On Tuesday 15 May, the national ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) are expected to suggest removing a further two countries from the European blacklist of non-cooperative jurisdictions in taxation matters: the Bahamas and St Kitts and Nevis.
This emerges from a document of the corporate taxation 'code of conduct' group at the Council of the EU, dated 8 May and of which EUROPE has had sight.
These two countries are among eight jurisdictions hit last year by natural disasters and given extra time to submit their commitments. They were added to the blacklist in March (see EUROPE 11980).
The problems raised by the Bahamas related to transparency, amongst other things. St Kitts and Nevis had harmful regimes and had not undertaken to implement the OECD's measures to tackle base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS).
Once this move has been approved by the European finance ministers at the 'Ecofin' Council on 25 May, the countries will be added to the 'grey list' of countries presenting tax risks, but which have pledged to take corrective measures.
The following will therefore remain on the blacklist: Guam, Namibia, Palau, the American Virgin Islands, Samoa, the American Samoas and Trinidad and Tobago. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)