Europe.

REMER has been active on the telecommunications investment market in Poland for more than 20 years. It is the market leader in indoor DAS (Distributed Antenna System) antenna installations. The company offers telecommunications services and solutions, management and maintenance of teletechnical infrastructure, as well as its design and construction.

“We believe that this collaboration will help us deliver even the largest and most complex projects. Together with Cellnex, we will be able to better tailor our offer for specific customers – telecommunications network operators, developers and building managers” – states REMER in an official announcement.

Cellnex Poland is a part of the Spanish Cellnex Group, a leading operator of wireless telecommunications infrastructure in Europe. Cellnex Group manages a portfolio of 138,000 base stations (telecommunications masts and antennas) in 12 countries, offering operators access to the most extensive network of advanced telecommunications infrastructure in Europe on a shared basis, thus helping to remove restrictions on new operators and improve the quality of available services in the most remote corners of the.

As part of its advice, ALTO provided both legal and tax support in the course of the transaction.

The legal team advised in particular on the preparation and negotiation of the transaction documentation. It was led by Rafał Kozłowski (Counsel & Attorney-at-law, Head of M&A/VC), supported by Jędrzej Besztak (Associate), Szymon Tyniec (Associate & Advocate), Ewa Michalska (Junior Associate) and Aleksandra Traczuk (Junior Associate).

In turn, the tax team, led by Daniel Banach (Partner & Tax Advisor), advised in connection with the reorganisation of REMER’s business involving its conversion from a general partnership to a limited liability company and the negotiation of tax issues for the transaction.

And it happened! The new ALTO office in Lublin is open! The beginning of December saw the official sealing of the expansion of ALTO – one of the most dynamically growing consulting companies. We hope that this will be an extremely successful and fruitful combination.

“Ambition has always accompanied us. It manifested itself as a desire to develop and look for better solutions for us and for our clients. The success of ALTO is the success of not one person, but of everyone who works here and contributes to the change process every day. We believe that in a month, in half a year, in a year, thanks to these changes, we will become a bigger and stronger organization” – said Paweł Fałkowski, Managing Partner of the Accounting business line at ALTO during the official part.

The Lublin office is designed to support and develop the accounting business. A highly specialized staff of accountants and advisors will provide services for companies wishing to use external accounting or payroll services.

As a leader in its industry, ALTO offers state-of-the-art accounting services, understanding at the same time that each market has its own specific conditions and its participants require profiled and comprehensive services.

“Our people are our driving force. We know that as a team we can do more than any of us individually. That is why we want to create a good place to work for everyone. We want them to feel well in our organization, so that those who want to develop, do it with us and with us, and thus contribute to the growth of themselves and ALTO at the same time” – adds Paweł Fałkowski.

The opening ceremony was graced by guests from the Lublin City Hall: Igor Niewiadomski (Coordinator of Investor Relations), Krzysztof Buczyński (Investor Relations Manager), Marta Sztandarska (Manager) and Oliwia Wójtowicz (Chief Specialist), Dr. hab. Mariusz Kicia (Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University), Dr. Anna Tatarczak (Vice-Dean for Quality of Education) and Andrzej Borowski, MA (Dean of the Faculty of Finance and Accounting at the University College of Enterprise and Administration).

 

“Universities are changing and they know that they want to cooperate with business, because they are part of this ecosystem together with the city that creates the strategy. When UMCS educates students, and then they have nowhere to work, they go to Warsaw. Now the city is changing this situation, actively working to bring companies such as ALTO to Lublin and thus give our talents a chance not to leave it. We listen to business and we are open to its needs. We create new faculties for which there is demand. This is beneficial not only for companies, but also for the city, and also for the students themselves: thanks to this, we have a win-win situation” – concludes Dr. hab. Mariusz Kicia.

Igor Niewiadomski adds with satisfaction:

“ALTO’s business profile definitely fits into our economic ecosystem and the direction of development of the city of Lublin, which is primarily related to human capital. Making a decision about a new location is not an easy matter, it involves a number of analyzes and consideration of many factors. When building a strategy to attract investors to the city, it is very important to maintain a balance between factors such as credibility, mutual respect and trust. I think that in Lublin we have chosen the right direction when it comes to maintaining all these proportions, as evidenced by today’s opening of the local ALTO office. Welcome!”.

 

Despite winter, the beginning of December is a hot season in ALTO, as Rafał Tołwiński joins the team. As a Partner he will be responsible for the development of the Personal Tax Services Team, operating as part of the group’s tax business line.

Rafał has over 15 years of experience in advising Polish and international companies, public institutions and individual taxpayers in the area of ​​personal taxes and social security. For years, he has specialized in implementing and commenting on remuneration structures and incentive schemes (in particular for management level) as well as in shaping managerial and employee share option/share schemes. He also conducts reviews of legal and tax matters related to employment and remuneration, and advises on social security matters.

Before joining ALTO, for over 15 years he has been working for one of the “Big Four” consulting firms.

