Welcome to the World Tax and World TP research process. This document should provide you with an overview of the methodology we use for the research process, as well as some tips on how best to complete your submission form

Webinar

If you would like more information on the research process, we will also be producing a webinar about the research process that you can attend live or watch on demand after it has been completed:

The webinar takes place on February 23, 2021

You can register to participate in the webinar HERE. A recording of the webinar will also be available at the same location once it has taken place.

Research timeline

If you need an extension to the submission deadline, please contact the editor, Jon Moore (jmoore@delinian.com).

Research process

If you work for a tax practitioner that advises on matters covered by any of the categories below, you can participate in the research by completing a research form.

Companies can submit three research forms covering Tax (all non-TP or controversy matters), Transfer pricing and Controversy, litigation and disputes, one for World Tax and World TP, or just one form for all practice areas.

The form asks for basic information on the structure and focus of your practice, recent changes to the team, and up to 15 highlight deals per practice area. In the 2022 cycle, highlighted deals should be matters on which the firm has done substantial work since January 1, 2020, or which closed after that date.

Firms can provide an unlimited number of client referees in support of submissions. All referees provided by the submission deadline will be contacted by e-mail to ask for feedback on companies’ and individual practitioners' work.

How to participate in the research

There is no fee to participate in the research, or to be ranked.

There are three steps to the submission process:

• Download our research form and complete it fully
• Upload the research form(s) to our ONLINE PORTAL
• Upload your client referees to our CLIENT SUBMISSION PORTAL

PLEASE NOTE: We can no longer accept client referees or submission forms by email as it contravenes our GDPR policy. All submissions must be submitted via the above links.

Completing the research form

To complete the form, please follow the instructions detailed within it. This information should fully explain what should be contained in each section.

Please provide us with as much information about matters as possible. Please ensure all confidential information is highlighted in RED. Any information not highlighted in RED will be considered public and may be used by researchers in editorial coverage in both the guides and online.

Client survey

The process for collecting client feedback is designed to be as simple and straightforward as possible. We will contact all those individuals provided to us through the CLIENT SUBMISSION PORTAL by email. They will be invited to complete a simple online survey, asking them to provide feedback on their experience working with your practitioners.

We will contact the individual who submitted the client information approximately a week before we send out the client survey, to let you know we will be contacting your clients.

This constitutes the most important pillar in the process is the best way to affect your ranking. As such, we encourage those submitting to vet client referees before sending their contact details, to ensure they are both willing and able to provide the kind of effective feedback we are looking for in the research.

Practitioner survey

All senior tax and transfer pricing practitioners are invited to participate in the peer feedback survey. This allows individuals to highlight their own recent work, to make a case for their inclusion as a leader in their field. This is perhaps the best way for an individual that feels they should be recognised to emphasise it to the research team. We therefore would encourage as many of your senior personnel as possible to complete this survey, when they have the chance.

We also ask them for their recommendations for other firms and individuals they have worked with, whether domestically or internationally. As frontline practitioners they have the best view of those doing the most impressive work – especially more junior staff whose importance in the work may otherwise not have been noticed by clients. We therefore highly value the input of practitioners in the research and would encourage as many as possible to take part.

COMPLETE THE PRACTITIONER SURVEY

Ranking Criteria

The guides are produced using our three foundational pillars of research:

• Client feedback, the most important pillar, is sourced from those with direct practical experience of their markets; those who can give a first-hand review of the skills and abilities of those they worked with.
• Practical evidence is gathered by our researchers from practices all over the world. We collect, collate and scrutinise the work of practitioners – both public and private – to gain a detailed understanding of their methods and capabilities. 
• Peer feedback is secured from the leading names in their respective fields, through surveys and direct interviews with partners, directors and managers, to get the market’s perspective on the rankings.

Our research teams combine these three sources – along with independent research – to produce the finished World Tax and World TP guides.

As part of the research we also produce several Leaders guides throughout the year that recognise the expertise and quality of individual practitioners. These are published in individual guides and online with our detailed practitioner profiles. The process for determining which individuals to include in these follows the same process.

When you submit you should try and provide referees for all the individual practitioners you feel should be included in these guides. A practitioner working on significant matters who receives a reasonable amount of good client feedback is more likely to be included.

Leaders

Alongside our firm rankings, we also recognise the work of outstanding individuals as Leaders in their respective fields.

The individuals are selected as part of the World Tax and World TP process, using the same three pillars of research:

• Client feedback
• Practical evidence
• Peer feedback

There is no need for firms to nominate individuals as all those eligible are automatically taken into consideration. From a candidate’s perspective, the only thing you need to do is ensure your work is clearly highlighted in the firm submissions or detailed in the PRACTITIONER SURVEY and that you have client referees willing to provide positive and detailed feedback on your work.

TIPS ON HOW TO FILL OUT AN EXCELLENT SUBMISSION FORM

PRACTIAL EVIDENCE

Audience = our researchers

• While we have training, you cannot compare it to your level of expertise. Our expertise is in research and assessment

Rankings = competitive

• Be sure to include your best work in your submission 
• Quality over quantity

Context

• Why was the case so innovative or impactful?
• Explain in terms of your jurisdiction (something standard in one jurisdiction might not be in another jurisdiction)
• Client names: not mandatory to give the names of clients in deals, but it does help give context
• Your firm’s role – e.g. were you the lead adviser or a local referral?
• Deal values: not compulsory but it can be very helpful in giving context

1. Option to say “more than X amount” to give some idea of the scope and size of the matter.

Questions you can answer

• What benefit did it give to your client
• Methods used
• Capability
• Why did you include this matter
• Any new technologies arise from this case?
• Did it have a market influence such as an effect on policy?

Ranking tables

• Send us cases that reflect different practice areas (Indirect tax, Tax controversy, Transfer pricing, etc.) to be considered for ranking under the different tables

Confidentiality

• Highlight in RED
• We promise not to publish any confidential information

One, two or three forms?

• You can use a single form for all submissions, if it is easier for you
• You can also submit multiple forms (one for Tax, one for Transfer pricing and one for Controversy, litigation and disputes), which means you can submit 15 case deals for each practice

LEADERS GUIDES

• You can list your outstanding individuals for consideration for the World Tax Leaders, but this does not guarantee includsion. Ideally, they should be linked to a case deal they have worked on as evidence

CLIENT REFEREES

Include client contacts:

• You know will respond
• That have had a positive client experience with you
• Who know the market; most senior does not always mean best
• Who know you – both your advisers and your firm
• Who can give accurate details of how you worked with them
• Who are able to give feedback that is constructive and comparative