07/12/2023 – Over 120 experts on tax crimes and other financial crimes, including the heads of financial crime agencies and other senior law enforcement authorities from 46 jurisdictions, met on 5-7 December for the Sixth OECD Forum on Tax and Crime (FTC) in Rome, Italy. Against the background of the new challenges and opportunities brought about by the rapid digitalisation of the economy, delegates discussed how countries can further enhance international co-operation in order to maximise the disruption of tax crimes and related illicit financial flows.

 

Participants stressed the importance of the continuing OECD work on combatting tax crime and financial crime, including the recent development of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework that provides for the automatic exchange of information between countries on crypto-assets. This includes the work of the OECD's Task Force on Tax Crimes and Other Financial Crimes, a unique body which supports the implementation of the Ten Global Principles for Fighting Tax Crime, international co-operation on operational and strategic approaches, and a wide-ranging capacity building programme.

 

During the Forum, delegates identified four priority areas for further actions:

• Increasing the sharing and pooling of knowledge, including with other international partners.
• Developing new mechanisms for more systematic real-time co-operation and sharing of information, including the piloting of a new confidential network of tax crime law enforcement authorities.
• Continuing to strengthen and deepen capacity building through the Academy for Tax and Financial Crime Investigation and the joint OECD-UNDP Tax Inspectors Without Borders for Criminal Investigation Programme.
• Enhancing the integrity of administration systems through the use of new technology and new approaches to address vulnerabilities, including by closer working with the OECD's Forum on Tax Administration on the opportunities offered by digital transformation.

 

"As the economy rapidly digitalises, criminals are finding new ways to carry out tax crimes and other financial crimes, including across borders. It is more important than ever that law enforcement agencies and international organisations work hand in glove and increasingly in real-time, to crack-down on these activities that are undermining government revenue", said Manal Corwin, Director of the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration. "I strongly welcome the call to step up international co-operation and collaboration to tackle the scourge of tax crime and other financial crimes".

 

Italy's Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Maurizio Leo, said: "We are very proud to have hosted the Sixth OECD Forum on Tax and Crime in Rome, bringing together heads of tax crime, and senior officials from other law enforcement agencies and international organisations to agree further priority actions. The Rome FTC also marked the 10th anniversary of the launch of the highly successful international centre of the OECD Academy for Tax and Financial Crime Investigation which now has global reach through its three regional centres and new pilot programmes."

 

• Read the joint closing statement by Italy and OECD
• Access new OECD reports on Dividend Tax Fraud and Enhancing Inter-Agency Trust Between Tax and Other Financial Crime Authorities

 

For more background on the OECD's work on tax and crime, and the whole-of-government approach launched by the Oslo Dialogue, see: www.oecd.org/tax/crime/

 

For more information or to speak with an OECD expert, contact ctp.communications@oecd.org.