Tax audit support: how to protect your business and minimise risks in Kyiv

For most companies, a tax audit is pure stress and a feeling of complete uncertainty. Some hope they will “somehow come to an arrangement”, others that “it will somehow blow over”, but in the end the business receives audit reports with additional tax assessments, fines, blocked VAT invoices, and reputational damage. In many cases, the problems arise not because the business is “bad”, but because there was no systematic preparation and legal support.

The tax authorities apply a risk‑based approach: they analyse your turnover, counterparties, reporting, VAT history, and past violations. Once an audit has been scheduled, the question “will it happen or not” is off the table – what matters is how you go through it: with minimal losses or with an expensive “lesson”. At WINNER, we support tax audits so that your business preserves its money, documents, and ability to continue operating without constant fear.

Before, during, and after the audit: where businesses most often go wrong

The biggest losses are usually “programmed” long before inspectors enter your office. Typical mistakes include:

• no systematic review of documents and tax reports – “the main thing is that the reports have been filed”;
• no clear understanding of the types of audits, their scope and time limits (desk, documentary, factual, etc.);
• staff do not know how to behave on the day of the audit: who is allowed to speak, what can be shown, what can be signed;
• after receiving the audit report, the company either remains silent or sends emotional objections without evidence or a coherent legal position.

As a result, the tax authorities get an easy playing field: your procedural mistakes, lack of a communication strategy, and weak evidence base make additional assessments almost inevitable.

How we at WINNER support tax audits

We split our work into three stages: preparation, support during the audit, and post‑audit actions.

1. Preparation for the audit

• analyse your business activity, contracts, primary documents, reporting, and typical counterparties;
• assess risks by tax type and area (VAT, corporate income tax, single tax, SSC, etc.);
• help to put documents in order and assemble an “audit folder” for key transactions;
• conduct briefings for your team: who communicates with inspectors, how to record their actions, and what must never be done.

1. Support during the audit

• verify the inspectors’ documents, the legality of grounds and the scope of the audit;
• control which documents are provided so as not to go beyond the audit’s subject;
• record procedural breaches by the tax authorities (procedure, deadlines, going beyond their mandate);
• assist in drafting written explanations and comments to protocols and audit reports.

1. Actions after the audit

• analyse the audit report: where the tax authority’s position is genuinely strong and where it is based on assumptions;
• prepare structured objections with references to documents and case law / practice;
• support administrative appeals and, where necessary, represent you in court;
• propose changes to documents and processes so that similar risks do not reoccur.

As a result, you have a partner who does not just “close one audit today” but builds a defence line for the future.

Why work with WINNER

WINNER Law Firm is a team of about 20 attorneys and lawyers who deal daily with tax audits, blocked VAT invoices, and disputes with the State Tax Service. We combine deep knowledge of the law with hands‑on experience of audits across regions and industries, so we understand how such issues are actually resolved in practice, not only on paper.

We work with businesses all over Ukraine – from sole proprietors and small companies to mid‑size and large groups. If your business has already been included in the audit plan, received a notice of inspection, or you simply feel that “something is coming”, contact WINNER – we will analyse your risks, prepare your team, and support the audit in a way that protects your money, reputation, and ability to operate with confidence.

Author: Ihor Yasko, Managing Partner of the Law Firm “WINNER”, PhD in Law.