Viet Nam makes progress on international tax transparency in 2026 – IBFD is proud in supporting Viet Nam
Viet Nam has taken important steps to address international tax transparency challenges following a non-compliant rating in 2025 and inclusion in the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions in 2026. IBFD, in partnership with GIZ and with support from the European Union and German Cooperation, has provided technical assistance to support reform efforts and prepare Viet Nam for a new in-depth assessment. In August, due to Viet Nam progress, the Global Forum already accepted Viet Nam's request of a new (supplementary) in-depth assessment. Continued support will also be relevant as Viet Nam considers future standards such as CRS and CARF.
Viet Nam’s alignment with international tax transparency standards remains important for maintaining international confidence and supporting effective tax cooperation. In 2025, Viet Nam received an overall non-compliant rating in its first comprehensive peer review by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. The review identified significant challenges in the exchange of information on request (EOIR), including ownership information, effective access powers and operational capacity.
In 2026, Viet Nam was included in Annex I of the European Union list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. This created reputational and economic risks and reinforced the need to demonstrate credible progress. As Global Forum procedures did not allow immediate reassessment, Viet Nam faced a waiting period before it could request a supplementary in-depth review based on evidence of substantial reforms.
IBFD has supported this process in partnership with GIZ, through the Project Strengthening Public Financial Management in Viet Nam, co-financed by the European Union and German Cooperation. Working with the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Taxation, the support focused on identifying reform priorities, preparing implementation strategies, strengthening technical capacity and compiling evidence for the Global Forum process.
During 2026, Viet Nam has advanced legislative, regulatory and organisational measures to address the peer review findings and prepare for reassessment. These efforts received international recognition when the Global Forum accepted Viet Nam’s request for a supplementary in-depth assessment in August 2026!
These developments showed that Viet Nam had moved from a negative assessment towards a credible reform pathway.
Further work will be needed to ensure that reforms are applied effectively in practice. Beyond EOIR, Viet Nam’s future tax transparency agenda is also likely to include the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), both of which are increasingly relevant to transparency over financial accounts and crypto-assets. Continued technical support will be important to help Viet Nam assess these standards and build the legal, institutional and operational capacity required for future implementation.
Building on its cooperation with Viet Nam’s tax authorities, IBFD remains committed to supporting practical and sustainable implementation of international tax transparency standards.