Hi everyone,

I was wondering if someone could tell me which are the best Universities in US and Europe for studying International Tax Law and if its possible, a quick short explanation of why.

Any advices are welcome,

Thanks!

You may want to check out USC. They just opened a new Tax LLM for Foreigners and Americans. USC has one of the largest international alumni bases throughout Asia and the world, complete with USC offices overseas.

In Europe, I've heard that Leiden University is good for International Tax, although getting jobs might be difficult..

There are many good internationally focused international programs and at least as far as our career services office has experienced, many more jobs than students, especially for international compliance specialties like transfer pricing and for high net wealth client - wealth management positions.

Obviously, I have my own program (Walter H. & Dorothy B. Diamond International Tax & Financial Services Program at Thomas Jefferson) but I limit to just ten persons a course and only those with work experience. Other well known programs for beginning lawyers are Vienna's run by Lang, Leiden's run by van Raad, Tilburg run by Essers, and Florida's run by Friel. NYU and Georgetown have US focused international tax programs.

If you search, you'll find other International Tax programs in English and in languages other than English, such as Portuguese and Spanish.

Hope this helps you in your search.

Prof. William Byrnes

Guys,

I am looking for a good LLM in International Tax taught in English but in a french/german language speaking country (so not interested in the US nor in England).

I'm looking into Leuven/Tilburg European tax College or the Vienna University, but I can't find any specialized rankings on the web.

Does anybody know which Tax School would be the best? Professor Byrne, probably...

Both programs are good, strong programs. Rankings, if such exist, are at best not really helpful in your situation. or at worst harmful. Why?

All programs have their strengths and weaknesses, primarily based on such factors as the director'(s) focus, or faculty members focus, even an institutional focus. By example: program ABC may have more of a corporate tax focus whereas program DEF may have more of a individual tax focus. Regarding program ABC, its corporate focus may be more comparative (call it "bottom up" approach) than another program that may have more of a global approach (call it "top down" approach).

Moreover, program ABC may have strength in M&A whereas another program may have strength in transfer pricing. Other examples of potentially distinguishing issues: tax risk management approaches, information technology approaches (I mean data and information here, not delivery systems). If someone tells me that his or her strengths are in "everything" as opposed to explaining their strengths and their weaknesses, then I tend to take a very skeptical view that the person is merely trying to sell me as opposed to being able to contextualise a program of study to my career goals (or help me define those goals).

Which leads me to my last point: you should start with the question of what exactly do you want to do. This should be answered by extensive research (so much easier in this Internet age). Here's an abbreviated suggestion from a series of exercises that my folks undertake in our career services course - make a career matrix that includes at least these three aspects (1) position, (2) salary, and (3) location. How? For this simple purpose: go to HR and employment recruiters' websites for the industry in locations that you may want to locate and sift through at least 100 jobs until you identify at least 10 different job descriptions. Interview persons in the field also, such as potential employers. I'll cut it here but I think you get the idea.

Now armed with this career matrix, you need to call and interview the program, normally its director, who hopefully has experience doing what it is you want to do, and then have that director contextualise the program's strength to you achieving your career matrix. And also, have the director explain the program's weaknesses in your career matrix's context and how you may dynamically work together to addressing those (remember - it's your investment - it's all about YOU). If the person you are interviewing cares about YOUR future, this should not appear to be a burden.

This is probably not the way you were thinking of approaching your investment in education, but maybe you will find it helpful, even insightful, in maximizing your return.

Thank you William. I understand what you say.

I acknowledge on the academical side, there will always be differences. I normally question everything (or almost) their website says, because I do know they are trying to sell something, and will likely hide their weaknesses as a marketing strategy.

I was hoping someone could tell me if ETC or Vienna have a better reputation among job recruiters. That is my career matrix. To find employment after graduation, hopefully in a tax firm or one of the 4 Big', not just hang another degree on the wall.

Well, start with what I do each year as a program director: interview (and in your case build network).

I interview twenty top recruiters in international tax each year (In my case I am setting up their career services course lectures). I ask recruitment firms, recruiters for firms and consultancies, and government recruiters. I ask questions like who will be hiring - how many - where- what departments - what experience levels. What trend do they see? I ask them about the backgrounds of the most recent hires and general scales of compensation.

I also research and study a huge reading list of industry reports. You may find the interviewing process helps you answer your question of which school and its focuses/concentrations may help you build a distinguishing resume versus all other candidates to be called for an interview. You may also build some contacts before starting your program.

If one merely relies on the list approach, if such exists, still he/she will be confronted with the dilema of distinguishing herself from the other 500-1000 prospective candidates also applying for that job opening, a group of them from that chosen institution, as well as all of its alumni.

Without the deep research and effort that I mention above, a good soft skills training at the program level, and in respect of today's changing landscape, that person may be ill prepared for distinguishing herself amongst such competition.

People,

I would like to study a top LLM in International Tax program in Europe (in English language).

It seems Leiden, Vienna and Maastricht are the 3 preeminent choices.

Tuition fees and geographical location are not important.

Are there any substantial differences in Faculty, lectures, classes, or teaching method among the 3?

Which degree is better valued/known by employers and HR?

Which has better job placement upon graduation in Big4, BigLaw, or Magic Circle?

Which degree is most recognized by the Academia for pursuing PhD?

Any input will be greatly appreciated!

University of Amsterdam's International Tax program, albeit difficult to get into, for those admitted a good experience. I have personally referred graduates to it (to be fair, it's my alma mater as well from 1992). I learned Dutch but it is not a prerequisite to join anymore as the program switched to English this year.

The Leiden and Vienna programs are also excellent, and in English. I was admitted into Leiden as well, but Amsterdam is the city that I saw myself living in, like a New York, London, or Hong Kong.

Some people prefer a quiet life style and hate big city rush, in which case Leiden is ideally situated. Vienna is somewhere in between.

The friends that I made at Amsterdam became life long friends and network. So here is another series of questions to ask yourself, beyond mine above, that will help you decide what to do:

What type of student body does the program have and is it the one that I want to build my life long network with?

Do I see yourself living in the city where the program is located, or at least the country where it is located? (Programs are in general strongest in the immediate region - this is a statiscal fact based upon employment surveys such as LSSE)..

Will career services or the professors actively call firms on my behalf once I set up an interview? Who is backing me up in my career search?

Ask to talk to a current student.and this may help you answer some of these questions if you find them relevant.

Thank you for your always helpful replies, Professor Byrnes!

My best,

Hello,
Which university is best for LLM in Chinese Tax Law?
I have graduated in Law from a UK university and would like to continue with LLM in Chinese Tax Law.
I am from Bulgaria not from UK.
Thanks a lot!