On 1 January 2020 the role of the Vanuatu Competent Authority for Exchange of Information for tax purposes was transferred to the Director of Customs & Inland Revenue from the Manager Revenue Policy Unit at the Department of Finance and Treasury to the DCIR.
Who We Are
On 1 January 2020 the role of the Vanuatu Competent Authority for Exchange of Information for tax purposes was transferred to the Director of Customs & Inland Revenue from the Manager Revenue Policy Unit at the Department of Finance and Treasury to the Department of Customs and Inland Revenue (who was delegated as Competent Authority by the Minister of Finance and Economic Management under the now repealed International Tax Cooperation Act).
The EOI unit at DCIR was established on that date and there are currently three (3) officers dedicated to carry out the functions of this unit.
The Vanuatu Competent Authority is responsible for managing Vanuatu’s obligations under the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (MAAC) and Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs). (Vanuatu’s International Obligations).
Our International Obligations
Vanuatu is a member of the OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes and is committed to helping minimize international tax avoidance and fraud.
Vanuatu along with 128 other states, has signed the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters and has agreed to meet the agreed standard for transparency and effective exchange of tax information.
Vanuatu has signed 14 Tax Information Agreements (TIEA) with other tax jurisdictions that allows tax information to be exchanged on request.
Vanuatu signed a declaration on joining the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (CRS MCAA) on 21 June 2018 to commence exchanging financial account information automatically with other MCAA member jurisdictions.
What We Do
The EOI Unit is responsible for receiving and responding to exchange of information requests for tax purposes from other tax jurisdictions in which Vanuatu has a Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA).
This unit is also responsible for ensuring that all reporting financial institutions in Vanuatu who are registered for Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) upload their reports by the due date in accordance with the Common Reporting Standard (CRS).
Our Objectives