FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Practical answers before you contact ALTROVERSO.
Choosing a professional adviser begins with understanding the practice, the people responsible for the work and what an engagement will involve.
ALTROVERSO is a boutique professional practice in Amersfoort for fiscal advice, juridical advice and business mediation. We work with companies, entrepreneurs, directors and shareholders on matters arising in the ordinary course of business, during important decisions and through periods of development or change.
These questions explain how to approach us, how a mandate begins, which work may fall within our practice and where the involvement of an advocate, civil-law notary, accountant, auditor or another specialist may be required.
If your question is not answered here, you can describe the matter in your own words. You do not need to determine the professional category before contacting us.
This FAQ covers:
- the practice and the clients we serve;
- first contact, professional acceptance and confidentiality;
- scope, fee arrangements and the start of chargeable work;
- fiscal advice, juridical advice and business mediation;
- coordination between professional disciplines;
- the boundaries of our work and the role of other professionals.
BEFORE YOU CONTACT US
Begin with the business matter, not with a professional label.
You may already know that you require a contract, fiscal advice, assistance with a tax objection or business mediation. You may instead be considering a company decision that has several connected consequences.
Both are appropriate starting points. Tell us what you need to understand, decide, prepare or agree. We will consider the relevant professional route and explain what information is needed next.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
About ALTROVERSO and the clients we serve.
These answers explain the practice, the advisers responsible for the work and who may engage ALTROVERSO.
What is ALTROVERSO?
ALTROVERSO is a boutique fiscal, juridical and business mediation practice based in Amersfoort.
We advise companies, entrepreneurs, directors and shareholders on taxation, contracts, commercial obligations, company structure, governance, regulation, data and digital matters, intellectual property, transactions and related business decisions. We also conduct impartial business mediation where parties wish to work towards their own informed agreement.
ALTROVERSO is the statutory company name and the contracting entity for every engagement undertaken by the practice.
Who provides the professional services?
Linda Pavan is ALTROVERSO’s Fiscal Adviser. Her work is grounded in extensive experience with company administration, accounting information, tax returns, fiscal positions and the records on which those positions depend.
Paolo Maria Pavan is ALTROVERSO’s Juridical Adviser and Business Mediator. His work includes business and regulatory advice, contracts, corporate documentation, negotiation, transactions, business relationships and impartial mediation.
Depending on the mandate, one adviser may lead the work or both disciplines may contribute. The scope and professional responsibility are made clear at the start.
Who can engage ALTROVERSO?
We primarily serve companies, entrepreneurs and the people responsible for ownership, direction and business decisions. This includes Dutch companies, sole traders, partnerships, foundations and other organisations, as well as shareholders and directors acting in a business capacity.
We also advise private individuals where the matter is directly connected with entrepreneurship, company ownership, taxation, a transaction or a business relationship and falls within our professional scope.
Do you work only with international companies?
No. ALTROVERSO is a Dutch practice serving companies and entrepreneurs in the Netherlands.
Our experience includes more than fourteen years of work involving different jurisdictions, foreign shareholders, international activities and people establishing or operating a business in the Netherlands. That experience is available when it is relevant, but an international element is not required to become a client.
Where foreign law or another jurisdiction requires local professional advice, we explain that boundary and coordinate with an appropriate adviser when this forms part of the engagement.
What size of company do you advise?
The suitability of a mandate depends more on the nature of the question than on the number of employees or the company’s turnover.
We work with owner-managed companies, established small and medium-sized enterprises, developing organisations, shareholders and management teams. A mandate may concern one defined document or tax question, a recurring advisory relationship or a business decision requiring several professional perspectives.
Do you publish standard prices?
Not for professional work whose scope depends on the facts, documents, timing and responsibility involved.
After an initial review, we explain the proposed scope and fee basis before chargeable work begins. Depending on the mandate, the fee may be based on time, a defined assignment, agreed phases or a continuing advisory arrangement. External costs and the work of independently engaged professionals are identified separately where they are known.
