Press Release Archives

Washington Tax Conference to Weigh New Scrutiny of Global Companies

Published on May 23, 2013

4517_image001Washington, D.C., May 23, 2013 – Against a backdrop of slow economic growth and increased attention to international corporate tax practices, executives from a range of global companies will meet with tax experts from the OECD and member governments at the 2013 OECD International Tax Conference, June 3-4 in Washington, D.C.

Now in its eighth year, the sold-out conference is organized by the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) in cooperation with the 34-nation OECD, which is the leading global forum for discussion of international tax policies.

“The OECD is a valuable source of guidance on sensible policies and regulation, especially on the tax front,” said Rob Mulligan, USCIB’s senior vice president for policy and government affairs. “Decisions on tax policy can have a major impact on cross-border investment flows, and policy makers must make wise choices to maximize economic growth, job creation and development.”

The conference will focus on the challenge of adapting longstanding international tax principles to the modern economy. At their summit in Mexico last year, G20 leaders explicitly referred to “the need to prevent base erosion and profit shifting,” or BEPS. G20 finance ministers subsequently asked the OECD to report on this issue by their meeting last February. The OECD report and follow-on action will be high on the agenda at this year’s conference.

Related issues up for discussion include transfer pricing of intangibles, jurisdiction to tax issues and tax transparency. Efforts to integrate the views of emerging and developing economies into the OECD’s work are also on the program.

Speakers at the two-day event will include:

  • Pascal Saint-Amans, director of the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy and Administration
  • Robert B. Stack, deputy assistant secretary for international tax policy, U.S. Treasury
  • Will Morris, director of global tax policy, GE International
  • Mike Williams, director of business and international tax, Her Majesty’s Treasury, U.K.
  • Bill Sample, corporate vice president for worldwide tax, Microsoft

“Governments need clear, consistent rules to collect an appropriate amount of tax from multinational enterprises doing business in their jurisdictions,” said Carol Doran Klein, USCIB’s vice president for tax policy. “Businesses need clear and consistent rules to foster trade and investment across borders.  Developing these rules requires dialogue among countries and business. This conference is an important part of that dialogue.”

The conference is co-organized by USCIB, the OECD and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, which officially represents the view of industry in the Paris-based body, and for which USCIB serves as the U.S. member federation. Supporting organizations include the International Fiscal Association, Tax Foundation, National Foreign Trade Council, Organization for International Investment, Tax Council Policy Institute, International Tax Policy Forum and Tax Executives Institute. Details are available at www.uscibtax.org.

About USCIB
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including BIAC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More information is available at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Conference agenda and other information

 

USCIB Statement on President Obamas International Tax Proposals

Published on February 23, 2012

New York, N.Y., February 23, 2012 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) is pleased to see that President Obama’s proposals on business tax reform advocate lower rates and a more efficient corporate tax system. USCIB appreciates the recognition by the President and the Treasury Department that tax reform will take time, require work on a bipartisan basis, and benefit from additional feedback from stakeholders and experts.  We and our members hope to make a positive contribution to that debate.

USCIB is, however, disappointed by the international aspects of the president’s proposals on business tax reform.  USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson stated: “The international provisions fail to recognize that U.S. business competes for customers in the global marketplace.  While most countries have adopted territorial systems seeking to facilitate the competitiveness of their multinationals by taxing income only where it is earned, the U.S. is going in the opposite direction.  By proposing a minimum tax on foreign earnings, a tax on so called ‘excess profits’ and the disallowance of interest expense, the administration proposes a step backwards.”

Mr. Robinson continued: “A minimum tax on foreign earnings will simply make American firms less competitive than foreign based multi-national enterprises.  Further, the likely response in the marketplace is to make the U.S. a less favored jurisdiction for establishing the headquarters of a multi-national business.  Who would choose to set up their business in the U.S. knowing that global expansion would result in a minimum tax?  Companies currently headquartered here may not have many options, but anyone advising a new entity would certainly suggest establishing foreign control from the outset. These tax policies could have a role in the acquisition of American companies by foreign competitors.  When companies are successful in global markets, it means new jobs in their home countries to support those global business opportunities. Discouraging U.S. headquarters will result in fewer American jobs.”

