Senior tax policymakers and administrators from across the world are meeting this week in Marrakech to discuss how powers to set and collect taxes should be allocated across different levels of government to ensure accountability, efficiency and economic stability.

Tax revenues continue bouncing back from the low levels reported in almost all countries during 2008 and 2009, at the height of the global economic crisis, according to new OECD data in the annual Revenue Statistics publication. The average tax revenue to GDP ratio in OECD countries was 34.6% in 2012, compared with 34.1% in 2011 and 33.8% in 2010.

Kazakhstan has become the 64th signatory of the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, the most powerful international instrument to fight international tax avoidance and evasion.

This case study describes the approach taken to reduce NOx emissions from combustion plants, the challenges encountered and the social, environmental and economic impacts. It concludes by discussing the wider lessons that are raised for other governments seeking to develop similar policy responses.

On 22 November 2013, a request for public comments on the tax challenges of the digital economy was launched. The OECD now publishes the comments received.

On 22 October 2013, the OECD requested interested parties to send a short description of strategies that might be considered to result in the artificial avoidance of PE status in relation to base erosion and profit shifting. The OECD has now published the only response received following that invitation.

Tax revenues in Latin American countries continue to rise but are lower as a proportion of their national incomes than in most OECD countries. Revenue Statistics in Latin America 2012 shows that Argentina and Brazil have the highest tax revenue to GDP ratio, while Guatemala and Dominican Republic stand at the lower end.

Interested parties are invited to comment on this paper prepared by the OECD in the context of revision to Chapter V of the Transfer Pricing Guidelines.

We need to fight distortions to competition that can arise from tax avoidance, just like we do from other forms of government intervention, such as regulation, said OECD Secretary-General.

Offshore tax evasion remains a serious problem for countries and jurisdictions worldwide, with vast amounts of funds deposited abroad and sheltered from taxation when taxpayers fail to comply with obligations in their home countries.

On 15 November 2013, the OECD Committee on Fiscal Affairs (CFA) invited public comments on a discussion draft on technical changes to be included in the next update to the OECD Model Tax Convention. The OECD has now published the comments received on that discussion draft.

On 15 November 2013, the OECD Committee on Fiscal Affairs (CFA) invited public comments on a discussion draft on changes to the provisions of the OECD Model Tax Convention dealing with the operation of ships and aircraft in international traffic. The OECD has now published the comments received on that discussion draft.

A revision of the timetable for planned stakeholders’ input is now available online with the dates when discussion drafts will be published and public consultations held in relation to the September 2014 BEPS outputs.

On 30 January 2014, the OECD invited comments from interested parties on the Discussion Draft on transfer pricing documentation and country-by-country reporting. The OECD now publishes the comments received.

In line with the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan to involve developing countries in the work on BEPS, the OECD has held two regional consultations for the Asia-Pacific and Latin American-Caribbean regions.

This paper sets out four possible approaches to addressing the concerns over the lack of data on transfer pricing comparables expressed by developing countries.

Public comments are invited on a discussion draft that includes the proposals produced with respect to Action 6 (Prevent Treaty Abuse) of the BEPS Action Plan.

The tax code can affect incentives to invest in education and training by influencing the costs and benefits of these investments. This can be the case for individuals through the income taxes and social security contributions they pay, and for companies through their corporate taxes and employer social security contributions.

Public comments are invited on discussion drafts that include the proposals produced with respect to Action 2 (Hybrid Mismatch Arrangements) of the BEPS Action Plan.

Public comments are invited on a discussion draft that includes the proposals produced with respect to Action 1 (Tax Challenges of the Digital Economy) of the BEPS Action Plan.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría has welcomed moves by more than 40 countries – reinforced by EU leaders - to commit to a detailed timetable to step up the fight against tax evasion.

Following the financial crisis in 2008, millions of citizens faced hardship as they set about repairing the damage done to their economies and to public finances. For most people, the necessary sacrifice was bearable as long as it was shared fairly by everyone in society. Unfortunately, the evidence shows that this was not the case when it came to some large global companies.

Over 330 senior tax officials from more than 110 jurisdictions and international organisations met in Paris on 26-28 March 2014 during the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Global Forum on Transfer Pricing.

The OECD publishes comments received from interested parties on the discussion draft on Action 6 (Prevent Treaty Abuse) of the BEPS Action Plan.

Personal income tax has risen in 25 out of 34 OECD countries over the past three years, as countries reduce the value of tax-free allowances and tax credits and subject higher proportions of earnings to tax, according to new data in the annual Taxing Wages publication.