Can I contact you if I am not sure what kind of advice I need?
Yes. You can explain the company, the decision or relationship involved, the current position and what you would like to achieve.
We will identify whether the matter belongs to fiscal advice, juridical advice, business mediation or a combination of disciplines. If ALTROVERSO is not the appropriate practice, we will say so clearly. Where useful, we may identify the type of professional you should approach next.
FIRST CONTACT QUESTIONS
From an initial enquiry to an agreed engagement.
These answers explain confidentiality, what to include, response times and when chargeable work begins.
What happens after I submit the contact form?
We review the information to understand the nature of the request, the relevant parties, any stated timing and whether the matter appears to fall within our practice.
We may ask for clarification or propose an introductory conversation. Before accepting an engagement, ALTROVERSO may also need to complete identification, conflict, independence, capacity or other professional acceptance checks.
An enquiry does not oblige either you or ALTROVERSO to proceed.
Is the first contact confidential?
We handle enquiries discreetly and process personal data in accordance with our Privacy Manifesto. Please provide only the information reasonably necessary for us to understand the request and do not send a complete document archive, original records or highly sensitive material unless we ask for it through an appropriate channel.
Submitting an enquiry does not yet create a professional mandate. ALTROVERSO is not an advocatenkantoor, and communications with us do not acquire the professional legal privilege that may apply to communications with an advocate. If a particular form of legal privilege is important to the matter, this should be raised before substantive information is provided.
In business mediation, specific confidentiality commitments are established in the mediation agreement signed before the substantive mediation process begins.
What should I include in the first message?
A concise description is sufficient. It is helpful to include:
- the name and legal form of the company;
- your role and authority in relation to the company;
- what you need to understand, decide, prepare or agree;
- the names of relevant parties so that preliminary checks can be made;
- any date, filing period, meeting or contractual deadline that may be relevant;
- the professional advisers already involved;
- the outcome or next step you are seeking.
Please distinguish confirmed facts from assumptions where possible. We will explain which supporting documents are required if the matter proceeds.
Should I upload all documents immediately?
No. Begin with the documents that are essential to understanding the question, and only when requested or when the contact route is appropriate for them.
For example, this may be a relevant assessment or letter from the tax authority, the contract to be reviewed, the current articles of association, a board or shareholder resolution, or a short chronology of a business relationship.
We will request additional records according to the agreed scope. Original documents should not be sent unless this has been expressly arranged.
How quickly will ALTROVERSO respond?
We aim to acknowledge or respond to a new enquiry within two working days. A meaningful professional assessment may require further information and can take longer.
If a statutory, procedural, contractual or commercial date is involved, state the exact date in the first message. Sending an enquiry does not mean that ALTROVERSO has accepted responsibility for the matter or for observing a deadline. Responsibility begins only when the mandate and the relevant responsibilities have been expressly accepted in writing.
Does an enquiry or introductory conversation start chargeable work?
No chargeable professional work begins merely because you submit the form.
If a paid introductory consultation, document review or other preliminary assignment is appropriate, the basis will be explained before it takes place. The substantive engagement begins only after ALTROVERSO has accepted the matter and the scope, fee basis, responsibilities and applicable terms have been agreed in writing.
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Questions about the work ALTROVERSO undertakes.
Fiscal advice, juridical advice, business mediation and the coordination of connected company matters.
What fiscal advice does ALTROVERSO provide?
Our fiscal practice advises on the tax position of companies, entrepreneurs, directors and shareholders in relation to their structure, transactions and business activities.
The work may include corporate income tax, VAT, income tax connected with entrepreneurship, dividend and shareholder matters, fiscal aspects of company structures, tax returns and correspondence, assessments, objections, requests, tax-procedure support and representation before the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration under an appropriate authorisation.
We also review whether the underlying agreements, decisions, administration and supporting records correspond with the fiscal position being taken. The precise work depends on the engagement and the taxes or periods involved.
What juridical advice does ALTROVERSO provide?
