Felix Tapai

Tax Partner

Felix Tapai has over 15 years of practice in the finance and tax advisory sectors, his broad experience ranging from financial audit, consultancy and compliance to the design and implementation of efficient tax structures. He has successfully assisted large Romanian corporations and the State Fiscal Administration as well as foreign NYSE listed development services groups and financial services companies, just to name a few. Among Felix’s achievements and skills, we mention efficient VAT optimization, thorough reporting and compliance resulting in impeccably clean audits from the National Bank of Romania (NBR), complex and accurate risk assessment and excellent project and budget management and coordination proven abilities. He is a Ministry of Finance Certified Tax Consultant since 2007.

felix.tapai@mprpartners.com

Language fluency

Romanian and English

Education

Bachelor in Finance, Accounting, Banks and Stock Exchange, Transylvania University (2000).

Memberships

Certified Tax Consultant - Ministry of Finance (2007)

Awards & Recognition

Presented with 'Certificate of Appreciation' for the contribution to The Global Indicators Group, published by World Bank (2022);
Presented with 'Certificate of Appreciation' for the contribution to 'Doing Business Guides', published by World Bank (2021);
Presented with ‘Certificate of Appreciation’ for the contribution to 'Doing Business 2021', published by World Bank Group (2021);
Recognized by The Legal 500 for Tax as well as Restructuring and Insolvency, (2020, 2019 and 2018 editions);
"Top Consultant - Tax" - Source: Award received from FinMedia (2020).

Client Feedback

“This acquisition is important for the (...) Group, thank you all for the professionalism, involvement and support in this project. Congratulations!” - Source: Manager of the Romanian subsidiary of a global sports equipment manufacturing group (2020);
"[The firm] handles complex, large-scale insolvency and restructuring mandates on behalf of creditors, debtors and investors. In recent work, it represented investors buying distressed assets from two major Romanian insolvencies. Dana Rădulescu and managing partner Gelu Maravela are both highly active in this area, and clients also receive strong support (...) on disputes and Felix Tapai [advises] on related tax issues." – Restructuring and insolvency - Source: Researchers of The Legal 500 (2020);
"[The firm] has core expertise handling international tax structures on major transactions, as well as providing strong day-to-day compliance and litigation advice. Practice head Felix Tapai is a certified tax consultant with over 15 years experience in the market, and founding partner Gelu Maravela is also recommended by clients." - Tax - Source: Researchers of The Legal 500 (2020);
"Felix Tapai and Gelu Titus Maravela lead the team at MPR Partners. The group covers the entire spectrum of tax-related instructions including compliance, litigation and advisory work. [...]." - Tax - Source: Clients quoted by The Legal 500 (2019);
"Tax partner Felix Tapai is the name to note at Maravela & Asociaţii; he advises Chimcomplex Borzești on the tax aspects of acquiring assets as part of Oltchim’s privatisation" - Source: Source: Clients quoted by The Legal 500 (2018).

Publications

The Romanian corporate income tax grouping - Now up and running, article, co-author, August 2021;
New rules for establishing tax residence, article, co-author, published in MNE Tax, June 2021;
Further amendments to the Romanian Fiscal Code, article, co-author, March 2021;
Romanian Fiscal Code amendments, article, co-author, January 2021;
Tax on inbound investment 2021, Romania chapter, Lexology - Getting the Deal Through, Guide, co-author, December 2020;
New tax measures in the COVID-19 outbreak context, article, co-author, May 2020;
Tax on inbound investment 2020, Romania chapter, Lexology - Getting the Deal Through, November 2019;
Investing in Romania, Practical Law Investing in… Global Guide, Thomson Reuters, January 2019;
Split VAT – to be or not to be , article published in CEE Legal Matters Magazine, November 2017;
Various issues of Emergency Legal Kit for Business and Legal Prompts, specialized business law publications and legal update bulletins, edited by MPR Partners.

Highlights of Felix’s credentials throughout his practice include legal advice and representation to:

A major local FMCG company with regard to all tax matters pertaining to the sale of its business, including tax assessment and tax due diligence;
The leading ice-cream and frozen products on the Romanian market, with regard to several tax matters pertaining to the sale of its business to a major European group;
A leading chemicals producer, in the context of the acquisition of business assets as part of the privatisation of one of the largest CEE chemical producers, with assessment and reviewing of related fiscal obligations, VAT assistance and representation, tax planning;
An important investment group, on the acquisition of multimillion EUR securities and sale of real estate assets against a Romanian textile producer with global presence (60 countries) undergoing insolvency proceedings, regarding assessment of debt assignment related fiscal obligations, VAT assistance and representation, review of fiscal obligations of the parties, liaising and discussing with German tax advisors regarding fiscal impact and implications of capital gain in Romania, fiscal assistance related to bonus payments to employees and salary obligation etc.;
A major global financial services provider in the automotive industry, on numerous tax matters including tax compliance services, the implementation of the eInvoice electronic invoicing system and fiscal obligations pertaining thereto, VAT related advisory services, opinion regarding debt write-off from a fiscal perspective, support with salary taxes obligations, etc.;
One of the largest European construction companies, in various tax matters, including representation in front of the fiscal authorities and throughout tax inspections and in challenging various fiscal decisions;
One of the world´s leading system developers and suppliers of exhaust technology, vehicle heaters and bus air conditioning systems with registration for tax purposes in Romania, VAT registration assistance, intra-community operations registration and rent fiscal benefits assessment, intra-group loan tax implications review, representation before all tax authorities including before tax inspectors;
Several private clients, including CEOs of important multinational companies, throughout very delicate investigations of tax evasion and money laundering, on all tax and fiscal related aspects;
A major construction company, in front of the fiscal authorities in connection with challenges of fiscal decisions and tax related litigation;
An important healthcare group, in view of an acquisition, with all related tax and fiscal aspects, including due diligence and tax assessment;
A global manufacturing company, in the acquisition of a leading provider of mild and tool treatment and finishing services for the automotive and consumer products markets, with complex tax due diligence including U.S. GAAP reporting;
One of the leading Romanian healthcare companies, in the context of the sale of its entire business to one of the biggest retail medical services providers, with complex tax due diligence and review of the contracts with individual medical practices, in order to assess, from a fiscal point of view, the advantages of changing their regime (tax reclassification from independent to dependent status), VAT, Tax on profit, dividends, treaty avoiding double taxation, etc.;
A major aviation company, regarding the purchase of two aircrafts from an airline for lease back purpose, with fiscal assessment of the VAT, withholding tax and customs provisions applicable to the transaction considering that the fiscal residence of the client is in New Zeeland;
A global sustainable agriculture company, with an assessment of tax review implications stemming from an envisaged transfer of employees;
The largest Romanian healthcare provider specializing in maternal and foetal medicine, with regard to a complex tax compliance analysis in view of the acquisition of a state of the art fully operational hospital;
An important distributor of herbal products, in order to assist with finding the optimal mechanisms for assets transfer, from a tax point of view, providing of tax reviews and structuring, fiscal exposures and risks assessment;
A European discount supermarket network based in Germany, in order to provide tax advisory assistance to its Romanian subsidiary;
The world leader in the lease, sale, and servicing of equipment to the seismic industry, with regard to fiscal treatment of debt, before and after its registering to the table of creditors;
One of the world leaders in pharmaceuticals and healthcare products, in relation to the donation of medical equipment, located in Germany, to a Romanian hospital and the tax related implications;
Leading European car rental group, in order to review and assess a complex leasing contract from fiscal and tax points of view.