Al Tamimi is very pleased to be the first firm in the region to establish a dedicated Tax practice covering the Middle East with the appointment of Shiraz Khan, Senior Tax Advisor.

The global tax landscape has shifted significantly with governments in many countries facing budget deficits and constant media and public attention focusing on the "fair share of tax" debate and tax transparency. This has led to changes in tax policies at both the international and governmental level and resulted in changes to tax laws and stricter enforcement strategies on a global scale.

In order to have certainty on tax, organisations must keep pace with the constant tax developments and legislative changes. It is important for businesses in the Middle East to partner with a trusted tax advisor to proactively manage tax and reputational risk and navigate the increasingly complex international tax environment.

Led by Ahmed Ibrahim, Partner and Head of Capital Markets, the team will provide and manage cross border tax advice to multinational corporations, financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds, private equity groups, investment funds, real estate investment houses, family offices, joint ventures and other regional organisations.

The service offering will include Inbound Tax Advisory, International Tax Structuring and Planning, Mergers &amp; Acquisitions Tax, Value Added Tax (VAT), Tax Disputes and Litigation and Tax Risk Management.

Shiraz is a highly regarded tax professional with over 15 years of international tax experience across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. He brings with him a unique tax skill set having worked in private practice and led a global in-house tax function.

With the imminent introduction of VAT in the GCC from 2018 and the increasingly complex global and regional corporate tax landscape that impacts businesses in the Middle East, we are very confident that our new Tax practice will enable Al Tamimi to provide even greater value to our clients.

If we can provide any assistance, please contact Shiraz Khan <a href="mailto:s.khan@tamimi.com">s.khan@tamimi.com</a>  or Ahmed Ibrahim <a href="mailto:a.ibrahim@tamimi.com">a.ibrahim@tamimi.com</a>