By Guo Sun Lee  Hayden Flinn, King & Wood Mallesons’ Hong Kong Office

On 10 July 2015 the Hong Kong Legislative Council agreed to extend the existing profits tax exemption for offshore funds to PE funds. The new exemptions, set out in the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2015 (the “Bill”), will come into effect shortly when the Bill is gazetted and will apply to transactions carried out after 1 April 2015.

The amendments, designed to address the concerns of offshore PE funds and promote Hong Kong’s status as an asset management hub, broaden the existing exemption to cover transactions in securities of certain private companies incorporated outside Hong Kong, to remove the requirement to transact through SFO licensed entities for ‘qualifying funds’ and to extend coverage to include special purpose vehicles.
Continue Reading Amended profits tax exemption a welcome change for private equity funds