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

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

Staff Contact:   Kira Yevtukhova

Deputy Director, Marketing and Communications
Tel: 202.617.3160

Kira Yevtukhova manages USCIB’s print and online publications, including the website, e-newsletter and quarterly magazine, and serves as the organization’s digital media strategist. Prior to this role, Kira worked for over five years within USCIB’s Policy Department, focusing on climate change, environment, nutrition, health, and chemicals related policy issues. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and has an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
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