We adopt a multi-disciplinary approach, calling on KPMG professionals in complementary areas such as technical accounting and regulatory and risk management. These resources can be tapped on a local, regional, or global basis. KPMG’s powerful internal knowledge sharing systems mean our tax professionals are up to date on all the relevant technical and industry developments, locally and globally.
Discussions with clients and our own experience of the industry convince us that the most important tax issues potentially facing financial institutions include:
- transfer pricing
- indirect tax
- cross-border taxation
- complex tax challenges associated with mergers and acquisitions.
Across our global network we have tax professionals in each of these areas who work exclusively with our firms' financial sector clients.
Expanding IT capabilities and the interchangeable nature of money mean that financial products and services can, at least in theory, be sold anywhere in the world. In practice, financial service providers face myriad regulatory and tax controls imposed by governments globally.
Given these constraints, it is not surprising that many financial intermediaries struggle to create and maintain internationally tax efficient policies and structures.
The global business model is changing. As customers want new services, investors seek more profit and less risk, regulators demand higher standards of corporate governance and web-based technologies can create new competitive opportunities and threats.
Governments and supra-national bodies such as the European Court of Justice and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are driving changes in tax law. Some tax authorities are cutting tax rates to attract investment while others are getting tougher on avoidance to protect their revenues.