The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) hosted a webinar on the Use of Electronic Invoices for International Trade on 25-26 October. Participants from Customs authorities, Tax authorities, and the private sector in the Americas region discussed the opportunities and challenges that electronic invoices could bring to their international trade operations. Participants emphasized the need for cooperation between Customs authorities and Tax authorities, which would enable the harmonization and facilitation of trade documentations, especially electronic invoices.

The WCO Secretariat presented the WCO Guidelines for Strengthening Cooperation and the Exchanging of Information between Customs and Tax Authorities at the National Level, which was endorsed by the WCO Council in 2016. The WCO Secretariat highlighted issues including the enablers for Customs-Tax cooperation, mechanisms for exchange of information between Customs and Tax authorities, Customs-Tax joint activities, and key principles for Customs-Tax MOU. The WCO Guidelines could be a useful tool for WCO Members to refer to when Customs-Tax cooperation is being considered on a government’s agenda for the purpose of facilitating trade, monitoring illicit financial flows, fighting money laundering and tax evasion, etc. The WCO Secretariat also shared some WCO Members’ best practices in this area and addressed participants’ concerns regarding the main bottlenecks for Customs-Tax cooperation.