In November 2023, BRICS Meeting of Tax Authorities, chaired by the South African Revenue Service (SARS), took place in Cape Town.
BRICS Tax Heads and Experts Meeting was preceded with two online meetings of the Women in Tax Network and Young Tax Professionals Working Group held in July and September 2023.
During the meeting in Cape Town discussions were focused around the theme “Building the smart modern tax authority through leveraging people, data and technology” and included the following topics:
Developing a high performing, diverse, agile and engaged workforce
Increasing the use of data to improve integrity, derive insight and improve outcomes
Modernizing systems to provide digital and streamlined services.
It was agreed that people, data and technology are crucial factors to build the modern smart tax authority and BRICS members can further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in these three workstreams to promote the modern tax administration.
With a view to better institutionalize BRICS Tax Cooperation, the parties also discussed the BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities Forum Governance Framework agreement, which received a broad support by BRICS members.
Proposed framework comprises three terms of reference:
BRICS Tax Authorities Forum
Women in Tax Network
Young Tax Professionals Working Group
Download BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities Forum Governance Framework agreement
Framework is aimed at formalizing the procedure for the development of annual collaborative tax work program and the handover process as well as the rules for decision-making and accountability for action under BRICS tax cooperation.
During interactive discussions experts and heads of BRICS tax authorities have elaborated a consolidated workplan outline that creates a ground for BRICS tax cooperation in 2024.
Download a consolidated workplan outline
Meeting report covering the two days of the Tax Experts and Heads meeting is attached.
Download a Meeting Report
Tax Heads Meeting 2023