The OECD has released the outcomes of the third phase of peer reviews of the BEPS Action 13 Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting initiative, demonstrating strong progress in continuing efforts to improve the taxation of multinational enterprises worldwide.

CbC reporting, one of the four minimum standards of the BEPS Project, requires tax administrations to collect and share detailed information on all large multinational enterprises doing business in their country. Information collected includes the amount of revenue reported, profit before income tax, and income tax paid and accrued, as well as the stated capital, accumulated earnings, number of employees and tangible assets, broken down by jurisdiction. CbC reporting provides an unprecedented level of transparency to tax administrations worldwide. As a result, tax administrations, often for the first time, will have received detailed information on all large multinational enterprises doing business in their country.

As CbC Reporting is one of the four minimum standards of the BEPS Project, all members of the Inclusive Framework on BEPS have committed to implement it, and to have their compliance with the standard reviewed and monitored by their peers. This is to ensure a timely and consistent implementation across the world, which is key to the success of CbC reporting.

This third annual peer review considers implementation of the CbC reporting minimum standard by jurisdictions as of April 2020. Highlights include:

  • Coverage increased to 131 jurisdictions. The peer review includes a comprehensive examination of 131 Inclusive Framework members. A small number of members were not included in this review either because they recently joined the Inclusive Framework or they faced capacity constraints, but these will be reviewed as soon as possible.
  • Practically all multinational enterprises that are over the threshold for filing are now covered. Over 90 jurisdictions have already introduced legislation to impose a filing obligation on multinational enterprise groups, covering almost all multinational enterprise groups with consolidated group revenue at or above the threshold of EUR 750 million. Remaining Inclusive Framework members are working towards finalising their domestic legal frameworks with the support of the OECD.
  • Implementation largely consistent with BEPS Action 13. Where legislation is in place, the implementation of CbC Reporting has been found largely consistent with the Action 13 minimum standard.
  • Jurisdictions acting on prior recommendations. A large number of recommendations made in the first two peer review phases have now been addressed and these recommendations have been removed.
  • Over 2500 exchange relationships now in place. Exchanges of CbC reports began in June 2018 and more than 2500 bilateral relationships for CbC exchanges are now in place.

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