ASEAN desk

In your internationalisation plan, starting with the right structure to meet your business goals is of utmost importance. We are able to assist in the following:

• Advice on tax-effective shareholding and sales structures
• Incorporation of local and offshore companies
• Setting up representative or branch offices
• Application for business licences and work passes
• Local accounting, payroll and other business support
• Provision of nominee directors and shareholders
• Other non-corporate business registration
• Setting up IT infrastructure and reporting system
• Opening and managing bank accounts
• Assistance in search for office premises and recruitment of staff
• Assistance in translation of documents

Businesses that lack the requisite managerial time and expertise to deal with internationalisation needs may do well to organise their compliance early. Ignorance of local laws is no excuse and the cost of non-compliance can be hefty. Besides, you want to avoid non-revenue generating activities such as dealing with fines, penalties and late filings.

We can be your independent compliance partner to give you peace of mind to run your business. You need to only deal with one dedicated point of contact for your global or regional compliance needs. This means:

• You save time in not dealing with various professionals in different countries.
• You minimise the risk of non-compliance or missed statutory filing requirements.
• Your business stays up to date with the latest regulatory changes.
• Your staff need not learn and relearn the technicalities of doing business in various jurisdictions.

Foreign investors keen on expanding their business internationally rely on us to give them the clarity and traction needed to get started without delays.

• Advice on appropriate entry strategy
• Preparation of business plan
• Advice on appropriate corporate structure and jurisdiction
• Application for government licences (in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, India)
• Linking investors with relevant government bodies, professionals (e.g. lawyers and bankers) and business partners
• Raising funds from private equity market or financial institutions

Overseas growth prospects may attract risks and other concerns beyond what one may be accustomed to. How can you safeguard the value and reputation of your business when operating overseas? Can you manage and respond to a wider spectrum of business risks? Are you able to guide and influence the way your people conduct business overseas? Are you keeping an eye on regulatory governance, by introducing best-in-class ethical and commercially accepted standards? How assured are you that transactions are conducted in a consistent manner to give predictable outcomes?

Our Risk Management and Advisory specialists can assist in performing:

• Optimisation of corporate governance structure to improve governance effectiveness
• Deployment of anti-bribery and anti-corruption programmes, including alignment of practices and training to your extended workforce
• Enterprise-wide risk advisory to assess the broader risk environment to deal with more uncertainty and disruption
• Internal control advisory, including review engagements, optimisation, streamlining and alignment initiatives

As an astute businessman, you want to minimise your tax exposures globally, and ensure that all possible incentives and treaty benefits are obtained. If you are in the e-commerce space, you need to also consider when your goods may attract indirect taxes, especially Goods & Services or value-added taxes. Further, you also want to ensure that your transactions with related parties are conducted at arm’s length, in accordance with international transfer pricing guidelines.

Our multidisciplinary experts in corporate tax, international tax planning and transfer pricing can help in:

• Tax planning for cross-border investments and transactions, including considerations on the OECD's proposals regarding Base Erosion and Profit Shifting ("BEPS")
• Transfer pricing advisory and documentation
• Tax planning for expatriates
• Efficient structuring of employment packages
• Asset protection planning and estate planning
• Corporate tax advice and compliance