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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

Deloitte is led by national service line leader John Womack. The firm has experienced grown over the last year, and now employs 87 partners and more than 550 fee earners.Despite a sluggish global economy, the last 12 months have seen several wins for ... [more]

Deloitte is led by national service line leader John Womack. The firm has experienced grown over the last year, and now employs 87 partners and more than 550 fee earners.

Despite a sluggish global economy, the last 12 months have seen several wins for Deloitte's tax team. Michael De Palo, Peter Madden, and Jonathan Bernsen won a competitive bid to provide the global tax services for the next three years for Brambles in the support service firm's' top 20 countries. The project's expected value is between $3 million and $5 million a year.

In March 2011, Harold Payne and Anita Paddock won the account for Woodside Petroleum. The team used a newly developed software tool called 'Tax Cube' to help scope out all the local and global tax risks across the business.

Gordon Thring, Jon Graham, and Michael Roche advised BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance in the largest outsourced customs advisory contract in Australia. The initial engagement is for one year, but it is anticipated that the contract will be renewed for the next five years.

Under the leadership of Joseph Tse, Deloitte has strengthened its position in a difficult and competitive environment, launching its 15th office in China. Despite the uncertainty in the global economy, the firm continues to invest in growth and is looking ... [more]

Under the leadership of Joseph Tse, Deloitte has strengthened its position in a difficult and competitive environment, launching its 15th office in China. Despite the uncertainty in the global economy, the firm continues to invest in growth and is looking to recruit tax professionals.

The firm invested resources into setting up the Asia Pacific International Core of Excellence (AP ICE) in Hong Kong. Since its launch, AP ICE includes 21 senior tax professionals from 13 countries, and has established its name both domestically and overseas.

Over the last year, Deloitte aligned its specialised service lines across all member firms globally into business tax, cross-border tax, indirect tax, and global employer services. Aside from providing a clearer signal to the market about the services offered, the alignment has enabled the firm to effectively mobilise the right people across borders to serve client needs.

Sarah Chin, praised for her "solid technical skills, responsiveness and professionalism" by a client, is the indirect tax lead partner. Chin was on the team that identified an opportunity to reduce a client's VAT liability that was more than $1 million. The team interpreted an old circular in a different way and obtained a favourable decision from the tax authorities within a week. The client has since engaged Deloitte for advice on its headquarters and five entities across China.

Led by managing partner Ryan Chang, Deloitte offers its expertise to clients in the areas of business tax, international tax, M&A, transfer pricing, and tax controversy.The firm set up the Asia Pacific International Core of Excellence (AP ICE) in Hong ... [more]

Led by managing partner Ryan Chang, Deloitte offers its expertise to clients in the areas of business tax, international tax, M&A, transfer pricing, and tax controversy.

The firm set up the Asia Pacific International Core of Excellence (AP ICE) in Hong Kong in 2010. Since its launch, AP ICE has grown to include 21 senior tax professionals from 13 countries, and has built up its reputation both domestically and overseas.

The AP ICE team advised a US listed company headquartered in Asia on its international expansion into Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the US, using planning techniques hinging on treaty benefits and business incentives in several countries. The team designed a tax efficient structure that could use various treaty benefits with maximum flexibility.

Chang, along with Lili Zheng, managing director of Deloitte AP ICE US, provided international tax advice to a foreign client with a substantial presence in China to optimise its supply chain and overall tax efficiency. The pair used a reverse hybrid entity in combination with other planning ideas involving Chinese, Hong Kong, European countries and the US, to help the client achieve its objectives.

Partner Kaiser Kwan leads a field audit and tax investigation team that closely explores Hong Kong and Chinese tax controversy trends and developments.

For several years running, Deloitte has expanded the size of its tax team at senior level. Head of tax M Lakshminarayanan has been growing the practice through lateral hiring, in particular. Joining from the revenue authorities in January 2011, independent ... [more]

For several years running, Deloitte has expanded the size of its tax team at senior level. Head of tax M Lakshminarayanan has been growing the practice through lateral hiring, in particular. Joining from the revenue authorities in January 2011, independent counsel Girish Dave is a key addition to the team with his relationships with and knowledge of government authorities.

Senior director Hemal Mehta advised both a global US-based private equity fund on its investment in an Indian thermal power generating company, and on chemical manufacturer Rhodia's investment in polymer compounding firm PI Industries. The transactions involved tax due diligence services and tax structuring.

Clients include some of the largest firms in industry sectors including petroleum, vehicle manufacturing, steel manufacturing, an airline company, infrastructure finance, hotels and IT services.

