African Tax Administration Forum

The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) is an international organization established to strengthen cooperation among African tax administrations and improve the effectiveness of domestic revenue systems. Its origins lie in an August 2008 meeting involving 30 African tax commissioners and representatives of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The organization was formally launched in Kampala, Uganda, in November 2009. ATAF operates as a platform for African tax authorities rather than as a national revenue agency or a commercial tax consultancy. Its work focuses on practical cooperation, professional development, technical assistance, research, and the development of common African perspectives on international taxation. The organization seeks to increase voluntary compliance, improve tax administration, reduce opportunities for tax evasion and avoidance, and help members address cross-border tax issues. Its capacity-building activities have included online training in tax treaties, an executive master's program in taxation delivered with partner institutions in Senegal and the Mauritius Revenue Authority, and short courses on taxation and development conducted with the International Centre for Tax and Development. In 2015, ATAF launched the African Tax Research Network to connect researchers, disseminate evidence, and support an annual research congress alongside methods training and dissemination workshops. ATAF also convenes technical working groups dealing with issues such as Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, indirect taxation, exchange of information, and transfer pricing. These groups give member administrations a forum to compare practice and formulate shared positions. In relation to BEPS, ATAF held a consultative conference in April 2015 and transmitted member feedback to the OECD. It also began a three-year pilot intended to assist African countries in meeting international standards for the exchange of tax information and participation in the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. The organization works with African regional economic communities and international tax-administration networks, including the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrations, the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations, the Centre de Rencontres et d'Etudes des Dirigeants des Administrations Fiscales, the Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations, and the International Centre for Tax and Development. Its institutional support has included contributions or cooperation from the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the African Development Bank, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Irish Aid, Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the OECD, and Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. ATAF's public profile is centered on tax governance, domestic resource mobilization, and international tax cooperation. A 2015 reference described the organization as having 37 member nations. Its principal offerings are therefore programs, networks, working groups, conferences, and technical support rather than consumer products. The forum's continuing relevance derives from the need for African administrations to coordinate on multinational taxation, information exchange, transfer pricing, indirect taxes, compliance, and illicit financial flows.

ATAF was conceived in response to the need for stronger cooperation among African tax administrations. Before its creation, African revenue authorities often participated in wider international tax networks, but there was no dedicated pan-African institution focused on sharing administrative experience, developing regional positions, and strengthening practical capacity across the continent. In August 2008, 30 African tax commissioners met with representatives of the OECD to discuss the creation of such a body. The organization was launched in Kampala, Uganda, in November 2009. Its mandate centered on improving tax administration and supporting domestic revenue mobilization. ATAF's approach combined peer learning among member administrations with structured technical assistance, professional training, research, and engagement with international organizations. It aimed to help governments increase voluntary compliance while countering tax evasion and avoidance, especially where cross-border business activity made unilateral enforcement difficult. A major part of ATAF's development has been its capacity-building program. The forum has offered online instruction in tax treaties, an executive master's degree in taxation through partnerships involving two Senegalese schools and the Mauritius Revenue Authority, and shorter courses on taxation and development in cooperation with the International Centre for Tax and Development. These initiatives reflect the organization's emphasis on developing specialist skills within revenue administrations rather than merely issuing policy statements. ATAF has also built thematic structures for cooperation. Its technical working groups have addressed Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, indirect taxes, exchange of information, and transfer pricing. In April 2015, it organized a consultative conference on BEPS and used the process to communicate member perspectives to the OECD. Exchange-of-information work included a three-year pilot designed to help African countries satisfy the requirements for participation in the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. Research became another institutional pillar in 2015, when ATAF launched the African Tax Research Network. The network was intended to connect researchers working on African taxation, provide an annual congress, and support research-methods training and dissemination workshops. This expanded ATAF's role from an administrative cooperation forum into a platform linking revenue authorities, researchers, and development-policy institutions. The organization has maintained relationships with African regional economic organizations and international tax-administration bodies. Its listed collaborators include the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrations, the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations, the Centre de Rencontres et d'Etudes des Dirigeants des Administrations Fiscales, the Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations, and the International Centre for Tax and Development. It has also received support from a group of bilateral and multilateral donors, including the United Kingdom, Norway, the African Development Bank, Germany's GIZ, Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands, the OECD, and Switzerland. By October 2015, reference material described ATAF as having 37 member nations. Its second international conference on tax in Africa, held that year, focused on tax compliance and limiting illicit financial flows. These activities illustrate the organization's broader historical trajectory: from a proposal discussed by tax commissioners to an established continental institution supporting cooperation, research, training, and African participation in international tax debates.

