Book Description

This report sets out the conclusions of the OECD's study on tax compliance within the High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) taxpayer segment. The report concludes that HNWIs pose significant challenges to tax administrations because of the complexity of their affairs, their revenue contribution, the opportunity for aggressive tax planning, and the impact of their compliance behaviour on the integrity of the tax system. The study found that by focussing resources on the HNWI segment, significant improvements in compliance can be achieved. The work was carried out by a Focus Group consisting of 14 countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America with Switzerland acting as observer. The work involved consultation on a paper released on the OECD website on 30 October 2008 as well as a public consultation held at the OECD headquarters on 9 February 2009. National consultations were also undertaken by the tax administrations of Australia, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and the outcome from these consultations informed the work of the group.