WATAF-NTO-CIAT webinar: "Digital Economy and Emerging Taxes - Adapting Taxation to the New Economic Landscape"

Virtual
11
Nov

[Please note that the sessions will take place from 11:00 to 14:30 GMT (12:00–15:30 in Central Europe, 11:00–14:30 in London, 06:00–09:30 in Panama, and 23:00–02:30 in Fiji) on both days]

 

Background

The digital economy is fundamentally reshaping how value is created, distributed, and taxed. Platform-based businesses, cross-border e-commerce, cryptocurrency transactions, and AI-enabled services now generate billions in revenue—often without adequate tax capture in jurisdictions where economic value is consumed.

Revenue authorities in general and specifically West African tax administration face four critical challenges:

  1. Revenue leakage: Digital businesses operate across borders with minimal physical presence, exploiting gaps in traditional tax frameworks;
  2. Visibility gaps: Cryptocurrency transactions and decentralized finance activities remain largely unmonitored;
  3. Capacity constraints: Tax officials lack exposure to emerging technologies (blockchain analytics, AI compliance tools) that could modernize enforcement;
  4. Policy uncertainty: Frameworks for Digital Services Taxes (DST), Significant Economic Presence (SEP), and crypto asset taxation remain underdeveloped or unenforced.

Global estimates suggest developing economies lose 6-13% of potential corporate tax revenue to digital economy gaps. For West African nations with narrow tax bases and high informality, this leakage is unsustainable.

However, the same technologies disrupting tax collection also offer solutions. Artificial intelligence can automate risk analysis, blockchain analytics can trace crypto flows, and natural language processing (NLP) can transform taxpayer services. Early adopters in East Africa, Latin America, and Asia are already realizing 15-30% efficiency gains in compliance operations.

WATAF, NTO, and CIAT are convening this webinar to bridge the knowledge gap, demonstrate practical tools, and build a regional community of practice lead by WATAF for sustainable digital tax transformation.

 

Overall objective 

To equip tax administrations with the knowledge, skills, and collaborative networks needed to effectively tax the digital economy and leverage emerging technologies for revenue mobilisation.

 

Participants

60-80 senior tax officials from NTO member tax organisations

 

Format and language

Online (Microsoft Teams). The workshop will be conducted in  English (with simultaneous interpretation into French, Portuguese, and Spanish)

 

Please, follow this link for further information, including agenda and registration details.