African Tax Administration Forum

What African Tax Administration Forum does

African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) is a pan-African intergovernmental non-profit organization founded in 2004 and headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa. It serves 45 member African tax administrations and revenue authorities, providing technical assistance, capacity building, training, and research to strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation across the continent. ATAF's core products include the ATAF Tax Academy (structured training on audit, VAT fraud, transfer pricing, data analytics, beneficial ownership, and exchange of information), the African Tax Outlook (ATO) Data Portal and ATAF Databank (tax, customs, and macroeconomic data from African countries), the Technical Assistance Programme (bilateral in-country capacity building), and supporting initiatives such as the ATAF Experts Database, the Women in Tax Network, the Tax Research Information Platforms (TRIP), and the African Tax Research Network (ATRN). The organization has helped 18 countries establish transfer pricing units and delivered 87 technical assistance missions in 17 countries in 2021, with member-reported outcomes including over $3 billion in additional tax assessed and over $1.2 billion collected from transfer pricing audits over six years.

ATAF's business model is a hybrid of membership contributions from African revenue authorities and grant funding from international development partners, including Finland, Norway, the European Union, GIZ (Germany), the African Development Bank, Ford Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, the Netherlands, Ireland, UK FCDO, SECO (Switzerland), Open Society Foundations, OSIWA, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Denmark. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven and demand-based: member countries request technical assistance through the ATAF portal, the organization delivers training through the Tax Academy, and it publishes research and guidance documents distributed via its website, newsletter, conferences, and partnerships with international development organizations. All services are tailored to member needs and delivered through donor-funded partnerships, with no public pricing model. The organization is governed by its member countries rather than operating as a commercial enterprise, and its value proposition rests on being an African-led, peer-to-peer network combining downstream in-country technical assistance with upstream development of tools, products, and standards.

Name

African Tax Administration Forum

Legal name

African Tax Administration Forum

Website

https://ataftax.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) is a pan-African intergovernmental non-profit founded in 2004 and headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, serving 45 member African tax administrations with technical assistance, training, research, and data platforms to strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tax Administration Capacity Building Services

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), Public Administration (92)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Assistance, Policy Lending & Capacity Building Programs (BPADACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting Advisory (GAAP/IFRS) (BPAHABAF)

Keywords

• Tax administration services
• Capacity building programs
• Technical assistance
• Domestic revenue mobilization
• Transfer pricing advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Pretoria

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions: ATAF operates as a membership organization for African tax administrations. Member countries pay contributions to support the organization's operations and programs.
2. Donor Funding: ATAF receives funding from international development partners including Finland, Norway, OSIWA, Ford Foundation, African Development Bank, Hewlett Foundation, GIZ (Germany), Netherlands, Ireland, UK FCDO, SECO (Switzerland), Open Society Foundations, Gates Foundation, and Denmark. This funding supports technical assistance programs, capacity building, and organizational operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ATAF is an intergovernmental network of 45 African tax administrations that delivers technical assistance, structured training, policy guidance, and applied research to help member countries improve tax systems and domestic revenue mobilisation. Its core deliverables include the ATAF Tax Academy, the African Tax Outlook (ATO) Data Portal, and bilateral Technical Assistance programmes covering transfer pricing, VAT, exchange of information, and beneficial ownership.

