European chamber examines Asean tax structures
European chamber examines Asean tax structures
The European Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Lao PDR (ECCIL) together with DFDL Legal & Tax and Allen & Gledhill (Laos) Co., Ltd organised a seminar on the Asean Economic Community 2015 (AEC) on tax structuring and arbitration in Vientiane yesterday.
The seminar cover ed cross border tax structuring between Asean countries and between Asean and EU countries from a Laos perspective, looking at what the options are for Lao companies planning to do business in the AEC countries.
It also examined the prospects for foreign investors planning to do business in Laos and Asean took a look at selected tax systems including Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.
Case studies were presented on how to structure an investment in a tax efficient way in selected countries, tax aspects regarding the movement of Lao based employees and professionals to others AEC countries, the taxation of the repatriation of profits to and from Laos, tax planning for selling investments in AEC, and whether it makes sense to use a Lao Company to invest in other Asean countries.
The presentation also covered the general legal framework for foreign investment and international trade, together with the methods of dispute resolution applicable for foreign investment and international trade.
The speakers were Jack Sheehan, Partner at the Regional Tax Practice Group, DFDL, Mr Rupert Haw, Managing Director of DFDL and Mr. Sivath Sengdouangchanh, Managing Director of Allen & Glehill ( a legal representation and advisory service).
About 30 participants from the Lao and international business community as well as from consulates, bilateral and multilateral organisations attended the event.
The event was supported by the Lao-German Development Cooperation progamme “Human Resource Development for a Market Economy” which is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaftfür Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
