About

A Note from the Founder

AsiaTax Blog is dedicated to those working, studying or having an interest in Asia tax and Asian tax systems.

AsiaTax Blog seeks to provide timely updates on developments in Asia tax as well as issues of relevance to Asia tax practitioners (e.g. available tax roles, people on the move, conference details).

AsiaTax Blog also seeks to promote and facilitate Asia tax research and scholarship.

AsiaTax Blog is not a blog that seeks to offer personal views or advice on Asia tax or Asia tax policy issues. We leave that to others.

The focus of AsiaTax blog, both in its permanent pages & links and daily news & information, is on the information needs of students, practitioners, teachers and those with an interest in Asia tax. It is hoped is that AsiaTax Blog will be used as part of their daily routine.

At the end of the day though the success or otherwise of AsiaTax Blog is not simply a matter of its acceptance by the Asia tax community but by the willingness of the community to actively participate in building AsiaTax Blog as a single reference point for matters pertaining to Asia tax and Asian tax systems.

To this end readers of AsiaTax Blog should feel free to contribute posts, materials, research resources etc.

The Founder

AsiaTax Blog was founded in October, 2007 by Michael Velten.

Michael is an experienced Asia – Pacific tax practitioner having worked in chartered accountancy, law, and financial services in Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Why Blog?

The case for blogging taxation is discussed in:

Fleischer, Victor and Kahn, Jeffrey H., “A Taxing Blog: The Uneasy Case for Blogging Taxation” (April, 2003) Columbia Law and Economics Working Paper No. 223

The Uneasy Case for Blogging Taxation

In the case of the Founder his motivation for blogging Asia Tax is captured succinctly in Fleischer and Kahn’s paper:

“[A]s shameless tax nerds we feel a right – nay, a solemn duty – to introduce the world of tax policy (and in the case of the Founder, to Asia Tax) to the blogosphere”.

Contributors

Michael Velten – Founder, AsiaTax Blog

WH Baik – Partner, Kim & Chang, Seoul, South Korea

Ben Lim – Managing Director, Intercontinental Trust, Mauritius

Jason Barnes – Senior Associate, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Melbourne, Australia

Professor Andrew Halkyard – Faculty of Law: The University of Hong Kong

Marc M. Levey – Partner, Baker & McKenzie, New York

Michael Olesnicky – Partner, Baker & McKenzie, Hong Kong

Associate Professor Stephen Phua Lye Huat – Faculty of Law: National University of Singapore

Larry Sussman – Partner, O’Melveny & Myers, Beijing, PRC

Caroline Tsui – Director and Co-founder, Mint Tax Consulting Limited, Hong Kong

Walker Wallace – Partner, O’Melveny & Myers, Shanghai, PRC

David Wood – Partner, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Melbourne, Australia

Yeoh Lian Chuan – Partner, Rajah & Tann, Singapore

Copyright

AsiaTax Blog is copyright. Apart from any reasonable dealing for the purpose of education, research or review no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from AsiaTax Blog (asiatax.blog@gmail.com).

Copyright in articles/papers posted in the “Articles” section of AsiaTax Blog rests with the copyright holder of that material. AsiaTax Blog is granted permission to post the material.

Disclaimer

Opinions expressed in AsiaTax Blog by contributors are done so in their personal capacity. Neither Michael Velten, as Founder of AsiaTax Blog, nor the contributors to AsiaTax Blog accept responsibility for the views or the accuracy of information published in this Blog. AsiaTax Blog does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice and is not a substitution for the obtaining of professional advice.