PHOTO: WATAF Executive Secretary Mr. Jules Tapsoba
West Africa, 24 February 2026 – The West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF), in partnership with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), has planned a two-part Regional Executive and Technical Master Class on the Taxation of the Digital Economy. The Master Class will begin with a Virtual Executive Workshop on 25 February 2026 and followed by an in-person technical training tentatively in May 2026.
The initiative responds to growing concerns that traditional tax systems, built around physical presence and location-based profit rules, are increasingly ineffective in capturing value generated by digital platforms, fintech firms, e-commerce operators, and cross-border digital service providers.
As digitalization accelerates across West Africa, governments face mounting pressure to protect fiscal sovereignty, curb revenue leakages, and strengthen domestic resource mobilization.
Jules Tapsoba, Executive Secretary of WATAF, said the Master Class reflects the Forum’s commitment to strengthening regional coordination and enhancing the technical preparedness of West African tax administrations in response to digital transformation. He emphasized that building both strategic leadership alignment and operational capability is essential to securing sustainable domestic revenues.
The virtual executive session will engage Commissioners-General, Deputy Heads, and Directors responsible for tax policy, Value Added Tax, international tax, ICT, and large taxpayer administration.
Discussions will focus on emerging digital business models, strategic tax challenges arising from digitalization, global and African policy frameworks, VAT on cross-border digital transactions, and the leadership and institutional reforms required to sequence digital tax measures effectively.
“Our tax systems must evolve at the same pace as the digital economy,” Mr. Tapsoba stated. “If we do not adapt our policy and administrative frameworks to capture value created in our jurisdictions, we risk continued revenue leakages and weakened fiscal sovereignty. This initiative ensures West Africa speaks with greater coherence and acts with stronger technical confidence.”
The three-day in-person technical workshop in May will bring together senior tax officials to translate strategy into implementation. Participants will examine how digital value is created, how to identify non-resident digital taxpayers using payment flows and user data, and how to match digital revenue streams to administrable tax instruments such as VAT, digital services taxes, and withholding mechanisms.
The training will also strengthen VAT administration, compliance risk profiling, audit approaches for digital businesses, and the use of data analytics and regional cooperation for enforcement.
Under the ambit of WATAF, the Master Class aims to promote policy coherence, improve operational readiness, and support West African tax administrations to secure fair and sustainable revenue from the digital economy.
The program will be jointly implemented by WATAF and ACBF as part of a broader regional capacity-building framework on digital economy taxation.
About the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF)
The West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) is a regional platform that brings together tax administrations within the West African sub-region to strengthen cooperation, enhance institutional capacity, and improve domestic revenue mobilization. WATAF promotes peer learning, technical collaboration, and policy coherence among its member administrations, with the objective of building efficient, transparent, and modern tax systems that support sustainable development and regional economic integration.
About the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF)
The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) is Africa’s leading institution for human and institutional capacity development. It supports governments and regional bodies to strengthen economic governance, public sector management, and sustainable development across the continent.