Dezan Shira & Associates is an independent multi-disciplinary professional services firm focused on foreign investment in Asia, with particular depth of expertise in China. Founded in 1992 in the early years of China's foreign investment opening, the firm has grown to operate from multiple offices across China as well as in Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and other Asian markets.
For expatriates in China, Dezan Shira offers individual tax return preparation and filing services, assistance with IIT registration (required for some categories of income), advice on tax treaty applications, and coordination of payroll compliance for individuals and their employers. The firm's advisers are experienced in the nuances of expatriate taxation — including the treatment of housing allowances, children's school fees, and home leave travel allowances under China's IIT regime (some of which have changed under the post-2019 reform).
Dezan Shira also provides corporate services that overlap with individual expatriate concerns: HR advisory on employment contracts for expatriates, guidance on mandatory social insurance contributions for foreign employees (an area of ongoing regulatory development), and assistance establishing individual accounts with Chinese authorities.
The firm publishes extensively on China tax and regulatory matters, including through the China Briefing publication, which makes its general advisory approach accessible before engaging paid services. For small businesses, startups, or individual entrepreneurs in China, Dezan Shira can provide comprehensive outsourced back-office services covering accounting, tax, and HR from a single provider.
Dezan Shira's offices are primarily in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and several other cities.