Today, Albania signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the Convention), becoming the 88th jurisdiction to join the Convention, which now covers almost 1,530 bilateral tax treaties.

On 29 May 2019, the UAE deposited its instrument of ratification for the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (multilateral convention or MLI) with the OECD’s Secretary-General, therewith underlining its strong commitment to prevent the abuse of tax treaties and BEPS by multinational enterprises. For the UAE, the MLI will enter into force on 1 September 2019.

The international community has agreed on a road map for resolving the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy, and committed to continue working toward a consensus-based long-term solution by the end of 2020, the OECD announced today.

International efforts to improve transparency via automatic exchange of information on financial accounts are improving tax compliance and delivering concrete results for governments worldwide, according to new data released today by the OECD.

This report contains two parts. Part I reports on the activities and achievements in the OECD’s international tax agenda. Part II reports on the activities and achievements of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.

The OECD is encouraging tax administrations around the globe to step up their efforts to support the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing with the launch of a handbook intended to raise the awareness of tax examiners, auditors, and investigators of the important role they can play in combatting these crimes.

The OECD has added new features to its MLI Matching Database. The database now includes information on entry into effect dates for matched agreements and the option to calculate entry into effect dates on the basis of anticipated dates of deposits. The expanded database also includes references to synthesised texts, if available.

The OECD and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco signed today a Memorandum of Understanding to renew the Country Programme, for a period of three years, to support Morocco’s reform agenda.

Today, Morocco signed the BEPS MLI, becoming the 89th jurisdiction to join the Convention, which now covers almost 1,530 bilateral tax treaties. Mr. Mohamed Benchaaboun, Minister of Economy and Finance of Morocco signed the Convention in the presence of Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD.

This report contains two parts. Part I reports on the activities and achievements in the OECD’s international tax agenda. Part II reports on the activities and achievements of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.

The Global Forum Secretariat is assisting Morocco in preparing for its second round of peer review aimed at assessing its compliance with the international standard of exchange of information on request.

Progress continues on implementing the BEPS Action 5 minimum standard, with a further 22 jurisdictions changing their laws to address harmful tax practices. On 19 July 2019, the Inclusive Framework on BEPS approved the latest results of reviews of jurisdictions’ domestic laws conducted by the OECD Forum on Harmful Tax Practices.

Tax-to-GDP ratios increased in the majority of Asian and Pacific economies covered by a new OECD report published today. Nine of the economies in the publication increased their tax-to-GDP ratios between 2016 and 2017, compared with only three in the preceding year, according to Revenue Statistics in Asian and Pacific Economies 2019.

The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes published today nine peer review reports assessing compliance with the international standard on transparency and exchange of information on request.

Ecuador and Serbia have deposited their instruments of ratification for the multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters therewith underlining their strong commitment to join international efforts against tax evasion and avoidance. The Convention will enter into force on 1 December 2019 for Ecuador and Serbia.

The OECD has released the outcomes of the second phase of peer reviews of the BEPS Action 13 Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting initiative, demonstrating strong progress in the implementation of a key element in continuing efforts to improve the taxation of multinational enterprises (MNEs) worldwide.

This paper explores one distinctive form of the ‘big data’ of economics – individual tax record microdata – and its potential for tax policy analysis. The paper draws on OECD collaborations with Slovenia and Ireland in 2018 where tax microdata was used.

Taxing polluting sources of energy is an effective way to curb emissions that harm the planet and human health, and the income generated can be used to ease the low-carbon transition for vulnerable households. Yet 70% of energy-related CO2 emissions from advanced and emerging economies are entirely untaxed, offering little incentive to move to cleaner energy, according to a new OECD report.

The Platform for Collaboration on Tax – a joint initiative of the IMF, OECD, UN and World Bank Group – is seeking feedback from the public on a draft toolkit designed to help developing countries in the implementation of effective transfer pricing documentation requirements.

Today, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, Biljana Peranović, Director General of the Directorate for Tax and Customs of Montenegro, signed the multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (the Convention) in the presence of the OECD Director of Legal Affairs, Nicola Bonucci. Montenegro is the 130th jurisdiction to join the Convention.

This report by the OECD Secretary-General provides an overview of the progress made by the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS in addressing the tax challenges of digitalisation and a brief update on the work on tax transparency.

Today the OECD Secretariat published a proposal to advance international negotiations to ensure large and highly profitable Multinational Enterprises, including digital companies, pay tax wherever they have significant consumer-facing activities and generate their profits.

Over 70 delegates from 14 countries, as well as international and regional organisations, business, and civil society gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan on 8-10 October 2019 for the Fifth Regional Meeting on BEPS for Eurasian Countries.

Over 50 delegates from 13 African countries, as well as international and regional organisations, technical co-operation agencies, Senegalese business, civil society and academia gathered in Saly, Senegal, on 15-17 October 2019 for the Third Regional Meeting on BEPS for Francophone Countries.

