| 08:00 |
Registration & networking |
| 09:00 – 10:45 |
Chair’s welcome |
Stuart Cioccarelli
Head of Tax | UAE
KPMG Lower Gulf
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| Formal welcome and introduction |
Dr. Rasheed M. Al-Qenae
Managing Partner KPMG in Kuwait
Head of Tax, Middle East and South Asia
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Regional economic outlook
In this session, we will provide an overview of the monetary and fiscal measures of the Governments in the region as well as the economic modalities which need due consideration while doing business in the region.
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Bilal Khan
Executive Director, Senior Economist, MENA and Pakistan
Standard Chartered Bank
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Global trends in tax and regional impact
The role of tax has gained prominence in the corporate and sovereign agenda prompting companies to take responsibility of tax matters at the board level. Tax professionals are also facing their share of challenges to up-skill, embrace the dynamics of new tax world and amend their operating structure.
In this session, the presenters will share their perspectives on the changing role of tax, it’s impact regionally and the key trends that tax professionals need to be thinking ahead.
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| Moderator: |
Stuart Cioccarelli
Head of Tax | UAE
KPMG Lower Gulf
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Jane McCormick
Global Head of Tax & Legal
KPMG International
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Ashok Hariharan
Head of Tax
KPMG Lower Gulf
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Wadih Abou Nasr
Head of Tax
KPMG in Saudi Arabia and Levant
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|
Reimagining the tax function of the future
Today, many Chief Tax Officers are facing the challenge of leading and delivering a transformation programme in response to global business and regulatory trends and tax authority adoption of digital compliance strategies. Tax Authorities are also determining how they take a more technology enabled approach to assessing tax.
In this session, we will review key trends and key lessons learned from the transformation strategies being adopted. A highly practical session, focusing on how best to lead the tax function through a transformation to deliver better systems, information and performance for the tax function of the future.
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| Moderator: |
Mohamed Araji
Head of FS Tax
KPMG in Saudi Arabia and Levant
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Mohamed Faycal Charfeddine
Group Head of Tax
Aujan Group Holding
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Chris Scott
EMA Head of Tax & Legal
KPMG in the UK
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Anuj Kapoor
Associate Partner, Tax
KPMG Lower Gulf
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|
| 10:45 – 11:15 |
Morning coffee break |
| 11:15 – 12:45 |
M&A
M&A deals continue to become common place in the business world (more so in the MESA region) and key driver for growth. And, whether it is an acquisition, merger, disposition or restructuring, there are tax implications to take into consideration. Recent public discussions on matters such as tax avoidance and fairness of relevant taxes triggered fundamental changes in the international tax legislative environment. Many countries have implemented the OECD BEPS action items aiming to eliminate the base erosion and profit shifting. At the same time, various EU initiatives reach beyond of what has been agreed at the OECD level. Considering necessity to comply with various international (as well as regional) laws and regulations as well as potential penalties and pitfalls in case of non-compliance. Without proper planning these issues can have a detrimental impact on value.
In this session, we will comment on recent regional tax developments and how such developments affected perception of regional jurisdictions on the international tax arena. In particular, we will discuss the introduction and application of the substance requirements in the region, country-by-country reporting, application of MLI and other developments addressing the so called BEPS “minimum standards”.
Further to the above, we will discuss driving value through tax and what key aspects / issues should be considered when undertaking a cross border transaction. Lastly, session will include practical comments on SPA negotiation and best practices observed in the market.
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| Moderator: |
Eric Janowak
Managing Director, Financial Services Tax, Institutional Investor Group
KPMG in the U.S.
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Lee Gordon James Thomson
Senior Vice President, Tax
Mubadala
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Christian Janisch
Senior Advisor, Deal Advisory, M&A Tax
KPMG in the UK
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Jan-Pieter Van Niekerk
Director, Deal Advisory, M&A Tax
KPMG Meijburg & Co, The Netherlands
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BEPS part 2.0 - Back to the tax future
The BEPS initiative is being implemented across MESA, with authorities in the region eager to enforce new tax rules and the private sector adapting to the new environment. But OECD is not standing still, with BEPS 2.0 just around the corner which will further evolve the tax playing field for governments and corporates.