About USCIB:
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation.  Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world.  With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.  More information is available at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
(212) 703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

USCIB Welcomes Rep. Camp’s Tax Proposal

Published on October 31, 2011

Washington, D.C., October 31, 2011– The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), a pro-trade group which represents America’s top global companies before the U.S. government and in major international forums, welcomed proposed tax reform measures put forward by Rep. David Camp (R – Mi.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

“We are pleased to see Chairman Camp’s proposal on tax reform,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson.  “The high rates and worldwide system of taxation of the United States are out of step with the rest of the world.  U.S. business supports efforts to achieve reform of these rules.  Chairman Camp’s proposal represents an important first step.”

Mr. Robinson underscored the importance of maintaining a level playing field for all companies in the context of U.S. tax reform.  “We must ensure that legislative alternatives intended to protect the tax base do not disfavor U.S. companies versus their competitors,” he said.  “We look forward to working with Chairman Camp and other members of Congress and the administration to achieve bipartisan business tax reform.”

Through its affiliation with the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, USCIB works closely with the U.S. and other governments to provide business input and promote closer international cooperation on tax matters, including the OECD Model Tax Treaty and the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines.

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation.  Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world.  With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including BIAC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.  More information is available at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043, jhuneke@uscib.org

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

With U.S. Tax Reform Looming, Global Tax Experts to Meet in Washington

Published on May 10, 2011

OECD_2011

Washington, D.C., May 10, 2011 – With tax reform high on the agenda in Washington, what are the implications for multinational companies?  To help executives and policy makers keep up in this fast-moving area, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which represents American business on the global stage, will convene its fifth annual tax conference next month in Washington, D.C., focusing on the work of the 34-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

This 2011 OECD International Tax Conference, June 6-7 at the Four Seasons Hotel, will provide a unique opportunity for the U.S. business community to interact with key representatives from the OECD Center for Tax Policy and Administration, as well as senior tax officials from the U.S. and other OECD countries.

“As the volume, speed and complexity of international business continues to grow, global firms need clear, consistent and stable tax rules more than ever,” said Bill Sample, corporate vice president for worldwide taxation with Microsoft Corp. and chair of USCIB’s Taxation Committee.  “The OECD is the recognized leader in promoting a tax system to facilitate multinational business and dispute resolution. Business participation is critical to the OECD’s success, so we are encouraging companies from all industries to join us at the conference.”

Key questions to be addressed at the conference include: What are the latest international developments affecting permanent establishments?  What about transfer pricing and intangibles?  How are countries working together to improve tax compliance and cooperation?  With its membership growing, how is the OECD working with new members and non-members on tax policy matters?

Speakers at the event are scheduled to include

  • Jeffrey Owens, head of the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy and Administration
  • Thomas Barthold, chief of staff of the Joint Congressional Committee on Taxation
  • Manal Corwin, deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury for international affairs
  • Masatsugu Asakawa of the Japanese finance ministry, incoming chair of the OECD Committee on Fiscal Affairs
  • Mary Bennett, head of OECD’s tax treaty, transfer pricing, and financial transactions division
  • Steven Miller, deputy commissioner of the IRS for services and enforcement
  • Michelle Levac of Canada’s revenue agency, chair of the OECD Working Party Taxation of Multinational Enterprises.

“Informed, ongoing dialogue with the OECD secretariat and with OECD member states is crucial for global companies,” according to Carol Doran Klein, USCIB’s vice president and international tax counsel.  “The fact that this year’s conference takes place against the backdrop of potentially far-reaching tax reform in the United States only adds to its importance.”

Details on the conference are available at www.uscibtax.org.

The conference is co-organized by USCIB, the OECD and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, which officially represents the view of industry in the Paris-based body.  Supporting organizations include the International Fiscal Association – USA Branch, the International Tax Policy Forum, the National Foreign Trade Council, the Organization for International Investment, the Tax Council Policy Institute, the Tax Executives Institute and the Tax Foundation.

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation.  Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world.  With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including BIAC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.  More information is available at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
(212) 703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org.

