Australia
1. Australia was reviewed as part of the 2017/2018 and the 2018/2019 peer reviews. This report is supplementary to those previous reports (OECD, 2019[1]) (OECD, 2018[2]).
2. The first filing obligation for a CbC report in Australia applies to reporting fiscal years commencing on or after 1 January 2016.
Summary of key findings
3. Australia’s implementation of the Action 13 minimum standard meets all applicable terms of reference (OECD, 2017[3]).
Part A: The domestic legal and administrative framework
4. Australia has primary law in place to implement the BEPS Action 13 minimum standard, establishing the necessary requirements including the filing and reporting obligations.
Part B: The exchange of information framework
(a) Exchange of information framework
11. As of 31 March 2020, Australia has 65 bilateral relationships in place, including those activated under the CbC MCAA and under a bilateral CAA. Within the context of its international exchange of information agreements that allow automatic exchange of information, Australia has taken steps to have qualifying competent authority agreements in effect with jurisdictions of the Inclusive Framework that meet the confidentiality, consistency and appropriate use conditions. Regarding Australia’s exchange of information framework, no inconsistencies with the terms of reference identified.2
References
OECD (2019), Country-by-Country Reporting – Compilation of Peer Review Reports (Phase 2): Inclusive Framework on BEPS: Action 13, OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/f9bf1157-en. [1]
OECD (2018), Country-by-Country Reporting – Compilation of Peer Review Reports (Phase 1): Inclusive Framework on BEPS: Action 13, OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264300057-en. [2]
OECD (2017), Terms of reference for the conduct of peer review of the Action 13 minimum standard on country-by-country reporting, OECD Publishing, https://www.oecd.org/tax/beps/beps-action-13-on-country-by-country-reporting-peer-review-documents.pdf. [3]
Notes
← 1. Australia’s 2017/2018 peer review included a monitoring point in relation to the fact that its legislation did not include the situation of an Ultimate Parent Entity that does not prepare Consolidated Financial Statements, but would be required to do so if its equity interests were traded on a public securities exchange in its jurisdiction of tax residence (i.e. the “deemed listing provision”). Legislation has now been enacted to address this and can be viewed here: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2020B00007 (accessed 11 September 2020).
← 2. No inconsistency with the terms of reference will be identified where a QCAA is not in effect with one or more jurisdictions of the Inclusive Framework that meet the confidentiality, consistency and appropriate use conditions, but this is due to circumstances that are not under the control of the reviewed jurisdiction. This may include, for example, where the other jurisdiction intends to exchange CbC reports using the MCAA but it does not have the Convention in effect for the relevant fiscal period, or where the other jurisdiction has declined to have a QCAA in effect with the reviewed jurisdiction.