16/09/2010 - The sixth meeting of the Forum on Tax Administration was held 15-16 September, 2010 in 
Istanbul, Turkey where tax commissioners met to discuss a range of issues associated with administering 
tax systems in the current climate.

Tax commissioners from more than 40 countries say better compliance, particularly in the international arena, 
will make tax systems fairer, increase revenues and help facilitate a return to robust economic growth in the 
aftermath of the economic crisis. Major improvements in compliance can be obtained through:

• Joint audits by two or more revenue bodies examining corporate and individual taxpayers with a
• global footprint, to boost international tax compliance and reduce costs for taxpayers and revenue bodies;
• Sound corporate governance practices that address tax risk assessment and management by corporate boards;
• Building on recent advances in international co-operation and strengthening opportunities to share information which will improve offshore compliance.

“The valuable work of the Forum on Tax Administration continues to intensify. I want to commend my 
colleagues from the many revenue authorities who continue to work to co-ordinate our efforts. Together we 
can improve service to taxpayers and compliance with tax laws around the world,” said Douglas H. Shulman, 
the Forum on Tax Administration Chair and Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, USA.

The commissioners reaffirmed their commitment to improving service to taxpayers, in particular, to balancing 
the need for speed and integrity in making tax repayments or credits and the desire to continue constructive 
dialogues with key stakeholders.

They also reconfirmed their commitment to support tax administrations in developing and emerging 
economies, in particular in relation to compliance. Participants also discussed reports on approaches to 
tax risks in the banking sector.

For further information, journalists should contact Mr. Jeffrey Owens, Director, OECD Centre for Tax Policy 
and Administration, e-mail: Jeffrey.Owens@oecd.org or tel: +33 6 77 06 67 15.