# Hong Kong's landmark fund tax reforms set to attract wave of global asset managers: KPMG report

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/hong-kongs-landmark-fund-tax-reforms-set-to-attract-wave-of-global-asset-managers-kpmg-report
- Published: 2026-07-22T10:02:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

_Reforms coincide with record-high assets under management, with net inflows up 
193% in 2025 _

HONG KONG, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hong Kong’s long-awaited reforms to its 
fund exemption rules and carried interest regime are expected to prompt a significant
influx of regional and global asset managers to the city, according to KPMG’s latest
[_Hong Kong Asset Management and Private Equity Outlook_](https://kpmg.com/cn/en/insights/2026/07/hong-kong-asset-management-and-private-equity-outlook.html),
published today.

 [](https://mmx.prnasia.com/media/MS1890671/20260721213743EDT_image_1.jpg?id=OA2778752&p=medium600)

The reforms arrive at a moment of renewed momentum for Hong Kong’s asset management
industry. According to the SFC’s latest Asset and Wealth Management Activities Survey,
total AUM rose 20% to a record high in 2025, and net fund inflows nearly tripled
during the year (up 193%). Critically, 56% of assets managed in Hong Kong are invested
beyond the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong SAR, demonstrating the city’s enduring
role as a genuinely global allocation centre.

KPMG notes that the reformed Unified Fund Exemption (UFE) regime – described in 
the report as the most consequential tax development in a generation – directly 
resolve the legal certainty gap that had previously driven parts of the alternatives
business to other hubs. Under the new framework, qualifying carried interest and
performance fees will attract a 0% effective tax rate at both the corporate entity
level and in the hands of Hong Kong-based employees. Uniquely, this incentive will
apply retrospectively from the 2025 assessment year – a competitive advantage that
no rival jurisdiction currently offers.

**Darren Bowdern, Head of Alternative Investments, Hong Kong SAR, KPMG China, said:**

"The government’s intent with this landmark tax package is unambiguous: it wants
this incentive utilised to its fullest extent. By offering a retrospective 0% effective
tax rate on both carry and performance fees, Hong Kong has eliminated the operational
ambiguities that historically hindered private equity, credit, and hedge fund structures
locally. We anticipate strong immediate interest from global asset managers looking
to build permanent investment teams and oversee high-value Asian portfolios from
Hong Kong."

Hong Kong’s capital markets are also gaining significant momentum. The city regained
its position as the world’s leading market for IPO fundraising in 2025 and has maintained
this strong performance into 2026, currently ranking among the top two globally,
with KPMG forecasting full-year IPO fundraising of around HKD 350 billion.

**Vivian Chui, Head of Securities and Asset Management, Hong Kong SAR, KPMG China,
said: **"Markets are showing renewed momentum, capital is returning, and policymakers
are taking deliberate steps to strengthen Hong Kong’s position in an increasingly
competitive global landscape. From the deepest IPO pipeline in a decade to an expanding
ETF product shelf, the foundations for sustained growth are firmly in place. The
challenge for the industry now is to invest in the people and skills needed to capture
these opportunities."

The report identifies exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as a significant growth opportunity
for Hong Kong’s asset management industry. The average daily turnover of ETFs for
the first six months of 2026 was HKD 39.6 billion, an increase of 17% when compared
with the same period last year ^([1]).

KPMG expects the market to expand further as investor demand moves beyond traditional
passive index products towards active strategies, income generation, thematic exposure,
virtual assets and tactical trading products. This changing product mix could strengthen
market liquidity, broaden investor choice and create new distribution opportunities
for global and regional asset managers.

**Arion Yiu, Audit Partner, Financial Services, Asset Management, Hong Kong SAR,
KPMG China, said:** "This next phase of growth must, however, be built on investor
trust. As products become more sophisticated, particularly in areas such as leveraged,
inverse and single-stock ETFs, managers and distributors will need to ensure that
governance, disclosure and investor education keep pace. Firms that can combine 
innovation with strong product oversight will be best placed to capture this opportunity."

  |

^([1]) [https://www.hkex.com.hk/Market-Data/Statistics/Consolidated-Reports/HKEX-Monthly-Market-Highlights?sc_lang=en](https://www.hkex.com.hk/Market-Data/Statistics/Consolidated-Reports/HKEX-Monthly-Market-Highlights?sc_lang=en) 

  |

**About KPMG**

KPMG in China has offices located in 31 cities with over 14,000 partners and staff,
in Beijing, Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dongguan, Foshan, Fuzhou,
Guangzhou, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Jinan, Nanjing, Nantong, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai,
Shenyang, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xiamen, Xi’an, Zhengzhou,
Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR. It started operations in Hong Kong in 1945. In 1992,
KPMG became the first international accounting network to be granted a joint venture
licence in the Chinese Mainland. In 2012, KPMG became the first among the "Big Four"
in the Chinese Mainland to convert from a joint venture to a special general partnership.

KPMG is a global organisation of independent professional services firms providing
Audit, Tax and Advisory services. KPMG is the brand under which the member firms
of KPMG International Limited ("KPMG International") operate and provide professional
services. "KPMG" is used to refer to individual member firms within the KPMG organisation
or to one or more member firms collectively.

KPMG firms operate in 138 countries and territories with more than 276,000 partners
and employees working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally
distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. Each KPMG member firm
is responsible for its own obligations and liabilities.

---

  |  This article was produced by Cision PR Newswire, our trusted news partner. The views expressed and the content presented here are solely those of the author and may not fully reflect the opinions of Thailand Business News. |

---

 
**Read the original article :** [Hong Kong's landmark fund tax reforms set to attract wave of global asset managers: KPMG report ](http://www.prnasia.com/story/archive/5009850_AE09850_0?rand=184833)
