OECD Forum on Tax Administration Agrees to Combat International Tax Non-Compliance

In a closing statement Mark W. Everson, IRS Commissioner and Chair of the Forum, said that the Forum identified four areas in which members will increase existing work or start new work under the auspices of the OECD: "(1) further developing the directory of aggressive tax planning schemes so as to identify trends and measures to counter such schemes; (2) examining the role tax intermediaries (e.g., law and accounting firms, other tax advisors and financial institutions) in relation to non-compliance and the promotion of unacceptable tax minimization arrangements with a view to completing a study by the end of 2007; (3) expanding the OECD 2004 Corporate Governance Guidelines to give greater attention to the linkage between tax and good governance; and (4) improving the training of tax officials on international tax issues, including the secondment of officials from one administration to another." The Forum will review progress on the initiatives at its next meeting, scheduled for late 2007 or early 2008 in South Africa … [more]