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10/23/2020 Counting on a large audience of representatives of revenue authorities from all over the world, the first of three webinars of the “Tax & Crime” series by the Network of Tax Organisations (NTO) took place on 14 October 2020. NTO members, guest speakers from the Kenyan and Finnish revenue authorities and participants discussed the impact of Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) on tax administration activities, strategies and preventive measures against tax evasion and financial crimes. “IFFs: Impact on tax administrations and best practices” was chosen as the topic for the first webinar, laying down the foundations for the 1st NTO Technical Conference on Tax & Crime in Rome in October 2021. This topic of global concern attracted more than 180 participants from over 80 different tax administrations worldwide to the high-level discussion. “The real fight against illicit activities lies in identifying the lacking information, rather than using the resources that already exist,” Marcio Ferreira Verdi, Head of NTO Council said in his opening remarks. “Selecting taxpayers for audit is not the fight against tax and crime – there is a need to identify the data that is hidden. International collaboration and exchange of information are also crucial in the process.”  Marcio Verdi also brought forward the NTO’s mission to serve as a global platform for the exchange of experiences, knowledge, and best practices on tax administration matters among regional and international organizations. By fostering a global dialogue and providing support and knowledge sharing opportunities to the members of partner tax organizations on efficient tools for fighting tax crimes, the NTO has an important role to play in the response to IFFs. The ground-setting notion of “liquid crime requiring a multidisciplinary approach and interagency dialogue at the highest level” was then introduced by Stefano Gesuelli, Guardia di Finanza Attaché in Panamá, head of the Italian Mission and Director for planning at Inter-American centre of Tax Administrations (CIAT). Stefano Gesuelli pointed out the increasing linkages between the global economy and crime, such as illicit trade of legal products or the use of established banking, trade and communications networks to move illicit goods. He highlighted the importance of inter-agencies cooperation, international cooperation and investigative methodologies to respond to this context. Dr. Tera Saidimu Leseeto, Commissioner for Intelligence and Strategic Operations (ISO) at the Kenyan Revenue Authority spoke about strategies to identify IFFs, the role of informers, data analytics and joint investigations to flag tax evasion. Dr. Saidimu also discussed some of the enablers of IFFs, their impact on tax authorities and presented a case study on a trader scheme. Kenyan response strategies such as mechanisms for global information exchange, domestic collaboration of law enforcement agencies and the implementation of a whistle-blower channel were perceived with big interest and appreciation from the audience. Tarja Valsi, Head of Compliance Control at the Finnish Tax Administration followed up presenting the “Finnish Strategy and Action Plan for Tackling the Grey Economy andEconomic Crime 2020-2023”. The new program includes new accounting obligations for companies, new means to intervene in intentional or grossly negligent underpayment, and additional resources for investigation and information sharing. Tarja Valsi concluded by providing a concrete example of the “Case Archipelago/Real Estate”, which illustrated the strategies adopted to identify and respond to unusual financing and money flows and conduct the tax audit in practice. The session ended with an insightful panel discussion with questions from the audience and closing remarks by Marcio Verdi, who invited everyone to continue participating in the preparatory discussions for the 1st NTO Technical Conference on Tax & Crime. The Secretariat of the NTO thanks the speakers and guests for their contribution, and particularly IOTA Secretariat for providing the technical support for the event. The next webinar is expected to take place in February 2021, focusing on inter-agency collaboration, combatting tax crimes and exchange of information.

