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.

As part of the ongoing work of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS, the OECD Secretariat is seeking public comments on the Global Anti-Base Erosion (GloBE) Proposal under Pillar Two. This public consultation meeting will focus on the key questions identified in the consultation document and issues raised in the written submissions received as part of the consultation process.

The Inclusive Framework on BEPS welcomes Honduras bringing to 137 the total number of countries and jurisdictions participating on an equal footing in the Project.

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 Inclusive Framework on BEPS has released additional interpretative guidance to give greater certainty to tax administrations and MNE Groups on the implementation and operation of Country-by-Country Reporting (BEPS Action 13).

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.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations (IOTA) signed the renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Co-operation between both Parties.

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.

Today, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, Calixte Batossie Madjoulba, Ambassador of Togo in 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. Togo is the 136th jurisdiction to join the Convention.

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.

With a number of important recent and upcoming developments in the OECD's international tax work, experts from the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration give the latest tax update.

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 report is significant because it is the first time the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines include guidance on the transfer pricing aspects of financial transactions, which will contribute to consistency in the interpretation of the arm’s length principle and help avoid transfer pricing disputes and double taxation.

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.

New economic analysis shows that a proposed solution to the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy under negotiation at the OECD would have a significant positive impact on global tax revenues.

As part of the Inclusive Framework’s work relating to the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy, the OECD has been carrying out an economic analysis and impact assessment of the Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 proposals. Please join a live webcast with experts from the OECD to learn more about this work, which will include a presentation of preliminary results on the revenue and investment effects of the proposals.

Part I reports on the activities in the OECD's international tax agenda, in particular the progress made in addressing the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy. It also provides an update on G20 tax deliverables including tax transparency, implementation of BEPS measures & capacity building to support developing countries. Part II reports on the activities of the Global Forum.

As part of the ongoing work of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs, the OECD is seeking public comments on the draft Model Rules for Reporting for Platform Operators with respect to Sellers in the Sharing and Gig Economy.

The work on BEPS Action 14 continues with today's publication of the eighth round of stage 1 peer review reports. Each report assesses a country's efforts to implement the Action 14 minimum standard as agreed to under the OECD/G20 BEPS Project.

Today, the OECD released IT-formats and guidance to support the technical implementation of the OECD Treaty Relief and Compliance Enhancement (TRACE) initiative, as well as to facilitate the wider use of the OECD Common Transmission System (CTS) for the exchange of information between tax administrations.

The Global Forum and the Italian Revenue Agency carried out an onsite visit in Tirana to assist Albania with the implementation of the international standard of automatic exchange of financial account information (AEOI).

On 28 February, Portugal 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 Portugal, the MLI enters into force on 1 June 2020.

The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes visited the Headquarter of the African Development Bank (AfDB) on 3-4 February 2020 to discuss the tax transparency agenda in Africa.

Domestic resource mobilisation is a priority as a means to increase national capacity to finance the SDGs. Taxes are already the largest single source of financing, and have the potential for growth. As while the average level of taxes in developing countries remains low, countries have shown capacity to expand their revenues.

On 6 Feburary 2020, interested parties were invited to provide comments on the Review of the BEPS Action 13 minimum standard. The OECD is grateful to the commentators for their input and now publishes the public comments received.

Today, San Marino 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 San Marino, the MLI enters into force on 1 July 2020.

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OECD Tax Policy Reviews: Seychelles 2020 provides an in-depth and comparative assessment of Seychelles’ tax system, and identifies a number of recommendations for tax reform. This publication, which is part of the OECD Tax Policy Reviews series, focused primarily on the examination of the business tax.

Due to the developing coronavirus emergency, the OECD has implemented a range of precautionary measures at its Paris headquarters. Multilateral efforts to address the tax challenges arising from digitalisation of the economy continue. The OECD Secretariat team is working full steam on the project and meetings with delegates are being held remotely.

These potential measures, which are not recommendations, are intended to assist policymakers as they respond in their own national context.

These suggestions are not recommendations but are intended to assist administrations globally in their consideration of appropriate measures in their own national contexts to help taxpayers during this difficult period.

As we navigate through this global crisis, one of the few certainties is that tax policy will play an important role in the immediate response of governments to support individuals and businesses, as well as in future rounds of policy action, including to rebuild our economies, which will ultimately take place once the health crisis has been contained.

Progress continues with the implementation of the BEPS package, as the OECD releases the second peer review assessing countries’ efforts to implement the Action 6 minimum standard as agreed under the OECD/G20 BEPS Project.

In the light of the worsening global impacts of Covid-19 on individual taxpayers, businesses and the wider economy, the OECD Forum on Tax Administration (FTA) has today published a global reference document setting out actions that FTA tax administrations are currently taking to support taxpayers.

The world's four leading multilateral organisations working in the tax area have established their first integrated website containing information on how low- and middle-income countries can strengthen tax systems and mobilise the domestic revenue they need to address some of their urgent development challenges—including the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the request of concerned countries, the OECD Secretariat has issued guidance on these issues based on a careful analysis of the international tax treaty rules.

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

The OECD Forum on Tax Administration (FTA), in collaboration with the Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations (IOTA) and the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (CIAT), has today published a reference document on critical business continuity considerations for tax administrations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The work on BEPS Action 14 continues with today's publication of the stage 2 peer review monitoring reports of the seven jurisdictions in batch 2: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Sweden.

On 19 February 2020, interested parties were invited to provide comments on the draft Model Rules for Reporting for Platform Operators with respect to Sellers in the Sharing and Gig Economy. The OECD is grateful to the commentators for their input and now publishes the public comments received

Tax and fiscal policy responses are playing a critical role in limiting the hardship caused by containment measures, and should continue to do so as governments seek to support households and businesses, protect employment and pursue economic recovery from the global pandemic, according to new OECD analysis.

Recent decades have seen rapid growth of advanced digital technologies, including high-speed computing, big data, artificial intelligence, the internet-of-things and blockchain. This “digital revolution” creates significant opportunities for all levels of government to improve the delivery of public goods and services, and to raise more and better revenue.

Today, Indonesia 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 Indonesia, the MLI enters into force on 1 August 2020.

As a result of COVID-19, public life has come to a sudden halt and consumer spending is plummeting. How will this crisis and the policy actions taken in response affect tax revenues? And what lessons can be learned from the previous global financial crisis?