Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday inaugurated the BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities Meeting in New Delhi, marking the culmination of India’s BRICS Chairship of the tax cooperation track.
The meeting brought together Heads of Tax Authorities and representatives from 10 BRICS tax administrations — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates — to share experiences and discuss emerging challenges through cooperation and collaboration.
Addressing the meeting, Sitharaman highlighted technology, administration and people as the three recurring themes of BRICS tax cooperation during India’s Chairship.
She emphasised the role of data and digital infrastructure in making tax administration more precise and accessible. She also stressed the importance of durable institutional mechanisms and practical tools that can sustain cooperation beyond individual BRICS Chairships.
The Finance Minister also highlighted the importance of investing in people and strengthening professional relationships among tax administrations. She said the perspectives of BRICS economies are important for ensuring fairness and durability in ongoing multilateral tax negotiations, including negotiations on the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation.
The meeting formally established two new working groups — on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing, and on Revenue Statistics. Both working groups will be led by India and will serve as institutional platforms for continued cooperation irrespective of the BRICS Chairship.
The first-ever in-person BRICS Young Tax Professionals Capacity Building Programme, held at the National Academy of Direct Taxes in Nagpur in April 2026, was also institutionalised as an annual feature of BRICS tax cooperation.
The BRICS Tax Cross-Learning Lab was formally launched to bring together the work of the Client-Centric Administration and HR Practices Working Groups into a joint peer-learning platform.
The meeting also approved the Terms of Reference of the BRICS Tax Support Network.
The proceedings concluded with the formal signing of the BRICS Tax Progress Report 2026, which provides a comprehensive record of India’s Chairship of the BRICS tax cooperation track.
China was welcomed as the incoming Chair of the BRICS tax cooperation track for 2027.
The Heads of Tax Authorities appreciated the Government of India for organising the meeting and for the work undertaken during India’s Chairship of the BRICS tax track.
