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Cobalt Successful for Bauer in Tax Dispute with Latvian State Revenue Service

Cobalt Successful for Bauer in Tax Dispute with Latvian State Revenue Service

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Cobalt has successfully represented Germany's Bauer Spezialtiefbau before the Administrative District Court in a dispute related to a VAT refund for the company against the State Revenue Service of Latvia.

According to Cobalt, on August 4, 2023, the Administrative District Court ruled in favor of Bauer and ordered the State Revenue Service to refund the value-added tax along with late payment interest of over EUR 300,000.

Bauer AG is a German construction and machinery manufacturing company.

"The dispute centered around the decision by the State Revenue Service that Bauer, as a taxpayer from another EU member state not conducting economic activity in Latvia, was not entitled to a tax refund for services received in Latvia from another registered taxable person associated with the construction of real estate," the firm reported.

The Administrative District Court, on the other hand, determined that Bauer had met the necessary conditions for entitlement to a VAT refund and that the State Revenue Service could not prevent Bauer from exercising this right simply because it was not registered in the VAT payer register in Latvia, according to Cobalt. "The court dismissed the State Revenue Service’s allegations regarding Bauer’s fixed establishment in Latvia. The State Revenue Service did not appeal the decision, which has now taken effect."

The Cobalt team included Partner Sandija Novicka, Specialist Counsel Sabine Vuskane, and Associate Gabriela Santare.

Cobalt at a Glance

COBALT is a closely integrated alliance of top-tier law offices across the Baltics, uniting more than 250 attorneys and support staff. During 25 years of experience, we have become a strategic partner to our clients in handling both daily matters and complex large–scale transactions and disputes.

The firm’s broad spectrum of expertise and established position as the market leader gives a comprehensive basis for providing full-service business law advice.

Top international and regional businesses, financial institutions, state and local governments, and the region’s most promising start-ups are among our clients. We offer leading-edge solutions in key industry sectors: Consumer Products, Trade & Distribution, Real Estate & Construction, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Energy & Utilities, Communications, Media & Technologies, Financial Services, Transport & Logistics.

COBALT has been named Baltic Law Firm of the Year 7 times receiving Chambers Europe, IFLR, The Lawyer and Mergermarket awards, and we are regularly listed amongst the top-performing M&A legal advisors in the Bloomberg, Refinitiv and Mergermarket deal tables. Recognized as the No.1 Lithuanian law firm in the Prospera Law Firm Review 2021 and No. 1 law firm in Latvia in 2022, 2020, 2019, and 2018 client satisfaction surveys. We were recognized as a Baltic-wide Law Firm of the Year at the 2022 Chambers Europe Awards ceremony and named the Baltic States Tax Firm of the Year and Pro Bono Firm of the Year at the annual ITR EMEA Tax Awards 2021 ceremony. 

More information on COBALT can be found at www.cobalt.legal.