As part of continuing efforts to boost transparency by multinational enterprises (MNEs), Gabon, Hungary, Indonesia, Lithuania, Malta, Mauritius and the Russian Federation have now signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement for Country-by-Country Reporting (CbC MCAA), bringing the total number of signatories to 57. Lithuania and Hungary joined the Agreement in October and December 2016 respectively.

On 6 January 2017, public comments were invited on draft examples prepared as part of the follow-up work on the interaction between the treaty provisions of the report on BEPS Action 6 and the treaty entitlement of non-CIV funds. The OECD is grateful for the input and now publishes a compilation of the comments received.

Technology Tools to Tackle Tax Evasion and Tax Fraud demonstrates how technology is currently being used by tax administrations in countries worldwide to prevent, identify and tackle tax evasion and tax fraud. These solutions can offer a win-win: better detection of crime, higher revenue recovery, and synergies that can make tax compliance easier for business and tax administrations.

Responding to a request by the Development Working Group of the G20, the Platform for Collaboration on Tax – a joint initiative of the IMF, OECD, UN and World Bank Group – has developed a draft toolkit designed to assist developing countries in an important area of international tax policy: transfer pricing.

OECD tax rates on labour income continued decreasing slowly in 2016

Approximately 300 participants, representing over 100 delegations from countries, jurisdictions and international organisations, as well as representatives from the business community and academia, gathered in Paris for the fourth meeting of the OECD Global Forum on VAT on 12-14 April 2017.

His Excellency Muadid Hareb Mughair Al-Khaili, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to France, signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters in the presence of the OECD Deputy Secretary-General, Rintaro Tamaki.

Today, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, H. E. Sami Mohammad Alsulaiman, Ambassador of Kuwait to France, signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters in the presence of OECD Deputy Secretary-General, Mrs. Mari Kiviniemi, therewith becoming the 110th jurisdiction to join the Convention.

This report uses household level data covering 20 OECD countries to analyse energy affordability at current energy prices and explores how these indicators change in response to a simulated energy tax reform. The report finds that higher energy prices, needed to cut harmful carbon emissions and air pollution, can also help achieve social policy objectives.

A portfolio of relevant side events will complement the official programme of the 2017 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up (22-25 May 2017) and provide additional space for all stakeholders and participants to discuss substantive matters in greater detail.

Public comments are invited on a discussion draft which provides guidance on the implementation of the approach to pricing transfers of hard-to-value intangibles described in Chapter VI of the Transfer Pricing Guidelines.

The Inclusive Framework on BEPS ("IF") welcomes Djibouti as its newest member, bringing to 97 the total number of countries and jurisdictions participating on an equal footing in the project. Djibouti also joins the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes as its 141st member.

On 5 May, the OECD launched a public disclosure facility for information on schemes designed to circumvent the application of the Common Reporting Standard.

The OECD welcomes the decision by The Bahamas to sign the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, which was formally communicated to the OECD in a letter from The Bahamas’ Minister of Finance, the Hon Kevin P. Turnquest MP, on Monday 29 May 2017.

Thailand has become the 98th jurisdiction to join the Inclusive Framework on BEPS (“IF”) and will participate on an equal footing with all other IF members at the next plenary meeting of the IF that will be held on 21-22 June 2017 in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

Ministers and high-level officials from 76 countries and jurisdictions have signed today or formally expressed their intention to sign an innovative multilateral convention that will swiftly implement a series of tax treaty measures to update the existing network of bilateral tax treaties.

The President of the Republic of Guatemala, Jimmy Morales, today deposited Guatemala’s instrument of ratification for the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters ("the Convention").

Viet Nam has become the 100th jurisdiction to join the Inclusive Framework on BEPS ("IF") on an equal footing with all other IF members, as announced by Mr. DANG NGOC Minh (Deputy General Director of the General Department of Taxation - GDT) at the third plenary meeting of the IF held on 21-22 June 2017 in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

Public comments are invited on two discussion drafts: Attribution of Profits to Permanent Establishments, which deals with work in relation to Action 7 of the BEPS Action Plan and the Revised Guidance on Profit Splits, which deals with work in relation to Actions 8-10 of the BEPS Action Plan.

Over 200 delegates from 83 countries and jurisdictions as well as 12 international and regional organisations met in Noordvijk, The Netherlands, on 21-22 June 2017 for the Third Meeting of the Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS).

Today, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, H.E. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance of Bahrain signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters and the CRS Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement‎ (CRS MCAA).

Barbados has become the 101st jurisdiction to join the Inclusive Framework on BEPS (“IF”).

Today at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, Mahess Rawoteea of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development of Mauritius, signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the MLI) in the presence of Douglas Frantz, OECD Deputy Secretary-General.

On 23 May 2017, interested parties were invited to provide comments on a discussion draft that provides guidance on the implementation of the approach to pricing transfers of hard-to-value intangibles described in Chapter VI of the Transfer Pricing Guidelines.

Fifty delegates representing 10 countries gathered in Cotonou (Benin) on 3-5 July 2017 for the second regional meeting of the Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) for French speaking countries. These regional meetings offer participants from around the world the opportunity to provide their views and input to the Inclusive Framework on BEPS.

