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4 Jul, 2016

OECD releases guidance to strengthen transparency in int’l tax reporting

PARIS, OECD Press Release, 29 June 2016 – Today the OECD has taken a new step in its continuing efforts to boost transparency in international tax matters with the release of Guidance on the Implementation of Country-by-Country (CbC) Reporting.

The OECD/G20 BEPS Project set out 15 key actions to reform the international tax framework and ensure that profits are reported where economic activities are carried out and value created. A key pillar of the project focused on ensuring transparency while promoting increased certainty and predictability. One of the main outcomes of that work has been the adoption of country-by-country reporting, as set out in the 2015 BEPS Report on Action 13 “Transfer Pricing Documentation and Country-by-Country Reporting“. Under CbC reporting, MNEs will be required to provide aggregate information annually, in each jurisdiction where they do business, relating to the global allocation of income and taxes paid, together with other indicators of the location of economic activity within the MNE group. It will also cover information about which entities do business in a particular jurisdiction and the business activities each entity engages in.

Following the endorsement of the BEPS Package by G20 Leaders in November, the focus has now shifted to ensuring a consistent implementation, including of the new transfer pricing reporting standards developed under Action 13 of the BEPS Action Plan. To that aim, the guidance released today sets out:

  • Transitional filing options for MNEs that voluntarily file in the Parent jurisdiction;
  • Guidance on the application of CbC reporting to investment funds;
  • Guidance on the application of CbC reporting to partnerships; and
  • The impact of exchange rate fluctuations on the agreed EUR 750 million filing threshold for MNE groups.

The OECD will continue to support the consistent and swift implementation of CbC reporting to ensure a level playing field, but also provide certainty for taxpayers and improve the ability of tax administrations to use CbC reports in their risk assessment work. Where additional questions of interpretation arise and would be best addressed through common guidance, the OECD will endeavour to make this available.

For further information about the OECD’s work on CbC reporting, see: www.oecd.org/tax/automatic-exchange/about-automatic-exchange/country-by-country-reporting.htm.