News & Events

OECD welcomes tax information exchange agreements between the Netherlands Antilles and Australia and New Zealand

02-Mar-2007

The Netherlands Antilles yesterday signed bilateral agreements with Australia  and New Zealand for the exchange of information for tax purposes, marking further progress in international efforts to implement the principles of transparency and exchange of information for tax purposes developed by the OECD’s Global Forum on Taxation.

OECD’s Taxing Wages shows little change in taxes on individual wage earners

28-Feb-2007

The OECD’s annual compendium of tax data shows little change in levels of taxation on wage earners in different OECD countries, with Turkey, Poland and France levying the most on a single-earner married couple with two children on average earnings and Ireland, New Zealand and Iceland taking the least.

Tax Administration in OECD and Selected Non-OECD Countries: Comparative Information Series 2006

13-Feb-2007

The primary purpose of this report is to provide internationally comparative information on aspects of tax systems and their administration to facilitate dialogue and exchanges between tax officials and benchmarking activities. Used in these ways, the report may also identify opportunities for revenue bodies to improve the administration of their tax systems.

First Meeting of the Business Advisory Group

12-Feb-2007

June 2006

A Business Advisory Group was created to provide input from the business community at the early stages of the work on Business Restructurings. The Business Advisory Group met for the first time with the Secretariat in June 2006 in Washington, DC. The creation of the Business Advisory Group is by no means a substitute for a wider consultation process that will take place when the Working Group produces a discussion draft.

Approval of a mandate for the Working Group on Business Restructuring

12-Feb-2007

October 2006

As a follow up to the January 2005 CTPA Roundtable, the Committee on Fiscal Affairs created a Joint Working Group of Delegates from Working Party No. 1 on the Model Tax Convention and Working Party No. 6 on the Taxation of Multinational Enterprises, in order to explore the treaty and transfer pricing aspects of business restructurings.  A detailed mandate for the Group was approved by the Committee on 20 Oct. 2006. The mandate describes the responsibilities of the Group, working methods and timetable. 

Arbitration to be an option in cross-border tax disputes, OECD countries agree

07-Feb-2007

OECD countries have agreed to broaden the mechanisms available to companies and individuals involved in cross-border disputes over taxation by introducing the possibility of arbitration if other attempts to resolve disagreements fail.

Consumption Tax Trends - 2006 Edition

31-Jan-2007

This publication presents information about VAT/GST and excise duty rates in OECD member countries.  It provides information about indirect tax topics such as international aspects of VAT development and application of VAT to small and medium-size enterprises.  It also describes a range of taxation provisions in OECD member countires, such as the taxation of motor vehicles, tobacco and alcoholic beverages.  Finally, it presents the structure and excerpts of the International VAT/GST Guidelines.

Terms of Reference for the Study on Tax Intermediaries

17-Jan-2007

On 16 January 2007 the OECD announced the terms of reference for the study into the role of tax intermediaries which has been set up by the Forum on Tax Administration.  This study, to be completed by the end of 2007, is the second of the work areas the Forum agreed to set up at its meeting in Seoul Korea in September 2006.

OECD releases Part I-III of Report on the Attribution of Profits to Permanent Establishments and updates status of project

21-Dec-2006

The OECD Committee on Fiscal Affairs has today published new versions of Parts I, II and III of its Report on the Attribution of Profits to Permanent Establishments, along with a cover note containing an update on the status of the project.  The project, which has been underway for several years, is aimed at achieving a greater consensus on the manner of attributing profits to permanent establishments under Article 7 (Business Profits) of the OECD Model Tax Convention, with a primary goal of avoiding double taxation.

OECD launches project on taxation of collective investment vehicles

18-Dec-2006

An informal consultative group of government and private sector representatives, under the auspices of the OECD’s Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, will tackle the tax treaty issues raised by the large cross-border portfolio investments (more than US$16 trillion) held through collective investment vehicles and global custodians. The project will examine both substantive issues and practical administrative issues related to the application of tax treaties to these investments.