Piia Ahonen
Piia Ahonen
Piia Ahonen joined Hannes Snellman in January 2019. She heads our VAT and other indirect tax matters and client accounts in the fields of tax consultancy and tax controversy.
Piia has over 16 years of experience in Finnish and international indirect taxation. Previously, Piia worked for EY, and she has advised both Finnish and international clients in the automotive, real estate, and energy sectors, as well as the manufacturing and retail sectors. She also has experience in assisting non-profit organisations in VAT-related matters.
Piia is a well-known and popular lecturer in VAT topics relating to global trade, real estate, and general day-to-day VAT issues. In addition, she has published several articles on value added taxation.
From 2013 to 2019, Piia was a member of the Committee of Law and Tax of the Tampere Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Very quick to respond even in ad hoc cases, and it has always been pleasant to work with her.
Legal 500, 2023
References
Parties:
United Bankers’ UB Timberland Fund (AIF), Taaleri Forest Fund III LP
Transaction:
United Bankers’ UB Timberland Fund (AIF) agreed to acquire Taaleri Forest Fund III LP. The forests managed by Taaleri Forest Fund III comprise 19 forest properties covering in total a surface area of approximately 7,650 hectares of which more than 6,400 hectares is productive forest land.
Deal value:
Value not public
Role:
Counsel to United Bankers’ UB Timberland Fund (AIF)

Matti Lajunen

Panu Vikberg

Essi Peltoniemi

Klaus Metsä-Simola

Harri Vehviläinen

Marika Sorsa

Isabella Kartila

Piia Ahonen
Parties
Slättö Core Plus and PEAB
Transaction
Hannes Snellman acted as counsel to Slättö in the formation of a joint venture with PEAB regarding investments into residential housing in Finland.
Deal Value
Value not public
Role
Counsel to Slättö Core Plus

Mikael Stabo

Tuuli Pikkarainen

Andreas Wingren

Paavo Romakkaniemi

Heikki Vesikansa

Harri Vehviläinen

Piia Ahonen

Marika Sorsa

Isabella Kartila
Parties
Tencent (Investor), Vitruvian Partners (Co-Investor), Enfuce Financial Services Oy (Target)
Transaction
Counsel to Tencent in its further investment in Enfuce Financial Services, a leading European Card-as-a-Service (CaaS) platform for modern card issuing and processing, in connection with a EUR 45 million Series C investment round
Deal Value
EUR 45 million
Role
Counsel to Tencent

Tuire Kuronen

Johanna Haltia-Tapio

Anna Mäkinen

Piia Ahonen
Parties
Anora Group Plc (Altia Plc, Arcus ASA) and Galatea AB
Transaction
Required pre-closing divestment of Altia’s brands Skåne Akvavit, Hallands Fläder, and Brøndums and cognac brand Grönstedts (along with Arcus’s aquavit brand Akevitt Spesial and spirits brands S.P.R.T. and Dworek) to Galatea AB. The divestment to a suitable buyer was required by the Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish competition authorities as a condition to their approval of the merger between Altia and Arcus to form Anora Group.
Deal value
Not public
Role
Lead counsel to Altia Plc (Anora Group Plc)

Riikka Rannikko

Robert Gordin

Satu Kokko

Panu Siitonen

Mikko Huimala

Peter Forsberg

Essi Ellman

Piia Ahonen

Marika Sorsa
Parties
Quadoro Investment GmbH, EKE-Construction Ltd.
Transaction
Counsel to a fund managed by Quadoro Investment GmbH in an acquisition of an office property located in Espoo with a lettable area of approximately 4,200 square metres from the constructor EKE-Construction Ltd.
Deal Value
Value not public
Role
Counsel to Quadoro Investment GmbH

Tapio Teräkivi

Heikki Vesikansa

Marjaana Martikainen

Julia Ranta

Jenni Parviainen

Piia Ahonen

Marika Sorsa

Isabella Kartila
Parties
Quadoro Investment GmbH, YIT Construction Ltd.
Transaction
Counsel to a fund managed by Quadoro Investment GmbH in an acquisition of a MEUR 32 office property located in Järvenpää with a lettable area of approximately 6,500 square metres from YIT Construction Ltd
Deal Value
EUR 32 million
Role
Counsel to Quadoro Investment GmbH

Juha Lindström

Heikki Vesikansa

Marjaana Martikainen

Julia Ranta

Jenni Parviainen

Piia Ahonen

Marika Sorsa

Isabella Kartila
Parties
Virala Acquisition Company Plc
Transaction
Hannes Snellman acted as legal counsel to Virala Acquisition Company Plc on its IPO and the listing of its Class C shares on the SPAC segment of the regulated market of Nasdaq Helsinki
Deal Value
EUR 107.5 million
Role
Counsel to Virala Acquisition Company Plc

Sonja Siggberg

Anniina Järvinen

Sofi Lehtinen

Linnea Lehtonen

Tommi Kovero

Annemari Rosi

Aki Salmela

Heikki Vesikansa

Stefan Stellato

Isabella Kartila

Piia Ahonen

Marika Sorsa

Antti Nyberg (Alanko)

Tuomas Toivonen

Johanna Haltia-Tapio
Counsel to a taxpayer in the Supreme Administrative Court Yearbook case outlining VAT treatment of coworking services.

