Transaction Tax Search
Retained search for transaction tax partners and teams leading M&A structuring and tax due diligence as APAC deal flow rebounds through the Singapore and Hong Kong hubs.
Market overview
Transaction tax is the discipline most tightly coupled to deal flow, and the APAC cycle has turned firmly upward, with Singapore and Hong Kong as the region's primary deal hubs. APAC M&A value rose 39.3 percent to just under USD 1.2 trillion in 2025, the strongest period in years, powered by a run of megadeals [1]. Rising deal activity translates almost directly into demand for partners who can structure transactions and lead tax diligence.
The work has also intensified per deal. As regulatory scrutiny rises, tax due diligence is going deeper and more data-driven, and it has become an increasingly central workstream in deals, with diligence timelines lengthening [2]. Buyers and sellers want transaction tax leaders who can identify exposures, structure around them and stand behind the analysis under deal pressure.
Private equity is a structural demand source. With APAC private equity activity recovering and divestiture pipelines building out of Singapore and Hong Kong, sponsors and corporates alike need transaction tax partners who can move at deal speed across multiple jurisdictions and who understand both buy-side and sell-side dynamics [1]. Pillar Two adds a further layer, since acquirers must now assess targets for global minimum tax exposure across the region's holding structures.
Because transaction tax talent is deal-cycle sensitive and highly portable, firms tend to hire ahead of the curve when the market turns, and they hire confidentially. We run retained search for transaction tax partners, directors and deal teams across the Big Four, mid-tier networks and independents in the major APAC deal hubs of Singapore and Hong Kong, then Sydney, Dubai and London.
What we cover
- M&A structuring
- Tax due diligence
Roles we place
M&A Tax Structuring
- Transaction Tax Partner
- M&A Tax Director
- Deal Structuring Lead
- Senior Manager, M&A Tax
Tax Due Diligence
- Tax Due Diligence Director
- Buy-Side / Sell-Side Tax Lead
- Transaction Tax Manager
- Diligence Senior Manager
Private Equity & Funds
- Private Equity Tax Partner
- Funds & Deals Tax Director
- Sponsor Coverage Tax Lead
Candidate profile
SCTP Accredited Tax Advisor, CA (Singapore) or HKICPA with a deal-focused track record; ADIT or strong international tax grounding for cross-border transactions.
Buy-side and sell-side tax due diligence and structuring experience at pace.
Private equity and corporate deal-team relationships and origination across the Singapore and Hong Kong hubs.
APAC multi-jurisdiction deal experience and regional languages.
Seniority
- Senior Manager
- Director / Associate Director
- Partner / Principal
- Head of Transaction Tax
Sectors served
- Private equity & venture capital
- Technology & digital
- Financial services
- Real estate & infrastructure
- Healthcare & life sciences
- Consumer & industrial
- Energy & resources
Frequently asked
- How does deal flow affect transaction tax hiring?
- Closely. With APAC M&A value up 39.3 percent to just under USD 1.2 trillion in 2025, firms in Singapore and Hong Kong are competing for partners who can structure transactions and lead tax diligence. Because this talent is portable and deal-cycle sensitive, firms typically hire ahead of the recovery rather than during it.
- Do you place buy-side and sell-side transaction tax leaders?
- Both, and partners who cover the full deal lifecycle. As diligence becomes deeper and a more central deal workstream, clients want leaders who can move from structuring through to defending the analysis under deal pressure.
- Is private equity a major source of transaction tax demand?
- Yes. Recovering APAC private equity activity and building divestiture pipelines out of Singapore and Hong Kong make sponsor coverage a core part of most transaction tax practices, so we weight PE deal relationships heavily in these searches.