2014–2017

 

It is the seventh year in a row that Rödl & Partner organised a Special Christmas Card competition. This time the cards that were supposed to depict this special time in the most beautiful way were created by the kids of the Children’s Home in Równe near Warsaw. The theme were, traditionally, angels. The winning card was selected by the jury and incorporated along with the wishes in our Christmas card distributed by e-mail and post to clients, contractors and business partners of Rödl & Partner.

 

On 13 December, the representatives of our firm visited the children in the children's home and gave them the prizes. The winner, Marek Brzeski, received a tablet and a diploma. The other children were given sweets, fruit and gift cards. All the cards submitted to the competition were collaged into a poster, framed and given to the head of the children's home. It occupies the place of honour at the home.

Rödl & Partner also sponsors a 2017 winter holiday trip for the children. Merry Christmas!

German family businesses strongly prefer investing in the home market, but at the same time they dynamically expand into global markets. According to the survey of investment activity among German family businesses, conducted by Rödl & Partner, the most attractive places for them to invest are the United States and the EU Member States. Poland is the favourite among the European countries. An increasing interest in investments can be observed also in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Much less popular are the countries which used to be strong in that area, i.e. France and China (among others).

Rödl & Partner conducted the survey in the first half of 2016. It involved 200 corporate relations managers and M&A consultants from international banks and financial institutions, whose clients included German family businesses operating in the international markets. It was the fourth study of activity of such businesses, conducted by Rödl & Partner. The survey aims at identifying the motives and attitudes of the businesses in the context of strategic development, as well as describing the current market trends.

Rödl & Partner has intensified its university activities from the beginning of the new academic year. We want to extend the knowledge and skills of students of economics and law.

At the University of Warsaw we started working with the German Law School at the Faculty of Law and Administration. The school anniversary and the conclusion of a one-year course in German and European law on 21 October provided a perfect venue for the diploma awarding ceremony. The best students were invited for internships offered by the school sponsors. On the Rödl & Partner part, the invitations were handed out by Ms Zofia Kurek, our HR Manager.

On 17 October, our representatives were also present at the job fairs "Trained in Germany" arranged by Alumniportal Deutschland in cooperation with the Polish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event arranged in the Warsaw School of Economics gained a lot of interest from German speaking students and graduates. It was followed by workshops carried out in German, as well as a debate on the labour market in terms of German-Polish relations.

The following week (on 26 October), the so-called Giełda Pracodawców Uczelni Łazarskiego (a job fair event arranged by the Łazarski University) took place in Warsaw – internships and job placements were offered to students. The students had an opportunity to learn all about working at Rödl & Partner and about the specifics of jobs such as attorneys at law, auditors or accountants, as well as how to fill in the internship application forms. The Łazarski University has held that job fair for 13 years now.

Due to its rich traditions in this area, Rödl & Partner is a perfect place for students of law, economics and similar faculties to start their professional career. Job placements and internships at Rödl & Partner let young people get hands-on experience of the specific nature of the services in the area of audit, legal advice, tax advice, financial accounting, HR and payroll, and business consulting. In 2017, Rödl will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its presence in Poland.

On 19 September 2016, in the head office of AHK (Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce), a meeting of the Tax Committee was held which focused on discussing changes in documentation obligations concerning transactions between associated enterprises, which are going to become effective on 1 January 2017. The entry into force of the new provisions will greatly affect the obligations of taxable persons in terms of transfer pricing documentation. The introduction of the new regulations is the result of work under the OECD's base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) initiative – Action 13. During the session, dr hab. dr Marcin Jamroży, the head of the Committee, tax adviser, attorney at law and partner at Rödl & Partner delivered a speech on the "Changes in transfer pricing documentation". Apart from partnering companies, the lively discussion was joined by the senior specialist from the Ministry of Finance, Mr Konrad Szpadzik. Many problematic areas were discussed, such as the need to define in more detail the concept of indirect relationships, transactions and other dealings of one type, the need to define the materiality threshold, sanctions (or lack thereof) for non-preparation of the master file, the meaning of the description of low-value-added services, and many other. The Tax Committee plans to take an active part in public consultations concerning new transfer pricing documentation regulations.

