The OECD said it had updated its progress report, first issued in conjunction with the G20 London summit in April 2009, to take account of communications from Brazil and Indonesia on their legal and regulatory frameworks for exchange of information.

According to the information provided, Brazil has more than 25 bilateral tax treaties that provide for exchange of information in tax matters to the internationally agreed standard while Indonesia has 53 agreements that meet the standard. The two countries joined the Global Forum last September.

A full description of the two countries' legal and regulatory frameworks will be included in the Global Forum's 2010 annual assessment to be published later this year. As with all members of the Global Forum, both countries will undergo peer reviews of their exchange of information laws and practices, Brazil in 2011 and 2012 and Indonesia in 2011 and 2013. Brazil is a member both of the Forum's Steering Group and of its Peer Review Group.

Jeffrey Owens, Director of the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, said: “We are very pleased to be able to include these two important members of the G20 within the scope of the progress report.”

Since April 2009, more than 500 bilateral tax information exchange agreements have been signed worldwide, with 28 jurisdictions joining those ranked as having substantially implemented the internationally agreed standard.