Cross-border Exchange of Tax Information and Fundamental Rights

Very few areas of law have been subject to as much scrutiny and political pressure as tax law over the past years. In a very short period of time, we went from almost no exchange to the implementation of automatic exchange of information for specific categories of income. Since 2009, an unprecedented interventionism has been best illustrated by the amendments and enlargements of various mutual assistance instruments, both at OECD and EU levels. This widening of scope undoubtedly involves implications for taxpayers who are directly or indirectly concerned by the exchange of information. The unremitting efforts to achieve efficient exchanges among national tax authorities has, so far, resided in the promptness with which the information gathered is transferred and thereby encouraging requested States to limit taxpayers’ notification and participation rights. Addressing fundamental rights implications in cross-border exchanges of information entails, first, an overview of the recent developments in exchange of information procedures and an overview of the scope of fundamental rights at both EU and national levels . Along the same lines, a review of the CJEU decision in Sabou appears relevant in this context as it features in concreto implications of mutual assistance mechanisms on taxpayers’ procedural rights. Considering that the request for preliminary ruling addressed to the CJEU in Sabou mainly raised concerns with respect to the application of the right of the defence, it is appropriate to identify further taxpayers’ rights that may come into play in mutual assistance proceedings. This ‘inventory’ exercise is a prerequisite for a just assessment of the current exchange of information legal framework and allows the formulation of open questions for identified unresolved issues.