Canada's Blackburn Wraps Up G7 Meetings On Tax Havens

by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington

11 January 2010

Canadian Minister of National Revenue, Jean-Pierre Blackburn, on January 8, announced the conclusion of meetings with the Seven Country Working Group on Tax Havens, aimed at making further advances against tax evasion and aggressive international tax planning.

Commenting following the conclusion of the meetings, Blackburn stated that the discussions "will contribute to strengthening Canada's current working relationships with important tax administration allies".

“During our meetings with senior tax administration officials, we were able to highlight the progress of our respective governments' efforts to promote fairness and compliance around the world,” he observed.

On January 6, Blackburn met his tax administration counterpart in London, Stephen Timms, UK Financial Secretary to the Treasury. The two reaffirmed their commitment to co-operate and work together to strengthen their respective international audit and compliance programs with regard to international aggressive tax planning.

In Paris on January 7, Blackburn met with the French Minister of the Budget, Public Accounts, the Civil Service and State Reform, Éric Woerth. Agreeing that information is a "powerful weapon against tax evasion and international tax avoidance," they pledged to continue strengthening their collaboration and information exchange.

The series of meetings ended on January 8 with a meeting between Minister Blackburn and Germany's Minister of Finance, Wolfgang Schäuble.

Both men reaffirmed their commitment to combating international tax planning schemes, specifically as members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Leeds Castle Group (which comprises tax commissioners of the revenue bodies of Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States), and the Seven Country Tax Haven Working Group.

"Close collaboration among the partners of the Seven Country Working Group on Tax Havens is crucial" explained Blackburn, concluding:

"The exchange of information is our best weapon. We will continue to work together to improve our use of information and build on global momentum to make using bank secrecy for tax evasion and avoidance, a thing of the past."

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