Access to anti-money-laundering information by tax authorities

Key points:

The EESC

• welcomes the efforts to combat tax evasion and money laundering.

• endorses the rules proposed for amending the Directive on Administrative Cooperation (DAC). Information on the beneficiaries of financial transactions is to be included in the categories of information to be exchanged between Member State tax administrations, which will enhance their administrative capacity.

• calls on the Member States to ensure that their tax administrations have the human, financial and logistical resources needed to successfully implement the new rules.

Since the amendment of the DAC Directive can only be fully implemented if the proposal for a directive amending the Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (4AMLD) is also approved, the EESC recommends that the Member States and the European Parliament approve the Commission's proposed legislative package in its entirety.