Abstract

The paper examines how the African business community can complement the efforts of the African states in international tax reforms. It argues that international tax cooperation is not exclusive to state actors; non-state actors, particularly businesses, have significant roles to play, considering their expertise in the global business environment. The noticeable absence of African businesses in public engagement with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD’s) work on the tax consequences of a digitalised economy justifies the need to undertake this study to demonstrate how African businesses can support their home governments in demanding international tax reforms. It seeks to demonstrate to African business actors the significant role played by shadow treaty negotiators played and other business actors in negotiating tax treaties that may significantly impact the African market. The paper presents three reasons why African business actors should be proactive in international tax cooperation. It also provides a practical framework for how they can engage with international tax initiatives. As a case study, the paper adopts a descriptive and analytical-qualitative approach to examine the OECD BEPS Inclusive Framework’s Two-Pillar proposal to address the tax consequences of the digitalised economy.