Tax Transparency

Tax transparency is about putting an end to bank secrecy and tax evasion through global tax co-operation.

Key developments

The key to international tax co-operation is effective exchange of information and the OECD has been at the forefront of international efforts to promote all forms of information exchange - including on request, spontaneous and automatic - since it first established its Working Party on Tax Avoidance and Evasion in 1971.  Since then, enormous progress has been made to establish high standards of tax transparency and information sharing so as to improve tax authorities' ability to deter, detect and disrupt tax evasion and avoidance. 

Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes

The Global Forum is a key international body with over 160 members working on the implementation of international standards on tax transparency. It ensures that these high standards of transparency and exchange of information for tax purposes are in place around the world through its monitoring and peer review activities.

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Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters

The multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters allows all relevant jurisdictions to exchange information in tax matters in line with the most up to date international standards. Currently, there are more than 130 jurisdictions participating in the Convention.

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Automatic exchange of tax information

Automatic exchange of information is the systematic and periodic transmission of tax information by countries to the residence country concerning various categories of income, such as dividends, interest, gross proceeds, royalties, salaries, pensions, etc. The common global standard on automatic exchange of financial account information was established in 2014 and aimed at ending bank secrecy once and for all. Today, more than 100 jurisdictions exchange financial accounts information on an automatic basis. Information on 84 million financial accounts, with a total value of EUR 10 trillion, was automatically exchanged in 2019. EUR 107 billion in additional tax revenues have been identified through voluntary disclosure programmes, offshore tax investigations and related measures since 2009.

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OECD Oslo Dialogue

Tax crimes, corruption, money laundering and other illicit flows threaten the strategic, political and economic interests of countries. Illicit financial flows are of concern to all countries, but particularly to developing countries, as they strip resources that could finance their long-term development.

The Oslo Dialogue, launched by the OECD at the first Forum on Tax and Crime in 2011, promotes a whole of government approach to tackling tax crimes and other financial crimes.

Countering these activities requires greater transparency, more effective intelligence gathering and analysis, and improvements in co-operation and information sharing between government agencies and between countries to prevent, detect and prosecute criminals and recover the proceeds of their illicit activities.

 

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