India Proposes BRICS Tax Working Groups to Reform Global Rules

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged BRICS economies to strengthen their collective influence over the renegotiation of international tax rules during the BRICS Tax Heads Meeting in New Delhi on September 23, 2026. Sitharaman argued that as large developing economies and source jurisdictions, BRICS nations are essential to ensuring the fairness and durability of emerging frameworks, specifically the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation.

To institutionalize this cooperation beyond India's 2026 chairmanship, the Indian government proposed the creation of two permanent working groups. One group will focus on international taxation and transfer pricing to address disputes that Sitharaman noted cost developing-country administrations disproportionately. The second group will focus on revenue statistics to establish performance frameworks that better reflect the fiscal realities of BRICS economies.

Beyond these working groups, the meeting addressed the annual institutionalization of the BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme in Nagpur. Participants also discussed the development of digital modernization tools, including a Tax Knowledge Hub and a Tax Collaboration Tool, to streamline tax administration across member states.