Jordan joins the international fight against tax evasion by becoming the 158th member of the Global Forum.

Today, Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the Convention), becoming the 90th jurisdiction to join the Convention, which now covers over 1 600 bilateral tax treaties.

The Global Forum published today eight peer review reports assessing compliance with the international standard on transparency and exchange of information on request (EOIR).

The 2019 edition of the tax policy publication Revenue Statistics in Africa will be launched on Tuesday, 19 November, during the African Union’s 13th Session of the Committee of Director Generals of National Statistics Offices. The report provides an overview of the main taxation trends from 1990 to 2017 in 26 African economies.

On 9 October 2019, interested parties were invited to provide comments on a number of policy issues and technical aspects in respect to the Secretariat Proposal for a "Unified Approach" under Pillar One. The OECD is grateful to the commentators for their input and now publishes the public comments received.

The OECD is now gathering input for the Stage 1 peer reviews of Andorra, Aruba, Bahrain, Barbados, Gibraltar, Greenland, Kazakhstan, Oman, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates and Viet Nam, and invites taxpayers to submit input on specific MAP-related issues by 16 December 2019.

The average tax-to-GDP ratio for the 26 countries participating in the new edition of Revenue Statistics in Africa was unchanged at 17.2% for the third consecutive year in 2017. This was lower than the averages for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) at 22.8% and for the OECD at 34.2%, underlining the need for urgent action to enhance domestic revenue mobilisation in Africa.

A regional meeting on tax and digitalisation for Asia and the Pacific , co-hosted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), took place in Manila, the Philippines on 19-20 November 2019.

A signing ceremony between the Italian Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) and the State Revenue Committee of Armenia took place at the OECD today, establishing work plans for two assistance programmes initiated through Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) – a joint OECD/UNDP capacity building initiative.

On 26-27 November, the 10th Anniversary Meeting of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes (the Global Forum) in Paris will bring together more than 500 delegates from 131 member jurisdictions for renewed discussions on efforts to advance the tax transparency agenda.

Kenya and Oman have today signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the Convention), becoming the 91st and 92nd jurisdictions to join the Convention, which now covers over 1630 bilateral tax treaties.

On the occasion of the 10th Plenary Meeting of the Global Forum a further five countries signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, therewith bringing the total number of participating in the Convention to 135.

On 8 November 2019, interested parties were invited to provide comments on certain aspects of the Global Anti-Base Erosion (GloBE) Proposal under Pillar Two. The OECD is grateful to the commentators for their input and now publishes the public comments received.

Letter from OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría for the attention of The Honorable Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury, United States

Tax revenues in advanced economies reached a plateau during 2018, with almost no change seen since 2017, according to new OECD research. This ends the trend of annual increases in the tax-to-GDP ratio seen since the financial crisis.

Brazil has identified a clear pathway for bringing its existing transfer pricing framework into alignment with the international consensus, and is weighing two options – immediate or gradual implementation, according to a new joint report by the OECD and Receita Federal, Brazil’s federal revenue authority (RFB).

Jordan has today signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the Convention), becoming the 93rd jurisdiction to join the Convention, which now covers over 1,653 bilateral tax treaties.

As part of continuing efforts to address BEPS concerns, the Inclusive Framework on BEPS has now assessed 112 jurisdictions' progress in spontaneously exchanging information on tax rulings, in accordance with Action 5 of the OECD/G20 BEPS package.

The OECD today published two self-assessment maturity models on tax debt management and the reduction of compliance burdens, both critical areas for successful tax administration. Maturity models set out descriptions of capabilities and performance in a particular function or set of activities across a number of levels of increasing maturity, in the case of these models from an emerging to an aspirational level.

Viet Nam and Palau join the international fight against tax evasion by becoming the 159th and 160th member of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.

North Macedonia has today signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the Convention), becoming the 94th jurisdiction to join the Convention, which now covers over 1,650 bilateral tax treaties.

The international community reaffirmed its commitment to reach a consensus-based long-term solution to the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy, and will continue working toward an agreement by the end of 2020, according to the Statement by the Inclusive Framework on BEPS released by the OECD today.

Today, Uruguay deposited its instrument of ratification for the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) with the OECD’s Secretary-General, therewith underlining its strong commitment to prevent the abuse of tax treaties and BEPS by multinational enterprises. For Uruguay, the MLI enters into force on 1 June 2020.

As part of the ongoing work of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS (Inclusive Framework), the OECD invites public comments on the Review of the BEPS Action 13 minimum standard.

The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes (Global Forum) and the World Bank carried out a technical assistance mission in Antananarivo on 20-24 January 2020 to assist Madagascar in the implementation of the international tax transparency standards.

The Global Forum and the Asian Development Bank held a joint training event on the Exchange of Information on Request Peer Reviews and Implementation of the Automatic Exchange of Information Standard from 17 January to 31 January 2020 in Tbilisi, Georgia.