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Deloitte & Touche has raided the French tax authorities, hiring the head of the transfer pricing audit team as a senior manager in the firm's French group. Jean-Luc Trucchi has been involved in transfer pricing since France introduced rules governing the area in 1996. He was the first head of the regulator's team.

Harmonisation of taxation laws – Council Directive 69/335/EEC – Indirect taxes on the raising of capital – Commercial Registry fees calculated by reference to the value of the transaction, irrespective of the actual cost.

The Brazilian government has ditched plans to introduce a broad tax reform, choosing to focus on specific areas instead. The administration will seek to unify legislation on the value added tax on merchandise and services, and will issue a tax on imports, according to local reports.

Chinese government agencies have removed taxation on software exports to increase the competitiveness of local products, according to reports. The State Administration of Taxation of China and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, have issued a notice permitting software companies to be claim compensation for taxes paid.

McDermott, Will & Emery has made another raid on US rival Thelen Reid & Priest, hiring an energy tax specialist as the government looks to reform the utilities industry

Brands are increasingly recognized as lucrative assets and as their importance grows, so do the tax implications. To realize their full potential, a structured approach to brand valuation is required. David Haigh of Brand Finance sets out the tax planning options

Following much discussion, the OECD has issued the final changes to the commentary to article 5 of the Model Tax Convention. Machiel Lambooij, of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Amsterdam, assesses the balance that has been struck between the new economy and the old

Government proposals to crack down on tax avoidance in Hong Kong have been fiercely crticized. The Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill will, in its existing form, remove tax deductions on debt interest payments. The Bill is intended to stop companies avoiding tax by lending money to subsidiaries, but critics say it will kill the country's debt market. Meanwhile, separate proposals to allow the government to tax royalties attributable to goods manufactured outside Hong Kong have also been attacked. Such a change would violate the principle of territorial-based taxation, they say.

Critics of draft capital gains tax rules in South Africa say the proposals will lead to double taxation when companies pursue corporate restructuring. But US Treasury official Keith Engel, who is advising the South African government on its tax reforms, assures critics the impact of taxes on restructurings will not be disregarded. He proposes special company restructuring rules that "would facilitate company formations, reorganizations and unbundlings among listed companies, as well as internal group realignments". He said: "Special rules would also apply to ensure this relief could not be used as a tax-free mechanism to expatriate internally-generated profits from South African soil."

Vinson & Elkins is forming a municipal finance tax controversy practice led by a former US Securities and Exchange Commission director, responding to tougher government reviews of tax-exempt municipal bonds