The first annual congress of the Tax Law Platform (VEHUP) entitled “Current Developments in International Tax Law and their Effects on Turkey” which was hosted by IKV was held on 3 November 2015 in Istanbul. The Congress was composed of three different sessions. The opening speeches were delivered by Marmara University Head of Department of Financial Law Assoc. Prof. Funda Başaran Yavaşlar, IKV Secretary-General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas and Certified Financial Accountant Vehbi Karabıyık.

The panellist of the first session entitled “Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Tools” chaired by Member of VEHUP-IK and Yeditepe University Lecturer Prof. Hakan Üzeltürk were President of the German Association of Tax Advisers and Heinrich-Heine University at Düsseldorf Lecturer Prof. Jochen Lüdicke, Head of VEHUP-IK and Marmara University Head of Department of Financial Law Assoc. Prof. Funda Başara Yavaşlar and Johann Wolfgang Goethe University at Frankfurt am Main Lecturer Dr. Torsten Engers. In the first session of the Congress, panellists drew the attention to the significant developments made in tax law at international level and explained the impact of these changes on Turkey especially for the Turkish taxpayers. At the panel, Moreover, issues related to institutional structures, partnership structures, hybrid structures and tax transfer were also discussed.

The panellists of the second session entitled “Protection of the Taxpayer against the Cooperation between Tax Authorities” chaired by Member of VEHUP-IK and Bahçeşehir University Lecturer Prof. Gülsen Güneş were composed of Ankara University Lecturer Assoc. Prof. Cihat Öner, former Judge at the European Court of Justice and Yeditepe University Lecturer Prof. Vilenas Vadapalas and Member of VEHUP Science Council and former Chief Prosecutor at the Council of State Turgut Candan. In the session, it was revealed that Turkey has currently signed 82 agreements with respect to information sharing and is effectively engaged in information sharing with 94 countries. It was also stressed that there is critical importance in balancing the chronical conflict between the interests of taxpayers and tax authorities. Within that framework, it was pointed out that the OECD is also looking closely to the issue of taxpayers’ rights in the context of information sharing.

Following the second session, there was a panel entitled “Effects of Developments on Turkey”. The panel was chaired by Member of VEHUP –IK and Marmara University Lecturer Dr. Bumin Doğrusöz and composed of Head of EU and Foreign Relations Department at the Turkish Revenue İdris Şenyurt, Member of VEHUP Science Council and Marmara University Lecturer Veysi Seviğ, Global Yatırım Holding Board of Directors Member Adnan Nas and former Chief Inspector at the Ministry of Finance Dr. Namık Kemal Uyanık. At the panel, it was explained that he BEPS Action Plan has had a tremendous influence among international organisations and Turkey’s position in that respect was reminded. Moreover, it was revealed that there have been new measures adopted within the framework of the OECD regarding group debt which also have a direct incidence upon Turkey. Furthermore, it was also highlighted that there is still room for more improvement as regards the industrialisation and adaptation of Turkey to a globalised economy.