Maria Tkachenko (Ziffer Group): Adapting family office services
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Maria Tkachenko, founder of multi-family office Ziffer, says client mobility brings complexity with changes in tax residency and immigration status.
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What is ZIFFER's business?​
ZIFFER Group is a chartered accountant firm in Luxembourg that provides family office services to private clients.
High-net-worth individuals have special needs that extend far beyond filing tax returns. We serve our clients using Luxembourg private wealth management and investment vehicles. We do not provide investment advice and are not associated with any investment manager. We aim to preserve our clients' capital with objective advice, accurate information, and quality back-office support.​​
How are your clients' needs evolving?​
Our clients' needs are changing in response to their increasing global mobility, which brings complexity with a change in tax residency and immigration status. Private wealth management, governance, and succession are highly affected by the tax residency of beneficial owners, their heirs, and managers of their corporate structures. Tax residency is determined by a variety of factors from country to country. These factors include the locations of their primary and secondary residence, the schools their children attend, their business and investment activities, and bank accounts.
Sometimes, a person can be considered a tax resident in more than one country and become liable to double taxation of their worldwide income and accumulated wealth. We assist our clients with keeping track of and managing their ties to multiple jurisdictions. We also assess tax consequences and keep corporate structures up to date.
Luxembourg is often our client's first choice when choosing an ideal new home country for their families. Its stable economy, high standard of living, international environment, favourable tax regime, including the step-up (capital gain exemption), SPF (private wealth management corporate tool), no wealth tax, no inheritance tax within the family, comfortable level of privacy, central European location, and beautiful landscape make Luxembourg an excellent place for high-net-worth families to live and raise children.
We advise and guide clients in obtaining a residence permit in Luxembourg and assist with planning the change of tax residency. In addition to acting as their representative for the local authorities, our concierge team supports clients with moving and settling into Luxembourg.
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What makes ZIFFER unique?
Ziffer is a family company that works for families. It was founded in 2010 in Luxembourg by Maria and Alexander Tkachenko. Maria is a member of the British and Luxembourg Associations of chartered accountants and has extensive experience working as a Big Four consultant and banker with private clients. Alexander is an experienced entrepreneur who has founded several successful startups and is an active investor in the startup space.
When our clients speak, we carefully listen. We actively accumulate knowledge, experience, and a network that benefit our clients. Ziffer is where clients discuss ideas, brainstorm, make a plan, and put it into action.
In 2020 ZIFFER celebrated its 10th anniversary. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg awarded several seasoned team professionals, including the founders, the Order of the Oak Crown that year.
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FACTS&FIGURES
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Birthday: 3 May 1974
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Birth place: Moscow
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Nationality: Luxembourg
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Number of children: 3
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Languages: Russian, English, French, German, Luxembourgish, Spanish
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Hobbies: Children, new technology, yoga and travel
MY FAVOURITE
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City: Madrid
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Season: Golden autumn
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Restaurants: Dal Notaro, Clairefontaine
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Music: Jazz
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Holiday: Adventures with family and friends