Common Reporting Standard as a model for tax information exchange: mechanism of operation and implementation status in Ukraine

Abstract

 The article studies the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), an information standard for the automatic exchange of tax information between states that are parties to the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA). It also explores the prospects of Ukraine’s participation in the exchange under this standard. The study analyzes the information subject to international exchange, types of financial institutions required to collect and submit tax-relevant information to authorities for international exchange, account types, tax residents, and methods of verifying client integrity when opening accounts. The article aims to systematize knowledge about the prerequisites for creating, the mechanism of intergovernmental tax cooperation within the CRS framework, current results achieved under this standard, Ukraine’s accession status, steps taken by Ukraine towards implementing automatic exchange of tax information, and recommendations for accountable entities and account holders on complying with CRS rules. The study employed a comprehensive research methodology, including a literature review, analysis of normative documents, and comparative analysis. The conclusions emphasize the crucial importance of Ukraine’s accession to the CRS standard for ensuring proper tax compliance and budgetary revenues, particularly amid full-scale Russian aggression. The study also describes the challenges, especially regarding compliance with tax data exchange requirements by financial institutions and account holders. It underscores the need for strong political will from Ukrainian authorities to overcome obstacles and ensure effective CRS implementation. Overall, the study highlights the significant role of CRS in improving tax collection while acknowledging the hurdles ahead. The research perspective on this topic is extensive, given that automatic tax information exchange, particularly under the investigated standard, is currently being established and is relatively underexplored by researchers.