The 15th Regional Meeting with Tax Administrations on International Taxation (XV Encuentro Regional con Administraciones Tributarias sobre Fiscalidad Internacional) in Panama brought together representatives of tax administrations from Latin America and the Caribbean, ministries, international organizations, specialists and civil society organizations to analyze the main challenges of the international and regional tax architecture.
The meeting was organized by Latindadd, Red de Justicia Fiscal de América Latina y el Caribe (RJFALC) and the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (CIAT), with the support of Norad, as one of the main regional spaces to promote dialogue and exchange experiences on how to create more transparent, equitable and effective tax policies.
The opening of the XV Meeting was led by Carlos Bedoya, General Coordinator of Latindadd; Marcio Verdi, Executive Secretary of CIAT; and Camilo Valdés, General Director of Revenue of the DGI of Panama, who highlighted the importance of maintaining spaces for coordination between tax administrations, multilateral organizations and civil society in the face of the challenges facing international taxation.
During the first day, discussions focused on the progress and challenges of international tax governance, the ongoing negotiations for a United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation and implications for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The impacts of the digitalization of the economy on tax systems were also analyzed, as well as the challenges posed by digital services, crypto assets and new forms of economic activity, and different regional experiences in preventing tax disputes and transparency mechanisms to combat tax evasion and avoidance.
These panels included the participation of specialists from the United Nations, ECLAC, the Global Alliance for Tax Justice, tax administrations from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay, as well as international experts.
The second day focused on the current challenges of tax administrations, with discussions on the implementation of Pillar 2, transfer pricing, international cooperation to combat tax fraud, and strengthening the institutional capacities of tax administrations.
A study on General Anti-Abuse Rules was presented and attendees reflected on equality in tax policies including addressing the differentiated impacts of tax incentives, the role of gender, race, and environmental taxation.
The sessions brought together representatives from the OECD, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Italian Guardia di Finanza, tax administrations from Paraguay, Uruguay, Panama and Argentina, as well as specialists from Latindadd and academia.
The 15th Regional Meeting concluded with a closing panel featuring Adrián Falco, Coordinator of Tax Justice at Latindadd, and Gonzalo Arias, Director of Cooperation and International Taxation at CIAT. They summarized the main discussions and presented the commemorative video marking 15 years of the Regional Meetings with Tax Administrations on International Taxation.
Over the past fifteen years, this forum has helped strengthen dialogue between tax administrations, international organizations, and civil society, and promote regional responses to the challenges of international taxation. This reaffirms the commitment of Latindadd, the CIAT, and their partners to strengthening regional cooperation that contributes to building fairer tax systems capable of responding to current global challenges.