Conference agenda, registration form and other information

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

OECD website

New Tax Practice Head at Top Global Trade Group

Published on December 10, 2010
Carol Doran Klein
Carol Doran Klein

New York, N.Y., December 10, 2010 – Carol Doran Klein, an experienced international tax professional, has joined the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which represents America’s top global companies, as vice president and international tax counsel.  In her new role, Ms. Klein will work to advance the views of American business on key tax policies and initiatives affecting companies’ worldwide operations, working out of USCIB’s Washington, D.C. office.

“Carol Doran Klein has a valuable skill set that will add tremendously to our work on global taxation,” said Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB’s executive vice president and chief policy officer.  “She brings more than two decades’ experience in international tax policy, and can draw on extensive experience in both the private and public sectors.”

Ms. Klein has served with Deloitte and Arthur Andersen, advising clients on international tax planning.  As deputy international tax counsel with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, she coordinated Treasury’s effort on international tax legislation, participated in development of the U.S. Model Income Tax Treaty, and managed the published guidance process.  Ms. Klein has also worked at the Internal Revenue Service, where she wrote and reviewed regulations, and provided litigation support.  With a JD degree with honors from Albany Law School and a bachelor’s degree in English from the State University of New York at Albany, she has served as an adjunct professor of international tax at Georgetown University.

Ms. Klein will manage USCIB’s Committee on Taxation, which promotes sound, appropriate and consistent international tax policy in the U.S. and overseas, including minimizing double taxation.  The committee is chaired by Bill Sample, corporate vice president of worldwide tax at Microsoft Corporation, and encompasses leading tax professionals from USCIB member companies and organizations.  It is especially active on OECD matters, in view of USCIB’s role as the American affiliate of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, and it organizes a yearly conference bringing together top tax officials from the OECD and member governments.

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation.  Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world.  With a unique global network encompassing the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org

Contact:

Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
(212) 703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

OECD Tax Conference Tackles Crisis’s Impact on Tax Rules

Published on June 2, 2009
Rep. Charles Rangel (D. – N.Y.) addressed the conference.
Rep. Charles Rangel (D. – N.Y.) addressed the conference.

Washington, D.C., June 2, 2009 – Participants at a major conference on global tax policy organized by the United States Council for International Business and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development addressed new challenges arising out of the ongoing economic crisis.  Over 200 attendees, including senior corporate executives and government officials, met over two days to review the 30-nation OECD’s evolving role in shaping international tax policy.

“OECD initiatives can help rebuild the post-crisis global economy,” said OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría.  “They are aimed at guaranteeing the level playing field, integrity, transparency, fairness and predictability that are the cornerstones of a healthy international economy in which businesses can compete fairly.”  He said the financial crisis would focus policy makers’ attention on tax rules that may encourage “excessive risk-taking.”

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D. – N.Y.) addressed the gathering, observing that he expects tax reform to be a priority for the current presidential term.  He said reduction of corporate tax rates could be part of reform, but only as part of a balanced package that increases overall fairness.  He invited business to enter into a dialogue with Congress to develop useful proposals.  Congressman Rangel also called for greater international cooperation to target tax evasion.

IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, providing the conference’s keynote remarks, said the financial crisis showed global interconnectedness in “stark terms.”  He said President Obama‘s tax proposals aimed to promote fairness and reduce tax avoidance.  “Good laws make it easier to do right and harder to do wrong,” he said.

Panels at the conference addressed a range of international tax topics, including bilateral tax treaties, transfer pricing and permanent establishment, attribution of profits and business restructuring.  Jeffrey Owens, director of the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy Administration, said the loss of tax revenue brought about by the ongoing global recession would put pressure on governments to review rules governing transfer pricing, potentially affecting how companies allocate losses among jurisdictions where they operate.

The conference was co-organized by the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, which officially represents the view of industry in the Paris-based body.   It was the fourth such event organized by USCIB, the OECD and BIAC.  “This conference has grown into a bit of a springtime tradition for us,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson.  “It’s clear that the critical nature of the OECD’s tax policy work merits regular high-level gatherings with business.”

Supporting organizations included the International Fiscal Association – USA Branch, International Tax Policy Forum, National Foreign Trade Council, Organization for International Investment, Tax Council Policy Institute, Tax Executives Institute, Inc., and the Tax Foundation.

