TEI's global advocacy agenda expands.

• Position: Recent Activities

U.S., Canadian, and European Initiatives Challenge Taxpayers--TEI Responds with Alacrity

In reviewing the Institute's most recent advocacy developments, TEI International President David M. Penney observed, "The wisdom of TEI's reviewing and improving its global tax advocacy processes is borne out by recent activities. Nearly all the items on the agenda have had a cross-border or multijurisdictional flavor."

A Global Tax Advocacy Task Force created by TEI's Board of Directors last August made a number of recommendations to improve the development and coordination of TEI's advocacy, especially where government initiatives affect cross-border activities or have multijurisdictional effects. "The Canadian 'foreign affiliate dumping' proposal," Mr. Penney added, "is a clear example of the need for strategic coordination across the Institute's substantive committees." Although framed as a domestic Canadian proposal, the legislation is aimed squarely at foreign multinationals that invest in Canada. The Canadian Income Tax Committee, together with the U.S. International Tax Committee, developed the Institute's coordinated comments.

"What's more," Mr. Penney continued, "the breadth of TEI's global advocacy continues to expand." Combined with TEI's recent letter to the Indian Ministry of Finance (reported in the March-April 2012 issue of...