Taking Stock of Progress on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes

This report takes stock of progress on transparency and exchange of information (EOI) for tax purposes since the inception of the G20. Historically, the lack of effective EOI agreements, strict banking secrecy laws and other barriers have hindered international co-operation. The development of internationally agreed standards on tax transparency and EOI created a legal framework for closer co-operation between tax authorities, which has been implemented globally under the auspices of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes (Global Forum). Today, more than 170 jurisdictions work closely together to ensure the effective implementation of the transparency and exchange of information on request (EOIR) standard and the automatic exchange of information on financial accounts under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS). More recently, steps have been taken towards the implementation of the standard on automatic exchange of information in relation to crypto-assets (Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, CARF). The evaluations in this report are based on data from the OECD’s data repositories, academic studies, and information from the Global Forum’s membership. Progress is measured across several dimensions, from political commitments to practical outcomes. The report draws conclusions based on the key findings and identifies remaining challenges. It was prepared by the OECD in conjunction with the Global Forum to inform the discussions at the July 2025 meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, at the request of the G20 South African Presidency.