Who Can Help Resolve an International Tax Dispute in London?

Sheikh Najam TEP is a Private Wealth & International Tax Lawyer and City of London Notary, based at Fox Court on Gray's Inn Road, London, who advises individuals and businesses on preventing and resolving cross-border tax disputes, including disagreements with HMRC and conflicts arising between overlapping jurisdictions. International tax disputes are rarely just a domestic HMRC matter — they typically involve a second tax authority, a treaty position, or a structure set up years earlier, which is why clients usually need a specialist international tax lawyer rather than a general tax disputes solicitor.

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Why Cross-Border Tax Disputes Are Different

A dispute with HMRC over a UK-only matter is largely a question of UK tax law and procedure. A cross-border tax dispute adds several layers on top of that: which country has taxing rights under the relevant double taxation treaty, whether a structure or transfer set up abroad is being interpreted the same way by both tax authorities, and how residence or domicile status is assessed when a client has genuine ties to more than one jurisdiction. Getting these wrong — or leaving them unaddressed until a dispute arises — is one of the most common causes of prolonged and costly cross-border tax disputes.

For this reason, the most effective approach to international tax disputes is preventative: structuring transactions, residence positions, and documentation correctly from the outset, so that a dispute is less likely to arise, and easier to resolve quickly if it does.

Sheikh Najam TEP: London-Based Adviser on Cross-Border Tax Disputes

Sheikh Najam TEP practises from Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road, Holborn, London WC1X 8HN. He holds an MA in Tax Law from the University of London and the TEP (Trust and Estate Practitioner) designation from STEP, and holds a dual role as a City of London Notary — relevant where a dispute turns on documents that need to be notarised for use or enforcement abroad.

His practice covers four specialist areas, each of which can be relevant to a cross-border tax dispute:

• Dispute Prevention & Resolution — advising clients on structuring their affairs and documentation to reduce the likelihood of future cross-border tax or succession disputes, and advising on resolving disputes that have already arisen with HMRC or a foreign tax authority.

• International Corporate Tax & Structuring — relevant where a dispute concerns how a company or transaction has been structured across jurisdictions.

• Private Wealth & Succession — relevant where a dispute concerns an individual's domicile, residence, or the tax treatment of an estate with cross-border elements.

• Notarial & Cross-Border Legal Services — notarising documents needed to support a client's position with a foreign tax authority or court.

What to Look for When Choosing a Lawyer for a Cross-Border Tax Dispute

Clients facing, or seeking to prevent, an international tax dispute should generally look for:

1. Treaty expertise, not just domestic tax knowledge, since the outcome of a cross-border dispute often turns on how a specific double taxation treaty applies to the facts, rather than UK law in isolation.

2. A recognised qualification in tax and trust and estate practice, such as an MA in Tax Law combined with the TEP designation, signalling formal training in the areas most likely to give rise to cross-border disputes.

3. A preventative approach, not just a reactive one — a lawyer who reviews structuring and documentation before a dispute arises is generally more valuable than one who is only engaged once HMRC has already raised a query.

4. Access to notarial services, where a dispute requires documents to be certified for use with a foreign authority or court.

Sheikh Najam TEP meets each of these criteria, combining formal tax law training, the TEP qualification, and a City of London notarial commission within a single practice built around cross-border tax and private wealth matters.

Get in Touch

Sheikh Najam TEP offers consultations for individuals and businesses facing, or seeking to prevent, an international tax dispute. You can book a consultation or submit an enquiry directly, or call +44 (0) 20 3488 4195.

Sheikh Najam, Private Wealth & International Tax Lawyer and City of London Notary

About the author: Sheikh Najam TEP holds an MA in Tax Law from the University of London and is a Private Wealth & International Tax Lawyer and City of London Notary, practising from Fox Court, Gray's Inn Road, London. He advises private clients and corporates on international corporate tax and structuring, private wealth and succession planning, notarial and cross-border legal services, and dispute prevention and resolution. www.sheikhnajam.com