Deloitte's tax practice is led by Firdaus Asikin. The seven partners and 87 fee earners in the team offer the range of tax services expected of a big-four firm.Charles Oetomo and Jeklira Tampubolon advised a large multinational on a dispute involving ... [more]

Deloitte's tax practice is led by Firdaus Asikin. The seven partners and 87 fee earners in the team offer the range of tax services expected of a big-four firm.

Charles Oetomo and Jeklira Tampubolon advised a large multinational on a dispute involving customs duty, VAT, income tax on imports, and a penalty of 1,000% of the tax owed. The client faced a customs audit with a large assessment because the royalty paid to its six subsidiaries was added to the customs value.

Oetomo and Tampubolon searched for acceptable alternatives to justify that the royalty payment should not be included in the customs value. Using the WTO and World Customs Organisation agreement guidelines, global customs practices and Indonesian customs authority guidelines, the pair won the argument for the client.

Deloitte Tohmatsu Tax Co has 14 offices in Japan. Under the leadership of Koji Nishibori, the firm maintains a strong reputation as a leader for corporate tax services, international tax strategies and reorganisation consulting.In June 2010, the firm ... [more]

Deloitte Tohmatsu Tax Co has 14 offices in Japan. Under the leadership of Koji Nishibori, the firm maintains a strong reputation as a leader for corporate tax services, international tax strategies and reorganisation consulting.

In June 2010, the firm launched the Asia Pacific International Core of Excellence (AP ICE) in Hong Kong. The unit includes 21 senior tax professionals from 13 countries, including Japan. The team is establishing its name both domestically and overseas.

The firm advises Japanese and multinational companies. Domestically, the firm works with about 17% of listed companies in Japan, and more than 80% of Japanese groups quoted in the Fortune 500.

Yee Wing Peng heads Deloitte's tax practice comprising 13 partners and 276 other fee earners.Theresa Goh oversees the transfer pricing team. Goh and Lim Pheak Buen advised a client in negotiating and concluding the first-ever APA in Malaysia, which will ... [more]

Yee Wing Peng heads Deloitte's tax practice comprising 13 partners and 276 other fee earners.

Theresa Goh oversees the transfer pricing team. Goh and Lim Pheak Buen advised a client in negotiating and concluding the first-ever APA in Malaysia, which will give the company certainty about their intercompany pricing, while helping them avoid transfer pricing audits and hefty penalties.

Goh and Sim Kwang Gek were hired by a multinational oil and gas company to explore the possibilities of obtaining a tax incentive for its planned setup of operational headquarters in Malaysia for the group. The pair developed a strategic approach and convinced the authorities that there were merits for the tax incentive. Approval for a 10-year tax holiday for the client was granted in March 2011.

Led by Thomas Pippos with Teresa Farac and Ross Milne, the Deloitte tax practice employs 26 partners and 129 fee earners. Several new senior hires have joined the firm, including Patrick McCalman in November 2010, previously the head of tax at ANZ bank.The ... [more]

Led by Thomas Pippos with Teresa Farac and Ross Milne, the Deloitte tax practice employs 26 partners and 129 fee earners. Several new senior hires have joined the firm, including Patrick McCalman in November 2010, previously the head of tax at ANZ bank.

The firm made three internal promotions to the partnership in 2011: Annalie Hampton and Darren Johnson in Auckland and Don MacKenzie in Christchurch.

Diana Maitland leads the 16-person transfer pricing team. The group includes a member who has worked in the IRD's transfer pricing unit, offering Deloitte new insights into the way government authorities operate.

The transfer pricing team was heavily involved in discussions with the tax authorities on the setup of numerous advance pricing agreements (APAs). The group also discussed a range of other issues including the pricing of significant contested financing transactions, the provision of market support to overseas subsidiaries and the impact of recessionary losses on transfer pricing positions.

Richard Lapres leads Deloitte's tax team comprising one other partner and 35 fee earners. The firm's services include domestic and international corporate tax, transactional tax, indirect tax, compliance, tax management and transfer pricing.Fredieric ... [more]

Richard Lapres leads Deloitte's tax team comprising one other partner and 35 fee earners. The firm's services include domestic and international corporate tax, transactional tax, indirect tax, compliance, tax management and transfer pricing.

Fredieric Landicho and Emmanuel Ernesto Cruz advised a client on the closure of its branch office and the transfer of its after-sales services to its subsidiary, also in the Philippines. The pair identified the expense items that were directly attributed to the third-party after-sales service income of the branch, and then applied the net cost-plus ratio to arrive at the branch's mark-up. In the absence of formal transfer pricing regulations in the Philippines, the three-year weighted average mark-up was used to approximate the arm's-length price for the after-sales services. The matter may require a full transfer pricing documentation study.

