Azerbaijan
IOTA Digital Workshop on Digital Identity and eGovernment in the Tax Domain
On 22–23 April 2026, IOTA had the pleasure of organising a Digital Workshop on Identity and eGovernment in the Tax Domain, bringing together experts from member tax administrations, international partner organisations and the business world to explore the role of digital identity in modern tax systems.
The Workshop focused on international frameworks and standards, practical implementation options for digital identity, and how tax administrations could leverage data and technologies to facilitate taxpayer digital interactions at the national and international levels.
The first day examined the strategic role of digital identity in tax administration. Contributions from Paul Marsh at the OECD Forum on Tax Administration highlighted the importance of digital identity in supporting digital transformation. Sebastian Drosselmeier of the European Commission's DG CONNECT presented the developments regarding the Digital Wallet, while Nihad Huseynov from Azerbaijan shared Azerbaijan's national approaches to digital identity and secure access mechanisms. In addition, Stefan Minder, representing the Federal Chancellery of Switzerland, presented Switzerland’s strategic project to establish a single point of access for public authorities.
The second day focused on technological advancements in identity management, with emphasis on interoperability, security, and standards-based solutions. Jesse Dyer from Fast Enterprises presented key international standards and practical insights on developing interoperable digital identity solutions; Netcompany’s Thomas Rysgaard Christiansen addressed the role of digital identity in enabling connected ecosystems; and Matt Blanks from Mastercard examined identity, verification, and trust in the evolving digital payments environment.
Key themes highlighted by the speakers and participants reflected the importance of digital identity within a cross-border ecosystem; the fundamental principles of trust, privacy-by-design, and interoperability; stakeholders' collaboration to build reliable, interconnected systems; and the importance of international standards to ensure secure, interoperable solutions.
IOTA expresses its sincere appreciation to all speakers and participants for their valuable contributions to this forward-looking discussion. All materials and presentations are now accessible online via the event's webpage, while the Workshop video recording will be made available soon on the same platform. This Workshop was facilitated by IOTA International Taxation Experts Elena Timofte and Massimo Morarelli.
