Thomas Haneder, partner at TPA Serbia – We expect double-digit growth, while retaining the high-quality service standards

(Thomas Haneder) More than two decades ago, TPA Group was founded in Austria. It has become a leading tax, audit, accounting and advisory firm in Central and South Eastern Europe. Nowadays, with more than 1,100 staff members, they operate offices in 11 countries in the region with a total turnover of nearly EUR 80 million.

– From this very successful starting point, we wanted to take the next step. Being very aware of the importance of German investors in the region and the high quality services we can offer them, we looked for a strong and leading German partner firm, which we eventually found in Baker Tilly Germany. We entered into a close cooperation agreement with them and this was the birth of the Baker Tilly Europe Alliance, of course with the involvement of Baker Tilly International – says Thomas Haneder, a partner at TPA Group, who discusses the operations of TPA, the services they provide in Serbia and plans for the local market in his interview for eKapija.

eKapija: You have been a member of Baker Tilly Europe Alliance for a year now. What are your first impressions?

– After more than a year I have to say that we have not regretted this decision for one second. Apart from the successful business cooperation with the Germans, we have started many business development initiatives together with our partners from the Baker Tilly network in other countries. Comparing it with our previous network, after the first year we can already see that we are generating a higher volume of turnover due to this structure and network.

eKapija: For those who do not have enough information, tell us which services TPA can provide to clients in Serbia?

– I think we are entitled to be self-confident, to say that we provide top-quality tax consulting, accounting, audit and advisory services for our clients. However, there are also other firms in our industry that make a similar claim. So where is the difference? When working with us, clients do not only get 10 pages of writing or just a statement. We want to see and meet our clients in order to understand their needs and concerns, to give them our personal opinion and to find the best solution for them. For us it is all about people and that is well summarized with our slogan “Face-to-Face Business”.

eKapija: Numerous foreign companies are opening offices or initiating production in Serbia. How interesting are those companies to you?

– Like any potential client – very interesting! We know that we provide high quality services. So it is our big ambition that any foreign company which wants to enter the Serbian market also knocks on our door for support in accounting, tax, audit, etc.

In particular in the production sector we have been very successful recently, winning many new engagements.

eKapija: In Germany, a very important European market, you are partners with Baker Tilly International. Tell us something more about that.

– I want to highlight again that through this partnership we are able to offer German investors a very attractive and beneficial package: on the one hand our successful local offices with top expertise and pre-existing German- and English-speaking desks will remain; on the other hand through our partners there will be the direct link to the German headquarters.

eKapija: Tell us something more about TPA in Serbia. Which industries are you present in, how many people do you employ and which projects are you engaged in?

– Being a partner of TPA Serbia I am very happy and proud to look back on our development. Within only a few years we have been able to build up a renowned Top 10 consultancy firm in Serbia. Again we will have double-digit growth this year and we are retaining the high-quality service standards.

With our 30 staff members we serve clients in all relevant industries, with the highest revenue in real estate, retail and manufacturing.

I also would like to point out that apart from tax, audit and accounting, we have been advising our clients in numerous transactions over the last few years.

eKapija: What are your plans for the upcoming period?

– Somebody asked me recently “Where do you see TPA in five years?” I have a very positive view about the future. Today we are a leading tax and audit firm in Austria and Central and South Eastern Europe. With the Baker Tilly Europe Alliance, in particular with our German Baker Tilly partner, I think we will develop as a European player in our industry.

This will also have a very positive impact on our further development of TPA Serbia. Taking this into consideration and looking at our outstanding growth over the last years, I am confident that in five years we will be one of the biggest consultancy firms in Serbia after the so-called Big 4.

TPA Porezi i računovodstvo d.o.o.Beograd

TPA Group

tax consultancy

audit

Baker Tilly Europe Alliance

Thomas Haneder

accounting