IMF Conference

Day One, Wednesday, March 22

Registration

Opening Ceremony

Opening Address–Mr. Vitor Gaspar, Director, Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD), IMF

Welcome Address – Mr. Masatsugu Asakawa, Vice Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Finance (MOF), Japan 

Photo Session and Coffee Break

Session on Corporate Taxation Reform

Fiscal Policy for Innovation and Growth, and Current Trends in Tax Policy: Tax policy can play an important role in stimulating innovation through its effects on research and development (R&D), entrepreneurship, and technology transfer. This session will consider the rationale for and design of tax policies aimed at encouraging innovation. It will also cover recent development in several participating countries.

Chair: Dr. Ananapibut, Director, Tax Innovation Division, Fiscal Policy Office, MOF, Thailand 

Presentations:

• Mr. Keen, Deputy Director, FAD;
• Professor Sato, Hitotsubashi University;
• Mr. Hee, Director for Corporate Tax, IRAS, Singapore;
• Ms. Oo, Director, Large Taxpayer Office, Inland Revenue Department, Myanmar;
• Messrs. Roy and Chowdhury, Commissioner of Taxes, National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh

Lunch Break

International Taxation – Current Policy and Administration Challenges: Tax authorities are paying increasing attention to international tax issues. This session will focus on current issues and recent development in this fast-moving area, including lessons from the closer integration of international taxation issues into the IMF’s surveillance activities and on BEPS implementation. 

Presentations:

• Mr. Keen, FAD;
• Mr. Barbantini, CTPA, OECD;
• Mr. Malik, ESCAP, United Nations;
• Mr. Hutagaol, Director of International Taxation, DGT, Indonesia;
• Mr. Raether, Division Head, Revenue Group, The Treasury, Australia; 
• Mr. Xu, Deputy Director, International Taxation Department, SAT, China. 

Coffee Break

International Taxation – Dialogue with Business Community: Especially, for countries that are keen to attract foreign direct investments, it is important to strike a right balance between the need to counter tax avoidance and the need to provide business-friendly environment. This session aims to facilitate interactive discussions between participants and representatives of large businesses in the region on their concerns in this area.

Chair: Professor Masui, University of Tokyo

Presentations:

• Mr. Nakayama, Advisor, FAD;
• Mr. Ogata, Director, International Tax Policy, Tax Bureau, MOF, Japan;
• Mr. Kemmochi, Director, MAP, National Tax Agency, Japan: Representatives of Japanese large corporations: Mr. Suzuki, Lixil; Mr. Yawaka, Mitsui & Co; Mr. Kurihara, Toray

Day Two, Thursday, March 23

Session on Taxation and Digitalization

Tax Administration Issues -- Use of technology in tax administrations: Why are tax information technology (IT) systems so expensive? What is the total cost of ownership of a system? Is it better to build, buy or integrate? This session will explore these and other questions on use of IT systems in tax administrations, including the development of an effective IT strategy. 

Chair: Ms. Dwi Astuty, Deputy Director for Tax Treaties and International Tax Cooperation, DGT, Indonesia 

Presentations:

• Mr. Dark, Expert, FAD;
• Mr. Wong, Commissioner of Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong; 
• Mr. Daud, Deputy CEO, Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia  

Coffee Break

Tax Policy Options: The final report on BEPS Action 1 considers direct and indirect tax challenges raised by the digital economy, and work in the area continues. This session will be based on presentations by countries that have introduced new rules in this area, and touch too on the potential revolutionary impact of new technology in other areas of taxation too. 

Chair: Mr. Keen, FAD

Presentations:

• Mr. Kawanishi, Director for Tax Treaties and International Affairs, Tax Bureau, MOF, Japan;
• Mr. Bhoot, Joint Secretary, Central Board of Direct Taxes, India;
• Ms. Zhang, Deputy Director, Tax Policy Department, MOF, China

Lunch Break

Session on Tax Fraud

Legal framework, strategy, organization, capacity building to counter tax fraud: The 3rd Tax Conference (2011) discussed key issues in combatting tax fraud such as legal provisions and design of criminal investigation department. This session will take stock of progress in participants’ countries, and recent trends in tax fraud, including across national borders.

Presentations:

• Mr. Nakayama, FAD;
• Professor Kohyama, Hitotsubashi University;
• Mr. Chandra, Chairman, CBDT, India;
• Mr. Joven, Assistant Secretary, DOF, Philippines;
• Mr. Khan, Member, Federal Board of Revenue, Pakistan;
• Mr. Dissanayake, Deputy Director, Departmnt of Fiscal Policy, MOF, Sri Lanka

Session on Destination-Based Cash Flow Tax

The proposal to replace the current corporate income tax in the U.S. by a ‘destination-based cash flow tax’ (DBCFT) has attracted worldwide attention. Leaving aside the U.S. context, this session will explain what the DBCFT is and discuss its implications

Presentation:

• Mr. Keen, FAD, IMF 

Concluding Session

Concluding Remarks—Mr. Keen, FAD, IMF