10/28/2020 The Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations has published a new book: “ICT as a Strategic Tool to Leapfrog the Efficiency of Tax Administrations”. The NTO member Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (CIAT) has just released a new e-book covering the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in tax administrations as a tool to foster efficiency. In the framework of internal cooperation supported by the NTO, CIAT has initiated a series of bilateral webinars with other NTO members to exchange on ICT in tax administrations. The webinars cover the application of ICTs in the collection, recoveries and auditing processes and the application of ICTs in the processes of taxpayer registration and tax returns. Furthermore, the webinars serve to disseminate the findings of the publication and to share the gathered knowledge of the publication with officials from the members of the participating tax organisations. The first exchange between CIAT and the Association of Tax Authorities of Islamic Countries (ATAIC) took place on 30.09.2020 and was deemed very successful by both parties. Among others, the book provides insights on the functions of tax administrations and taxpayers registry, the processing of tax returns, payments and refunds as well as the auditing of taxpayers and the provision of services. The publication comprises an overview of invoices and electronic documents and further introduces experiences such as Portugal’s approach to exemplify ITC systems governance by merging customs and tax administrations as well as Peru’s experiences with exemplifying the impacts of ICT on the strategies of tax administrations. Consecutively, the book analyses how to enable digital technologies and services as well as provides the roadmap to modernise tax information systems. Additionally, the book offers different ICT infrastructure alternatives and information on how to implement ICT projects in tax administrations. Finally, the book presents new disruptive digital technologies and services by highlighting the existent opportunities and challenges inherent to the current technological progress. The book also includes a chapter on Human Resources, emphasizing the importance of ICTs in Human Talent Management. Ultimately, the goal of the book is to provide guidance to tax administrations on how to implement information technology in its processes, thus, aiming to reduce transaction and administration costs through modernisation. Simultaneously, the publication seeks to increase the rates of voluntary compliance with tax obligations and enhance the capacity of tax administrations to combat tax evasion and harmful tax planning. The publication “ICT as a Strategic Tool to Leapfrog the Efficiency of Tax Administrations” is based on research funded partly by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To access the book in English or Spanish, please visit the CIAT website.

11/20/2020 Upon the request from the Association of Tax Authorities of Islamic Countries, ATAIC, the Secretariat of the NTO organised a peer-to-peer learning event for the secretariat staff of the ATAIC on Thursday, Nov. 12. COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted all of us, changing lives and routines of people and organisations on multiple levels. In this context, virtual meetings became a new reality, adjusting to which is no easy task. In this context it’s even more important for the Network of Tax Organisations (NTO) to keep developing capacities of its members, helping them provide better services to their member tax administrations. Upon the request from the Association of Tax Authorities of Islamic Countries, ATAIC, the Secretariat of the NTO organised a peer-to-peer learning event for the secretariat staff of the ATAIC on Thursday, Nov. 12. Running administrative meetings and holding technical events digitally is still a big challenge for many organizations, let alone younger and smaller ones like ATAIC. The acutest need for them was finding a reliable and secure platform with simultaneous interpretation feature, that could also work for locations with slower Internet connection and specific software restrictions in some countries. IOTA (Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations) and CIAT (Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations) secretariats, the NTO members with rich experience in online event management, have kindly agreed to provide their input alongside the Secretariat of the NTO. The Secretariat of the NTO presented research and experiences on working with digital tools and platforms and outlined general lessons learned when organizing an online event, timing and interactivity being the hot topics. Presenting Microsoft Teams features the Secretariat of the NTO mentioned the option of live caption and subtitles in a chosen language during the presentations. Eugenijus Soldatkovas, Manager of IOTA Work Programme, gave a detailed presentation on the use Microsoft Teams, their pros and cons for different types of meetings and shared his personal experiences. David Augusto Borja Padilla, Project Manager at CIAT, presented their experience with the video conference software „Zoom“ and showed how to set up a Zoom meeting directly in the program. Raul Zambrano, Technical Assistance and Information Technology and Communication Director, answered technical questions from the participants and suggested conducting a survey among the potential event participants prior to choosing a platform: in this way the organiser can ensure that the online event takes place on a platform acceptable by all participants and, perhaps, the most convenient for them. The ATAIC team was very interested to discuss further practical details, which led to an active and involving discussion. Not only ATAIC, but other participants also noted the productivity and benefit of this peer-to-peer exchange. The NTO is committed to facilitate similar need-based events in the future to ensure that each member benefits from the knowledge available in the network and gets peer support when needed.

