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Speaking to International Tax Review today, Pascal Saint-Amans, who will replace Jeffrey Owens as the OECD’s head of tax policy and administration next month, said that formulating a set of VAT guidelines and creating a new Global Forum on VAT will be high up on his agenda.

In what acting Secretary General Shinji Tarutoko has described as a “make or break year”, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan is struggling to get the support required for tax hikes which the party sees as essential to “simultaneously achieve the goals of securing stable revenue sources for financing social security and regaining governmental fiscal health”.

The Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department (IRD) will launch an advance pricing agreement (APA) programme in April.

Type of Agreement Country Country Date Signed Tax Information Exchange Agreement India Cayman Islands Entered into force December 27 2011 Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement India Macau January 1 2012

Zimplats, the Zimbabwean mining company, has become involved in a $28 million tax fight with the country’s government over unpaid royalties.

Loyens & Loeff is opening a new office in Hong Kong on January 16. The office will be co-lead by tax partner Carola van den Bruinhorst

Type of Deal Value Acquirer Target Adviser to acquirer (tax) Adviser to target (tax) Acquisition $2.5 billion Bristol-Myers Squibb Inhibitex Kirkland & Ellis Dechert Joint Venture $2.3 billion Total Chesapeake Energy Fulbright & Jaworski - Robert Phillpott C. Ray Lees Acquisition $900 million Sinopec Devon Energy Fulbright & Jaworski Vinson & Elkins - Thomas Crichton Acquisition $400 million B/E Aerospace UFC Aerospace Shearman & Sterling Schulz & Associates Joint Venture $258 million Smith & Nephew Essex Woodlands Davis Polk & Wardwell - Adam Perry, Michael Bretholz Reed Smith - Patrick Rice Acquisition $162 million Four Russian private investors Europa Media Group Clifford Chance Bredin Prat - Sébastien de Monès, Timur Celik

Christer Tonder Bell, one of the most prominent tax directors in Europe, is changing jobs.

The outline for Japanese tax reform proposals was released on December 26 2011 with changes to intercompany loan regulations.

Disputes continue over Poland’s mining tax despite the announcement of a reduced rate this week, but one adviser claims the government’s real motivation for introducing the levy is the projected growth of Poland’s shale gas industry.