Ilkin Orujzade

With extensive experience across the public sector, Big Four advisory, technology, telecommunications, hospitality, real estate, construction, and other business sectors, Ilkin Orujzade provides practical and commercially focused advice on complex taxation matters.

Ilkin began his career at the State Tax Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan, where he served as a Chief Tax Inspector. During this period, he developed an in-depth understanding of Azerbaijani tax legislation, tax administration procedures, tax audits, and the practical approach applied by the tax authorities. This experience provided him with a strong foundation for identifying tax risks, managing tax inspections, and developing effective tax compliance strategies.

He subsequently joined EY Azerbaijan as a Tax Advisor, where he further strengthened his technical and advisory capabilities by assisting local and international clients with tax compliance, tax structuring, tax risk assessments, and the interpretation and application of Azerbaijani tax legislation. His experience at EY enabled him to combine technical tax knowledge with a commercial understanding of clients’ operations and business objectives.

Ilkin later served as Group Tax Advisor within the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, where he advised organizations operating in the information technology, telecommunications, transportation, and related sectors. In this role, he participated in the development of comprehensive tax policies, assessed the tax implications of business transactions, and worked closely with internal stakeholders to ensure both immediate tax efficiency and long-term financial sustainability.

Currently, Ilkin serves as Senior Tax Advisor at VLM & Partners, where he advises local and international clients on tax compliance, tax planning, tax risk management, and tax optimization across a wide range of industries, including hospitality, real estate development, construction, property management, tourism, retail, and other commercial sectors. He works closely with clients' management, finance, legal, accounting, and operational teams to develop practical, commercially driven, and tax-efficient solutions while ensuring full compliance with applicable tax legislation.

Throughout his career, Ilkin has conducted comprehensive tax audits and tax health checks aimed at identifying historical tax exposures, compliance deficiencies, unclaimed tax benefits, and opportunities for tax optimization. He has successfully supported businesses in the recovery and refund of overpaid taxes from the state budget by reviewing accounting and tax records, preparing the required supporting documentation, and managing communications with the relevant tax authorities.

Ilkin has provided tax advice to businesses operating across a wide range of sectors, including energy, telecommunications, information technology, construction, real estate, hospitality, tourism, retail, financial services, and professional services. His advisory experience includes corporate income tax, value-added tax, withholding tax, international taxation, double tax treaty applications, permanent establishment matters, tax implications of cross-border transactions, tax due diligence, tax audits, and dispute-related matters.