Product overview

ATAF is a pan-African network serving its member tax administrations primarily through a portfolio of interconnected knowledge, training, and advisory products rather than a single software platform. The core offerings include the ATAF Tax Academy (structured training on audit, VAT fraud, transfer pricing, and data analytics), the African Tax Outlook (ATO) Data Portal and Databank (tax, customs, and macroeconomic data from African countries), and bilateral Technical Assistance programmes that build institutional and human capacity in member countries. Supporting products include the ATAF Experts Database, the Women in Tax Network, the Tax Research Information Platforms (TRIP), and the African Tax Research Network (ATRN). ATAF also publishes specialised guidance documents such as the Guide on Effective Taxation of HNWIs and delivers targeted programmes on tax transparency, beneficial ownership, transfer pricing, and VAT administration. All offerings are oriented toward strengthening African tax systems and improving domestic revenue mobilisation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ATAF Women in Tax Network: A network providing a unique environment for women in tax related fields in Africa to connect, collaborate and develop and raise awareness of the interconnectivity of tax policy and gender equality.
• ATAF Tax Research Network (ATRN)
• African Tax Outlook (ATO) data portal
• ATAF Experts Database
• Tax Research Information Platforms (TRIP)
• ATAF Databank

Products and services

• ATAF Tax Academy Structured training programmes for tax administration employees of ATAF member countries, covering audit, VAT fraud, transfer pricing, data analytics, beneficial ownership, and exchange of information.
• African Tax Outlook (ATO) Data Portal Online data platform that displays and describes tax administrative, customs, and macroeconomic data from a wide array of African countries, used annually to produce the African Tax Outlook publication.
• ATAF Databank Synopsis of the African Tax Outlook online data platform containing tax, administrative, customs, and macroeconomic data from African countries, used to produce the ATO publication and related research papers.
• Technical Assistance Programme Tailored bilateral and downstream technical assistance delivered directly with member countries to build capacity and establish technical and legal structures for effective tax system operation, informed by upstream tool and standard development.
• ATAF Experts Database Repository of skilled individuals available on an ad-hoc or needs basis to assist the ATAF Secretariat in implementing technical assistance, research, and capacity development activities.
• ATAF Women in Tax Network Network providing a unique environment for women in tax-related fields in Africa to connect, collaborate, develop, and raise awareness of the interconnectivity of tax policy and gender equality.
• Tax Research Information Platforms (TRIP) Research platform supporting high-level multidisciplinary research in tax policy, legislation, administration, and development across Africa, improving research capacity and knowledge sharing.
• African Tax Research Network (ATRN) Network promoting high-level multidisciplinary research in tax policy, legislation, administration, and development in Africa to improve research capacity, knowledge sharing, and best practice exchange.
• Guide on Effective Taxation of High-Net-Worth Individuals in Africa Practical guide developed to support African tax administrations in strengthening the taxation of High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs), drawing on research from nine African countries and international best practices.
• Tax Transparency Training Programme Specialised training programmes on Beneficial Ownership (BO) and Exchange of Information (EOI), developed with GIZ support, translating international tax transparency standards into practical administrative action.
• Transfer Pricing Support Services Technical assistance helping member countries establish transfer pricing units, assess additional tax from transfer pricing audits, and develop guidance and standard-setting mechanisms.
• VAT Technical Assistance Programme VAT-focused technical assistance programmes established in member countries, including Angola, Ghana, and Eswatini, addressing VAT in cross-border transactions and domestic tax compliance.
• Exchange of Information (EOI) Support Technical assistance providing EOI support to countries and assistance in establishing dedicated EOI units to improve cross-border information sharing for tax purposes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Assisted in assessing over $3 billion additional tax and collecting over $1.2 billion from transfer pricing audits over six years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIZ supports ATAF's technical assistance and capacity building programs. Working with ATAF on training manuals for beneficial ownership and exchange of information, delivered under the Multi-Donor Action on Combatting Illicit Financial Flows in Africa (MDA).
• Kenya Revenue AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed expert Mr. Michael Mwaura to ATAF's technical assistance mission on High-Net-Worth Individual taxation in Lesotho, demonstrating peer-to-peer knowledge sharing among member countries.
• East Africa Revenue Authorities Technical Committee (EARATC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATAF participates in EARATC meetings to contribute technical perspectives on strengthening tax administration and domestic revenue mobilisation across the East African Community region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ATAFtax
• Facebookfacebook.com/ataftax
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ataftax

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about African Tax Administration Forum