Farhad Shahidi

Full Profile

Farhad is a Senior Associate in the Corporate Tax team in our London office.

Farhad’s practice includes tax disputes work as well as advising on M&A transactions, corporate structuring and real estate taxation (including VAT and SDLT). Farhad also has specialist expertise in Customs Duties, Excise Duties and Landfill Tax, and VAT in the Middle East.

Prior to joining Clyde & Co in June 2018, Farhad was a member of HMRC's Solicitor's Office. While at HMRC, Farhad had conduct of a wide caseload including appeals before the tax tribunals, the High Court, Court of Appeal, UK Supreme Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Farhad is a member of the VAT Practitioners Group. 
 

Experience

• Advising on the tax aspects of insured and uninsured M&A transactions, including the recent sale of an ESG consulting business to a private equity investor.
• Advising an international client on the tax aspects of a vessel leasing agreement and a related services agreement.
• Providing tax structuring advice on the tax aspects of a wide variety of real estate transactions including the acquisition of a central London building for the purposes of conversion into a 4-star 350-bedroom hotel (transaction value circa £200m).
• Advising on the tax aspects of property development structures and contracts including advising a UK construction firm on major developments in the London and the southeast of England.
• Advising on the implementation of employee incentives including establishing a share warrant plan for an international client and advising on the tax aspects of share schemes including EMI plans.
• Sole conduct of an VAT appeal to the Court of Appeal on behalf of a public body.
• Conduct of a First-tier Tribunal appeal relating to a £2m landfill tax assessment.
• Successfully persuading HMRC to withdraw an import VAT assessment issued in excess of £300m in relation to onward supply relief.
• Advising UK insurers on the merits of professional negligence cases involving tax planning advice.
• Advising on a wide range of different VAT matters for companies operating in the Middle East, including in relation to cross border transactions, recovering input VAT, and disputes with the UAE Federal Tax Authority.