Our juridical practice advises on business relationships, rights, obligations, decision-making and the documents through which companies organise their activities.
The work may include drafting and reviewing contracts and terms and conditions, commercial obligations, company and shareholder arrangements, board and corporate documentation, delegated authorities, regulatory interpretation, negotiation support, administrative objections, website and platform terms, intellectual-property agreements, copyright and licensing, trademark and brand use, image and portrait rights, privacy, data governance, AI and digital regulation.
We also support due diligence, transactions, restructuring and the juridical preparation of business decisions. The engagement identifies the applicable law, scope and any issue requiring an advocate, civil-law notary or specialist in another jurisdiction.
What is ALTROVERSO business mediation?
Business mediation is a structured and impartial process for people or organisations that want to examine a business matter together and determine whether they can reach their own agreement.
It can be used in commercial, shareholder, management, partnership, supplier, client or other professional relationships. The mediator manages the process and supports clear communication. The parties remain responsible for their decisions and for the substance of any agreement.
Mediation is distinct from juridical advice. The mediator does not act as adviser or representative for either party in the same matter. The role, participation, confidentiality arrangements, fees and process are recorded in a mediation agreement before substantive meetings begin.
Can fiscal and juridical advice be combined in one engagement?
Yes, where both disciplines are relevant and their respective scope and responsibilities are clear.
A company structure may affect taxation, authority and shareholder rights. A transaction may require fiscal analysis as well as contracts, resolutions and due diligence. Commercial terms may determine the VAT treatment or the records required to support it.
ALTROVERSO can coordinate those connected questions within one practice. This does not mean that every mandate automatically includes both disciplines. We involve the appropriate expertise according to the matter and explain when an additional adviser or independently engaged professional is required.
Do you advise on digital, data and intellectual-property matters?
Yes, where these matters concern the company’s rights, obligations, agreements and business use.
This may include GDPR and data-governance advice, privacy and consent documentation, data-processing relationships, website and platform terms, AI-related responsibilities, digital-regulation interpretation, software and content arrangements, copyright ownership and licensing, trademarks and brand-use structures, and image or portrait rights.
The purpose is to translate the applicable position into workable documents, permissions, responsibilities and decisions. Highly specialised litigation, registration or technical-security work may require an advocate, patent attorney, trademark attorney, cybersecurity professional or another specialist.
Can ALTROVERSO support transactions and changes in the company?
Yes. We advise on the fiscal and juridical aspects of company formation, changes in ownership or structure, investment, acquisition, transfer, reorganisation, governance changes and other significant business developments.
Support may include analysis of the proposed structure, due diligence, review of information and agreements, fiscal consequences, corporate approvals, shareholder and board documentation, negotiation support, implementation planning and coordination with civil-law notaries, accountants, advocates or foreign advisers.
The exact division of responsibilities is agreed for each transaction. Work reserved to another regulated professional remains with that professional.
PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES
Clear professional roles are part of responsible advice.
ALTROVERSO accepts work that falls within its professional knowledge, role and permitted scope. Some company matters require a formal act, statutory assurance, reserved court representation or specialist opinion that must be provided by another professional.
We identify those boundaries as early as reasonably possible. When coordination is included in the engagement, ALTROVERSO works with the client’s existing professionals or helps define the expertise that should be added.
Is ALTROVERSO an advocatenkantoor?
No. ALTROVERSO is a juridical advisory practice, not an advocatenkantoor, and Paolo does not use the protected professional title of advocaat.
Within the agreed mandate, ALTROVERSO can provide business juridical and regulatory advice, draft and review agreements, prepare correspondence and objections, support negotiation and assist with administrative and tax procedures.
Representation before a court or authority is accepted only where the applicable rules permit representation by a juridical adviser or authorised representative, and only when ALTROVERSO has expressly agreed to undertake it. An advocate is engaged where representation by an advocate is legally required or where the nature of the matter makes this appropriate.
Is ALTROVERSO a civil-law notary practice?
No. ALTROVERSO does not perform notarial acts.
