Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities Meeting in New Delhi on 23 September 2026, marking the conclusion of India’s leadership of BRICS tax cooperation this year. The meeting brought together senior tax officials from ten BRICS member countries to discuss shared challenges and establish lasting institutional frameworks for cooperation beyond India’s current chairship.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes, under the Ministry of Finance, hosted representatives from Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. The gathering focused on three core themes: technology in tax administration, institutional mechanisms for sustained cooperation, and capacity building among tax professionals across member nations.
Key facts
- Ten BRICS member countries participated in the meeting in New Delhi
- Two new India-led Working Groups formally established: one on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing, and another on Revenue Statistics
- BRICS Young Tax Professionals Capacity Building Programme, held in Nagpur in April 2026, has been institutionalised as an annual event
- BRICS Tax Cross-Learning Lab was formally launched, integrating work of two existing working groups
- BRICS Tax Progress Report 2026 was adopted, documenting India’s Chairship outcomes
- China will assume the BRICS tax cooperation chairship for 2027
What India achieved during its BRICS tax chairship
India’s leadership of BRICS tax cooperation centred on modernising how member countries approach tax administration and international taxation matters. Finance Minister Sitharaman stressed that using data and digital infrastructure makes tax systems more accurate and user-friendly. She also emphasised building permanent institutional structures that will function regardless of which country leads BRICS in any given year, ensuring continuity of cooperation.
A significant institutional outcome was the creation of two new working groups that will be led by India on a permanent basis. The Working Group on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing will address how multinational companies are taxed across borders, a growing challenge as business becomes more globalised. The Working Group on Revenue Statistics will help BRICS nations share and standardise data about tax collection and government revenues, enabling better benchmarking and policy learning.
Building professional capacity across BRICS nations
Beyond policy coordination, India invested in developing the next generation of tax professionals. The BRICS Young Tax Professionals Capacity Building Programme, held at the National Academy of Direct Taxes in Nagpur, brought together young officials from member countries for training and knowledge exchange. This programme has now been formalised as an annual recurring event, ensuring sustained investment in human resources across BRICS tax administrations.
A new Cross-Learning Lab was formally launched to integrate work previously divided between two working groups focused on client-centric tax administration and human resources practices in tax departments. This consolidated platform will allow tax administrations to learn directly from each other’s approaches to serving taxpayers and managing professional teams.
India’s role in global tax negotiations
Finance Minister Sitharaman used the platform to argue that BRICS economies must have a stronger voice in ongoing international discussions about tax fairness, particularly in United Nations-led negotiations on an international tax cooperation framework. She noted that the perspectives and interests of large developing economies like those in BRICS have historically been underrepresented in global tax rule-making, which has often reflected the interests of wealthier nations.
What this means for you
For Indian taxpayers and businesses, these institutional changes signal India’s commitment to modernising tax administration through technology and better coordination with other major economies. Standardised approaches to taxing multinational companies may eventually reduce conflicts between tax authorities and help simplify compliance for businesses operating across borders.
For tax professionals and students pursuing careers in taxation, the formalised capacity-building programmes create new opportunities for international exposure and professional development through BRICS platforms. The emphasis on data-driven, client-centric tax administration suggests future tax careers will increasingly involve technology and analytics.
What happens next
China will lead BRICS tax cooperation in 2027. The newly established working groups on international taxation and revenue statistics will continue functioning under India’s leadership, providing institutional continuity. The annual BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme is scheduled to continue, and the Tax Cross-Learning Lab will remain active as a peer-exchange platform among member nations’ tax administrations.