Coordination Fiscale Dans Lunion Economique Et Monetaire Ouest Africaine Tax Coordination In The West African Economic And Monetary Union

Tax coordination in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) is one of the most advanced in the world, de jure at least. Since the late 1990s, a number of indirect and direct tax directives have been produced, limiting member States in the conduct of their national tax policies. The objectives of this coordination are to: promote regional economic integration; support countries in their efforts to substitute domestic taxes for trade taxes, which are set to decline due to trade liberalization; and mobilize additional tax revenue. The primary goal of this paper is to review the current status of the WAEMU tax coordination framework. We examine in some detail the various directives and regulations (de jure coordination), and their application in member states (de facto coordination). This is followed by a brief analysis of the evolution of tax revenue structures. We conclude with some observations on the challenges of, and lessons learned from, tax coordination in the region.