12/06/2026 – In partnership with the Caribbean Organisation of Tax Administrators (COTA), the Global Forum Secretariat convened two online workshops on 9 and 11 June 2026 to support the implementation of the Amended Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) across the Caribbean. The first workshop, focused on the Amended CRS, brought together 82 participants from 17 Caribbean jurisdictions, while the second gathered 28 participants from the 7 Caribbean jurisdictions committed to implementing the CARF in 2027 or 2028.
The Amended CRS workshop enabled jurisdictions to review progress in implementing the standard. The 2023 amendments expand the scope to include electronic money products, central bank digital currencies and certain indirect crypto-asset investments. They also strengthen due diligence and reporting requirements and introduce an exemption for genuine non-profit organisations.
The CARF workshop served two main objectives:
- Taking stock of where each of the seven jurisdictions currently stands in implementing the CARF.
- Focusing on the concrete steps required in 2026 to enable exchanges by 2027 or 2028. Discussions focused on three critical pillars: strengthening legal frameworks at both international and domestic levels, developing robust IT systems to support reporting and exchanges, and enhancing communication with crypto-asset service providers.
The Global Forum Secretariat also presented the status of implementation across the region, with a particular focus on the international legal framework, including progress in signing the Addendum to the CRS Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement or the CARF Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement, and the domestic legislative framework, highlighting the need for amendments to align national laws with the Amended CRS or CARF requirements.
The workshops emphasised the importance of timely and coordinated action. Regardless of whether jurisdictions are scheduled to conduct exchanges under the Amended CRS in 2027 or at a later stage, or to commence CARF exchanges in 2027 or 2028, participants reviewed the critical steps that must be completed by the end of 2026.
The events are part of the Caribbean Dialogue Action Plan for 2026–2027, a coordinated regional initiative designed to support jurisdictions in implementing international tax transparency standards.
About the Global Forum
With over 170 members, the Global Forum is the leading multilateral body mandated to ensure that jurisdictions around the world adhere to and effectively implement the standard on transparency and exchange of information on request (EOIR) and the standards of automatic exchange of information (AEOI), covering financial accounts under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and crypto-asset transactions under the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF). These objectives are achieved through robust monitoring and peer review processes. The Global Forum also runs an extensive capacity-building programme to support its members to implement the standards and help tax authorities make the best use of cross-border information sharing channels.
The Global Forum capacity-building programme is supported by the following development partners:
