OECD SECRETARY-GENERAL REPORT TO G20 LEADERS – Since 2008, the G20 has made the fight against international tax fraud and avoidance a priority. Thanks to the support of Leaders and Finance Ministers, major progress has been achieved, demonstrating that international co-operation in a multilateral framework can support and strengthen national sovereignty. In my last report to you, at your meeting in Hamburg in 2017, I told you that we were about to bring to fruition the G20 mandate for the automatic exchange of financial account information (AEOI) with first exchanges to start in September 2017. It is estimated that by June 2018, jurisdictions around the globe have identified EUR 93 billion in additional revenue (tax, interest, penalties) as a result of voluntary compliance mechanisms and other offshore investigations put in place since 2009. AEOI is now happening in 83 jurisdictions that committed to exchange by 2018. Moreover, details on hundreds of billions of euros of accounts have been exchanged in 2017, the first year of operation of the OECD’s Common Reporting Standard. I reported on the outcome of your request to establish objective criteria to identify jurisdictions that were not implementing the tax transparency standards and the significant impact that this process had on encouraging jurisdictions to make changes. The OECD has now delivered strengthened criteria to be applied at the time of next year’s Summit and can report today that 15 jurisdictions are at risk of being identified. We are working with these jurisdictions and I will report to you at your Summit in 2019 on the progress made, along with a list of any jurisdictions that have not made enough progress. After the delivery of the OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Package of 15 Actions, the key issue for the international tax community in 2018 remains how to address the tax challenges arising from digitalisation. In March, I delivered an Interim Report to Finance Ministers, providing an economic analysis of the features of the highly digitalised business models. It was agreed that, in spite of divergences on the consequences to draw, countries would seek a consensus based solution in a context where a number of governments feel urged to move to short term interim measures. Since March, the 124 members of the Inclusive Framework for BEPS Implementation, steered by G20 countries, have made significant progress to bridge the gaps in their position. Following the US tax reform, the United States has in particular agreed to engage in the search of a global solution which would address further challenges. Equally, France and Germany have now proposed to explore the feasibility of a global anti-base erosion mechanism. The United Kingdom made a proposal focussed on a reallocation of taxing rights based on active user contribution in some business models. Many other countries are now involved actively in this discussion. The G20 has an opportunity to seize the moment by maintaining the political focus on reaching a global, consensus-based solution. The Task Force will meet in December and the Inclusive Framework then meets in January to take these proposals further. A strong showing of unity and commitment to work together at the highest political level will be a key ingredient in finding the common ground that we are seeking. The Inclusive Framework will hold a second meeting in 2019 just before your next Leaders’ Summit. My hope is that at that Summit you will be able to celebrate an agreement on the what and how of a long-term solution to be delivered in 2020. These discussions are taking place against the back-drop of wide-spread implantation of the BEPS Package. In July last year the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS was up and running and the peer reviews of the minimum standards had begun. The first results from the peer reviews of the OECD/G20 BEPS Project are in and show strong implementation by the members of the BEPS Inclusive Framework. While the BEPS Project addresses double non-taxation, ensuring that international trade and investment does not face double taxation remains a priority. The OECD, in collaboration with the IMF, had produced a first report on tax certainty. In July we delivered an update on that report and look forward to taking this work forward with renewed emphasis. Our work on building capacity in developing countries is on-going, including support for the G20 Compact with Africa and our work through the Platform for Collaboration on Tax. We have continued to deliver a strong program of work in supporting capacity building in developing countries, particularly through the Platform for Collaboration (PCT) on Tax. Buenos Aires, Argentina. December 2018.
