Links Feb 21

Members of the European Parliament take their first step to curb corporate secrecy and phantom firms Eurodad
See also: MEPs vote to name trust beneficiaries in public registries STEP

Latest update: Release of Offshore Records Draws Worldwide Response ICIJ

Global tax evasion under G20 scrutiny The Economic Times
See also: India seeks automatic info-sharing to deal with tax avoidance Business Standard

OECD tax chief hoses tech fears The Age
See also: International tax loopholes that allow trillions of dollars to go untaxed must come to an end, says OECD Director of tax policy Pascal Saint-Amans ABC, G20 to target tax-avoiding tech companies The West Australian

Oxfam calls on G20 ministers to rein in multinational tax rorters The Age

U.S. backs G20 crackdown on global tax loopholes Reuters

US And Australia To Sign Tax Evasion Agreement Soon: Treasury Secretary Jack Lew International Business Times

Obama to seek tighter tax rules for corporate offshore profits Reuters

Partnership to Build America won’t The Hill
Op-Ed by Nicole Tichon, executive director of TJN-USA and director of the FACT Coalition

U.S.: Boeing Paid No Federal Income Tax Last Year: Analysis Huffington Post
“One of the largest recipients of federal government contracts paid nothing in taxes last year, according toan analysis from the Center for Effective Government.”

Bipartisan Rush to Win Gold Medal in Tax Gimmickry Citizens for Tax Justice

Switzerland to back OECD tax treaty swissinfo

Updates on Swiss whistleblower Rudolf Elmer: in court on Monday 24 Feb in libel case Liberté-info – Rudolf Elmer support campaign

Swiss tax authority probes firm once led by economy minister Reuters

A story from a few days ago, and see here for a video of a protest action, with demonstrators attempting to hand the economy minister a copy of Nick Shaxson’s Treasure Islands

$250,000 stuffed in pantyhose…and other Credit Suisse tax evasion tricks CNN

How the Fair Tax Mark will make a difference to business Co-operative News

UK: Tax raid on super-rich hiding mansions in offshore companies raises £100million, FIVE times more than expected DailyMail

Isle of Man Downgraded by S&P on Offshore Finance Vulnerability Bloomberg

Jersey focuses on building financial services links with Africa and North America IFC Feed

Ukraine’s $19-billion question of debt and corruption Quartz

Zimbabwe: Tax Compliance Crucial for the Economy allAfrica

Italy’s tax prosecutors have Prada in their sights Financial Times