• 2015

  African Tax Research Network launched

  [1]African Tax Administration Forumen.wikipedia.org

  ATAF established a research network with plans for an annual congress, research-methods training, and dissemination workshops.

• 2015

  BEPS consultation held

  [1]African Tax Administration Forumen.wikipedia.org

  ATAF convened a consultation on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting and relayed member feedback to the OECD.

• 2015

  Second international conference on tax in Africa

  [1]African Tax Administration Forumen.wikipedia.org

  The conference addressed tax compliance and the reduction of illicit financial flows.

• 2009

  ATAF is formally launched

  [1]African Tax Administration Forumen.wikipedia.org

  The African Tax Administration Forum was launched in Kampala, Uganda, in November.

• 2008

  Pan-African tax forum is conceived

  [1]African Tax Administration Forumen.wikipedia.org

  Thirty African tax commissioners and OECD representatives discussed creating a dedicated organization for cooperation among African tax administrations.

A pan-African center for tax-administration cooperation, professional capacity building, and coordinated policy engagement on domestic and international taxation.

• Professional education

  Tax-treaty online course

  An online learning offering designed to improve participants' understanding of tax treaties and their practical use in cross-border taxation and administration.

• Professional education

  Executive master's in taxation

  An advanced taxation qualification offered through partnerships involving two Senegalese schools and the Mauritius Revenue Authority, supporting the development of senior tax professionals.

• Research network · 2015

  African Tax Research Network

  A research community launched in 2015 to connect scholars and practitioners, organize an annual congress, and provide training and dissemination activities focused on African taxation.

• Tax policy cooperation

  Technical working groups

  Specialist groups provide member administrations with a forum to exchange knowledge and coordinate positions on BEPS, indirect taxes, exchange of information, and transfer pricing.

• Events and training

  Tax conferences and short courses

  ATAF organizes conferences and shorter educational programs on taxation, tax compliance, development, and illicit financial flows for officials and other specialists.

• 2015

  Creation of the African Tax Research NetworkProduct launch

  Background

  ATAF identified a need for stronger connections among researchers studying African tax systems and for wider dissemination of relevant evidence.

  Action taken

  It launched the African Tax Research Network and planned an annual congress, research-methods training, and dissemination workshops.

  Aftermath

  The initiative broadened ATAF's role by adding a structured research and knowledge-sharing platform to its administrative cooperation work.

  Source

• 2015

  Pan-African engagement on BEPS reformStrategy

  Background

  International negotiations on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting raised concerns about how global tax rules would affect African countries.

  Action taken

  ATAF held a consultative conference and provided feedback from its members to the OECD.

  Aftermath

  The process gave African tax administrations a coordinated channel for contributing to international tax-policy discussions.

  Source

• 2015

  Pilot program for exchange-of-information readinessStrategy

  Background

  Many African administrations needed support to meet international standards for transparency and exchange of tax information.

  Action taken

  ATAF began a three-year pilot program intended to help countries prepare to join the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.

  Aftermath

  The program strengthened ATAF's role in practical international tax cooperation and compliance with transparency standards.

  Source

1. 1African Tax Administration Forumen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official African Tax Administration Forum websiteataftax.org