03/01/2018 The NTO held its first strategy planning workshop to draft a strategic plan for the organisation The Network of Tax Organisations (NTO) held its first Strategy Planning Workshop from the 10th to the 13th of February 2018 in New York City. The event was attended by the CEOs/Heads of Secretariats of ATAF, ATAIC, CATA, CIAT, CREDAF, PITAA and WATAF. The event was sponsored by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The outcome of the workshop was a draft Strategic Plan spelling out the mission and vision of the organisation, the strategic objectives, the relevant initiatives and the brand logo. The final version of the strategic plan can be found here.

05/19/2018 The Network of regional and international organisations of revenue administrations officially launched on the 17th of May 2018 The Network of Tax Organisations (NTO) was officially launched on 17 May 2018 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by six regional organisations of tax administrations. The NTO is a network of regional and international organisations of revenue administrations that aims to develop and promote effective tax systems as a means to contribute to the well-being of all people. Its main objective is to act as a global platform for exchange of experiences, knowledge and best practices on tax administration matters. It focuses on fostering the capacity development of its members, enhancing internal collaboration among its members and ensuring the representation of their interests in various international fora. Please find a factsheet about the NTO here.

07/12/2019 The Network of Tax Organisations expressed its support to the ATI and discussed possible priorities post-2020 On 4 July 2019, Marcio F. Verdi, Head of Council of the Network of Tax Organisations (NTO) and Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (CIAT), represented the Network of Tax Organisations in the closing panel of the ATI/ITC Tax and Development Conference 2019 in Berlin. As the commitments to (i) collectively double support to domestic revenue mobilisation, (ii) step up the mobilisation of domestic revenues in partners countries, and (iii) promote and ensure policy coherence for development, set in the context of the Addis Tax Initiative, are meant to be achieved by 2020, the panel explored what could be the new objectives for an agreed period beyond 2020 and the way to get there. Together with Gabriela Hoven, Director General at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Essa Jallow, Deputy Commissioner The Gambia Revenue Authority, Samrita Sidhu, Deputy Director of the Public Finance and Tax (PFT) department at the Department for International Development (DFID), and Marijn Verhoeven, Head of the Global Tax Team and Lead Economist at the World Bank Group, Mr. Verdi discussed possible priorities for the Addis Tax Initiative post-2020. During his interventions, Mr. Verdi emphasised NTO members’ commitment to supporting the collective action of the ATI member countries and supporting organisations to continue the Addis Tax Initiative. He encouraged a stronger focus on the objectives of aid effectiveness and donor coordination, while better taking into consideration the absorption capacities of partner countries, which should notably help avoid duplication and fragmentation in DRM support. In addition, the Network of Tax Organisations was represented at the conference by: Mr. Logan Wort, Executive Secretary of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), and Raphael Kamoto, Director Strategic Partnerships, Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation at ATAF; Dr. Mohamed Osman Ibrahim Abdalla, Secretary General, Association of Tax Authorities of Islamic Countries (ATAIC); Mr. Alejandro Juarez, Director of Training and Human Capacity Development at CIAT; Mr. Jean-Marc Niel, Secretary General of the Tax Administrators Circle for Reflection and Exchange (CREDAF), and Mr. Ismaila Diallo, Deputy Secretary General of CREDAF; and Ms. Koni Ravono, Head of the Pacific Islands Tax Administrators’ Association (PITAA) Secretariat. In preparation of the ATI/ITC Tax and Development Conference 2019, the Network of Tax Organisations put together a position paper on the role of regional tax organisations in the Addis Tax Initiative post-2020. The position paper can be found here.

