Reports

This paper investigates the role of fiscal federalism in driving ecological transition, a key challenge in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals agenda. The ecological transition seeks a sustainable society that prioritises natural resource preservation and reduces environmental impacts. The study investigates the link between fiscal federalism institutions and ecological transition policies, focusing on regional and local governments’ role in implementing environmental goals. Despite subnational governments’ commitment to green objectives, comprehensive plan implementation has been limited due to local governments’ incentive schemes and capacity constraints. The paper examines the potential of fiscal federalism institutions, such as fiscal rules, transfers and capacity-building programs, to support ecological transition policies. The research emphasises engaging regional and local governments in the green agenda and highlights the need for tailored approaches in multi-level fiscal governance to effectively achieve environmental goals. By investigating fiscal federalism’s potential contribution to ecological transition, the paper offers valuable insights for policymakers addressing environmental challenges through a multi-level governance approach.

Since the approval of the Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information in Tax Matters in 2014, it has been implemented by jurisdictions and financial institutions across the globe. Taking into account the experience gained and the growing digitalisation of financial markets, a comprehensive review of the Standard was undertaken. As a result, this publication includes the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) and amendments to the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), along with associated Commentaries and exchange of information frameworks, as approved by the Committee on Fiscal Affairs, which now collectively represent the International Standards for Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters. The CARF provides for the automatic exchange of tax relevant-information on crypto-assets and was developed to address the rapid growth of the crypto-asset market and to ensure that recent gains in global tax transparency are not gradually eroded. The CRS was amended to bring certain electronic money products and central bank digital currencies in scope. Changes have also been made to ensure that indirect investments in crypto-assets through derivatives and investment vehicles are now covered by the CRS. In addition, amendments have been made to strengthen the due diligence and reporting requirements and to provide a carve-out for genuine non-profit organisations. This publication also includes the OECD Recommendation on the International Standards for Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters, which covers both the CARF and amended CRS.

This paper explores the nexus between decarbonisation and intergovernmental fiscal relations, focusing on related challenges and reform options. It highlights the significant role of subnational governments in tackling climate change. Subnational and national governments share responsibilities in areas such as taxation, spending and regulation pertaining to environmental protection, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation, which calls for effective intergovernmental co-operation to align policy objectives and implementation strategies. The paper outlines decarbonisation requirements across sectors and discusses subnational government involvement in service delivery, investment, revenue generation and regulatory frameworks. Policy options to strengthen subnational contributions to national decarbonisation goals are presented. While focusing primarily on OECD countries, the paper acknowledges the need for improved information on subnational decarbonisation efforts in both advanced and developing countries.

Building on an approach pioneered in the OECD’s Taxing Energy Use for Sustainable Development report, this paper develops a methodology to estimate effective carbon rates net of pre-tax fossil fuel support: the Net Effective Carbon Rates (Net ECR). This exercise is made possible by combining the two OECD databases: the Taxing Energy Use and Effective Carbon Rates database (the backbone of the newly established OECD series on Carbon Pricing and Energy Taxation) and the Inventory of Support Measures for Fossil Fuels. The paper then explores potential use cases of this new indicator. In particular, it explains how the Net ECR can be used to calculate fossil fuel support (FFS) against external carbon pricing benchmarks and why such an approach facilitates comparisons of FFS across countries and over time. The paper’s conclusions include avenues for future research.

This report reflects on the implications of the evolving international tax policy landscape for international tax co-operation, and provides an update on a report published in May 2022, 'Tax Co-operation for the 21st Century'. It analyses how the principles set out in the 2022 Report are being incorporated by the members of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS into the design of the Two-Pillar Solution to Address the Tax Challenges Arising from the Digitalisation of the Economy, focusing on Amount A and the GloBE Rules. In addition, it shows that the principles of the 2022 Report beyond corporate income tax are being translated into action, such as with technology-based solutions for effectively collecting and using information for personal income tax purposes. Finally, it notes some of the recent developments in capacity building, as called for by the 2022 Report, and identifies some of the work that remains to be done to ensure that there are lasting outcomes that can assist in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. The report provides potential areas of consideration and next steps to continue efforts to enhance international co-operation in the context of increasingly co-ordinated international rules. This report was prepared by the OECD to inform the discussions at the May 2023 meeting of G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, at the request of the G7 Japanese Presidency.

This report presents policy reform options to support Lithuania in meeting its climate neutrality target. It takes stock of Lithuania’s current and planned climate policies and assesses their potential for meeting the country’s climate ambitions. The report details the results of modelling carried out to assess the effectiveness of different policy scenarios, an analysis of carbon pricing and the role of innovation, an assessment of financial needs in the transition to net zero, and an analysis of the distributional implications of carbon pricing. Bringing together these findings the report offers recommendations for policy reform, highlighting the importance of setting price signals complemented by innovation support, as well as the potential of revenue recycling options in alleviating distributional concerns.

Tax incentives that provide preferential tax treatment to the incomes arising from research and development (R&D) and innovation activities, such as intellectual property regimes, have become widespread in recent years. This paper describes the key design features of tax incentives available in 49 member countries of the Inclusive Framework on BEPS (IF), covering all OECD countries and EU countries. It outlines differences in the design of such incentives that may translate into differences in the tax benefits offered. The information collected and reported in this paper is a first step towards a more systematic comparison of tax support policies for R&D and Innovation.

Despite the increasing adoption of income-based tax incentives for R&D and innovation in the OECD area and beyond, evidence on the availability, design, generosity and actual cost of these incentives remains scarce. This report helps fill this gap by documenting government efforts to provide preferential tax treatment of economic outputs of innovation activities. Drawing on the responses of national contact points to the OECD KNOWINTAX surveys carried out in 2020 and 2021, it presents new evidence on the cost (foregone tax revenues) and uptake of income-based-tax incentives by businesses in 2019, and tracks their distribution by firm size and industry and their evolution over the 2000-2019 period.