Ioannis F. Stavropoulos

Managing Partner

Tax & Tax Litigation, Customs & Excise, EU & Competition, Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate & Commercial
Managing Partner and founder of Stavropoulos & Partners Law Office. Ioannis, focuses particularly on tax, tax litigation, tax planning, international and EU taxation, mergers and acquisitions, cross-border investments, antitrust and EU law. He has over 30 years of professional experience and has participated in many educational and professional conferences on tax and commercial law topics.

Ioannis is widely acknowledged as leading practitioner both in contentious and non-contentious tax matters. He has dealt with numerous landmark cases concerning application of double taxation treaties, transfer pricing and the EU direct taxation and VAT legislation, including the representation of a multinational before the European Court of Justice on a tax case (C-294/99) concerning the interpretation of the EU/Parent Subsidiary Directive. He regularly represents clients in the Greek Administrative courts and the Council of State as well as tax authorities and administrative committees on all kinds of fiscal law issues. A number of decisions on his cases constitute leading jurisprudence published in legal and tax journals while he has been classified by international publications as a top tier and highly recommended tax expert for Greece.

As a business lawyer, he has taken part in major mergers and acquisitions projects, domestic and international share and asset transactions and he has acted as a general corporate counsel to multinationals in the industrial and services sectors. He covers a broad range of EU law topics with particular emphasis on taxation and competition.

He is a regular speaker in many authoritative conferences and seminars. He is a member of the International Fiscal Association (IFA) and the tax committees of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, the French-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises and has represented such bodies in legislative committees. During 2012-2013 he actively participated, as an expert, in the tax reform committee under the chairmanship of the Deputy Minister of Finance.



 

He is of the highest calibre, with a broad knowledge of Greek and European legislation

Chambers and Partners 2018

Simply the best

Legal 500 2011

Admissions

Admitted to Bar 1986, Athens

Admitted to the Supreme Court of Greece, 1997

Member of the International Fiscal Association (IFA)

Education

University of Athens Law School (LL.B., 1983)

University of Kent at Canterbury, U.K. (LL.M. in International Law, 1985)

14th Taxation Seminar, Greek Productivity Centre (1987)

Languages

Greek

English

Moderator in Panel: "The tax-centered fiscal intervention - Obstacle to the growth of the economy"

10th Thessaloniki Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Thessaloniki, November 2018

Speech on “Taxation of Corporate Restructuring”

Conference on “The new legal framework of Corporate Restructuring”, organized by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises, Athens, November 2018

Speech on “Resolving Tax Disputes”

5th Athens Law Forum on Taxation, organized by Palladian Communications Specialists, Athens, October 2018

Participation in Panel III: “Pathogenic - Development Phenomena”

Conference on “Tax Policy: tools for the selection of the tax system, issues of tax enforcement, pathogenic and development phenomena”, organized by the International Fiscal Association, Athens, May 2018

Moderator in Panel I: “Good Tax Governance: Catalyst for Sustainable Development and Incentive for Entrepreneurship”

14th Athens Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, April 2018

Article on "Shadow economy: It’s society’s turn"

Business Partners, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, April 2018

Participation at the roundtable on “Recent developments on Taxation of Businesses and Procedural Matters”

organized by the French-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Athens, March 2018

Speech on “Distribution of untaxed profits”

4th Conference on Current Issues on Tax and Insurance law, organized by e-themis, Athens, February 2018

Contribution in “The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Corporate Tax 2018”

Co-Author, Global Legal Group, 14th edition, Athens, 2018

Article on “Criminal Provisions for Tax Evasion. The new approach”

Contribution to the Monthly Newsletter issued by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises, Athens, January 2018

Contribution in “Tax Disputes and Litigation Review”

Co-Author, Law Business Research Ltd, 5th Edition, Athens, 2017

Speech on “Administrative Justice”

Conference on “Research for the Efficiency of the Greek Judicial System”, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, July 2017

Speech on “Taxation of Mergers and Acquisitions”

Conference on “Fair Taxation of Businesses: Streamlining of the Tax System”, organized by the French-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Athens, June 2017

Moderator in Panel I: “Protection of the National Tax Base from the Aggressive Tax Competition - Collaboration between Enterprises and Tax Authorities on a National and International Level”

13th Athens Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, April 2017

Speech on “Corporate Restructuring under the new Income Tax Code (L. 4172/2013)”

3rd Conference on Current Tax Law Issues, organized by e-themis, Athens, December 2016

Speech on “Corporate Restructuring under the new Income Tax Code (L.4172/2013)”

3rd Athens Law Forum on Taxation, organized by Palladian Communications Specialists, Athens, November 2016

Moderator in Session I: “Justice and its role in establishing confidence, programming economic activity and the defence of tax subjects” and Speech on “Resolving tax disputes – administrative justice”

8th Thessaloniki Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Thessaloniki, November 2016

Contribution in the Greek Law Digest - The Official Guide to Greek Law “Business Entities – Tax regime”

2nd edition, Nomiki Bibliothiki, Athens, 2016 (updated online version 2017)