Deloitte has also conducted VAT and customs compliance reviews for several clients.

Ajit Prabhu heads the tax department at Deloitte, comprising 17 partners and more than 160 fee earners. Partner Steven Yap joined from Ernst & Young in September 2010 to head the M&A tax advisory team. Steve Towers is the leader of the firm's Asia-Pacific ... [more]

Ajit Prabhu heads the tax department at Deloitte, comprising 17 partners and more than 160 fee earners. Partner Steven Yap joined from Ernst & Young in September 2010 to head the M&A tax advisory team. Steve Towers is the leader of the firm's Asia-Pacific international tax practice and works in Singapore and Hong Kong, where the firm's Asia Pacific international core of excellence is located, while Sum Yee Loong is recognised in the tax community for his expertise in corporate tax structuring, M&A and international tax planning.

The See Jee Chang-led transfer pricing practice advises on regional transfer pricing planning strategies, including the structuring of clients' intellectual property portfolios, service charges and inter-company loans and guarantees to achieve tax efficiency. The group has also successfully negotiated several unilateral and bilateral APAs.

The firm is advising a client on distressed debt investments requiring the unlocking of prospective cash flows through a tax-optimised business model. This involves converting a full-fledged operator into an arm's length toll operator with a hybrid cross-border tax-effective supply chain model to maximise the overall after-tax yield. The deal, worth $1 billion, is being worked on by professionals from a variety of Deloitte's tax practice areas, such as Prabhu and Yap from M&A, Chang and Wong Chee Ming from transfer pricing, Richard Mackender from indirect tax, and Bob Fletcher from customs and global trade.

As head of Deloitte Anjin's tax practice, Jung Hee Lee has added more than 20 senior professionals to the team over the last 12 months. Kyung Ho Kim and Yong Chan Lee have been promoted to partner. Kim is part of the firm's new Asia Pacific International ... [more]

As head of Deloitte Anjin's tax practice, Jung Hee Lee has added more than 20 senior professionals to the team over the last 12 months. Kyung Ho Kim and Yong Chan Lee have been promoted to partner. Kim is part of the firm's new Asia Pacific International Core of Excellence (AP ICE) team specialising in international tax, while Lee is known for his transfer pricing work.

The international tax team identifies suitable tax exemption rules for its multinational clients investing in South Korea and helps them meet the requirements to receive these tax benefits.

Sang Hoon Baek is restructuring a large private equity client's cross-border investment holding structure to optimise tax efficiencies. By analysing the tax treaty and laws and regulations, Baek provided the client with a new scheme, providing an opportunity to reduce the tax effect. Deloitte Anjin worked closely with the AP ICE team on this project since tax issues in several countries were involved.

Deloitte in Taiwan is bouncing back well from the global economic downturn, achieving double digit revenue growth in international tax, transfer pricing, and tax dispute work compared to last year. Al Chang heads the tax team of 20 partners and 320 fee ... [more]

Deloitte in Taiwan is bouncing back well from the global economic downturn, achieving double digit revenue growth in international tax, transfer pricing, and tax dispute work compared to last year. Al Chang heads the tax team of 20 partners and 320 fee earners. Bruce Lan joined from the Ministry of Economic Affairs in January 2011, while Judy Hsu and Jonathan Chen were promoted to partner in June 2011.

Robert Chen advised a client on a variety of issues to do with the Taiwan-Israel double tax agreement. Chen also successfully helped the client save about $7.2 million in withholding tax over a two year period.

The demand for the practice's transfer pricing services is increasing. They include risk analysis, methodology selection, economic analysis and compliance reports.

The Thomas McClelland-led tax practice at Deloitte comprises four partners and 76 others, and is building its reputation in the region to make the firm a stiff first-tier competitor.McClelland and Dion Thai advised a client on the $159 million private ... [more]

The Thomas McClelland-led tax practice at Deloitte comprises four partners and 76 others, and is building its reputation in the region to make the firm a stiff first-tier competitor.

McClelland and Dion Thai advised a client on the $159 million private equity acquisition of Vietnam's leading producer of fish, soya and noodles. It was one of the largest in Vietnam to date. The pair provided Vietnamese and offshore tax structuring and due diligence advice.

Deloitte is advising a client on all direct and indirect tax aspects of its investment, and seeking corporate tax incentives. Worth $1 billion, this is the largest foreign investment into Vietnam in 2011.