The Inclusive Framework welcomed Montserrat, bringing to 102 the total number of countries and jurisdictions participating on an equal footing in the Project.

The fourth annual edition of Revenue Statistics in Asian Countries covers seven countries, including Kazakhstan for the first time. It shows that the tax-to-GDP ratio in all these countries are lower than the OECD average of 34.3% in 2015, which highlights that scope remains for increasing tax mobilisation, especially in Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and the Philippines to achieve sustainable growth.

Today, the OECD released a report on Neutralising the Effects of Branch Mismatch Arrangements (BEPS Action 2). This new report sets out recommendations for changes to domestic law that would bring the treatment of these branch mismatch structures into line with outcomes described in the 2015 Report.

Costa Rica has made significant economic and social progress over the last decades. Real GDP per capita continues to increase at rates which outperform many other Latin American and OECD countries. But while living standards and well-being have increased, tax reforms are essential now to ensure the sustainable development of Costa Rica’s economy, according to a new OECD report.

Today at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, Nigeria signed two major multilateral instruments: the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the MLI) and the CRS Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement‎ (the CRS MCAA). Nigeria becomes the 71st jurisdiction to sign the MLI and the 94th jurisdiction to join the CRS MCAA.

Greenland, Cambodia, Madagascar and Haiti have joined the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes as its 143rd, 144th, 145th and 146th members.

Today, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, Her Excellency Datin Paduka Malai Halimah Malai Yussof, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brunei Darussalam to France, signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters in the presence of OECD Deputy Secretary-General, Mr. Masamichi Kono.

Countries have continued the trend towards implementing tax policy reforms as part of wider strategies to boost growth, with a growing focus on reducing inequalities and driving behavioural change, according to a new report from the OECD.

This paper examines the role of businesses in the tax system. In addition to being taxed directly, businesses act as withholding agents and remitters of tax on behalf of others. Yet the share of tax revenue that businesses remit to governments outside of direct tax liabilities is under-studied.

The visit launched a joint induction programme to assist Ukraine in the implementation of the new international standards, namely the BEPS package, and the standards for exchange of information on request and for the automatic exchange of financial account information (the “Common Reporting Standard”).

The OECD is publishing the comments received on a discussion draft on the Attribution of Profits to Permanent Establishments (BEPS Action 7) and on a second discussion draft on the Revised Guidance on Profit Splits (BEPS Actions 8-10).

On 16 October 2017, an OECD delegation met in Tbilisi the Georgian First Deputy Minister and Head of Georgia Revenue Service Giorgi Tabuashvili and Deputy Minister Lasha Khutsishvili to discuss the progress of the country in implementing the new international standards to combat tax avoidance and tax evasion.

Today, in Lima (Peru), Claudia María Amelia Teresa Cooper Fort, Minister of Economy and Finance of Peru, signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters in the presence of the Deputy Director of the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, Grace Perez-Navarro. The Republic of Peru is the 114th jurisdiction to join the Convention, and the 12th Latin American jurisdiction to do so.

Today, in at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, His Excellency Khalid Bin Rashid Al-Mansouri, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to France, signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters in the presence of the Deputy Secretary-General Masamichi Kono.

Avoiding the potentially very high costs of climate change requires transitioning to a low carbon economy. Carbon pricing, in the form of emissions trading systems or taxes, helps to reduce emissions, but what is its role in driving the low carbon transition?

This paper asks whether free allocation of tradable emission permits in emissions trading systems can weaken emission abatement incentives for firms.

Today, in the margins of the 10th Global Forum meeting on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes held in Yaoundé, Cameroon Finance Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey, led a discussion with Ministers, high level representatives and officials from Africa on tax fraud and avoidance.

On 16 November 2017, an OECD delegation met Cameroon’s Minister of Finance Alamine Ousmane Mey in Yaounde to discuss progress being made in implementing the new international standards to combat tax avoidance and tax evasion.

In the aftermath of the release of the “Paradise Papers”, 200 delegates from more than 90 delegations met in Yaoundé, Cameroon for the 10th meeting of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes which now includes 147 countries and jurisdictions.

On 28 November 2017, an OECD delegation met Bakhyt Sultanov, the Kazakhstan Minister of Finance, in Astana to launch an initiative to assist Kazakhstan in the implementation of the measures to tackle Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS).

Today, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, The Hon. Kevin Peter Turnquest, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the Bahamas signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (“the Convention”) in the presence of OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria.

As part of continuing efforts to boost transparency by multinational enterprises (MNEs), Qatar has signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement for Country-by-Country Reporting (CbC MCAA), bringing the total number of signatories to 68.

Ministers and high-level officials from Barbados, Côte d’Ivoire, Jamaica, Malaysia, Panama and Tunisia have today signed the BEPS Multilateral Convention bringing the total number of signatories to 78. This Convention updates the existing network of bilateral tax treaties and reduces opportunities for tax avoidance by multinational enterprises.

Public input is sought both to obtain further evidence on the misuse of CBI/RBI schemes and on effective ways for preventing abuse.

This paper presents data on carryover provisions in 34 countries and compares their effects on the basis of two comparable indices. Empirical results show that in most countries corporate tax is not perfectly symmetric, suggesting the existence of tax-induced distortions towards less risky investments.