Keywords: Niobium / Tantalum / Halides / Amide / P=O ligands / X-ray structureThe reactions of niobium and tantalum pentahalides, MX 5 , with dialkylureas (tetramethyl-and tetraethylurea, TMU and TEU, respectively), amides (N,N,dimethylformamide, DMF, N,N-diethylformamide, DEF, N-phenylacetamide, PhA), and P=O-containing compounds (triphenylphosphane oxide, TPPO, and trimethyl phosphate, TMP) are not dependent on the reactant to metal molar ratio, and afford hexacoordinate complexes of the general formula MX 5 (L). The only exception is given by the reaction of TaBr 5 with TMU, which proceeds by bromide migration from one metal center to another, and provides the ionic adduct [TaBr 4 (TMU) 2 ][TaBr 6 ].