International Tax Law is an area that is still only minimally covered in graduate and postgraduate law and economics programmes. Its importance in both the public and the private sectors has grown enormously in the past two decades.
The programme has been designed to provide in-depth training for lawyers with an economics background and economists with a legal orientation, who are interested in expanding their knowledge of the theory and practice of international tax law, with the emphasis on tax treaties, transfer pricing and EC tax law issues.

The overall objective of the Master’s of Advanced Studies in International Tax Law is to provide its students with the profound knowledge and insight to work in positions within the government and in the private sector that require high-level theoretical and operational knowledge of international and EC tax law.
The programme offers a high level of training in all aspects of international and EC tax law in a very demanding and comprehensive curriculum. Its students can be distinguished in three groups:

1. those who recently graduated from a university graduate law or economics programme with a substantial legal orientation,
2. those who have been in private (tax) law practice for some years, and
3. those who have worked in a (tax) position with a government (typically a Ministry of Finance or a Revenue Service).

The programme has been designed to provide in-depth training for lawyers with an economics background and economists with a legal orientation, who are interested in expanding their knowledge of the theory and practice of international tax law, with the emphasis on tax treaties, transfer pricing and EC tax law issues. In addition, students learn the most important cross-border features of domestic statutory law and case law of the Unites States and, to a limited extent, of The Netherlands. They are also made familiar with international planning techniques in the areas of both company taxation and estate taxation and planning. Further, in view of the multicultural differences among the students with regard to English drafting skills, specific attention is paid to the development of these skills, through courses and, finally, the thesis that has to be written.

Difference between Master’s of Advanced Studies programmes and regular LL.M. programmes

The Master’s of Advanced Studies programme aims to provide lawyers and other graduates with specialist knowledge in the field of tax law, with the objective of enhancing their career prospects, be it in private practice, with the government (executive or judiciary) or an international organisation, or in an academic environment as a teacher or researcher (PhD). The programme offers a comprehensive insight into the particular field of law which enables the programme participants to apply their knowledge in a multidisciplinary context and engage in intensive research.

The Master’s of Advanced Studies targets highly talented lawyers with relevant prior work experience in a national or international environment. The composition of the student body selected for the master’s classes stands as a guarantee for the high level of the master’s programme.

In comparison, the regular Leiden master’s programmes provide students in the last phase of their regular academic career with the possibility of specialising in specific areas of the law. By concentrating their academic efforts on certain key topics, students acquire a thorough understanding of their field of study

All Master’s of Advanced Studies courses are taught in English and thus prepare the participants for an international career