Al Chang, country leader at Forvis Mazars Taiwan, has been a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) for over three decades, working across the United States and Taiwan. His expertise covers a broad range of tax and corporate matters, and he has extensive experience servicing clients from around the world.
During his long career, Al has also seen significant transformations in the way his industry operates and how those changes have affected the way individuals and businesses view the tax profession. Nevertheless, he’s continued to hone his approach to accounting in the digital age and keep pace with developments in a constantly evolving sector.
TOPICSSenior Editor Jeremy Olivier connected with Al in July to discuss his cross-cultural work experience, his thoughts on Taiwan’s tax landscape, and how he approaches problem-solving on a daily basis. An abridged version of their conversation follows.
Your educational background includes a bachelor’s degree from National Cheng Kung University in Tainan and a master’s in accounting from the State University of New York. How did those years shape your approach to business and working with clients from different countries?
Since I grew up here in Taiwan, I received the traditional Taiwanese education — stricter and more conservative. But when I got to the States, it was completely different. At that time, it was still martial law in Taiwan, so everything in America was new to me, especially the classroom learning environment and the level of student participation in classes. It was a cultural shock, but it was also a good experience. I’m naturally an introvert, so it really forced me to break out of my shell and no longer be shy about asking questions or challenging the professor or my classmates.
My education in the United States really helped me when I started working in public accounting, because the more open environment encouraged me to look at issues from different perspectives. You might view a set of numbers in a certain way, but others may interpret that set differently. Taking those views into consideration is not always the most efficient approach, but you’re really covering your bases when you do use it.
Early in your career, you went to work at one of the Big Four accounting firms, where you served across both countries for around three decades. What were the most valuable lessons you learned during that time?
First, it’s a big effort. In public accounting, particularly in the Big Four, you are going to put in long hours. During the busy season, you need to finish all the financial statements, tax returns, audits, and other documents before certain deadlines, and clients tend to wait until the last minute to send you important information.
Another lesson came from my move back to Taiwan after living and working in the United States for many years. By then, I was able to work quite independently, solving clients’ problems on my own. At that time, I was very focused on technical excellence — knowing tax law inside and out and how different rules interact with each other in particular cases. That aspect is of course incredibly important in this line of work, but another is the people skills needed to become a trusted advisor for your clients. That is what I enjoy the most about this business. It’s not just the numbers, it’s that personal touch. We do still need to strike a balance — we’re their accountant, not their friend. But we can be there for them when they need help.
Although you had a long and remarkable career with that firm, you decided to leave a few years ago and move over to Forvis Mazars. What prompted that decision?
Big Four firms generally have a mandatory retirement age of 60. While working at mine, I was always very busy — constantly solving tax issues, meeting with clients, jumping from project to project. Before I knew it, I was a year away from retirement. And so I started getting ready, doing pro bono work for the Taiwan CPA Association and eventually becoming chairperson. I also planned to go part-time at a smaller firm and travel the world. But then Covid hit, and my plans were dashed.
It just so happened that around that same time, Forvis Mazars decided to establish a Taiwan practice. They got in touch with me through a friend of mine, and I agreed to help them set up the office here. Now here we are, five years later. We started with a shared office space with fewer than 10 people and have grown to roughly 50 employees. And we have bigger ambitions to bring the firm to the next level. We’ll see what the future holds, but so far, I’ve enjoyed the experience.
Taiwan’s economy has transformed considerably since you became a CPA. How has the profession changed over that time?
The big driving force over the past 30 years has been technology. When I started my career, we were still using fax machines. There was no such thing as a paperless office or a work-from-home arrangement. The internet changed all that. We are way more connected now, even if we’re not all sitting in the same place.
That connectivity has also changed client expectations. Back in the days of fax machines, it often took 2-3 days after receiving a client’s fax for us to prepare and send back our advice. Nowadays, with all the technology we have at our disposal, clients don’t want to wait around for you to do the research to find the answer to their issues. They want that answer yesterday.
However, I believe that the basic principles of business have not fundamentally changed — it’s just that the working environment has become more complex, more globalized. People have become busier than ever before. Things have also become much more transparent, especially for tax professionals. In the past, CPAs were people who could help you minimize your tax exposure. Nowadays, the profession emphasizes compliance, accuracy, transparency, and responsibility.
How would you describe the tax and accounting landscape in Taiwan today? What sets it apart from other jurisdictions in Asia?
When talking about Taiwan’s tax ecosystem development, I sometimes refer to a term coined by New York Timescolumnist Thomas L. Friedman: “The world is flat.” This term suggests that globalization has created a level playing field for countries to compete in an international market. That transparency I mentioned earlier has made it much easier to transmit information across borders, allowing financial accounting in places like Taiwan to catch up quickly with other developed nations.
In fact, Taiwan many years ago adopted International Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, making it equal to other countries from a regulatory standpoint. Officials here have also promoted Audit Quality Indicators, or AQIs, quantitative measures that are used to assess the external audit process. Even so, audit failure still happens here, as it does virtually everywhere else. But in terms of the tax environment and regulations, Taiwan is really up there.
Tax officials in Taiwan are also very easy to communicate with, compared with other jurisdictions I’ve had experience dealing with. They are willing to sit down with you and hear your side of the story, and to have an open dialogue with you.
What continues to interest you about the work you do?
Working in this profession, I face new and interesting challenges every day. One thing that keeps me going into the office each morning is the fact that I have no idea what kind of questions my clients are going to ask me. Sometimes they throw curveballs at me, things I’ve never encountered before. Each client is different — they face different issues, and sometimes even the same issue might have different solutions depending on the jurisdiction. Some people might be put off by that or find it daunting, but I find that it keeps my work interesting.
A case-by-case approach seems to be a good rule of thumb. Can you walk us through your process for solving thorny tax issues? Is there a standard approach?
There is, and it’s no big secret. First, identify the root cause of the client’s issue, and make sure you understand their question correctly. Once you’ve done that, refer back to the rules and regulations. You’ll come up with several options, but you need to rule out all the infeasible ones and concentrate on one or two strong potential answers. You then go back to the client to discuss those answers and determine which one is the best fit for them. That’s not a formal SOP I have put down in writing, but it’s a process I undergo constantly in my work.
How would you define your approach to leadership? How do you inspire your team?
Even though I’m an introvert, I’m a firm believer in communicating openly and leading by example. As a manager, I emphasize not just walking the walk, but talking the talk as well. You should do what you say you’re going to do. Even if you find out that your approach to an issue is not the best one, you can always adjust. You don’t need to be afraid of making mistakes, as long as you can catch those mistakes quickly and course correct. I am also not too proud to admit when I’m wrong, apologize, rethink my approach, and move on. After all, we’re human beings, not machines. We all make mistakes.
What gets you recharged after a long week?
I like to decompress by myself. I get a lot out of just having a quiet space where I can think through things. Of course, I do also love to play a round of golf on Saturday mornings, followed by a couple of mah-jong games in the afternoon. These more social activities really help me clear my head and relax.
I’m also learning to play the saxophone, but I still need a bit more practice. One day soon, though, you might see me in one of Taipei’s many public parks playing for tips!