 “At ALTO I plan to develop products and services in the area of ​​personal taxes, human capital strategies and transformation. I also want my team to focus on supporting clients in the field of HR and payroll processes and the constantly changing legal and employment regulations. These are currently, and will be in the future, issues that are both very important for entrepreneurs and developmental for business” – says Rafał Tołwiński, Partner & Tax Advisor w ALTO.

As an experienced advisor Rafał knows how to assist international and local companies in successfully overcoming challenges related to human capital management. In particular, he supported them in all aspects correlated with safe structuring and compliance of cross-border employee mobility in the form of secondments, business trips and remote work.

“At ALTO, we know that in companies people play the most important role, and well-structured processes, including those related to remuneration, help retain key talents. We are happy to share this knowledge with our clients. With Rafał on board, we will be able to advise them even better and provide support in all matters related to taxation of personal income. I believe that this way we will contribute to the success of our clients’ business.” – comments Sylwia Kulczycka, Managing Partner of the TAX business line at ALTO.

Rafał is a licensed tax advisor, and an author of many articles on personal taxes. He is also an active participant of conferences and seminars on issues related to human capital management and taxes.

 

 

 

 

 

After Warsaw, it is Lublin’s turn. At the beginning of December, ALTO officially opens a new office in one of the most dynamically developing cities in the country. It will be the second office of the group, which operates within three business lines: Tax, Legal and Accounting.

“Currently, the office in Lublin is dedicated mainly to the needs of accounting services as well as HR and payroll services. We can see an increased interest on the part of customers in this type of services on the market. Certainly, the reason is the large number of regulatory changes and their vagueness. Many companies are resigning from their own accounting departments, because constantly following changes may sometimes be highly difficult, and even simply impossible.” – says Paweł Fałkowski, Managing Partner of the Accounting business line at ALTO.

 

New office, new opportunities.

In recent years, ALTO has recorded a very dynamic growth: both in terms of the number of clients and the number of employees.

We focus on continuous development, both technological and human. Our goal is not only to bring together the best experts in the industry, but also to provide the best client experience on the market.

Why Lublin? “Lublin is developing as dynamically as ALTO. The last ten years have been a time of significant metamorphosis of the city, a time of many complex and ambitious projects that have influenced its development on various levels. Lublin is constantly investing in itself, being a leader when it comes to obtaining and using EU funds. That is why we, as a leader in the outsourcing of accounting services, decided to invest in Lublin. We believe it will work.” – adds Paweł Fałkowski.

The Lublin office will support and develop the accounting business. A highly specialized staff of accountants and advisors will provide professional services for companies that want to use external accounting or payroll services.

As a leader in its industry, ALTO offers state-of-the-art accounting services. We understand that each market has its own specific conditions and its participants require profiled and comprehensive services.

Aleksandra Bońkowska, who joined the group of ALTO tax line partners in May 2019, became a member of the company Management Board at the beginning of November.

Aleksandra is a tax advisor with over 19 years of experience on the Polish market. From 2020, she is the leader of the team working for the Insurance sector at ALTO, which conducts tax projects for the largest international insurance companies in Poland.

Last year, Aleksandra started building a team of experts dedicated to providing tax advice to clients focused on technology and innovation. One of its main goals is to support technology clients in challenges and opportunities related to tax regulations: in particular we help them with the implementation of R&D allowances.

“Ola has been with us for three years, but the dynamics of her activities, commitment and energy that she brings to the daily functioning of the company and the projects she runs make us feel as if she has always been with us. Her contribution to the development of our services for the Insurance sector has made ALTO one of the brands most recognized by clients in this field. Taking the role of a board member by Ola is a natural change and will certainly contribute to the implementation of new initiatives.” – says Sylwia Kulczycka, Managing Partner of the tax business line at ALTO.

Ola’s appointment to the Management Board in one of the three ALTO business lines is the next stage in the implementation of the group’s development and transformation strategy. Ola will be supported in her role by the other board members – Kamil Lewandowski and Sylwia Kulczycka.

ALTO consists currently of over 150 people in the Tax, Legal, Accounting and Technology departments. All of them for another consecutive years have recorded a dynamic growth both in terms of the number of people in teams and the number of clients, but also they are joining the leaders of numerous national and international rankings.

“The success and dynamic development of ALTO is primarily the result of the commitment and joint efforts of people who are a cohesive team of experts believing that together we can seek and set new standards in the consulting market.” –  says Aleksandra Bońkowska, Partner & Tax Advisor, adding: “In the coming years we plan to further expand both the team and our business. Constant regulatory changes and their lack of clarity direct clients to advisors and experts in a given field, who can strongly support them in business with their knowledge and experience. Today it is not easy to meet the challenges  – first the pandemic, the Polish Order and legislative chaos, then the war in Ukraine and rampant inflation  –  but I am convinced that together we have the power and unlimited possibilities!”

Before joining ALTO, Aleksandra worked at KPMG for 16 years. For a long time she also worked directly with the KPMG insurance audit team as a tax expert. She has extensive experience in advising clients from the financial industry, including in particular: insurance companies, payment market institutions and asset managers.