On 24 March 2014, the OECD invited comments from interested parties on the Discussion Draft on Tax Challenges of the Digital Economy related to Action 1 of the BEPS Action Plan. The OECD now publishes the comments received.

The governments of 86 countries have taken a key step towards preventing value added tax from weighing on trade while also safeguarding state revenues by endorsing the first internationally agreed framework for applying national VAT rules to cross-border transactions.

The international community continues making progress toward greater cooperation to ensure effective information exchange in tax matters. The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes issued today 12 new reports that highlight action being taken by jurisdictions to implement the international standard for exchange of information on request.

The shares of the richest 1% in total pre-tax income have increased in most OECD countries over the past three decades. This rise is the result of the top 1% capturing a disproportionate share of overall income growth over that timeframe: up to 37% in Canada and 47% in the United States, according to new OECD analysis.

Tax for development: why better public services matter

Tax revenues are currently rising as a proportion of national incomes in Indonesia and Malaysia but continue to be substantially lower than for Korea, Japan and other OECD countries, according to a new OECD report.

Bank secrecy for tax purposes is coming to an end as countries and major financial centres commit to automatic exchange of information between jurisdictions.

OECD publishes comments received on Action 2 discussions drafts (Neutralise the Effects of Hybrid Mismatch Arrangements)

The OECD will hold a public consultation on the discussion draft on transfer pricing documentation and country-by-country reporting on 19 May 2014 at the OECD in Paris, France.

Air pollution is costing advanced economies plus China and India an estimated USD 3.5 trillion a year in premature deaths and ill health and the costs will rise without government action to limit vehicle emissions, a new OECD report says.

Article about OECD work with international partners to eradicate tax evasion and tax avoidance, published in G7 Brussels Summit magazine, June 2014

Andorra has become the 48th signatory to an OECD Declaration that commits countries to end bank secrecy for tax purposes.

Cameroon has become the 65th signatory of the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, the most powerful international instrument to fight international tax avoidance and evasion.

Gabon has signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters at a ceremony today at the OECD. Gabon is the seventh African country to sign the Convention since it was opened for signature to all countries in June 2011.

Company cars form a large proportion of the car fleet in many OECD countries and are also influential in determining the composition of the wider vehicle fleet. When employees provided with a company car use that car for personal purposes, personal income tax rules value the benefit in a number of different ways.

Diesel and gasoline account for around 95% of energy used for road transport in the OECD and for the largest share of revenue from taxes on energy. In 33 out of 34 OECD countries, diesel fuel is taxed at lower rates than gasoline both in terms of energy and carbon content.

The OECD Council approved yesterday the contents of the 2014 update to the OECD Model Tax Convention. The update will be incorporated in a revised version of the Model Tax Convention that will be published in the next few months.

Taking an important step towards greater transparency and putting an end to banking secrecy in tax matters, the OECD today released the full version of a new global standard for the exchange of information between jurisdictions.

At the G20’s request, the OECD is leading the development of a strategy to address base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). The Development Working Group has asked the OECD to draw together the experiences of developing countries and international organisations in a report on the main sources of BEPS in developing countries and how these relate to the OECD/G20 BEPS Action Plan on this issue.

The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes published today 13 new peer review reports demonstrating progress toward implementation of the international standard for exchange of information on request. The Global Forum also issued compliance ratings for 10 jurisdictions.

Public comments are invited on request for input on BEPS Action 11 regarding work on establishing methodologies to collect and analyse data on BEPS and the actions to address it.

Heads of tax crime investigation in 44 countries, as well as the Financial Action Task Force and World Customs Organisation, have come together this week at Europol Headquarters in the Hague for the second meeting of the OECD Forum of Heads of Tax Crime Investigation.

The OECD released today its first recommendations for a co-ordinated international approach to combat tax avoidance by multinational enterprises, under the OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project designed to create a single set of international tax rules to end the erosion of tax bases and the artificial shifting of profits to jurisdictions to avoid paying tax.

The OECD has been mandated by the G20 to develop toolkits to support developing countries addressing base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) and to launch pilot tests to assist them to move towards automatic exchange of information.

As the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approach their expiry date, we must focus our efforts on ensuring a brighter, more inclusive and sustainable future for all. We face a plethora of common issues: growing inequalities; changing consumption patterns and population dynamics; increasing natural resource scarcity; and ongoing illicit financial flows.