Argentina Catches Up On Tax Agreements

by Leroy Baker, Tax-News.com, New York

03 November 2010

The head of Argentina's Federal Administration of Public Revenue (AFIP), Ricardo Echegaray has announced the signing of tax information exchange agreements with Russia, Italy and France as part of its strategy to crack down on tax evasion.

At an AFIP press conference, Echegaray explained that the agreements were designed to detect "harmful triangulation operations" related to smuggling, money laundering, tax evasion and customs fraud.

Echegaray anticipates that there will be exchange of experiences and a schedule of activities that will develop, through technical visits, seminars, workshops, meetings, research and exchange of documentation, to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of tax co-operation and administration.

"It is now Argentina's policy to sign as many agreements for the exchange of information as possible and to be at the forefront in standards of transparency, " said Echegaray. "The road undertaken by AFIP in its fight against tax evasion is firm and serious," he added.

Whilst in France, the Federal administrator joined an international conference, the central theme of which was "improving the effectiveness of tax administrations through new models of organization." Echegaray had the opportunity to speak with more countries' tax representatives on whether they would consider entering into agreements with Argentina for the exchange of information.

AFIP is already at an advanced stage in negotiations for new agreements on double taxation with "core countries" like China, India, South Africa, Venezuela, the Netherlands Antilles, the Netherlands and Turkey, among others.

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