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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

Despite the downturn, Deloitte has sustained an active role in the Taiwanese tax community, with a primary focus in transfer pricing. Eunice Kuo and Mike Chang are both recognised as leading transfer pricing specialists. Yunis Qua has also been highlighted ... [more]

Despite the downturn, Deloitte has sustained an active role in the Taiwanese tax community, with a primary focus in transfer pricing. Eunice Kuo and Mike Chang are both recognised as leading transfer pricing specialists. Yunis Qua has also been highlighted for transfer pricing.

The firm, which is led by Al Chang, has assisted clients in M&A structuring and due diligence as well as disputes and controversy.

Al Chang, Albert Chou and Kathy Lin all worked on two transactions that revolved around global restructuring. The first project involved helping a client, a large Taiwanese software company, increase its after-tax cash flows by asserting certain positions in connection with the characterisation of payments for software licences. The trio also assisted the client in applying for a tax exemption on the buy-in amount and the purchase price paid for any acquired IP. In the second project, the team suggested an alternative structure to mitigate possible withholding taxes on cash distributions for the client, a Taiwan semiconductor company.

Like its big-four rivals, KPMG has not brought in new members to the tax team, but has utilised itsexisting team to work on some large transactions. The firm has been involved in providing tax and transfer pricing advisory work for a client's overseas ... [more]

Like its big-four rivals, KPMG has not brought in new members to the tax team, but has utilised itsexisting team to work on some large transactions. The firm has been involved in providing tax and transfer pricing advisory work for a client's overseas operations. The project involved a review of the client's value chain and, accordingly, proposed alternatives to the re-allocation of the functions and risks ensuring that the profit allocation of the client's regional operations is in line with the group's overall economic performance to reduce the risk of double taxation.

Although the downturn has hit the market hard in Taiwan, PricewaterhouseCoopers has appointed three new partners. Wendy Chiu and Elaine Hsieh have been promoted from director and focus on transfer pricing and M&A respectively. Philine Lee was poached ... [more]

Although the downturn has hit the market hard in Taiwan, PricewaterhouseCoopers has appointed three new partners. Wendy Chiu and Elaine Hsieh have been promoted from director and focus on transfer pricing and M&A respectively. Philine Lee was poached from rivals Ernst & Young and works within the firm's international tax department.

Lily Hsu worked tirelessly last year and managed to overturn a court ruling on input VAT deductibility for an international airline regarding crew lodging expenses in Taiwan. The tax authorities claimed that the crew was on the payroll of the branch's headquarters and thus the expenses were distinct from the operations of the Taiwan branch. The firm overturned this ruling and it has consequently saved the airline industry large amounts of tax and penalties.

Financial services expert Richard Watanabe is well-respected by his peers and regularly represents clients in transfer pricing work.

Baker & McKenzie is one of the leading law firms in Taiwan thanks to having a team of certified public accountants available at their disposal. The benefit of this is that the firm can handle all aspects of tax work. Dennis Lee has been commended by ... [more]

Baker & McKenzie is one of the leading law firms in Taiwan thanks to having a team of certified public accountants available at their disposal. The benefit of this is that the firm can handle all aspects of tax work. Dennis Lee has been commended by peers for his "vast tax experience". Lee was involved in the $200 million acquisition of a US company by Prime View International, a Taiwanese listed company. Lee handled the cross-border structure and successfully navigated complicated US M&A tax issues.

Partner Michael Wong utilises his experience from the US tax market to help clients handle transactions into and out of the US.

Ernst & Young provides a full range of tax services and has been involved in a number of M&A, transfer pricing and controversy transactions over the past year.One client, a US company, contemplated the acquisition of properties of a Taiwan company. Initially, ... [more]

Ernst & Young provides a full range of tax services and has been involved in a number of M&A, transfer pricing and controversy transactions over the past year.

One client, a US company, contemplated the acquisition of properties of a Taiwan company. Initially, it was expected that significant tax costs would be triggered in this transaction; however, the firm assisted to reduce the tax costs and successfully negotiate a better term for the purchase agreement. This negotiation saved the client $23 million in tax.

George Chou and Rebecca Coke lead the firms' transfer pricing team, which is made up of around 30 professionals.

Lee & Li is one of the larger law firms in Taiwan and is becoming a realistic competitor against the big-four accountancy firms. The 30 tax specialists in the group are either attorneys or CPA or both.Frank Lin is the tax practice leader and has been ... [more]

Lee & Li is one of the larger law firms in Taiwan and is becoming a realistic competitor against the big-four accountancy firms. The 30 tax specialists in the group are either attorneys or CPA or both.

Frank Lin is the tax practice leader and has been commended by his fellow tax practitioners. Working with Leo Tsai, Lin represented a leading metal company in tax disputes over the deductibility of bad debts. Lin secured favourable judgements from the Administrative High Court.

Josephine Peng also obtained a favourable court ruling in the firm's representation of Mediatek. The company was involved in a dispute over the calculation of the tax benefits of a five-year tax holiday. This is the first judgment that states that the calculation of the tax benefits of a five-year tax holiday should be based on the regulations in effect when the last, instead of the first, of the three required approvals is obtained for applying the five-year tax holiday.

Jones Day is a law firm that has a long reputation for being involved in some of the country's larger M&A transactions and regularly represents clients in the motor industry. Despite the slowdown, partner William Hsu has got his head down and continued ... [more]

Jones Day is a law firm that has a long reputation for being involved in some of the country's larger M&A transactions and regularly represents clients in the motor industry. Despite the slowdown, partner William Hsu has got his head down and continued to push through transactions. Hsu advised Walsin Lihwa on their IP-driven acquisition of a US high-tech company. Hsu, along with Jack Huang and Tommy Chen, advised Newbridge on their acquisition of Taiwan's largest cable TV multi-system operator.

PuHua & Associates is the correspondent law firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. In addition to having its own tax law practice, it works closely with the big-four firm on tax controversy.

Jennifer Lin at Tsar & Tsai has been involved in some of the firm's larger transactions over the past 12 months. She represented Hitachi in its application for income tax exemption on patent licensing royalties payable by various Taiwanese licences. ... [more]

Jennifer Lin at Tsar & Tsai has been involved in some of the firm's larger transactions over the past 12 months. She represented Hitachi in its application for income tax exemption on patent licensing royalties payable by various Taiwanese licences. She also provided arguments to the tax authorities to grant an exemption for profit-seeking enterprise income tax on the goods exported by a leading Taiwanese high-tech company.

Jackie Lin and Janice Lin represented China Mobile in its acquisition of around 12% equity stake in Far Easton Telecommunications. This was the first-announced direct investment by China based company into a Taiwan listed company.