William’s practice focuses on tax law, actively advising and guiding clients on corporate and individual income tax planning, real property gains tax, stamp duty, customs duty, excise duty, sales and service tax and entertainments duty.

Acting for start-ups, William provides strategic tax advice on their business structures, e-commerce platforms, regulatory and market entry requirements and tax concerns arising from, amongst others, cross-border supplies, logistic services and last-mile delivery.

William is also well-versed in stamp duty relief work. He recently acted for a leading multinational in its successful application to the Inland Revenue Board for relief from stamp duty in a group reorganisation exercise. The relief was granted for a transfer of shares valued at USD 759.6 million (then approximately RM 3.162 billion).

Further, with an increasingly aggressive tax administration, William regularly acts for clients on matters such as tax audits and investigations and the review of specific items for the purposes of income tax filings.

Another aspect of William’s portfolio is in litigation – he has often appeared before the Special Commissioners of Income Tax, the High Court and the Court of Appeal. One example of a court case is the successful appeal by our multinational client where the Court of Appeal agreed that expenses paid by the taxpayer to its parent company in return for the grant of share options to the taxpayer’s employees are deductible for income tax purposes.

He was also part of the team that secured a High Court decision which serves as a precedent that payments made by property developers to exempt them from building lower-cost units are tax-deductible.

From time to time, William works on commercial transactions, such as drafting and reviewing various commercial agreements, including share sale agreements, distributorship agreements, management agreements and service agreements. He has also acted for various clients in relation to restructurings and mergers and acquisitions.

William is an Associate of the Chartered Tax Institute of Malaysia.

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific listed William as a “Next Generation Partner” in its 2019 publication, as a “Rising Star” in its 2020 publication and again as a “Next Generation Partner” in its 2021 – 2024 publications. He was also named as a “Rising Star” by asialaw in its 2024 edition.

In the 2023 edition of The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, one client was quoted as saying:

‘William Wong has in-depth understanding in the field of tax law and is able to put up defences and strategies that are best for the company’s commercial standing and financials. His focus in managing the case, as well as managing court processes and settlement, is simply outstanding.’

TERTIARY QUALIFICATION

• Bachelor of Laws (Hons) (Oxford Brookes University)

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION & MEMBERSHIP

• Barrister (called by the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple)
• Called to the Bar of England and Wales: 13th October 2011
• Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya
• Admitted to the Malaysian Bar: 10th September, 2012
• Associate of the Chartered Tax Institute of Malaysia