United Kingdom: News from HMRC
HMRC and KRA complete TIWB pilot
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) have completed a pilot project for Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB), applying the established TIWB model of peer-to-peer expert assistance to digitalisation of tax administrations. The tax administrations worked together on moving the KRA’s digital vision from strategy into implementation. This culminated in a visit to HMRC’s office in Stratford for a five-day workshop, where a delegation from the KRA discussed issues ranging from Agile methodologies to staff retention and data migration with HMRC experts. This workshop was designed to support some of the key goals as set out in the KRA’s Next Generation Tax System, a new strategy for the digital transformation of the entire administration.
HMRC and the KRA are now providing feedback to the TIWB secretariat on the format of the pilot and will continue to work together to evaluate and advise on the expansion of the TIWB model to digital transformation.
UK unveils white paper to set approach to global development
The UK has set out a re-energised approach to international development in a white paper, aimed at working with partners to tackle global challenges in the years up to 2030. The white paper sets out how the UK will work alongside partners to strengthen and reform the international system to improve collective action on tax and tackling dirty money. It details how the UK will help low- and middle-income countries get the revenues they are owed from the international tax system, doubling down on efforts to improve access to international rules on corporate information exchange (CbCR), and will encourage development partners to support greater capacity building to enable implementation of rules such as the new global minimum tax. The white paper also states that the UK will deepen its offer to countries to help them improve revenue performance and promote sustainable, inclusive growth.
HMRC and OECD Pillar Knowledge Sharing Network
The Pillar Knowledge Sharing Network (PKSN) is an initiative of the OECD Forum on Tax Administration’s Capacity Building Network which aims to support members of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS who are involved in the implementation and administration of the Pillar 2 Global Anti-Base Erosion (GloBE) rules. The PKSN was established in May 2023 and, as of November 2023, has more than 450 participants from around 100 jurisdictions. Currently, the network offers:
Regular virtual meetings on topical Pillar 2 implementation issues with opportunities to ask questions.
Peer support through one-to-one conversations with counterparts in early-implementer jurisdictions.
An online webspace on the Knowledge Sharing Platform for Tax Administrations (KSPTA), which hosts important documents and online discussion forums, as well as links to recordings of the virtual meetings.
The network is currently running virtual accountancy sessions, with three underway and three remaining. Topics range from an introduction to the P2 rules, accounting standards, calculation of GloBE income etc.
If you are interested in registering for the PKSN and making use of the excellent resources available, including attending the upcoming accountancy sessions/gaining access to the recordings of the previous accountancy sessions, please go to the KSPTA [KSP (ksp-ta.org)]. Please email emma.lester@hmrc.gov.uk for more information or if you have any questions.
By Charlotte Scriven, (HMRC) International Engagement Lead, CS&TD BAI International Relations