Kim Henares made member of UN’s tax experts committee

MANILA, Philippines – United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has appointed Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim Henares as a member of the UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters.

The committee is composed of 25 tax experts and senior tax administrators from 10 developed and 15 developing countries and economies in transition. It is responsible for exploring ways and means of facilitating the conclusion of tax treaties between developed and developing countries and for promoting international tax cooperation among tax authorities.

Henares started her term in October this year. The appointment will end on June 30, 2017.

Henares welcomed the appointment and said that globalization does not just create opportunities for doing business, it also creates risks for tax evasion and base erosion.

Tax agencies, especially from developing countries like the Philippines, face serious challenges in enforcing laws and collecting taxes from cross-border transactions, the Department of Finance said.

In a 2014 report, Global Financial Integrity estimates that the Philippine government has lost at least $23 billion tax revenues since 1990 from trade mis-invoicing.

Prior to her appointment to the UN Committee, Henares has been active in international dialogues on base erosion, profit shifting, and exchange of information where she has been vocal about the challenges of developing countries in implementing global standards on tax transparency and fairness.

“Unlike advanced countries, we lack the capacity to tackle complicated cross-border tax problems. It is important to have this platform and be part of this body where developing countries are given special attention in dealing with these issues,” Henares said.

Henares is known for her aggressive campaign against tax evaders. Under her watch, the BIR has regularly filed charges against allegedly erring individuals and entities, including personalities considered to be on the other side of the political fence.

Prior to becoming BIR chief, Henares was a tax lawyer in two reputable law offices in the country, head of compliance and legal affairs at ING Bank, and was a development specialist at the World Bank. – Rappler.com