The Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (CIAT) is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary, having established itself as a pillar of tax modernization in Latin America and around the world. The Dominican Republic is hosting a General Assembly for the third time, marking this historic milestone and reaffirming CIAT’s role as a catalyst for cooperation, innovation, and digital transformation in tax administrations.

Over the course of its 60-year history, CIAT has been much more than a forum for technical exchange. It has established itself as a strategic platform that enables tax administrations to bridge knowledge gaps, strengthen their institutional capacities, and transition to more efficient and transparent models. In the invitation to this commemoration, CIAT’s Executive Secretary, Márcio F. Verdi, noted, “This will be a historic event to celebrate a legacy that demonstrates the strength of cooperation and joint work that has characterized CIAT since its creation in 1967.”

Since its founding, CIAT has achieved several key milestones, including developing strategic plans, implementing single taxpayer registries, and promoting technological solutions that are now standard across the region. For instance, electronic invoicing has been widely adopted, reducing compliance costs and facilitating trade between countries.

Currently, CIAT’s focus is on digital transformation. The 60th General Assembly agenda reflects this priority by addressing topics such as risk management, artificial intelligence, electronic services, and data governance. These elements aim to improve tax collection and strengthen public trust by providing more efficient and transparent services.

The Dominican Republic has played a leading role in this process. Since the historic 1996 Assembly held in Santo Domingo, the country has been at the forefront of modern tax administration’s evolution, establishing the basis for institutional integrity and taxpayer confidence. Today, this legacy is evident in the tangible progress spearheaded by the General Directorate of Internal Revenue (DGII). This progress includes the digitalization of services via the Virtual Office, budgetary autonomy, investment in human and technological capital, massive and targeted tax audits, enhanced economic analysis, promotion of voluntary compliance, strategic planning, tax education, and transparency. Added to this are initiatives such as implementing electronic invoicing and tax scoring and using advanced analytics for risk management.

Beyond its technical advancements, CIAT has been distinguished by something equally valuable: its approachability. For many tax authorities (including the Dominican Republic’s), CIAT has been a constant source of support. A simple phone call or email is all it takes to receive timely assistance, practical solutions, and high-level technical support.

On a personal level, this relationship goes beyond the institutional. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to build valuable friendships within the CIAT community, which reflects the human touch that sets this organization apart. Likewise, I have witnessed firsthand their high level of technical and professional expertise, having had the honor of participating in technical assistance missions to various countries, contributing to CIAT’s journal, and being part of specialized networks such as economic studies, tax expenditure, ISORA, and tax risk management, among others.

These initiatives demonstrate not only CIAT’s technical expertise but also its commitment to generating practical, applied knowledge for its member countries. The professionalism of its team is beyond reproach. Despite limited resources, the team has built a robust knowledge platform that includes an institutional website, technical repositories, a YouTube channel, training programs, certificate courses, and master’s programs. This reflects a team that is committed, takes the initiative, and is results oriented. Sixty years after its founding, CIAT has established itself as a leading institution for the fiscal development among its member countries. Its history shows that combining international cooperation with technological innovation and knowledge-based management is essential to building more efficient and citizen-centered tax administrations.

On this anniversary,  we must also recognize the people who made this legacy possible. My congratulations to the entire CIAT team for their dedication, professionalism, and commitment to service. I hope they continue to contribute to the strengthening of our tax administrations for many years to come. Thank you, too, for making me feel like part of this great family.

26 total views, 26 views today