First face-to-face delivery of the Course on Future of Taxation

Having been launched in virtual format in 2020, and also offered virtually in 2021, the one-week course on Future of Taxation took place for the first time as a face-to-face course from September 12 to 16, 2022 at the JVI. This course is one of the few courses at the JVI exclusively addressing taxation issues. It aims to improve the participants’ knowledge and capacity to design and implement a future-oriented tax policy and administration in their home countries. Various institutions have cooperated in the delivery of this course and in providing expert inputs, including the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance, the International Monetary Fund (Fiscal Affairs Department), the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Global Tax Policy Center), the University of Vienna (Department of Tax Law), and the JVI. 

Tax systems in emerging countries need to ensure that they raise sufficient revenue to finance essential expenditures. They need to do so in an equitable way while harnessing growth, respecting international norms and being in line with respective administrative capacities. This is a particularly challenging task in the age of digitalization, globalization, and confronting international tax avoidance and evasion. Vulnerability to base erosion and profit shifting is high in environments with underdeveloped or outdated tax laws, low enforcement, and general capacity constraints. There is therefore a need for both Ministries of Finance and Tax Administrations to develop a shared understanding and vision of a modern tax system and tax administration, and to adopt a practice of dialogue and reflection regarding the development and implementation of new tax laws and policies.

Against this background, this year’s program has been designed to address recent trends and drivers of tax reforms, characteristics of a modern tax administration, reforms of international tax arrangements, the equality and equity dimensions of taxation, and the impact of digitalization. A mixture of lectures, country case studies (including participants’ presentations), and an open panel discussion served to get participants acquainted with these topics.

There was a lot of interest in this course with a comparatively large number of applicants, 28 of whom were selected and attended the course. Attendees included officials from both Ministries of Finance and Tax Administrations. The course was very well received, with very high ratings of overall satisfaction by participants. The next delivery is planned for September 11-15, 2023. For the 2023 course description and to apply online, please see here. 

Markus Eller, Senior Economist, JVI