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation.  Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world.  With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including BIAC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.  More at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
(212) 703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org.

Conference website

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

OECD website

Washington Hosts Global Tax Policy Conference

Published on May 19, 2009

U.S. and international officials to discuss key developments at latest OECD event

OECD Tax 2009Washington, D.C., May 19, 2009 – Against the backdrop of renewed attention in Washington on multinational tax issues, company executives and tax counsel have an opportunity next month to learn about the latest international tax policy developments affecting their businesses.  Top officials with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which is playing an increasingly important role in international tax deliberations, will take part in a two-day conference organized by the United States Council for International Business (USCIB).

“The OECD’s Evolving Role in Shaping International Tax Policy,” June 1 and 2 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., is the latest in a regular series of conferences focusing on the OECD’s key role in global tax matters.  The event provides insight into how the Paris-based OECD, which groups the world’s most advanced industrialized nations, influences tax policies worldwide, and how business can engage with it.

“More and more, executives and tax planners are coming to recognize the scope of the OECD’s work, and the importance of an informed, ongoing dialogue with the OECD secretariat and its member states,” according to Lynda K. Walker, USCIB’s vice president and international tax counsel.  “This year’s event provides high-level access to key OECD representatives and influential U.S. policy makers.”

Speakers at the two-day conference will include OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D. – N.Y.), IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman and Jeffrey Owens, director of the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy Administration.  Panels will include numerous other U.S. and OECD officials along with representatives of industry and the legal community.  Topics range from transfer pricing and permanent establishment to attribution of profits and business restructuring.  OECD enlargement, dispute resolution and an open-microphone “Ask the OECD” panel will round out the agenda.

The conference is being co-organized by the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, which officially represents the view of industry in the 30-nation body.  Supporting organizations include the International Fiscal Association – USA Branch, International Tax Policy Forum, National Foreign Trade Council, Organization for International Investment, Tax Council Policy Institute, Tax Executives Institute, Inc., and the Tax Foundation.

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation.  Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world.  With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including BIAC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
(212) 703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org.

Conference agenda, registration form and other information

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

OECD website

Companies Assail Tax Bill Punishing Investment in the U.S.

Published on July 26, 2007

New York, N.Y., July 26, 2007 – America’s top global companies have expressed serious concern over proposed legislation, introduced as a potential means of funding the farm bill currently under Congressional consideration, that would discriminate against foreign companies operating in the United States. The proposal would effectively and unfairly raise taxes on foreign based companies which contribute to the U.S. economy and through American jobs and substantial U.S. based operations. It would also do serious damage to the tax treaty network on which U.S. business relies to prevent double taxation and provide certainty in its pursuit of business outside the U.S. The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which represents U.S.-based multinationals and major exporters, said the measure could serve as an impetus for retaliation against American firms doing business in abroad.

“This bill, if enacted, would clearly violate an array of U.S. tax treaties, invite retaliation overseas, and damage our economy by discriminatorily raising taxes on foreign investment, hampering foreign investment and job creation in the United States,” said USCIB President Peter M. Robinson.

On the heels of introduction by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) of the legislation in question, H.R. 3160, yesterday, the Administration appropriately expressed its strong opposition to the proposal in a statement of opposition delivered to Congress. The bill could come up for a vote in the House of Representatives today, without the benefit of the normal hearing process. Its effect would be to force foreign companies to pay higher withholding tax rates than their U.S.-owned counterparts on such payments as royalties, interest and management fees to their foreign affiliates. This would violate many bilateral U.S. tax treaties, which aim to both reduce double taxation and ensure cooperation with foreign tax authorities.

Mr. Robinson urged members of Congress to avoid measures targeting foreign firms specifically. “Such practices are often seized upon by foreign governments as an excuse to restrict market access and investment opportunities by American companies,” he noted. “We are concerned that formal and informal barriers to investment are on the rise in many countries. It is clearly in the interests of the United States, as the world’s largest source of overseas investment and one of the largest hosts for foreign direct investment to maintain a level playing field for foreign firms, to ensure that our own firms are treated fairly.”

