This Council Directive (EU) 2016/2258, adopted on 6 December 2016, amends Directive 2011/16/EU regarding tax authorities' access to anti-money-laundering (AML) information. The amendment ensures that tax authorities can access mechanisms, procedures, documents, and information specified in Directive (EU) 2015/849 to effectively monitor the implementation of tax laws by Financial Institutions. This access is crucial for the authorities to confirm that beneficial owners of intermediary structures are correctly identified and reported, thus combating tax evasion and fraud more efficiently.

Member States are required to adopt and publish the necessary legal measures by 31 December 2017, with the aim that these measures shall take effect from 1 January 2018. The Directive highlights the importance of coordinated administrative cooperation between Member States, aligning with the objectives of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and respecting fundamental rights as outlined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.