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OECD anti-tax fraud initiative

July 21, 2014

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published new international standards for the exchange of information between tax bodies to rein in fraud around the world.

https://p.dw.com/p/1CgET
Handcuffs on euro banknotes
Image: Fotolia/Andre Bonn

The OECD on Monday published its new Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Information in Tax Matters (AIA), which it said would help to better combat tax evasion internationally.

"Today's launch moves us closer to a world in which tax cheats have nowhere left to hide," OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria said in a statement.

The AIA will provide for the automatic exchange of financial account information between governments on an annual basis, he added.

More transparency

That information could include balances, interest, dividends and sales proceeds from financial assets as reported to governments by financial institutions.

The OECD said the standards published Monday would go a long way towards curbing money laundering and the illegal transfer of money abroad.

European bank secrecy crumbling

Germany is one of 67 nations which have already made commitments to implement the standards. The first automatic exchange of tax-related data is expected to start in 2017.

hg/cjc (dpa, Reuters)