On 5 September 2016, TPA Group became an independent member of „Baker Tilly Europe Alliance”. TPA has been operating successfully on the Serbian market for 5 years now and employs more than 20 experts with both local and international experience.
We talked with Mr. Bojan Žepinić, a partner of TPA Srbija, about the solutions offered by one of the leading world networks for audit, tax and accounting issues, about the advantages of the “Face to Face Business, the benefits the Company is offering to its clients, and about the future plans of this Company of the market of Serbia.
What are the principal benefits of the cooperation established with “Baker Tilly Europe Aliance”?
“Baker Tilly Europe Alliance” is a result of the cooperation established between the TPA Group and the company Baker Tilly Roelfs (German member of “Baker Tilly International”). By having made this move, TPA Group has in the first place got a strong partner in Germany and a possibility to become partner to the increasing number of companies that are expanding their business activity from Germany to Central and East European region.
Further, thanks to our alliance with the “Baker Tilly International” network, TPA Group is perfectly connected at global level and is, therefore, in a position to offer top quality services in any significant business centre and region in the world.
Can you, please, explain what the TPA Group advantages are on the regional market?
Apart from Serbia, TPA Group is also operating in ten more countries in Central and South-East Europe: Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and in Hungary.
We are the biggest and best connected organization engaging in the mentioned type of activities in this part of Europe. Our business model involves the partnership of the head-office in Austria with local partners. Since the time when the first such arrangement was made about 20 years ago between the colleagues in Austria and Hungary, the experience gained in this period has shown that this is the best way for being successful on the local market. Also, our staff members meet regularly, exchange experiences and novelties from different areas. This explains why in each aspect of our operation one can see a combination of the local expertise and international experience.
It is worth mentioning that each company within the Group offers a possibility of conducting cooperation with their clients in English, but also in German. We are particularly proud of having in our team the staff members whose mother tongue is German, but also the local staff that have no difficulty in cooperating with the companies whose official language is German.
Tell us some more details about the Company’s “Face-to-Face Business” philosophy and strategy.
In dealing with our clients, we are addressing in a very practical way the challenges they are facing. We are here to listen to them, to analyze, propose alternatives, and point to the consequences of each of them. In this process we are behaving as partners, never trying to shift the risk of a business decision to the client only. We have self-confidence for taking attitudes and for sharing them with the client without excessive administering and in a reasonable timeframe.
What are the greatest challenges of ours clients in Serbia?
The challenges are very similar to those in the countries in the region, and I could hardly add something that the business community in Serbia is not aware of. Generally, the greatest challenge is how to achieve a stronger dynamics on our market, in terms of coming of new investors by way of „greenfield“ investments or by takeover of the existing companies or property of such companies. There is no better advertising propaganda for Serbia than the one that can be generated by satisfied investors whose investment is protected and profitable.
Tell us something more about the cooperation with the Faculty of Economics of Belgrade.
The Faculty of Economics of Belgrade is our natural partner. Most of our employees are graduates precisely of this Faculty. It has been for some time now that we have a formalized cooperation with the Faculty of Economics of Belgrade, and this is the framework that incorporates several aspects of cooperation. First of all, we offer to students two to three times a year a three-month practice in all our three departments (tax advice, accounting, audit), and a possibility of permanent employment.
Moreover, we have sponsored this year the female handball club of the Faculty. A few years ago we also supported the FREN (Foundation for Economic Science Development), whose founder is the Faculty and which is, inter alia, a publisher of “Kvartalni monitor“ (Quarterly Monitor).
In other words, we are trying to have a two-way cooperation, and we are all the time at disposal of our Faculty partners when new forms of cooperation are concerned.
Where do you see TPA in five years?
TPA will in five years be at this same „position“, it will continue to be a link between the investors and the state, and will contribute to making an even more attractive business ambiance.
Read interview with Thomas Haneder here.