Leading up to the end of July 2026, Caribbean tax administration leaders and global revenue management experts will convene in Georgetown, Guyana, for a landmark regional gathering focused on modernizing tax governance for the digital age. The 27th General Assembly and Technical Conference of the Caribbean Organisation of Tax Administrations (COTA), hosted by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) — one of COTA’s 25 member administrations — will run from July 27 to 31 under the central theme “Future-Ready CARICOM Tax Administration – Smart, Data-Driven and AI-Enabled for Sustainable Revenue”.
The conference will bring together official representatives from all CARICOM member tax bodies alongside key regional and international stakeholders to address the shifting demands of tax administration in an increasingly connected, data-centric global economy. Core discussions at the technical segment of the event will center on how emerging technologies, advanced big data analytics, and artificial intelligence can be leveraged to strengthen regulatory frameworks for tax collection, boost voluntary taxpayer compliance, upgrade customer-facing taxpayer services, and advance the efficient, sustainable revenue mobilization that underpins economic growth across the Caribbean Community.
Alongside the core general assembly and technical conference, the week will also feature a High-Level Regional Meeting on Tax and Development, organized in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and other leading global and regional tax governance partners. This strategic forum will create space for open dialogue on the most pressing opportunities and challenges facing CARICOM economies and their tax systems, as the international tax landscape continues to evolve amid global regulatory shifts and digital economic transformation.
Founded in 1971 following the ratification of its constitution at a Saint Lucia meeting of regional tax administration heads, COTA has a 55-year legacy of advancing functional cooperation within CARICOM. The organization’s core mission is to build efficient, aligned tax administrations across the Caribbean through targeted training, cross-border dialogue, and the harmonization of best practices. Over the decades, COTA’s governance structure has evolved to better serve its growing membership: a 1983 constitutional amendment moved general assemblies to a biennial schedule and expanded the organization’s Executive Council from four members to five, and today the body counts 25 member jurisdictions across the Caribbean region. All COTA work programs are implemented under the umbrella of the CARICOM Secretariat, with the COTA Executive Secretary providing direct guidance on tax administration matters to the CARICOM Secretary-General.
This upcoming gathering underscores the shared commitment of regional stakeholders and their international partners to build tax administrations that are resilient, efficient, and equipped to meet the demands of the 21st century — all to advance inclusive sustainable development across the entire Caribbean Community.