We can advise on the intended company structure, transaction, governance arrangement or agreement and prepare the juridical and fiscal position for implementation. Where a notarial deed or another act reserved to a civil-law notary is required, the client appoints a civil-law notary. ALTROVERSO can coordinate the information and review the proposed implementation within the scope of its engagement.
Does ALTROVERSO replace an accountant or statutory auditor?
No. ALTROVERSO’s fiscal practice provides fiscal advice and tax-related services. It may use and review accounting information, administration and financial records as part of that work, but it does not perform a statutory audit or provide an independent auditor’s opinion.
Where annual accounts, assurance, audit work or another service reserved to or appropriately performed by an accountant or auditor is required, the client retains the relevant professional. ALTROVERSO can coordinate the fiscal and juridical consequences with that work where agreed.
Can ALTROVERSO advise one party and mediate between all parties in the same matter?
These are different professional roles and must remain separate.
When ALTROVERSO acts as juridical or fiscal adviser, it serves the interests of its client within the agreed professional mandate. When Paolo acts as business mediator, he is impartial and does not advise or represent either party against the other.
Before accepting a mediation, we consider prior involvement, independence and any circumstance that may affect impartiality. The role and process are agreed with all participating parties. ALTROVERSO does not conduct debt collection, hold third-party funds or use mediation as an incasso service.
Can ALTROVERSO guarantee a tax result, regulatory approval, transaction or mediation outcome?
No professional adviser or mediator can responsibly guarantee an outcome controlled by a public authority, court, counterparty or the participating parties.
ALTROVERSO can provide a reasoned professional assessment, explain assumptions and uncertainty, prepare the required advice or documentation and support the agreed process. Decisions remain with the competent authority, court, contracting parties or client, as applicable.
Does ALTROVERSO work with other professional advisers?
Yes. A client may already have an accountant, bookkeeper, advocate, civil-law notary, payroll provider, insurance adviser, patent attorney, cybersecurity specialist or adviser in another country.
We can work with those professionals when the client authorises the exchange of information and coordination forms part of the engagement. Each professional remains responsible for their own work. If a new specialist is required, the client retains that professional directly unless a different arrangement is expressly agreed.
WHEN TO CONTACT ALTROVERSO
Professional advice is useful whenever a business decision deserves a clear position.
You do not need to wait for a dispute, deadline or exceptional event. ALTROVERSO can be approached while establishing a company, preparing an agreement, reviewing a tax position, organising decision-making, planning a transaction, introducing a digital service, formalising ownership or discussing a business relationship.
An early conversation can help determine the facts, professional route and sequence of decisions. A later conversation can help review, document or implement a position that has already developed.
The appropriate moment is when the company, entrepreneur or parties need an informed basis for what comes next.
- you are preparing or reviewing a contract, terms and conditions or commercial arrangement;
- you require fiscal advice, a tax return, correspondence or assistance with an assessment or objection;
- you are deciding how a company, ownership interest or transaction should be structured;
- shareholders, directors or business partners wish to clarify their roles or develop an agreement together;
- a company is introducing a website, platform, AI application, data process, brand, licence or content arrangement;
- you require due diligence, negotiation support or coordinated fiscal and juridical preparation;
- you want to know which professional discipline or specialist should be involved.
THE FIRST QUESTION WE ASK
What do you need to understand, decide, prepare or agree?
That question gives the first conversation its direction.
It may lead to a fiscal analysis, a contract, a company resolution, a regulatory interpretation, transaction support or a mediation process. It may also show that the question should first be addressed by another professional.
Our role is to understand the purpose, identify the appropriate professional contribution and make the next step clear.
CONTACT ALTROVERSO
Tell us what you need to understand, decide, prepare or agree.
Use the form to provide a concise description of the company, the matter and the result you are seeking. You do not need to identify the professional category yourself.
ALTROVERSO will review the enquiry and normally respond within two working days. Submitting the form does not create a professional engagement or transfer responsibility for a deadline. Please do not send original records or a complete archive at this stage.