In this session, we will go through the implementation status of BEPS related rules across the region, and take a look on how OECD’s BEPS 2.0 efforts will shape Transfer Pricing, anti-avoidance, and general tax regimes of the future. The speakers will provide inputs on whether and how to weigh-in with the policy makers to influence tomorrow’s landscape and assess the impacts they will bring.
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| Moderator: |
Filip Vukovic
Head of Transfer Pricing | UAE
KPMG Lower Gulf
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Michael Hanson
Group Head of Tax
Careem
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Gianni De Robertis
EMA head of Transfer Pricing
KPMG in Italy
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Stefan El Khouri
Head of Transfer Pricing
KPMG in Saudi Arabia and Levant
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|
| 12:45 – 14:00 |
Networking lunch |
| 14:00 – 14:45 |
Breakout session – rotation one
|
VAT – Audits and Challenges
The introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) in the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain was a landmark event. In the second year after the implementation, the tax authorities around the globe are now increasing their enforcement efforts and focusing on compliance. In this session, we will be joined by Indirect tax specialists from the region who will share their experiences with Indirect Tax audits, explain how they are usually executed, what are the main areas of challenges and how tax payers can prepare best to avoid negative surprises and penalties.
Read more
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| Moderator: |
Barbara Henzen
Partner, Tax
KPMG
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Philippe Norré
Head of Tax
KPMG in Bahrain
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Keith Donegan
Director, Tax
KPMG Lower Gulf
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Oleg Shmal
Director, VAT
KPMG in Saudi Arabia
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|
Digital : Tax interface
In this session, we will scan through the latest proposals on taxation of digital transactions across various international tax jurisdictions and observe emerging legislative trends. The speakers will share their experience and perspectives on what are the big challenges regulators ought to face in regulating with such a levy, and whether it is fair to expect tax neutrality between traditional and digital business models.
Read more
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| Moderator: |
Anuj Kapoor
Associate Partner, Tax
KPMG Lower Gulf
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Lachlan Wolfers
Global Head of Indirect Tax Services
KPMG International
|
|
Tax regimes in North Africa & recent developments
This session focused on tax regimes in North Africa would provide insights with regard to the applicable direct & indirect taxes in the territories of North Africa. The discussions with the panelists would shed light on facts and information that would be of interests to all stakeholders, specifically the inbound investors seeking investment opportunities. The session would also alert the stakeholders pertaining to the practical issues, tax trends and recent developments affecting the region.
Read more
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| Moderator: |
Suresh Perera
Principal, Tax
KPMG in Sri Lanka
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Insaf Haitof-Pacaud
Partner, Tax
KPMG in Morocco
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Saleh Rewaished
Partner, Tax
KPMG in Egypt
|
Meriem Harbi
Senior Manager, Tax
KPMG in Algeria
|
|
Tax Authority challenges – A Paradigm Shift?
Tax challenges have been on the rise globally and the MESA region is no exception, however are we now seeing a paradigm shift? Is the very nature of the challenges coming through in recent time, a response to the implementation of the BEPS agenda and due to the tools available to the tax authorities?
In this session, our panelists will discuss how these challenges are impacting our clients in the region as well as the importance of managing the tax exposures.
Read more
|
| Moderator: |
Zubair Patel
Head of Tax
KPMG in Kuwait
|
Anuraag Malhotra
General Counsel & Chief Tax Officer
Landmark Group
|
Kamran Sial
Senior Director, Tax & Zakat
KPMG in Saudi Arabia
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Zeeshan Ijaz
Partner, Tax
KPMG in Pakistan
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Raluca Enache
Senior Manager, KPMG EU Tax Center
KPMG Meijburg & Co, The Netherlands
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|
| 14:45 – 15:00 |
Moving into other breakouts |
| 15:00 – 15:45 |
Breakout session – rotation two |
VAT – Audits and Challenges
The introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) in the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain was a landmark event. In the second year after the implementation, the tax authorities around the globe are now increasing their enforcement efforts and focusing on compliance. In this session, we will be joined by Indirect tax specialists from the region who will share their experiences with Indirect Tax audits, explain how they are usually executed, what are the main areas of challenges and how tax payers can prepare best to avoid negative surprises and penalties.
