The 2016/17 ASEAN Tax Comparator – New Issue of ASEAN Briefing Magazine

The latest issue of ASEAN Briefing Magazine, titled “The 2016/17 ASEAN Tax Comparator“, is out now and available to subscribers as a complimentary download in the Asia Briefing Bookstore through the month of June.

In this issue of ASEAN Briefing: 

• An Introduction to Taxation in ASEAN
• ASEAN Tax Rate Comparator
• Putting Rates into Perspective: ASEAN’s Compliance Landscape in 2016 and Beyond 

Following the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community, investment opportunities within the Association of South East Asian Nations have never been greater. As reductions in trade barriers have been implemented, the resulting equity in ASEAN’s trading environment has placed increasing pressure on members to differentiate themselves from one another through alternative means. Taxation, having been left out of regional integration accords, has rapidly emerged as a centerpiece of many national competitiveness strategies. The resulting drive to attract investment through adjustments in rates of taxation, in addition to creating a stimulating environment for foreign investors, has also had the added effect of slowly bringing regional taxation regimes into sync.

As ASEAN continues its process towards full integration, those companies able to assess taxation and implement investment strategies accordingly will be well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the 10 nation bloc. With our specialized business intelligence, tax and compliance, and market entry knowledge within ASEAN, Dezan Shira & Associates is well positioned to assist companies in their efforts to survey their options within the region, and establish their operations to take advantage of Asia’s newest growth markets. 

In this edition of ASEAN Briefing, we discuss the importance of taxation within ASEAN, while highlighting the differences between individual member states on a variety of fronts. We examine trends within regional taxation, compare rates of corporate, indirect, and withholdings taxation, and present an overview of the compliance environments found across the region. Finally, we analyze ASEAN’s tax rates in the context of the time and documentation required to achieve compliance, and showcase the role that residency definitions can play in determining operational exposure to taxation.

Annual Audit and Compliance in ASEAN
For the first issue of our ASEAN Briefing Magazine, we look at the different audit and compliance regulations of five of the main economies in ASEAN. We firstly focus on the accounting standards, filing processes, and requirements for Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. We then provide similar information on Singapore, and offer a closer examination of the city-state’s generous audit exemptions for small-and-medium sized enterprises.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and its Impact on Asian Markets
The United States backed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) includes six Asian economies – Australia, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, while Indonesia has expressed a keen willingness to join. However, the agreement’s potential impact will affect many others, not least of all China. In this issue of Asia Briefing magazine, we examine where the TPP agreement stands right now, look at the potential impact of the participating nations, as well as examine how it will affect Asian economies that have not been included.

An Introduction to Tax Treaties Throughout Asia
In this issue of Asia Briefing Magazine, we take a look at the various types of trade and tax treaties that exist between Asian nations. These include bilateral investment treaties, double tax treaties and free trade agreements – all of which directly affect businesses operating in Asia.

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