 

Rödl & Partner was a strategic partner of MyCompany's conferences on corporate accounting. The three conferences were held in Wroclaw, Katowice and Gdynia

On 12 April in Wroclaw, Rödl & Partner was represented by Dominika Tyczka (Tax Adviser, Senior Associate) who talked about "Changes in transfer pricing documentation", and Adrian Maczura (Tax Adviser, Senior Associate) who delivered a presentation on advance tax rulings and challenging them in court. On 19 April in Katowice, Aleksandra Majnusz (Tax Adviser, Senior Associate) delivered a presentation on advance tax rulings, and Maciej Wilczkiewicz (Tax Adviser, Senior Associate) talked about "The new tax relief for research and development". At the conference in Gdynia on 23 May this year, Monika Pastuszak (Tax Adviser) delivered a presentation on "How and when to apply for advance tax rulings and how to challenge them in court", and Martyna Kalita (Tax Adviser) talked about "The new tax relief for research and development". The conferences in Wroclaw and Katowice were wrapped up with discussion panels which allowed the participants to ask questions and exchange experiences.

The three conferences attracted a lot of interest, particularly because of their practical nature and the choice of subjects geared towards the participants' expectations.

 

Rödl & Partner and the British-Polish Chamber of Commerce (BPCC) organised a breakfast with a tax adviser in the Angelo Hotel Katowice on 22 March 2016. Maciej Wilczkiewicz, Tax Adviser and Senior Associate at Rödl & Partner Gliwice, delivered a presentation entitled "CIT and VAT in light of the most recent judgments – key points to consider".

The meeting was addressed to specialists who dealt with the accounting and taxes. The presentation was delivered in two parts. The first part was about VAT and began with an outline of the most recent VAT regulations following a judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The break time offered an opportunity to enjoy the catering services, hold some backstairs talks and ask individual questions to the expert. In the second part Maciej Wilczkiewicz discussed the judgments concerning the corporate income tax with respect to cash-pooling, employee incentives and food services.

The meeting was closed by Urszula Kwaśniewska, BPCC regional director, who invited everyone to backstairs talks over a coffee.

Rödl & Partner hosted a meeting on 9 February 2016 on the occasion of the relocation of its office to the new premises in Olivia Business Centre. On that Mardi Gras evening our clients, new neighbours and Rödl & Partner representatives celebrated in Olivia Sky Club, the conference centre on the top floor of Olivia Tower sporting a breath-taking view of Gdansk cityscape.

Guests were welcomed by Renata Kabas-Komorniczak, Tax Adviser and Partner, and Małgorzata Guzińska-Błońska, Auditor and Associate Partner, who presented the firm of Rödl & Partner and the city of Gdansk as an attractive location for business. 

Then, Renata Kabas-Komorniczak delivered a speech on "Tax Changes 2016" which enjoyed great reception from the audience. The evening was topped off with a performance of Engelchen der Wirtschaftsprüfung accordion duo of Rödl & Partner auditors from Warsaw: Michał Barański and Konrad Mikołajczyk.

Offering now 70 thousand of the target 170 thousand m² of office space Olivia Business Centre is the largest business & office complex in northern Poland.

Our Christmas card was designed this year by a 16-year old girl from the Care and Education Centre in Wągrowiec near Poznań who took part in the contest we organised there. We received 29 drawings from 20 children and the choice was, as always, not easy. Eventually, Wiktoria’s picture stole our hearts with its simplicity as well as peace and warmth exuding from it.

The winner received camera accessories and a Sinsay gift card. The other participating children received gift cards and we part-financed a joint trip to Poznan. Finally, we gave the centre’s director money for new kitchen equipment which is used by all children and their caretakers.

 

 

The British-Polish Chamber of Commerce, the Krakowski Park Technologiczny and Rödl & Partner organised a seminar on “Operating in a Special Economic Zone. Legal and Tax Aspects”. The meeting took place on 6 November in the Krakowski Park Technologiczny. The seminar was addressed to enterprises which are considering to invest in a special economic zone, including the one in Cracow.

Rödl & Partner experts: Anna Smagowicz-Tokarz (attorney at law, Associate Partner), Dorota Białas (tax adviser, Associate Partner, Manager of Rödl & Partner’s Special Economic Zones Team) and Piotr Derylak (auditor, Senior Associate) presented an overview of the current case law and interpretations as well as showed how to effectively comply with the applicable laws. During the seminar the following topics were discussed among others: issues concerning the preparation of the enterprise for entering the zone, change of the zone permit and selected current tax issues.

Rödl & Partner assists enterprises which invest in special economic zones through ongoing advisory services, specialist publications and the “SSE-News”.

 

Rödl & Partner is the first European professional services firm to have an office in Cuba.