Read more
|
| Moderator: |
Barbara Henzen
Partner, Tax
KPMG
|
Philippe Norré
Head of Tax
KPMG in Bahrain
|
Keith Donegan
Director, Tax
KPMG Lower Gulf
|
Oleg Shmal
Director, VAT
KPMG in Saudi Arabia
|
|
Digital : Tax interface
In this session, we will scan through the latest proposals on taxation of digital transactions across various international tax jurisdictions and observe emerging legislative trends. The speakers will share their experience and perspectives on what are the big challenges regulators ought to face in regulating with such a levy, and whether it is fair to expect tax neutrality between traditional and digital business models.
Read more
|
| Moderator: |
Anuj Kapoor
Associate Partner, Tax
KPMG Lower Gulf
|
Lachlan Wolfers
Global Head of Indirect Tax Services
KPMG International
|
|
Tax regimes in North Africa & recent developments
This session focused on tax regimes in North Africa would provide insights with regard to the applicable direct & indirect taxes in the territories of North Africa. The discussions with the panelists would shed light on facts and information that would be of interests to all stakeholders, specifically the inbound investors seeking investment opportunities. The session would also alert the stakeholders pertaining to the practical issues, tax trends and recent developments affecting the region.
Read more
|
| Moderator: |
Suresh Perera
Principal, Tax
KPMG in Sri Lanka
|
Insaf Haitof-Pacaud
Partner, Tax
KPMG in Morocco
|
Saleh Rewaished
Partner, Tax
KPMG in Egypt
|
Meriem Harbi
Senior Manager, Tax
KPMG in Algeria
|
|
Tax Authority challenges – A Paradigm Shift?
Tax challenges have been on the rise globally and the MESA region is no exception, however are we now seeing a paradigm shift? Is the very nature of the challenges coming through in recent time, a response to the implementation of the BEPS agenda and due to the tools available to the tax authorities?
In this session, our panelists will discuss how these challenges are impacting our clients in the region as well as the importance of managing the tax exposures.
Read more
|
| Moderator: |
Zubair Patel
Head of Tax
KPMG in Kuwait
|
Anuraag Malhotra
General Counsel & Chief Tax Officer
Landmark Group
|
Kamran Sial
Senior Director, Tax & Zakat
KPMG in Saudi Arabia
|
Zeeshan Ijaz
Partner, Tax
KPMG in Pakistan
|
Raluca Enache
Senior Manager, KPMG EU Tax Center
KPMG Meijburg & Co, The Netherlands
|
|
| 15:45 – 16:15 |
Refreshment break |
| 16:15 – 17:15 |
Technology in Tax – Powering Growth
This session will focus on how tax technology can be operationalised to deliver on the mandate of organizing the tax function to derive systematic efficiencies for the organization. No matter where you are on the journey, we will discuss and demonstrate a range of technology offerings from single point solutions to a fully ERP integrated platforms that can be adapted to your needs and provide a fit for purpose tax function.
Read more
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| Moderator: |
Rhys Penning
Head of Indirect Tax
KPMG Lower Gulf
|
Lachlan Wolfers
Global Head of Indirect Tax Services
KPMG International
|
Amar Thakrar
EMA Tax Reimagined Lead
KPMG in the UK
|
Youssef Aoun
Director, Tax Technology
KPMG in Saudi Arabia
|
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Closing remarks
|
Dr. Rasheed M. Al-Qenae
Managing Partner KPMG in Kuwait
Head of Tax, Middle East and South Asia
|
| Networking reception |