The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes held its annual meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia on November 2-4, bringing together 220 delegates from 84 jurisdictions and 12 International organisations to further their shared goal of improving tax transparency and achieving a level playing field.

The OECD’s work to advance tax certainty specifically includes work to improve the timeliness of processing and completing mutual agreement procedure (MAP) cases under tax treaties and to enhance the transparency of the MAP process. As part of that work, the OECD makes available annual statistics on the MAP caseloads of all its member countries and of non-OECD economies that agree to provide such statistics.

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.

Taxing Wages 2017, the OECD’s annual flagship publication on the various taxes levied on wages and salaries, will be released on Tuesday 11 April 2017 at 11:00 CET (09:00 GMT).

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.

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

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.

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.

Tax administrations are playing a critical role as governments start implementing new international measures to counter offshore evasion and combat tax avoidance by multinational enterprises.

Every worker and employer is directly affected by taxes on wages. Taxation is one of the principal ways we finance public services. It also helps us achieve important social objectives, such as redistributing wealth to address inequalities. But as the OECD’s annual Taxing Wages points out, tax policies on labour income may have an impact on individuals’ behaviour with respect to the labour market or their consumption habits.

One of the elements of the Action 14 minimum standard requires jurisdictions to seek to resolve mutual agreement procedure (“MAP”) cases within an average timeframe of 24 months. To monitor compliance with this element, members of the Inclusive Framework on BEPS have committed to report their MAP statistics pursuant to an agreed reporting framework.

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.

Today, Jersey deposited its instrument of ratification for the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting ("multilateral convention") with the OECD. Subsequently, on 20 December, Curaçao joined the multilateral convention.

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.

More than 110 countries and jurisdictions have agreed to review two key concepts of the international tax system, responding to a mandate from the G20 Finance Ministers to work on the implications of digitalisation for taxation.

Workers in OECD countries paid just over a quarter of their gross wages in tax on average in 2017, with just over half of countries seeing small increases in the personal average tax rate, according to a new OECD report.

Paraguay signed today the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, making it the 119th jurisdiction to join the world’s leading instrument for boosting transparency and combating cross-border tax evasion.

Today, in Ouagadougou, an OECD delegation met the Minister of Economy, Finance and Development of Burkina Faso, Mrs. Hadizatou Rosine Coulibaly, to discuss the progress made in the implementation of new international tax standards.

Kazakhstan today became the 102nd jurisdiction to sign the OECD's Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement for the Common Reporting Standard (CRS MCAA).

Ministers and senior officials from Kazakhstan, Peru and the United Arab Emirates have signed the BEPS Multilateral Convention bringing the total number of signatories to 81. This Convention updates the existing network of bilateral tax treaties and reduces opportunities for tax avoidance by multinational enterprises.

Peru today signed a landmark treaty to improve the international tax system. The signing of the BEPS Multilateral Convention came during the fifth plenary meeting of the Inclusive Framework on BEPS held in the Lima on 27-28 June 2018.

Today, Ukraine signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the Convention). Ukraine becomes the 83rd jurisdiction to join the Convention, which will update the existing network of bilateral tax treaties to reduce opportunities for tax avoidance by multinational enterprises.

Antigua and Barbuda today signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. It is the 125th jurisdiction to join the Convention.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Norway agreed today to gear up efforts to help developing countries address their domestic resource mobilisation challenges in order to finance the Sustainable Development Goals.

Today, Saudi Arabia signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the Convention). Saudi Arabia becomes the 84th jurisdiction to join the Convention, which now covers over 1,400 bilateral tax treaties.

Members of the Inclusive Framework on BEPS have committed to report their MAP statistics pursuant to an agreed reporting framework and to publish them on a yearly basis. The 2017 MAP statistics are now available covering 85 jurisdictions and almost all MAP cases worldwide. They contain detailed information on each jurisdiction as well as aggregated global information.

The OECD and Papua New Guinea's Internal Revenue Commission agreed today to gear up efforts to tackle tax base erosion and profit shifting by multinational enterprises in Papua New Guinea, through participation in the OECD/UNDP Tax Inspectors Without Borders initiative.

Ecuador today signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, making it the 126th jurisdiction to join the world’s leading instrument for boosting transparency and combating cross-border tax evasion. The Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (CRS MCAA) was also signed.

The Global Forum held its annual meeting in Uruguay on 20-22 November, bringing together 220 delegates from 84 jurisdictions and 12 International organisations to strengthen further the international community’s fight against tax evasion. The meeting marked the widespread rollout of automatic exchange of financial account of information.

Today, Qatar signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (the Convention), becoming the 85th jurisdiction to join the Convention, which now covers nearly 1,500 bilateral tax treaties.

Belize has signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent BEPS, becoming the 86th jurisdiction to join the Convention, which now covers almost 1500 bilateral tax treaties. Yesterday, Monaco deposited its instrument of ratification for the Convention with the OECD’s Secretary-General.

Today, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, H.E. Aichetou Mint M’Haiham, Ambassador of Mauritania to France, signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (the Convention) in the presence of the OECD Deputy Secretary-General Ludger Schuknecht. Mauritania is the 127th jurisdiction to join the Convention.

The Forum on Tax Administration (FTA), the 53 leading global tax administrations, met in Chile on 26-28 March and agreed an ambitious agenda focused on tax certainty, enhanced tax co-operation and the collective challenges of digital transformation.

Income tax and social security contributions declined slightly for the average worker across the OECD in 2018, driven by major reforms in a handful of countries, according to a new OECD report.

Today, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, H.E. Sharlene Shillingford-McKlmon, Ambassador of Dominica to the European Union, signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (the Convention). Dominica is the 128th jurisdiction to join the Convention.

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.

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.

Today, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, Slavica Savicic, State Secretary for Finance of the Republic of Serbia, signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (the Convention) in the presence of the OECD Deputy Secretary-General Jeffrey Schlagenhauf. Serbia is the 129th jurisdiction to join the Convention.

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 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.

The work on BEPS Action 14 continues with today’s publication of the first round of stage 2 peer review monitoring reports, which consists of monitoring the follow-up of any recommendations resulting from jurisdictions' stage 1 peer review reports.

Guinea, Namibia and Honduras have joined the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, announcing their commitment to implement both the international standard of exchange of information on request and the standard on automatic exchange of financial account information.

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.

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.

In response to a request from the APEC Finance Ministers, the OECD today presented the report Combatting Tax Crimes More Effectively in APEC Economies at the APEC meetings underway in Santiago, Chile.

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.

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.