Ottawa, Ontario, January 5, 2010... The Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture and Agri-food), Jean‑Pierre Blackburn, will begin a series of high-level discussions today with some of his tax administration counterparts from the Seven Country Working Group on Tax Havens. The goal of these meetings is to improve Canada's cooperation in combating tax havens and aggressive international tax planning schemes, and to exchange information on additional methods to increase the effectiveness of our actions.
"By sharing their expertise and experience, Canada and its partners in the working group can rely on the considerable achievements of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information and the progress that has been made since the meeting of G-20 Finance Ministers last April," stated Minister Blackburn.
The Minister will participate in working sessions on combating the abusive use of tax havens with his counterparts in United Kingdom, France and Germany. While in France, he will also meet with the director of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration in Paris.
The Minister of National Revenue is again, in 2010, bringing the issue of combating the abusive use of tax havens to the forefront, thus confirming Canada's predominant role in combating the abusive use of tax havens. "The Canada Revenue Agency is a key member of the Seven Country Working Group on Tax Havens. We exchange information, best practices and educational material. We share leads in accordance with our respective legislation and we work together on compliance measures. The efficient exchange of information is a crucial practice for countries in order to ensure proper compliance with and application of tax laws and tax agreements," stated Minister Blackburn.
The Minister also hopes to use this opportunity to send a clear message to Canadian taxpayers who have been tempted by this type of scheme. "We encourage Canadians who participate in aggressive tax planning schemes to use the Voluntary Disclosure Program before their activities attract the attention of the Canada Revenue Agency. This will also help them to avoid any future trouble."
For media information