Piia Ahonen

Heikki Vesikansa
Parties
A fund managed by Quadoro Investment GmbH
Transaction
Acquisition of Hermia 5 and Hermia 6 office properties located in the Hermia Science Park in Tampere with a lettable area of approximately 30,000 square metres
Deal value
Value not public
Hannes role
Counsel to a fund managed by Quadoro Investment GmbH
Hannes team
Tapio Teräkivi, Heikki Vesikansa, Markus Bremer, Marjaana Martikainen, Jenni Parviainen, Piia Ahonen, Meeri Karlsson, Ella Rinne, Panu Vikberg, Linda Launonen, and Viivi Rousku.

Tapio Teräkivi

Heikki Vesikansa

Markus Bremer

Marjaana Martikainen

Jenni Parviainen

Piia Ahonen

Panu Vikberg

Viivi Vikberg
Parties
City of Espoo, Kumppanuuskoulut Oy, YIT Oyj, Meridiam Investments II
Transaction
The City of Espoo signed a service agreement with Kumppanuuskoulut Oy on the implementation of five schools and three daycare centres
Deal Value
Approx. EUR 300 million
Role
Counsel to City of Espoo
Team
Rabbe Sittnikow, Jussi Ekonen, Janna Pihanurmi, Janne Veneranta, Roosa Väre, Markus Bremer, Maria Landtman, Samuli Pirinen, Heikki Vesikansa, Harri Vehviläinen, Piia Ahonen, Joakim Lavér

Rabbe Sittnikow

Janna Pihanurmi

Janne Veneranta

Roosa Väre

Markus Bremer

Maria Landtman

Heikki Vesikansa

Harri Vehviläinen

Piia Ahonen

Joakim Lavér
Parties
DWS (buyer), Regenero (Seller)
Transaction
DWS's acquisition of the Accountor Tower, a 24,000 sq. m. office development in Keilaniemi, Espoo, from YIT and HGR Property Partners’ joint venture Regenero
Deal Value
Value not public
Role
Counsel to DWS

Tapio Teräkivi

Tuuli Pikkarainen

Panu Vikberg

Noora Britschgi

Heikki Vesikansa

Jenni Parviainen

Piia Ahonen
Counsel in Supreme Administrative Court case confirming real estate investor’s right to deduct VAT on transaction expenses

Heikki Vesikansa

Piia Ahonen
Counsel to a taxpayer receiving confirmation that a transfer of a business at an early stage qualifies as a transfer of a going concern for VAT purposes.

Piia Ahonen

Heikki Vesikansa

Jenni Parviainen
The Finnish Supreme Administrative Court issued a resolution concerning the VAT treatment of intermediary services to Finnish students aiming to study abroad in the U.S. Piia Ahonen successfully defended the client’s position through instances, and the resolution issued by the Supreme Administrative Court as a yearbook decision finally confirms that the client’s position is right and that the tax assessments were unlawful. The intermediary services are not subject to Finnish VAT due to the fact that the client acted as an intermediary between U.S. schools and Finnish students in relation to U.S.-based education and accommodation services that are not taxed in Finland.

Piia Ahonen
Rankings
- Piia Ahonen has shown great dedication and professionalism in the co-operation I have had with her. She has been very quick to respond even in ad hoc cases, and it has always been pleasant to work with her.", Tax, Legal 500, 2023
- "Piia Ahonen is very experienced and theoretically strong in VAT matters.", Tax, Legal 500, 2022
- "Specialist partner Piia Ahonen is very technically skilled within the field of VAT and indirect taxation, where she is second to none. Further, she has a great team of talented practitioners.", Tax, Legal 500, 2021
- Ranked as a Leading Individual in Tax Finland, Legal 500, 2021-2022
- Ranked "highly regarded", Indirect Tax Leaders Guide 2019
Memberships and Positions of Trust
- Member of the Finnish Bar Association
Education and Professional Background
- Specialist Partner, Hannes Snellman 2019-
- Senior Tax Manager (Local Partner 2015) Ernst & Young Oy, 2005-2019
- Tax Clerk, Tax Office for Major Corporations, 2004-2005
- Tax Clerk, Local Tax Office of Helsinki, 2002-2004
- Trained on the Bench, District Court of Mikkeli, 2001-2002
- Tax Auditor, Local Tax Office of Helsinki, 2001
- Master of Laws, University of Helsinki, 2001
- University of Stockholm, 1999
- Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration, 1999