In Talk with Alexia Kardachaki from IFA

In this episode, Christian and Arne welcome Alexia Kardachaki, the Secretary General and Head of Secretariat at the International Fiscal Association (IFA). Alexia first provides an overview of her career path and explains IFA's purpose as a global, independent platform for members from all tax constituencies to connect and discuss international tax law issues at the highest level. She outlines the responsibilities of her current position at IFA, which includes connecting with IFA's local branches across 71 countries. The main focus of this episode is the recent 77th IFA Congress held in Lisbon last October. They discuss the challenges of organising IFA's flagship event and highlight some novelties introduced this year, such as a scientific dialogue between tax directors and tax administration representatives on dispute resolution. Looking forward, the 2026 IFA Congress in Melbourne will address the two main topics: the taxation of royalties and taxing the energy transition, as well as a plethora of other very relevant topics, and will offer great opportunities to connect and enjoy the best that Melbourne and Australia have to offer (for more information visit www.ifa2026melbourne.com). Finally, Alexia points out other upcoming IFA events, such as the 3rd edition of the Travelling Lectureship Programme in 2026, which will take place in 11 cities, and regional conferences, including the European Region conference in Madrid (Spain) in March 2026 and the LATAM and Asia Pacific Conferences in Antigua (Guatemala) and Tokyo (Japan) in May 2026.