Moderator in Panel I: “Resolving tax disputes, administrative and criminal sanctions” and Speech on “Resolving tax disputes, Administrative Justice”

12th Athens Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, March 2016

Participation in the roundtable on “For a Friendly Tax Environment”

Educational Event on “The need for an investment shock: Tax Incentives, Lifting of Disincentives and Investments”, organized by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises, Athens, March 2016

Moderator in Panel II: “Tax Administration-Control-Penalties”

2nd Athens Law Forum on Taxation, organized by Palladian Communications Specialists, Athens, November 2015

Speech on “The new legal framework in respect of tax evasion”

Finance & Tax Conference, organized by the Hellenic Management Association, Athens, November 2015

Speech on “Administrative Justice”

Open Discussion on “Quality and Speed in Justice and the Rule of Law”, organized by the Citizens Movement for an Open Society, Athens, May 2015

Speech on “Tax evasion and tax avoidance - Definition, content and penalties”

11th Athens Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, April 2015

Speech on “Accounting Records and Invoices”

Conference on “New Accounting Standards – Modernization – Innovation in the Operation of Businesses”, organized by the French-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Athens, December 2014

Moderator in Panel II: “Towards a simple and stable tax regime”

Athens Law Forum on Taxation, organized by Palladian Communications Specialists, Athens, November 2014

Moderator in Panel I: “Fair Taxation/ Unrestricted exercise of recourse to the judicial protection”

6th Thessaloniki Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Thessaloniki, November 2014

Speech on “Tax Procedure Code (L. 4174/2013)”

Conference on “Innovation on the taxation of Businesses”, organized by the French-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Athens, May 2014

Speech on “Procedural violations and tax avoidance under the new tax procedure code”

10th Athens Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, March 2014

Article "New Fines, Old minds?"

Business Partners, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, March-April 2014

Speech on “Real estate taxation”

organized by the French-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Athens, December 2013

Speech on “Important changes in the Tax Procedure Code”

9th Athens Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, April 2013

Article on "High or low tax rates?"

Business Partners, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, January 2013

Speech on "The transition from the CBR to the Code of Tax Transactions"

4th Thessaloniki Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Thessaloniki, November 2012

Speech on "The EU Commission Proposal for a Financial Transaction Tax"

8th Athens Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, July 2012

Contribution in the Greek Law Digest - The Official Guide to Greek Law “Indirect Taxes”

Nomiki Bibliothiki, Athens, 2012

Speech on "VAT on the fees of in-house lawyers?"

3rd Greek Conference of In-house Lawyers, Athens, May 2011

Speech on "Incentives and Obstacles towards Development"

7th Athens Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, March 2011

Speech on "The role of the Tax Incentives in facing crisis"

6th Athens Tax Forum, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, February 2010

Article on "Transfer Pricing Laws: Never Too Late"

Business Partners, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, September/October 2009

Article on "The EC Parent-Subsidiary Directive and the Decision of the European Court of Justice in Burda"

European Taxation, IBFD, Amsterdam, March 2009

Speech on “Cross border flow of profits and avoidance of double taxation”

5th Tax Conference on Tax Competition and Promoted Reform Policies on Taxation of Cross border Transactions, organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, October 2008

Article on "Participation Exemption for Inbound Dividends"

Business Partners, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Athens, Sept/Oct 2008

Article on "Greek Capital Gains Tax on the Transfer of Shares and EC Law"

European Taxation, IBFD, Amsterdam, July 2008

Article on "Recovery of tax on tax free reserves of Law 3220/2004"

Naftemporiki, Athens, December 2007

Article on “Greece, as a hub for investments in the region"

Naftemporiki, Athens, December 2005

Article on "The taxation of foreign dividends"

Naftemporiki, Athens, September 2004

Article on "Income, Inheritance and Incentive Legislation Reform"

European Taxation, IBFD, Amsterdam, April 2003

Article on "ECJ: Greek income tax provision is a withholding within the meaning of the Parent-Subsidiary Directive"

European Taxation, IBFD, Amsterdam, February 2002

Article on "The taxation of income upon distribution in the framework of the Community Law"

Naftemporiki, Athens, December 2001

Contribution in "The International Guide to the Taxation of Sportsmen and Sportswomen"

IBFD, Amsterdam, December 2001

Speech on "Developments in the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice on Corporate Income Taxation Center for International Legal Studies”

Salzburg, October 2000

Article on "The Circular on 5% tax on the transfer of non-listed shares: Interpretation and questions"

Naftemporiki, Athens, April 2000

Contribution in “The Professional’s Guide to International Tax”

Sethawk Publishing Limited, London, 1994

Speech on “Legal protection of software under Greek law”

Eurinfo 88, Athens, 1988

Speech on “Protection of software under Intellectual Property Law”

Conference on Protection of Software in Greek Law, Athens, February, 1988

Speech on “Computer contracts”

Infosystem 1987, Thessaloniki, November, 1987

Contribution in “The Greek Section of Financial Times Management Reports on European Insurance Law and European Banking Law”

Financial Times Business Information Ltd, London, 1987