Today a friend called me in panic.

“Bro, can you follow us for a Transfer Pricing audit with LHDN?”

I didn’t say yes.

I asked one question first.
“Who is your transfer pricing tax agent now?”

He replied, “Big 4.”
That told me this is not a small file.

This is the kind of case with group transactions, intercompany charges, management fees, and documents thicker than the yellow phone book in the 90’s.

Then he shared the real reason he called.
The Big 4 quotation was too high.

I understand. Big 4 is not wrong.
Transfer Pricing work is specialised.
It’s time-consuming.
And LHDN officers can drill upside down.

But I was also honest with him.

“Bro, if I jump in now,
it will be painful.
I have zero history.
Zero background.
I don’t know your group policy,
your past position,
your earlier letters,
your story.”

Susah.

Not just for me.
For him too.

Because in a TP audit,
you don’t just “attend meeting”.
You defend a “story”.
And you must know the “story” better than the officer across the table.

So I gave him a practical option.

“If your in-house accountant is qualified, let he/she handle the early stage first. Attend. Clarify. Get the findings in black and white.”

“Many times, if documentation is in place, the finding may be minimum. Only when it becomes dispute stage, then we decide whether to escalate.”

He paused.
Then he said, “Okay beo. I’ll do that.”

After the call, I felt relief.

Today I reminded myself of one rule I learned the hard way:

Some business I take.
Some business I don’t.

Because the most expensive job is the one I accept too fast and deliver with stress.