Mr. Robinson noted that U.S. subsidiaries of foreign businesses account for more than five million U.S. jobs, supporting annual payrolls of over $300 billion.

USCIB promotes an open system of global commerce in which business can flourish and contribute to economic growth, human welfare and protection of the environment. Its membership includes more than 300 leading U.S. companies, professional services firms and associations whose combined annual revenues exceed $3.5 trillion. As the exclusive American affiliate of three key global business groups – the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers, and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD – USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade. More information is available at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 (office), +1 917.420.0039 (mobile) or jhuneke@uscib.org
More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

Business Engages Top International Tax Officials at OECD Conference in Washington

Published on June 5, 2007
Assistant Treasury Secretary Eric Solomon spoke at the OECD tax conference.
Assistant Treasury Secretary Eric Solomon spoke at the OECD tax conference.

Washington, DC, June 5, 2007 – Nearly 300 U.S. and international executives, government officials and other tax experts convened at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., for a major two-day conference, concluding today, which highlighted the work of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the development of national tax policy and international tax arrangements governing cross-border trade and investment.

Organized by the OECD, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, the conference, titled “New OECD International Tax Initiatives: Looking Ahead,” sought to provide American business with the opportunity to interact directly with key representatives from the OECD and its Center for Tax Policy and Administration.  Also on the program were senior representatives of the U.S. Treasury/Internal Revenue Service and private industry.

The 30-nation OECD seeks to promote growth through coordination of economic and regulatory policies between its members, all of which are democratic market economies.  BIAC, composed of major business federations from all OECD countries, provides policy guidance to OECD members.  USCIB is BIAC’s representative in the United States and regularly fields American industry experts for BIAC and OECD activities.

Constance A. Morella, U.S. ambassador to the OECD, opened the influential annual conference, now in its fourth year.  “Thomas Friedman has said the world is flat, but it’s worth noting that there are still some bumps, including in tax policy,” she commented.  “The OECD tries, with strong business support, to flatten some of those bumps.”

Thelma Askey, deputy secretary general of the OECD, also addressed the gathering.  “The U.S. government plays a leading role at the OECD in getting agreement on international tax rules,” she said.  “Without clear, transparent rules that have the support of governments around the world, business often finds itself tied up in uncertainty, intractable disputes and double taxation.”

In a keynote address today, Eric Solomon, the Treasury Department’s assistant secretary for tax policy, presented an overview of the U.S. tax system and its effects on American competitiveness.  He noted that, since the last major overhaul of the U.S. tax code in 1986, other developed countries had lowered corporate tax rates to spur investment and boost employment.

“As the global economy continues to expand and markets become more open to investment, developed economies such as those within the OECD continue to adapt their corporate tax systems to compete in the global marketplace,” Mr. Solomon stated.  “However, since 1993, the federal statutory corporate tax rate has remained 35 percent.”

Also speaking at the conference were Jeffrey Owens, head of the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy & Administration; Patrick J. Ellingsworth, executive vice president, Royal Dutch Shell and chairman of BIAC’s Taxation Committee; Peter M. Robinson, president of USCIB; and numerous tax experts from the OECD secretariat, U.S. government and major multinational companies.

The event drew representatives from more than a hundred top companies, testifying to the broad importance of the OECD’s work and its influence on international taxation policies.  The full conference agenda is available at www.uscibtax.org.  Among the topics up for discussion were:

  • attribution of profits to permanent establishments
  • the application of the transfer pricing guidelines
  • issues arising from business restructurings
  • cooperation and information exchange in international tax administration
  • other tax treaty topics, such as the non-discrimination principle and collective investment vehicles
  • current OECD work on cross-border services, and the OECD’s dispute resolution report.

“As we move forward on these issues, it is essential that U.S. business provide ongoing input,” said the OECD’s Mr. Owens.  “Conferences like these, and input from USCIB, ensures that the solutions we adopt work for American firms operating in the global marketplace.”

Lynda K. Walker, USCIB’s vice president and international tax counsel, commented that the annual conferences have become a highlight of the U.S. tax calendar.  “By bringing together the main U.S.-based organizations that work on international tax policy, these events enable American business to more effectively follow and provide input to the OECD’s work.”

