Etienne Wong

Barrister, Old Square Tax Chambers

Etienne qualified as a solicitor in 1990, and was a partner and head of the international VAT unit at Clifford Chance LLP from 1999 to 2014. He was called to the Bar in 2014. Etienne has been advising on all aspects of VAT since 1989, and appeared in Band 1 in Chambers Global as an "excellent choice for indirect tax matters". In particular, he advises on the VAT treatment of: - financing transactions (including structured finance, securitisations, asset finance, commodities transactions, factoring and Islamic financing) - real estate transactions - insurance transactions - corporate acquisitions and disposals - funds - private equity transactions - outsourcing transactions - transactions in the transport sector (including transactions in aircraft, vessels, trains and automobiles) - e-commerce and other new media transactions - transactions in the leisure sector - transactions in the power and energy sectors (including solar panel financing, transactions in carbon credits and renewable energy projects) He also advises on tax matters generally — in particular, the direct and indirect taxation of: - real estate transactions (e.g. property development, property investment) - outsourcing transactions - transactions in the power and energy sectors (e.g. solar panel financing, biomass projects) - e-commerce and other new media transactions and transfer pricing, insurance premium tax and customs and excise duties. He also advises on disputes with HMRC. Etienne has authored several articles and spoken at various conferences both within the UK and abroad, and was the author of the tax chapter of the Outsourcing Practice Manual and the co-author of the European Union chapter of the Inward Investment and International Taxation Review.

Contributed to

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Interaction of EU law and direct tax [Archived]

Practice notes

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is not maintained. This Practice Note looks at the interaction between EU law and the direct tax rules of EU Member States, including the impact that EU law had on the direct tax rules of the UK while it was bound by EU law. It looks in particular at what happens when a national tax provision is incompatible with the EU fundamental freedoms, including the potential justifications for restricting a freedom. This Practice Note was produced in partnership with Etienne Wong of Old Square Tax Chambers.

Tax

Sukuk—investment bond arrangements and UK VAT

Practice notes

This Practice Note on Islamic finance and tax outlines the UK VAT treatment of the issue, transfer and redemption of sukuk by an issuer belonging for VAT purposes in the UK. It also considers who the supplier is for UK VAT purposes in dealings by the issuer with the sukuk trust property. This Practice Note was produced in partnership with Étienne Wong of Old Square Tax Chambers.

Tax

VAT bad debt relief

Practice notes

This Practice Note outlines how a taxable person who has accounted for and paid VAT on a supply, but who is not paid the price for that supply, may claim a refund of the whole or part of the VAT that they have paid. This Practice Note was produced in partnership with Etienne Wong of Old Square Tax Chambers.

Tax

VAT—European legal principles

Practice notes

This Practice Note is about the impact of EU legal principles on the implementation and application of VAT law in EU Member States. It also describes the possible consequences where Member States have failed to implement the VAT Directive in a manner that conforms with these principles. This Practice Note was produced in partnership with Etienne Wong of Old Square Tax Chambers.

Tax