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ERNST & YOUNG AND THE GLOBAL TAX ARENA—THE VIEW FROM THE DESK
Source: WG&L Journal of International Taxation
Author: Ernst & Young, a global leader in professional services, has 130,000 people in 140 countries providing a range of sophisticated services centered on the core competencies of auditing, accounting, tax, and transactions. For further information about Ernst & Young and its approach to a variety of business issues, see ey.com/us/perspectives.
When people from Ernst & Young talk about “being a Desk,” this is neither a reverse twist on anthropomorphism nor a foray into method acting. Rather, it is the description of the role that they have played in the firm's on-site, hands-on approach to addressing the needs of global businesses that began some 25 years ago. Known as the Foreign Desk Program, this network is made up of well-qualified individuals from the U.S. and dozens of other countries whose job is to provide multinationals with on-site tax and business knowledge and jurisdictional cultural insights, particularly with respect to the tax impact of both inbound and outbound transactions.
The Desk Program
The Ernst & Young Foreign Tax Desk Program is the largest and longest-running foreign exchange program of its kind. In addition to its obvious service aspect, the Desk experience is designed to be an integral part of the career development arc, allowing seasoned tax professionals from around the world to be temporarily assigned to the company's member firms in countries outside their country of origin. Duration of the overseas posting is typically two to three years, with some short-term assignments of six to 11 months or longer when necessary to meet specific service needs.
In keeping with the business landscape of the early 1980s, the first Desk was a U.S. Desk in Brussels, followed shortly by a Dutch Desk in New York. Since then, the roster has grown to well over 250 dedicated Foreign Desks throughout the world. That includes almost 100 non-U.S. professionals working in the United States, more than 70 U.S. individuals in other countries, and another 100 professionals working in non-U.S. countries other than their own.
Unlike other expatriate arrangements, the Desks are cooperative efforts between Ernst & Young LLP in the U.S. and each local E&Y member firm with shared responsibility and mutual commitment. The result of this dynamic collaboration is truly integrated, global tax planning in real time, moving beyond different time zones, geographic borders, and language barriers.
In December 2007, seven past and present members of the Foreign Tax Desk network gathered at Ernst & Young's New York offices to look back on the evolution of the Desk program and share their insights about its growth and ongoing relevance to the increasingly complex profile of international tax. Participating in that discussion from Ernst & Young were Philip L. Green, an international tax partner and 21-year firm veteran who spent eight years in Europe as a U.S. Tax Desk and led the Europe/Middle East/Africa U.S. Desk network; Alberto R. Lopez, who leads the firm's Latin American Business Center; Karen S. Holden, a principal in the international tax practice based in Philadelphia and former U.S. Tax Desk in Amsterdam from 1994 to 1998; and Lisa C. Lim, a 23-year firm veteran and leader of the Asia Pacific Business Group who spent six years in Asia and was the firm's Director of International Tax Services, Asia-Pacific from 2003 to 2005. David M. Benson, a principal in the National international tax practice also participated, and two Ernst & Young Desk alumni rounded out the panel—J. Stephen Barrett, a former E&Y international tax partner, Deputy Tax Director, Barclays, who started the third Tax Desk in New York, the U.K. Desk; and Michael J. O'Connor, who ran the Canadian Desk in London from 1993 through 1995 and is now Senior Vice President, Taxation, Sun Life Financial Inc. in Toronto. Joining them was Robert Gallagher, Managing Editor of JOIT. The views expressed herein are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ernst & Young or any other member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited. Likewise, the views expressed by Messrs. O'Connor and Barrett are their own and do not represent their professional affiliations.
The following discussion not only includes their perspectives on the experience of working as the Ernst & Young Foreign Desks but also describes how the Desk program paralleled the emergence of international tax issues and the development of the global economy.
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