Research Activities, Partnerships and Visiting Programmes

Research Activities

 

 

Our academic team is involved in various internal and collaborative research projects, covering all aspects of international taxation. We actively participate in key research meetings and events around the globe to present academic audiences with the most recent findings and developments in the field.

 

Current lines of research include:

 

International Taxation and the Digital Economy
  • Nexus and allocation
  • Short-term solutions for the European Union (withholding taxes, DST)
  • Compatibility of new levies on the digital economy with EU law, the WTO and tax treaties
  • Selected digital markets: Cryptocurrencies, blockchain and the sharing economy
  • Approaches based on “global minimum taxation” (Pillar Two)
International Tax Justice
  • Tax incentives in the international scene
  • Multilateralism in international taxation
  • Tax transparency

 

Abusive and Aggressive Tax Planning
  • OECD actions (follow-up to BEPS, including peer review and implementation in developing countries)
  • EU actions (impact of ATAD I and II, “Unshell”, implementation of Pillar Two and Debra)
  • BRICS and developing countries’ responses to abusive and aggressive tax planning schemes
The Global Dimension of the Protection of Taxpayers’ Rights
  • Observatory on the Protection of Taxpayers’ Rights (OPTR) (global monitoring of the developments and observance of the minimum standards and best practices)
  • Mediation, arbitration and settlement of disputes in cross-border tax matters
  • OECD actions and their relationship with taxpayers’ rights

 

Partnerships with Universities and Scientific Institutions

We work with a network of partner universities, scientific institutions and international organizations. This spirit of collaboration reflects our mission to provide the international tax community with the most in-depth and up-to-date research.

 

We collaborate closely with renowned universities and research centres around the world, including:

  • University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • KU Leuven, Belgium
  • University of São Paulo, Brazil
  • Instituto Brasileiro de Direito Tributário

 

We have strong partnerships with several scientific institutions and associations, including:

  • European Association of Tax Law Professors (EATLP)
  • International Association of Tax Judges

 

We work in close cooperation with the foremost international organizations, including:

  • European Commission
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
  • United Nations

 

Visiting Programmes

Every year, IBFD welcomes researchers and professors from around the world under the umbrella of our various visiting programmes. Our programmes promote interaction between the IBFD community and students, researchers and renowned professors.

Visiting Researchers Programme

This unique programme gives tax research specialists the opportunity to interact with the leading scholars and researchers within the IBFD community. Visiting researchers are granted full access to IBFD’s world-class research facilities, including our renowned Library and Information Centre. Graduate-level students and faculty members doing research on international, comparative and European taxation and professors on a sabbatical year are welcome to apply.

Please contact IBFD Academic to register your interest‌‌ 

IFA Researcher

Each year, IBFD welcomes researchers selected by IFA LatAm to perform studies on topics of future IFA congresses at its headquarters. IBFD assists with mentoring and supervision and provides full access to all its facilities.

Short-Term Research Grants for Students from Developing Countries

IBFD awards four grants per calendar year, one grant per quarter, to qualified postgraduate students from developing countries pursuing research in international and comparative taxation. 

The award decision will be taken quarterly. Interested parties have the opportunity to apply for the research grant until the 15th of the last month of each quarter.

Why Conduct Research at IBFD?

  • Access to IBFD's renowned library and research facilities
  • Opportunities to network with leading international tax experts
  • Contribute to the development of international tax law and policy

IBFD is dedicated to nurturing talent in international and comparative taxation. These grants enable students to advance their research using world-class resources.

Interested?
Find out the eligibility criteria and how to apply.

Visiting Global Scholar

Each year, IBFD invites a distinguished academic to join IBFD Academic as the Visiting Global Scholar at the IBFD headquarters.

The Visiting Global Scholar becomes actively involved in the scientific work of IBFD Academic, as regards teaching, research and further oral and written dissemination of knowledge in tax law. This may include:

  • authorship or co-authorship of articles, or guest editorials for our journals
  • editorial board work for the academic periodicals, books and other collections managed by IBFD Academic
  • presentations in the framework of our internal roundtables and at external scientific events
  • lectures to support the teaching commitments and programmes of IBFD Academic

The Visiting Global Scholar’s research agenda is supported by IBFD Academic, ensuring a worldwide exposure. During the tenure of the Visiting Global Scholar, a Distinguished Lecture on a research topic, being developed into a paper to be submitted to an IBFD Academic periodical, is delivered.

The Visiting Global Scholar initiative started in 2013 and has involved many distinguished global scholars. This one-year appointment, by invitation, allows IBFD to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of one of the leading scholars on International Taxation.

Find out who's our 2024/5 Visiting Global Scholar