Tax information exchange agreements (TIEAs)

The Organisations for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) outlines its policy on TIEAs

A model agreement on exchange of information on tax matters has been developed by the OECD Global Forum Working Group on Effective Exchange of Information.

The purpose of this agreement is to promote international co-operation in tax matters through exchange of information.  It was developed by the OECD Global Forum Working Group on Effective Exchange of Information. The Working Group consisted of representatives from OECD member countries as well as delegates from Aruba, Bermuda, Bahrain, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Isle of Man, Malta, Mauritius, the Netherlands Antilles, the Seychelles and San Marino.

The agreement grew out of the work undertaken by the OECD to address harmful tax practices. The lack of effective exchange of information is one of the key criteria in determining harmful tax practices. The mandate of the Working Group was to develop a legal instrument that could be used to establish effective exchange of information. The agreement represents the standard of effective exchange of information for the purposes of the OECD’s initiative on harmful tax practices. 

This agreement, which was released in April 2002, is not a binding instrument but contains two models for bilateral agreements.  A number of bilateral agreements have been based on this agreement.