Many revenue bodies have been developing strategies and approaches to improve the tax collection and recovery processes, so that they are more effective and cost less. Very promising and proven new practices have emerged, which can deliver spectacular improvements in performance in tax collection and recovery. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the best practices in tax debt management, with a particular emphasis on how to better differentiate debtors when deciding how to best secure payment and what can be done to ensure that payment issues are considered earlier in the compliance and collection process.
This is the first study of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) systems of the ten countries of Central and Eastern Europe preparing for integration into the European Union (EU). The study offers a comparative evaluation of the main features of the VAT systems between the ten countries surveyed and provides a commentary on the development of the VAT systems in line with the VAT legislation of the EU.
This study considers advantages of relying on micro-data to assess average tax rates on labour, capital and transfer income and presents some illustrative results. The analysis emphases the importance of matching taxpayer-level information to income flows, and notes difficulties in interpreting tax rates that average over all taxpayers. It also illustrates the importance of loss adjustments in measuring effective tax rates on capital income, and reports evidence of significant variation in corporate average tax rates by sector and firm asset size.
The 2001 edition of Transfer Pricing Guidelines was substantially revised in July 2010. See the current edition .
This compact version of Transfer Pricing Guidelines provides the complete and current text of the OECD pricing guidelines accepted by member countries and to be used by multinational enterprises when transferring goods and services across boundaries and within the same group of companies. They maintain the arm's length principle of treating related entreprises within a multinational group and affirm traditional transaction methods as the prefered way of implementing the principle. These controversial issues are not just of interest to tax experts. National tax administrations, taxpayers, and businessmen alike all have a share in avoiding conflicting tax rules which might seriously hamper the development of world trade.
These guidelines have also been published in a loose leaf version.
This report contains revised standards for transfer pricing documentation incorporating a master file, local file, and a template for country-by-country reporting of revenues, profits, taxes paid and certain measures of economic activity. The revised standardised approach will require taxpayers to articulate consistent transfer pricing positions and will provide tax administrations with useful information to assess transfer pricing and other BEPS risks, make determinations about where audit resources can most effectively be deployed, and, in the event audits are called for, provide information to commence and target audit enquiries. Country-by-country reports will be disseminated through an automatic government-to-government exchange mechanism. The implementation package included in this report sets out guidance to ensure that the reports are provided in a timely manner, that confidentiality is preserved and that the information is used appropriately, by incorporating model legislation and model Competent Authority Agreements forming the basis for government-to-government exchanges of the reports.
This report looks at how new developments in tax technology can make it easier for SMEs to comply with their tax obligations, leading to reduced burdens on business and increased compliance rates. In addition to a number of examples from tax administrations, the report also highlights two detailed case studies. The report was developed by the Netherlands’ Tax Administration with the support of the Forum on Tax Administration’s Community of Interest on SMEs.
Report of the OECD to the 2000 Ministerial Council Meeting on progess in identifying and eliminating harmful tax practices.
Revenue bodies are increasingly focusing on improving their understanding of taxpayers and taking advantage of opportunities for collaboration where win-win situations exists. This is not least true for the large and heterogeneous SME segment, which in many countries has proven difficult and costly to administer with traditional approaches.
This Forum on Tax Administration study provides inspiration and guidance to revenue bodies wishing to explore the potential for improving outcomes, reducing costs, improving services and generating other benefits by engaging and involving SME taxpayers and stakeholders. The study provides a conceptual framework illustrating the benefits and situating the approach in the context of public sector reform, technological developments and trends in compliance risk management. It further provides a comprehensive review of current and emerging practices across the areas of information and guidance, compliance risk management, and systemic solutions. Finally the study provides guidance to support successful implementation.
The study finds that while revenue bodies have substantial experience to build on, there is also potential for more systematic, far-reaching and potentially transformative approaches. A key barrier in this regard is that performance metrics relying extensively on output measures channel resources and attention away from innovative approaches that work back from the desired ultimate outcomes.
This publication brings together two reports prepared by the Committee on Fiscal Affairs. The first, "Thin Capitalisation", examines the implications for taxation of the different reliance by companies on debt and equity financing. The second, "The Taxation of Income Derived from Entertainment, Artistic and Sporting Activities", describes the problems posed for tax authorities by entertainers and sportsmen and the measures taken by countries to counteract evasion and avoidance schemes used by some of these taxpayers.
Technological change and financial deregulation have dramatically globalised financial markets. Financial firms have developed innovative financial instruments, such as swaps and derivatives, to meet the often different global demand of investors and borrowers and have organised themselves to sell such global financial products 24 hours a day. This phenomenon of global trading challenges tax payers and tax administrations to come up with a fair way of allocating and taxing the profits in each country where global trading is carried on.
This publication thoroughly reviews the factual background to global trading, analyses the challenges posed to traditional taxation methods and discusses a range of policy options to tackle the problems. Although the paper discusses a specific industry sector, many of the issues raised, for example the high level of global integration of functions and intensive co-operation between different geographic locations, are becoming more common in other industries with the spread of globalisation and the communications revolution.
