ICC appoints new Chair of the Commission on Taxation

Mr Kaeser is the Vice-President and Global Head of Tax at Siemens AG, where he is responsible for managing and coordinating Siemens’ national and international tax affairs. In addition to his role at Siemens, Mr Kaeser serves as a Vice-Chair of the Tax Committee of the Federation of German Industries. Furthermore, he is the President of the German International Fiscal Association (IFA) Branch. He is also Chairman of the supervisory board of WTS AG and a member of the faculty of the Institute for Austrian and International Tax Law at the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Mr Kaeser said: “As responsible corporate tax citizens, ICC and its members are committed to a strong and equitable tax policy, which considers the needs of both fiscal authorities and taxpayers. It is our mission to make the voice of business heard and thus ensure that the foundation for tax policies is reasonably based on a balance of all interests.”

Mr Kaeser will take over the reins from Mr Keijzer at the commission’s next meeting set to take place in Paris on 27 March 2014.

ICC Secretary General Jean-Guy Carrier said: “During his tenure as Chair of the ICC Commission on Taxation, we saw Theo Keijzer’s expertise and dedication combine to further advance our efforts, as the world business organization, to eliminate taxation barriers in international trade and investment. We have very much appreciated and benefitted from his personal contribution and hands-on leadership and wish him every success in the future.”

Under Mr Keijzer’s leadership, the Commission on Taxation has produced a number of key policy documents and further enhanced ICC’s relations with intergovernmental organizations including the United Nations, the European Union and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

“Only a decade ago, tax was a black box issue; not of interest to anyone outside the tax profession. Now, the topic of taxation has caught the attention not only of politicians but of the public at large,” said Mr Keijzer.

“Unfortunately, the global tax landscape has not kept pace with the globalization of business and we see an increasing number of tax disputes between countries and taxpayers. This is a formidable challenge for ICC and its members. I am very pleased that Christian Kaeser has been appointed to the role of Chair as someone who has the experience, energy and vision needed to further strengthen ICC’s role and business’ interests in this process.”

The ICC Commission on Taxation analyses developments in international fiscal policy and legislation and puts forward business views on government and intergovernmental projects affecting taxation. As Chair, Mr Kaeser will ensure that the commission provides a forum to share insights on timely developments in the field of international taxation and establishes global consensus policy positions on behalf of the business community to help foster the international tax and investment environment. The commission currently comprises over 130 international tax experts from all sectors of business and private practice, including representatives from some of the world’s leading companies and tax consultancy firms.

For more information on the commission’s work visit the ICC Commission on Taxation