KPMG LLP announced it won across 15 premier national and regional categories at the ITR Asia Tax Awards 2020 organized by financial information services company Euromoney Plc.
KPMG was the biggest winner at the prestigious awards, garnering widespread national and regional recognition, the auditing firm said in a statement.
“The firm’s prowess in tax earned it a total of 15 awards, including team wins in the coveted ‘Asia Firm of the Year’ category as well as in key tax, innovation, compliance and reporting and mobility categories.”
At a national level, the KPMG team in Hong Kong scooped wins across both the transfer pricing and tax disputes categories for the third year running. KPMG in Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam also completed a hat-trick of tax prize victories, winning as ‘Tax Firm of the Year” for the third consecutive year (2018, 2019, and now 2020). KPMG firms in China and Singapore have been recognized as Firm of the Year 2020 in their respective countries.
KPMG International Cooperative local member KPMG R. G. Manabat & Co. was nominated in three country categories but lost to SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan Law Office as Philippines Tax Firm of the Year, Deloitte Philippines (Navarro Amper & Co.) as Philippines Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year and Zambrano Gruba Caganda & Advincula Law Office as Philippines Tax Disputes Firm of the Year.
David Linke, incoming Global Head of Tax & Legal for KPMG, and currently its Head in Asia Pacific, was quoted in a statement as saying “that KPMG has been recognized as the Asia Tax Firm of the Year by ITR speaks volumes of the confidence our clients have in us, and of the quality of advice we provide.”
“Our support of and investment in innovative solutions and technology have benefited our clients and equipped our employees with even more opportunities to help organizations to contribute back to society in the form of responsible tax,” Linke said. “I’m very proud of our people for their achievements.”
KPMG also scooped two inaugural awards, one for “Asia Diversity & Inclusion Firm of the Year,” and the other in the individual category for “Asia Indirect Tax Practice Leader of the Year,” awarded to Lachlan Wolfers, a KPMG partner in China.
Wolfers, who is KPMG’s Global and Asia Pacific Head of Indirect Tax Services, said of the award: “When I began my career, indirect taxes only applied sporadically across the Asia Pacific region, and in some respects was a mere afterthought.”
“However, it is clear that indirect taxes are now becoming an increasingly important component in the strategy and operations of a business,” Wolfers said. “Digitalization, Customs and supply chain planning, and the likely introduction of new environmental taxes and turnover-based taxes will only enhance that trend in years to come.”
“The firm has displayed its capability and excellence across the board in winning the largest tax mandates in the Asia Pacific region,” ITR Commercial Editor Prin Shasiharan said of KPMG. “By providing integrated tax and legal advice, the firm has shown the strength-in-depth of its team and resources.”
According to Shasiharan, KPMG’s recognition, coupled with the sheer number of top prizes it has taken, “highlights a successful 2019 for the firm.”