Photo, Tina Hsieh

Tina Hsieh

Partner
Baker & McKenzie LLP

Biography

Tina is a partner and Head of the Tax Practice Group in the Middle East at Baker McKenzie, based in the Firm's Dubai office. She advises leading corporations and public entities on VAT and transaction taxes (such as Real Estate Transaction Tax). Tina works across all sectors, however she has deep experience in advising on indirect taxes relating to financial services, property and construction, energy and government sectors. In addition to advisory work, Tina assists clients with tax authority audits, disputes, and applications for clarifications. She also represents industry associations before the central banks and tax authorities.

Practice Focus

Tina’s practice focuses on advising private and public sector clients with a global presence, on indirect tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, corporate reconstructions, company floats, business acquisitions, inbound and outbound investment, Technology, Media, and Telecommunications ("TMT") and infrastructure transactions. As an established indirect tax specialist and a trained lawyer in Australia together with her GST / VAT implementation experience in Malaysia, China, United Arab of Emirates ("UAE"), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ("KSA"), Kingdom of Bahrain ("Bahrain") and Sultanate of Oman ("Oman"), she leverages these experiences to provide advisory support and assist clients in the VAT implementation projects in the remaining Gulf Cooperation Council ("GCC") countries.

Through Tina’s experience in providing tax advice in a commercial context, she has gained a comprehensive working knowledge of some of the most unique and complex business and transaction structuring and developed skills in providing practical advice to clients. Tina's global experience and extensive industry knowledge enable her to help clients design, implement and defend tax strategies for their operations and transactions in the dynamic indirect tax landscape.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Advised Gulf Data Hub in connection with tax support for the sale of a sizeable stake to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. through an auction process
  • Advised on complex tax considerations related to mergers and acquisitions
  • Advised clients on tax structuring strategies to ensure VAT efficiency and full compliance with local and international laws, including risk mitigation and investment optimization and VAT audits
  • Advised clients in connection with facilitating a smooth entry into the UAE market, addressing all tax-related aspects meticulously
  • Advised clients in connection with the application of KSA VAT legislation and RETT legislation
  • Advised clients in connection with navigating the complexities of VAT regulations and ensured compliance with local VAT legislation
  • Represented clients in restructuring business operations and movement of corporate headquarters 
  • Advised clients in connection with relocating tax residency

Prior to joining Baker McKenzie:

  • Advised on significant acquisitions, including both asset and share sales through various range of financial structures
  • Obtained favorable clarifications / rulings from the tax authorities requiring complicated VAT analysis in unique facts scenarios
  • Represented numerous clients in audits and risks reviews with the tax authorities
  • Represented a number of industry associations by drafting and presenting tax white papers to key stakeholders including the Central Banks and the tax authorities in the GCC
  • Led numerous VAT implementation projects in Malaysia, China, UAE, KSA, Bahrain and Oman and provided practical guidance and technical legal advice to internal and external stakeholders through a period of uncertainty about the way VAT applies to their business and continue to provide targeted and practical guidance for them in managing their potential VAT exposures

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Queensland Law Society
  • Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand
  • Dubai Legal Affairs Department

Admissions

  • Chartered Accountant~Australia & New Zealand (2014)
  • Queensland~Australia (2011)
  • Dubai - Registered Legal Consultant

Education

  • University of Queensland (Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce - Dean’s Honour Roll) (2010)

Languages

  • English
  • Mandarin
  • Speaker at various tax conferences and seminars run by commercial and industry bodies over a range of issues including VAT and real estate transaction tax.