Rödl & Partner's office in Havana employs German and Cuban auditors, lawyers and tax advisers who advice foreign investors. Our office in Cuba is only the third office of an international professional services firm in this part of the world.

We have been preparing for this step for many years. Currently, the opening of the Cuban market provided a room for new growth opportunities for foreign investors, including our international clients. And this is where we want to assist them as advisers throughout the transformation process in Cuba.

 

On 8 October 2015, the 25th German Unity Day was celebrated in Warsaw. Rödl & Partner, as one of the leading Germany-based companies active on the Polish market, supported the celebration organised in the German Embassy in Poland.

The German Unity Day is one of the most important national holidays in Germany. It commemorates the unification of both German countries: FRG and GDR which took place on 3 October 1990 after 45 years of Germany's division.

This year saw the 25th anniversary of Germany's unification and the main celebrations in Poland were organised in the German Embassy in Warsaw. Next to representatives of the political and cultural life, also representatives of the leading German companies which achieved success in Poland were invited to take part in the celebrations as well. BASF, Siemens, Ergo Hestia, Rossman and Rödl & Partner were among them.

The ceremony was honoured by the Polish Army Representative Orchestra. In his speech, Mr Rol Nikel, German Ambasador to Poland, emphasised the role played by Poland in unifying both German countries.

 

"The unification of Germany would not be possible without Poles. I would like to express sincere thanks to all our friends and partners. The relentless drive of Poles to freedom gave start to the revolution of freedom in Europe in 1989. Without it the fall of the Berlin Wall would not be possible. We will never forget this."

Rödl & Partner was honoured to be in the finals of the EuropaProperty CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) Retail Real Estate contest in two categories: “Tax & Financial Adviser of the Year” and “Professional Service Provider of the Year” According to the contest rules, in order to participate a company must be registered first by one of its customers. In the next step companies are reviewed for their achievements in a given year in the broadly understood market of commercial real properties in Central and Eastern Europe. On that basis, only three to five firms in each category qualify for the finals.

2014 proved remarkably fruitful for Rödl & Partner. We increased the number of our clients, including in the retail and real estate sector. Top places in industry rankings confirm also our stronger position in the market, e.g. the 1st place in the Book of Lists in the Business Process Outsourcing category. The real credit for our success goes to our clients and hard work. Our presence in the finals of a contest as prestigious as EuropaProperty CEE Retail Real Estate in as many as two categories confirms that our achievements in the retail and real estate sector are noticed and appreciated in the market. I am very happy and can promise that in 2015 we will work even harder. – Renata Kabas-Komorniczak, Partner at Rödl & Partner.

 

For the last 5 years Rödl & Partner has been organising a Christmas card contest for children from orphanages. The contest always takes place in an institution from a different province. We print our Christmas wishes on the winning card. The author of this year's card is thirteen-year old Wiktoria Zalejska from the orphanage in Sieborowice near Cracow. Every year the author of the card and the other children from the orphanage receive presents from us. This time we have additionally sponsored a trip for all the children to take place next year. We are happy to be able to help making children's wishes come true during this special time and to share our joy.

On 19 November 2014, the Rödl & Partner head office held the fourth edition of the event called "Renewable Energy Day". This industry event has enjoyed a steady interest for years. Experts in renewable energy sources from 18 countries attended the meeting and delivered a number of interesting lectures and presentations. Poland was represented by Ms Aneta Majchrowicz-Bączyk, Partner, Attorney at Law, and by Mr Piotr Mrowiec, Associate Partner, Attorney at Law, from the Rödl & Partner office in Poznan. They lectured on the profitability of the renewable energy installations and the opportunities for obtaining EU grants to fund such projects in Poland. The event was accompanied by an international fair where exhibitors had a chance to present their countries and share experiences gained in local renewable energy markets.

Between 23 and 26 September 2014 Hamburg became the capital of wind and renewable energy. The WindEnergy Hamburg fair welcomed leading manufacturers and suppliers of wind energy from around the globe. Also the Rödl & Partner experts from Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland and the Baltic States appeared at the event. Thanks to the numerous lectures and the accompanying events the fair was an excellent opportunity not only to learn more about renewable energy but also to do some networking. Rödl & Partner Poland was represented by Mr Piotr Mrowiec, Associate Partner, Attorney at Law and Corporate and Tax Law Team Leader for renewable energy industry in Rödl & Partner Poznan office. The WindEnergy fair will return in 2016.