Links Jan 31

African leaders must seize the initiative on global tax reforms Institute of Development Studies

Is the new EBRD policy a turning point for the acceptability of tax havens in development finance? Eurodad

Country-by-country reporting is open for discussion Tax Research UK

Cayman’s economic model is bankrupt Tax Research UK
Illustrates the Finance Curse. Read also on the situation in the Bahamas and in Barbados

Tax-motivated illicit financial flows: A guide for development practitioners CMI
Paper by Martin Hearson “explains the terms and helps development practitioners and policy makers navigate the tax and illicit financial flow debates.”

States could save $1 billion with simple, proven method to curb offshore tax dodging, new study finds U.S. PIRG

HSBC Said to Plan Sale of Swiss Private Banking Assets Blooomberg
The report quotes the statement: ““HSBC is fully committed to Switzerland as a key international booking center for our global private bank”. Does “international booking center” mean assets are held in Switzerland for clients who are behind trusts and shell companies in other jurisdictions?

Swiss banker in French tax probe returns home Reuters

Switzerland: Tax authorities eye minister’s family firm swissinfo

Digital Economy PE: Solution To Taxing Global Giants Like Google And Facebook? Tax Analysts / Forbes

Indian Court Rules On Vodafone Transfer Pricing Allegations Tax-News

The Perks of Being a Whistle-blower Newsweek

Hong Kong Sets Out TIE Practice Tax-News
Hong Kong is in third position in the 2013 Financial Secrecy Index

Luxembourg’s Frieden Calls For European Tax Strategy Tax-News

Why the Business Tax Reform Proposal in Obama’s State Of The Union address Is Not as Great as It Sounds Citizens for Tax Justice

Chinese companies make use of Samoa tax haven Radio New Zealand
See also: Samoa companies invest $2 billion tala into China Samoa Observer

News links from TJN Germany Blog (In German)

Event: Banks out of control? Why whistleblowers for justice and governance are an essential early warning system (In German)

Cayman: Consultation extended on beneficial ownership Cayman News Service