CIAT presented its Ethics Toolkit at the ATI/ITC Tax and Development Conference 2019 in Berlin, Germany. The ATI/ITC Tax & Development Conference 2019 offered a chance to exchange on how improving ethics in tax administrations can contribute to Domestic Revenue Mobilisation. After Gayline Vuluku (Assistant Manager, Strategy Innovation and Risk Management, Kenya Revenue Authority) brightly reported on the Kenyan experience, Alejandro Juárez Espindola (Director, Direction on Training and Human Development, CIAT) presented the CIAT Ethics Toolkit, comprising trainings and self-assessment tools for tax administrations officials to improve integrity within government. At the 2019 General Assembly in Cuba, members of Centro Interamericano de Administraciones Tributarias (CIAT) suggested to transform its long-standing committee in an NTO Ethics Committee, thereby opening the platform to tax administrations worldwide. Watch that space and find out more here about CIAT Ethics Toolkit: https://lnkd.in/dwNTNUd.

The first NTO Technical Conference has been announced to take place in October 2020 It’s official: Stefano Gesuelli (Guardia di Finanza) just announced the organisation of the first NTO Technical Conference to take place in Rome in October 2020, during the closing ceremony of the Centro Interamericano de Administraciones Tributarias – CIAT. The Technical Conference of the Network of Tax Organisations will focus on the issue of *Tax & Crime*. It will represent the first event commonly organised by 9 regional and international organisations of tax organisations, representing all together over a hundred countries

Several members of the Network of Tax Organisations participated in the 2019 CIAT Technical Conference, hosted by the Moroccan Revenue Authority on 8-10 October 2019 in Marrakech. On 8-10 October 2019, several members of the Network of Tax Organisations participated in the Technical Conference of the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (CIAT), hosted by the Moroccan Revenue Authority, in Marrakech. CIAT Technical Conference focused on the theme of “Tax Administration and Development” and served as an important opportunity for tax administrators to exchange views on issues such as the fight against informality, taxation of the digital economy, tax certainty, and mechanisms to improve compliance. CIAT Executive Secretary and NTO Head of Council Marcio Ferreira Verdi opened the conference with a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. stating that “taxes are what we pay for a civilized society”. He highlighted the key role that tax administrations play in development, and the importance of taking this role seriously. Frantisek Imrecze, Executive Secretary of Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations, introduced the second panel on control and taxation of the digital economy. Reiterating facts from the World Economic Forum, he stated that the total workload performed by machines is expected to increase from 29% in 2018 to 52% by 2022. This raises the question of whether tax administrations are ready to deal with the tax implications of such rapid digitalisation, especially given the current reliance of many revenue collection systems on labour taxes. Following this, an all-African panel on the role of tax administrations in mobilising domestic revenue featured two members of regional tax organisations, Duncan Onduru (CATA) and Babatunde Oladapo (WATAF). The panel discussed the challenges and opportunities for revenue administrations in expanding their responsibilities beyond pure tax collection towards wider tax administration functions. Some of the key recommendations included: allowing governments of developing countries to set their own tax policy priorities, stepping up efforts to widen the tax base, increasing research capabilities to improve policy formulation, as well as organising cross-government tax dialogues to secure political ownership and align short and long-term objectives.  

On 7 October 2019, the Network of Tax Organisations held its third Executive Council meeting in 2019, ahead of CIAT Technical Conference in Marrakech. The meeting was attended by representatives of ATAF, CATA, CIAT, CREDAF, IOTA, WATAF, and the ITC. Representatives of the Guardia di Finanza and the Knowledge Sharing Platform (KSP) also took part to update NTO Members on NTO-related developments. After defining priorities in pursuing NTO’s institutionalisation, NTO Members agreed on the next steps towards the NTO Technical Conference, scheduled to take place in October 2020 in Rome. NTO Members also discussed the modalities of new NTO products such as a training workshop on tax and crime, a practical guide to regional tax organisations, and establishing a NTO ethics committee. Finally, members explored how the NTO could most effectively use the Knowledge Sharing Platform (KSP) to promote its activities.