04/09/2008 - On 8-9 September 2008, 650 senior tax officials and private sector representatives from over 103 countries will attend a conference at OECD headquarters to celebrate the 50th anniversary of an instrument that plays a crucial role in removing tax related barriers to cross border trade and investment.
The event will mark the achievements of what is now known as the OECD Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital.
OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría will open the conference at 9.00 a.m. on Monday 8 September with a speech underscoring the importance of tax treaties in eliminating obstacles to cross border trade and investment. France’s Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment, Christine Lagarde, will deliver a keynote address at 1.45 p.m. on Tuesday 9 September.
The OECD Model Tax Convention is the basis for negotiation and application of bilateral tax treaties between countries designed to assist business while helping to prevent tax evasion and thereby ensure the full and fair enforcement of tax laws in a globalized economy. It provides agreed guidance on how treaties should be applied; in the event of disputes, courts frequently refer to these guidelines as the authorative interpretation of bilateral tax treaties.
Half a century ago, when the Fiscal Committee of the Organisation for European Economic Co operation (OEEC), which became the OECD a few years later, published a first draft of the model, there were only a few dozen such agreements in force between governments. Today, more than 3,000 tax treaties in force around the world are based on the OECD Model, which is regularly updated. The conference will coincide with publication of the latest update.
The conference is open to the media. For more information, contact Nick Bray (nick.bray @ oecd.org) or Jeffrey Owens (jeffrey.owens @ oecd.org), Director of the OECD Centre for Tax Policy & Administration.
Watch interview with Jeffrey Owens on 50 years of promoting a business-friendly tax environment.
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