Martin Walbeck heads the tax practice of Ernst & Young in South Africa which has offices in five locations across the country. Justin Liebenberg leads the firm's international tax service line while Gary Miller is head of M&A tax, both of which have ...
[more]
Martin Walbeck heads the tax practice of Ernst & Young in South Africa which has offices in five locations across the country. Justin Liebenberg leads the firm's international tax service line while Gary Miller is head of M&A tax, both of which have been busy areas for the firm this year. The tax department has grown significantly in the last 12 months, with four partners and three other fee earners joining the practice. Particularly notable is transfer pricing specialist Karen Miller who joined from SARS and has bolstered the firm's transfer pricing capability. The firm has recently secured a number of big-name clients comprising both multinational and South African companies. Particularly notable is IBM which has appointed Ernst & Young as lead adviser for its corporate income tax, indirect tax compliance and withholding tax compliance across 16 countries in Africa. The firm expects this to encompass many issues of international tax and structuring as well as issues relevant to the specific types of tax at issue. Other clients include Sasol, SABMiller, BT, Vodacom and Unilever Singapore. The team has also advised Wal-Mart this year on the tax considerations and implications of its purchase of a 51% stake of Massmart South Africa. The firm has increased its visibility in the market with such transactions, as competitors say they have noted Ernst & Young more frequently than in previous years.
[hide]