ABDF at the 78th IFA Congress in Melbourne

ABDF – IFA Brazil took part in the 78th Congress of the International Fiscal Association (IFA), held on 18–22 October 2026 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, in Melbourne, Australia. As the Brazilian Chapter of IFA, ABDF was present in the scientific programme, in IFA's governance bodies and in the activities of the Women of IFA Network (WIN).

The Congress brought together representatives of government, the judiciary, academia and business from more than 60 countries. The scientific programme, organised by IFA's Permanent Scientific Committee, focused on the taxation of royalties and of gains on the disposal of intellectual property and intangibles (Main Subject 1) and on taxation in the context of the energy transition (Main Subject 2), along with ten seminars and three luncheon dialogues.

The ABDF delegation included directors and members of the Advisory Council, among them Ana Claudia Akie Utumi, Ana Carolina Monguilod, André Gomes de Oliveira, Bruna Camargo Ferrari, Carlos Henrique Tranjan Bechara, Doris Canen, Gabriel Manica, Gustavo Damázio de Noronha and Luís Eduardo Schoueri.

Speakers in the scientific programme

In Seminar F, "Business Succession and Inheritance: International Tax Issues", Andrea Bazzo Lauletta was the Brazilian panellist, in a debate on the international tax aspects of business and family succession.

In Seminar H, "Recent Developments in International Taxation", ABDF Director Bruna Camargo Ferrari presented the Brazilian perspective on recent developments in international tax case law. Chaired by Prof. Dr. Xaver Ditz, President of IFA Germany, the seminar brought together experts from Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Rwanda, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.

ABDF Vice President Luís Eduardo Schoueri, Member of IFA's Permanent Scientific Committee, also took part in the scientific programme as a speaker in one of the luncheon dialogues.

IFA governance

On 17 October, the day before the opening, ABDF Directors Carlos Henrique Tranjan Bechara and Ana Claudia Akie Utumi attended the meetings of the Supervisory Board and the joint meeting of IFA's Executive Board and Supervisory Board. Both are members of the Supervisory Board, which oversees and advises the Executive Board. Ana Claudia Akie Utumi also chairs the WIN Committee.

ABDF Director Gustavo Damázio de Noronha represented ABDF at the meeting of IFA's Latin American Regional Committee, chaired by Andrea Laura Riccardi Sacchi (Uruguay), with José Galíndez (Panama) as Vice Chair. The meeting brought together the Latin American chapters to discuss IFA's regional agenda and to strengthen cooperation in the region.

Brazilian research in the Poster Programme

Doris Canen, member of the ABDF Advisory Council, was the only Brazilian selected for the 2026 IFA Poster Programme, in the PhD category. Her poster, "Intellectual Property Cross Border Remittances: Nexus and Substance Treaty Challenges", is based on her doctoral thesis at Universidade Nove de Julho and is available on the IFA website.

Created in 1993, the Poster Programme is run by the Permanent Scientific Committee and recognises outstanding academic research in international taxation. In 2026, ten posters were selected in the PhD category and two in the LLM category.

Women in international taxation

ABDF WIN | CEMT took part in the WIN activities held during the Congress. The WIN in Group Conversation brought together women from different countries to share experiences and strengthen the international network of tax professionals, with Ana Claudia Akie Utumi and Ana Carolina Monguilod among the facilitators.

ABDF was represented in the WIN activities by Ana Claudia Akie Utumi, Ana Carolina Monguilod, Andrea Bazzo Lauletta, Bruna Camargo Ferrari, Doris Canen and Renata Correia Cubas.

Photo highlights

The ABDF delegation, WIN participants, and Bruna Camargo Ferrari and Ana Carolina Monguilod with Adolfo Martín Jiménez and Guglielmo Maisto.

See all photos on Flickr →