Expert Analysis

Yang Bin, Rachel Guan, Josephine Jiang, and Henry Ngai examine the refinements being made to China’s innovation incentives, and their importance as a driver of continued Chinese economic growth.

The Year of the Rooster will soon give way to the Year of the Dog. China begins 2018 with the administration of President Xi Jinping entering its second term (2017 to 2022), following the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in October 2017. At the same time, China's 13th five-year plan (2016 to 2020) enters its core phase.

In 2018, multinational enterprises (MNEs) should in particular be on alert for the following anticipated China tax developments.

Lisa Zajko, indirect tax partner, Deloitte Canada

João Riscado Rapoula and Hugo Leonardo of VdA analyse the new Construir Portugal scheme, outlining how targeted tax incentives are reshaping the country’s landscape for affordable housing investment and residential real estate

José Maria Cabral Sacadura and Vicente Pirrone of Cuatrecasas analyse the Sofina line of CJEU case law and assess when Portuguese withholding tax rules entitle foreign loss‑making companies to reimbursement

Several South Korean transfer pricing cases have established clearer judicial standards emphasising robust comparability analysis and stronger functional and economic evidence. Yulchon tax partners provide practical insights for navigating the heightened requirements

Ichwan Sukardi and T Qivi Hady Daholi of RSM Indonesia examine how geopolitical conflict and economic volatility are reshaping transfer pricing risk and enforcement, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia and Indonesia

Monika Bieri and Daniel Schönenberger of Tax Partner use a Swiss lens to examine how workforce mobility is reshaping transfer pricing models, and why the location of key decision‑makers is becoming a critical tax risk

Federico Vincenti and Carola Valente Della Rovere of Valente Associati GEB Partners/Crowe Valente analyse a recent ruling of the Italian Supreme Court that clarifies the conditions for the deductibility of costs related to intercompany services

Mithilesh Reddy of Steadfast Business Consulting outlines the key transfer pricing compliance risks, pillar two impacts, and structuring priorities for multinational enterprises under the UAE’s new R&D tax credit regime

Kathya Capote Peimbert of Vertex examines how continuous transaction controls expose under‑addressed intercompany transaction risks, and outlines the approach multinationals should take to ensure consistent VAT treatment and improve audit defensibility