Belize removed from EU tax list after transparency review
Key Points(5)
- Belize has been removed from the European Union’s list of jurisdictions with outstanding tax transparency commitments after completing a review of its information-sharing practices.
- The decision was announced on Oct.
- 9 by the Government of Belize following a meeting of the EU’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN).
- Belize’s removal from Annex II of the EU’s list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes confirms that the country has met its commitment under criterion 1.2, which concerns the exchange of information on request.
- The decision follows a supplementary peer review by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.
Belize has been removed from the European Union’s list of jurisdictions with outstanding tax transparency commitments after completing a review of its information-sharing practices.
The decision was announced on Oct. 9 by the Government of Belize following a meeting of the EU’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN).
Belize’s removal from Annex II of the EU’s list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes confirms that the country has met its commitment under criterion 1.2, which concerns the exchange of information on request.
The decision follows a supplementary peer review by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. In a report published on April 29, 2026, the forum upgraded Belize’s overall rating from “Partially Compliant” to “Largely Compliant.”
Following the assessment, the EU’s Code of Conduct Group concluded that Belize had met the requirements under criterion 1.2 and recommended its removal from Annex II.
On Aug. 31, Prime Minister John Briceño wrote to the president of ECOFIN seeking formal completion of the process. The Code of Conduct Group subsequently confirmed that it would recommend Belize’s removal at the October meeting.
“Today’s decision brings the EU process into line with Belize’s successful supplementary review and the progress our country has made,” Briceño said.
“It reflects the sustained work undertaken across Government to strengthen our laws, systems, and institutional capacity for tax transparency and the effective exchange of information.”
Briceño welcomed the EU’s recognition of the country’s progress and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining international tax transparency standards.
He also commended the Financial Services Commission for leading the technical work throughout the review process, while acknowledging the contributions of the Ministry of Finance and other public authorities and regulatory bodies.
The government said Belize would continue implementing the Global Forum’s recommendations and strengthening its tax transparency framework.
The decision concludes the matter arising from Belize’s 2023 exchange-of-information rating and fulfills the country’s remaining commitment under the EU tax-listing process.
