New tax boutique in the Middle East: Aurifer
Aurifer is a new boutique Middle East tax firm that has been launched in Dubai by Thomas Vanhee.
The firm states that it exists to guide businesses and governments through assessing the impact of new VAT legislation and provide strategic tax advice to address any issues and seize possible opportunities. It also assists in tax controversies with the tax administration, from the initial stages of securing the tax treatment through agreements with the tax authorities to administrative controversies after audits and finally before the courts through partnerships with renowned law firms.
Thomas Vanhee (Partner)
Thomas’s tax career spans more than a decade and he has worked at tier 1 tax law firms in Brussels and Paris. He moved to the Gulf at the beginning of 2017.
Thomas has been involved in several high profile deals and has worked for blue chip and quoted companies and institutions in various sectors (financial sector, real estate sector, retail, manufacturing and the public sector). In recent years he was heavily involved in European tax policy projects, as well as in projects with several European governments and governments in the Gulf region due to the pending introduction of VAT.
Richard Ainsworth (Consultant)
Dr. Richard T Ainsworth is a tax expert and professor. Richard is an adjunct professor at the New York University and University of Boston Law School. Prior roles include Deputy Director of Harvard Law School’s International Tax Program and Fulbright Professor of American Law and Taxation in Osaka and Kobe Universities in Japan.
Richard’s academic expertise includes comparative studies on VAT, income tax and tax technology solutions. His deep professional experience spans VAT, income tax, customs, basic US federal income tax and transfer pricing.
Richard provides policy advice to governments implementing VAT and tax legislation and has advised the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), among other high-profile clients.