Employee stock option plans have become a common component of remuneration packages in multinational enterprises. This publication presents and examines the many important tax issues that arise for beneficiaries and companies.
Focusing first on domestic tax issues, it considers what tax treatment would provide no tax-related incentives for a company to either increase or cut the use of stock options, and would be neutral regarding the choice of either granting stock options or paying ordinary salary. The approach is non-prescriptive and serves to provide a benchmark for policymakers. This is complemented by a survey of taxation of stock options in OECD countries in 2002 that calculates the effective rate of tax and compares it with tax on ordinary salary.
Cross-border taxation issues are then discussed. Issues such as the timing of the benefits from stock options, the distinction between employment income and capital gains and the identification of the services to which they relate are relevant to the application of tax treaties, which are based on the OECD Model Tax Convention, and the resulting changes to the Model's Commentary are fully explained. Finally, the effects on transfer pricing are analysed in three circumstances: when an enterprise grants stock options to employees of a subsidiary in another country, when using transfer pricing methods that are affected by remuneration costs, and when employees benefiting from stock options are involved in activities that are the subject of a cost contribution arrangement.
Cette publication annuelle donne des informations sans équivalent sur les impôts directs prélevés sur les salariés et leurs employeurs dans tous les pays de l'OCDE. De plus, elle précise le niveau des prestations familiales en espèces. Les montants des impôts et des prestations sont détaillés programme par programme, pour huit types de ménages, qui diffèrent par leur niveau de revenu et la composition du ménage. Les résultats comprennent la pression fiscale pour les familles à un ou deux apporteurs de revenu.
This report looks at approaches to help ensure the effective taxation of those earning income from the sale of goods or services in the sharing and gig economy. It considers the different ways that tax administrations can best engage with platform sellers, sharing and gig economy platforms, and each other to enable more effective tax compliance. The report is divided into four chapters. The first chapter sets out the background to the sharing and gig economy and the role of online platforms. The second chapter provides some examples of current approaches that are being taken by OECD Forum on Tax Administration members that participated in this work. Chapter three sets out a range of options that tax administrations may wish to consider to help enable compliance in this sector. Finally, chapter four sets out three recommendations and considerations for possible further work: joint work between tax administrations and platforms on providing information and support to platform sellers; improving the evidence base to enhance understanding of the tax at risk in relation to platforms; and assisting in the possible development of a legislative model for standardised reporting by sharing and gig economy platforms.
This report provides practical guidance to tax authorities on the design and implementation of a variety of solutions for digital platforms, including e-commerce marketplaces, in the effective and efficient collection of VAT/GST on the digital trade of goods, services and intangibles. In particular, it includes new measures to make digital platforms liable for the VAT/GST on sales made by online traders through these platforms, along with other measures including data sharing and enhanced co-operation between tax authorities and digital platforms. It builds on the solutions for the effective collection of VAT/GST on digital sales included in the International VAT/GST Guidelines and the 2015 BEPS Action 1 Final Report “Addressing the Tax Challenges of the Digital Economy.” It is of particular relevance recognising the growing importance of the platform economy and notably the potential of digital platforms to significantly enhance the effectiveness of VAT/GST collection given their important role in generating, facilitating and/or executing online sales.
This report examines and assesses the current and historical use of net wealth taxes, defined as recurrent taxes on individual net assets, in OECD countries. It provides background on the use of wealth taxes over time in OECD countries as well as on trends in income and wealth inequality. It then assesses the case for and against the use of a net wealth tax to raise revenues and reduce inequality, based on efficiency, equity and tax administration considerations. The effects of personal capital income taxes and taxes on wealth transfers are also discussed to understand how these taxes interact with net wealth taxes. Finally, the report looks at practical tax design issues and shows that the way a net wealth tax is designed can have a significant impact on the effectiveness and fairness of the tax. The report concludes with a number of practical tax policy recommendations regarding net wealth taxes.
Based on experience in OECD countries, this book provides a comprehensive discussion of the effectiveness of environmentally related taxes, of recent research on the environmental and economic impacts of applying them, an on their potential for wider use. In particular, it looks at how to overcome obstacles to their implementation. It also discusses the environmental and economic effects of combining such taxes with other instruments for environmetal policy.
This Report describes progress made in identifying and addressing harmful tax practices within and outside the OECD. In addition to reporting on the work done in connection with tax havens, it also discusses the work related to Member countries and non-Member economies. It is a follow-up to the June 2000 Report and responds to the 1998 Ministerial Mandate to address harmful tax competition (1998 Report).
In developing this Report, the OECD seeks to establish a framework within which all countries - large and small, rich and poor, OECD and non-OECD - can work together constructively to eliminate harmful tax practices with respect to highly mobile activities such as in the financial and service areas. The OECD seeks to encourage an environment in which free and fair tax competition can take place in order to assist in achieving its overall aims to foster economic growth and development world-wide.