Supporting sponsors of the event included the International Fiscal Association-USA Branch, the International Tax Policy Forum, the National Foreign Trade Council, the Organization for International Investment, the Tax Council Policy Institute and the Tax Foundation.

USCIB promotes an open system of global commerce in which business can flourish and contribute to economic growth, human welfare and protection of the environment.  Its membership includes more than 300 leading U.S. companies, professional services firms and associations whose combined annual revenues exceed $3.5 trillion.  As the exclusive American affiliate of three key global business groups – the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers, and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD –  USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade.  More information is available at www.uscib.org.

Contact:

Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB

+1 212.703.5043 (office), +1 917.420.0039 (mobile) or jhuneke@uscib.org

Conference agenda

Remarks by Assistant Treasury Secretary Solomon (Treasury Department website)

OECD website

BIAC website

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

US Executives to Engage Top International Tax Officials at OECD Conference in Washington

Published on May 10, 2007

3695_image002Washington, D.C., May 10, 2007 – U.S. executives and tax counsel will have unparalleled access to key tax officials from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as United States and other OECD member nations, at a major conference, “New OECD International Tax Initiatives: Looking Ahead,” June 4 and 5 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.

The conference, organized by the OECD, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, is the third in a series of annual events spotlighting the increasingly important work of the OECD in the area of international taxation.  It is produced in association with the International Fiscal Association-USA Branch, the International Tax Policy Forum, the National Foreign Trade Council, the Organization for International Investment, the Tax Council Policy Institute and the Tax Foundation.

“This conference provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about the important tax policy work being done through the OECD, and for U.S. business to further engage in this process,” said Lynda K. Walker, USCIB’s vice president and international tax counsel.  “It is evidence of the significance of the projects being undertaken by the OECD that such high-level officials are planning to join us for this important event.”

The United States, as a founding member of the OECD, has played an active role in developing the organization’s tax program.  The OECD presently consists of 30 advanced industrialized nations, although in the tax area Argentina, Chile, China, India, Russia and South Africa play an active role in the development of the organization’s work.  It facilitates cooperation through the development of standards for international tax policies affecting multinational business and other taxpayers.

The June conference will feature an impressive line-up of tax policy experts from the U.S. Treasury/Internal Revenue Service, the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy and Administration, and private industry.   Eric Solomon, assistant secretary of the Treasury for tax policy, will be a keynote speaker.  Ambassador Constance A. Morella, the U.S. representative to the OECD, will open the conference, along with OECD Deputy Secretary General Thelma Askey.

The OECD seeks to promote growth through the coordination of economic and regulatory policies between its member nations, which are all democratic market economies.  BIAC is composed of major business federations from the 30 OECD countries, and provides policy guidance to OECD members and its Paris-based secretariat.  USCIB is BIAC’s representative in the United States and regularly fields American industry experts for BIAC and OECD activities.

Ms. Walker noted that the top OECD tax officials have been involved in the planning of the program.  Among those participating from the OECD are Jeffrey Owens, the director of the Center for Tax Policy and Administration, Mary Bennett, head of its division on tax treaties, transfer pricing and financial transactions, Caroline Silberztein, head of its transfer pricing unit, and Jacques Sasseville, head of its tax treaty unit.

Panels at the conference will address:

  • Attribution of Profits to Permanent Establishments
  • Achieving Greater Consensus on the Application of Transfer Pricing Guidelines
  • Issues Arising from Business Restructurings
  • International Tax Administration:  Co-operation and Information Exchange
  • Other Tax Treaty Issues, including: A Re-examination of the Nondiscrimination Principle and Tax Treaty Application to Collective Investment Vehicles
  • Current OECD Work on Cross-Border Services
  • OECD’s Dispute Resolution Report

USCIB promotes an open system of global commerce in which business can flourish and contribute to economic growth, human welfare and protection of the environment.  Its membership includes some 300 U.S. companies, professional service firms and associations, whose combined annual revenues exceed $3 trillion.  As American affiliate of the leading international business and employers organizations, including BIAC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate international trade.

Contact:

Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB

(212) 703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org.

Conference agenda, registration form and other information

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

OECD website