African Tax Administration Forum

About

The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) is a pan-African network providing a platform for intra-African collaboration and peer-learning between tax administrations. It aims to improve the capacity of African tax administrations, enhance the role of taxation in governance and state building, provide a voice for African tax administrations and administrators, and enhance pan-African collaboration and cooperation with development partners. ATAF’s capacity building measures also include online courses and the establishment of a Master’s programme. Currently, ATAF has 38 member countries.

ATAF focuses its work on two key areas: technical assistance and research. Different activities evolve around three main objectives in those areas: Fostering efficient and effective African tax administrations, driving the knowledge hub on African tax matters as well as informing and influencing the regional and global dialogue as the African voice in the field of taxation. Many activities have been undertaken to work towards these objectives. ATAF will moreover continue its efforts to influence the global tax standards.

ATAF endorses the ATI objectives of the Addis Tax Initiative and has joined the Addis Tax Initiative as ATI supporting organisation.

Objectives

• Improve effectiveness and efficiency of tax administrations
• Regional and international partnership and cooperation
• Representation of tax administrations

Activities

• Technical support and advisory services to Revenue Authorities
• Research
• Conferences and workshops
•  Executive master’s degree on Taxation
• Working groups

Organisational Structure

ATAF Secretariat

Members:

• Executive Secretary
• Other officials appointed to the Executive Secretary

Responsibilities

• Legal representative of ATAF’s strategic leadership
• Improve the capacity of African tax administrations
• Advance the role of taxation in African governance and state building
• Produce and disseminate knowledge
• Provide a voice for African countries on regional and global platforms
• Develop and support partnerships

General Assembly

Responsibilities

• Platform for strategic dialogue between members and stakeholders
• Appoints office bearers, including Executive Secretary
• Approves the work programmes and corresponding budgets
• Determines any increment in membership fees

ATAF Council

Responsibilities

• Overall management of ATAF’s business affairs

Resources

• Annual membership fees
• Funding from development partners, split into specific funders and pool funders
• Income from host country contributions. ATAF is based in South Africa
• Income from some of its activities such as training  and bank interest
• Four categories of membership fees according to a member’s ability to pay the annual contribution, for which nominal GDP figures are used as proxy variable