The CIAT Executive Secretariat continues to pursue tax related cooperative and collaborative opportunities with international organizations that may benefit its member countries. During the week of March 23rd, the CIAT Executive Secretary, Márcio Verdi travelled to Washington DC and New York City to meet with officials of several international organizations and the representative of United States member. Messrs. Luis Cremades, Chief of the Spanish Mission at CIAT and Socorro Velazquez, Director of Planning and Institutional Development, accompanied Mr. Verdi.

While in Washington they met with officials of the International Monetary Fund concerning CIAT support on an IMF tax administration performance analytical tool. A CIAT Executive Secretariat official will participate in an upcoming IMF working group on the subject.

A meeting was held with the US IRS Acting Commissioner, Mr. Steven Miller, and Douglas O’Donnell, Assistant Deputy Commissioner (International). Issues discussed were related to topics of the upcoming CIAT General Assembly, outcome of the April Executive Council meeting and future events. Mr. Verdi acknowledged the US IRS’ support on exchange of information training and solicited continued future support in this important area.

During the afternoon of March 19, the CIAT delegation met with Ms. Verenda Smith Deputy Director of the Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA). (The FTA is an organization similar to CIAT, which supports the state tax administrations of the United States.) Ms. Smith is familiar with the CIAT organization and information on current activities was provided. Of primary interest to the CIAT delegation was information on how the FTA holds its annual technology event.

In mid 2014 CIAT is considering holding a technology fair that focuses on issues related to information systems technology specifically related to tax administration. The FTA has held several very successful technology events over the years and the CIAT delegation was interested in learning how FTA goes about organizing these events.

On Wednesday of that week, the CIAT delegation had the opportunity to meet with USAID and US Treasury Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) officials. Several possible cooperative efforts in support of CIAT member countries tax administrations were discussed as well as USAID’s participation and partial sponsorship of a workshop on transfer pricing to be held Friday, after the General Assembly in Argentina.

Prior to departing Washington for New York City, the CIAT delegation met with Mr. Lucky Molefe, Tax Attaché of the Republic of South Africa at it’s Washington embassy. Mr. Molefe plans to join us in Argentina for the General Assembly and subjects related to that meeting were discussed.

On Friday afternoon the delegation met with UN-DESA officials. A very mutually beneficial meeting was held with Mr. Alexander Trepelkov, Director, Financing for Development Office, UN-DESA, and his staff members Dominika Halka and Harry Tonino. Several topics were discussed. Among them were the current UN-DESA financed CIAT study on Tax Transaction Costs, training related to the UN tax treaty model and related taxation issues.

It was a very busy week but highly productive due to the nature of contacts and outcome.

From left to right: Mr. Steven Miller, US IRS Acting Commissioner and the
CIAT Executive Secretary, Mr. Márcio Ferreira Verdi.

From left to right: Mr. Socorro Velazquez, CIAT Planning and Institutional Development Director; Mrs. Dominika Halka, UN-DESA; Mr. Alexander Trepelkov, Financing for Development Office Director, UN-DESA; Mr. Márcio Ferreira Verdi, CIAT Executive Secretary; Mr. Luis Cremades Ugarte, Head of the Permanent Mission of Spain to the CIAT and Mr. Harry Tonino, UN-DESA.