Countries have used recent tax reforms to lower taxes on businesses and individuals, with a view to boosting investment, consumption and labour market participation, continuing a trend that started a couple of years ago, according to a new report from the OECD.

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.

Australia, France, Japan and the Slovak Republic have deposited their instrument of ratification or acceptance for the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting with the OECD’s Secretary-General, therewith underlining their strong commitment to prevent the abuse of tax treaties and BEPS by multinational enterprises.

An innovative international co-operation initiative that deploys qualified experts in developing countries to strengthen their ability to effectively tax multinational enterprises has achieved significant milestones over the past year, according to a new annual report.

As part of its work to preserve the integrity of the CRS, the OECD has published the results of its analysis of over 100 CBI/RBI schemes offered by CRS-committed jurisdictions, identifying those schemes that potentially pose a high-risk to the integrity of CRS.

Since the release of the guidance, Monaco has provided additional information with respect to its residence and migration requirements confirming that information on relevant applicants is exchanged with all existing jurisdictions of residence.

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.

This new guidance presents a clear overview of the modifications to tax treaties resulting from the Multilateral BEPS Convention which entered into force on 1 July 2018. A Secretariat note, also released today, clarifies the entry into effect rules for tax treaties of jurisdictions that deposited their ratification instruments last September.

The OECD is gathering input for the Stage 1 peer reviews of Brazil, Bulgaria, China (People's Republic of), Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Russian Federation and Saudi Arabia, and invites taxpayers to submit input on specific issues relating to access to MAP, clarity and availability of MAP guidance and the timely implementation of MAP agreements for each of these jurisdictions using the taxpayer input questionnaire.

International efforts to curb harmful tax practices and prevent the misuse of preferential tax regimes are having a tangible impact worldwide, according to new data released today by the OECD.

As part of its efforts to maintain the integrity of the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), the OECD has been working closely with Panama over the last weeks to ensure that any risks created by its Residence by Investment (RBI) programmes are effectively addressed.

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.

This week, in the margins of the 11th Global Forum meeting held in Punta del Este, Uruguay Minister of Economy and Finance Danilo Astori led a discussion with Ministers, high level representatives and officials from Latin America on the use of information exchange to combat tax fraud and corruption.

The Convention will enter into force for Jamaica on 1 March 2019 and will generally apply from 1 January 2020, although it may apply for earlier periods between signatories if agreed to and applies in relation to any period regarding criminal matters.

International cooperation and collective action are critical to tackling the world’s major challenges, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said following the G20 Leaders’ Summit held in Buenos Aires amid heightened trade tensions but at which important advances were made on a number of priorities of Argentina’s presidency.

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.

Taxes paid by companies remain a key source of government revenues, especially in developing countries, despite the worldwide trend of falling corporate tax rates over the past two decades, according to a new report from the OECD.

The international community has made important progress toward addressing the tax challenges arising from digitalisation of the economy and has agreed to continue working multilaterally towards achievement of a new consensus-based long-term solution in 2020, the OECD announced today.

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.

Indonesia’s government needs more revenue to fund spending that can boost GDP growth, raise well-being and reduce poverty.

As part of the ongoing work of the Inclusive Framework on BEPS, the OECD is seeking public comments on key issues identified in a public consultation document on possible solutions to the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy.

The OECD is now gathering input for the BEPS Action 14 Stage 1 peer reviews of Brunei, Curaçao, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Monaco, San Marino and Serbia, and invites taxpayers to submit input on specific MAP-related issues by 19 March 2019.

On 5 March, Morocco and Cameroon launched a new TIWB South-South bilateral programme in Yaoundé. The programme, a first between two Francophone African countries, will see Moroccan tax audit experts providing support to Cameroon.

On 13 February 2019, interested parties were invited to provide comments on key issues identified in a public consultation document on possible solutions to the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy. The OECD is grateful to the commentators for their input and now publishes the public comments received.

Today, the OECD and the United Arab Emirates signed a renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to extend their collaboration in providing regional seminars on international taxation For a further three year, to 2021.

As part of the ongoing work of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS and its Task Force on the Digital Economy, the OECD will hold a public consultation event on the tax challenges of digitalisation on 13-14 March 2019.

As part of OECD Integrity Week 2019 (18-22 March), this event will bring together international experts to discuss these issues of integrity, transparency and trust in the tax system, and the research, tools and approaches needed to identify and implement policies to increase tax morale.

This report “A Beneficial Ownership Implementation Toolkit” – contains policy considerations that Global Forum member jurisdictions can use in implementing the legal and supervisory frameworks to identify and collect beneficial ownership information, which is now a requirement of the international tax transparency standards.

Meeting in Melbourne, Australia on 20-22 March 2019, around 300 participants attending the Global Forum on VAT, welcomed measures proposed in a new report by the OECD on The Role of Digital Platforms in the Collection of VAT/GST on Online Sales. The report includes new measures to make e-commerce marketplaces liable for the VAT/GST on sales made by online traders through their platforms.

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.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands has deposited its instrument of acceptance and Georgia has 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, thus underlining its strong commitments to prevent the abuse of tax treaties and BEPS by multinational enterprises.

As part of the ongoing work on tax morale, the OECD is seeking public comments on itis forthcoming publication What is driving tax morale? An empirical analysis on social preferences and attitudes towards taxation.

Investment in intangible assets has become an increasingly important driver of productivity growth in OECD countries.

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.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría and Japan’s Minister of Finance Taro Aso presided today over a signing ceremony to establish a new centre of the OECD International Academy for Tax Crime Investigation in Wako, Japan.

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.

In order to support the automatic exchange of information collected under the OECD’s Model Mandatory Disclosure Rules on Common Reporting Standard (CRS) Avoidance Arrangements and Opaque Offshore Structures (MDRs), the OECD has today released the international administrative and operational framework for the exchange of information collected under the MDRs.

At their Summit in Osaka this weekend, G20 leaders agreed on a range of priorities for which analysis and support from the OECD and other international organisations are playing a crucial role.

The OECD is now gathering input for the Stage 1 peer reviews of Andorra, Anguilla, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Faroe Islands, Macau (China), Morocco and Tunisia, and invites taxpayers to submit input on specific MAP-related issues by 12 August 2019.

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.

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 2018 MAP statistics cover 89 jurisdictions and almost all MAP cases worldwide. They contain detailed information on each jurisdiction as well as aggregated global information.

TIWB will release its Annual Report 2018/19 on Tuesday, 24 September 2019 at 12:00 EST/18:00 CEST.