Responding to the UK government's poor handling of tax negotiations with Google, Nigel Lawson, climate change denier and architect of one of the biggest boom-bust recessions of modern history, has told the Daily Telegraph that the corporate income tax has "had its day". Instead he proposes a … [Read more...]
Archives for 2016
Cartoon of the day – on innovation
Europe’s Anti Tax Avoidance Package: adding fuel to the fire?
The European Commission has announced: "The European Commission has today opened up a new chapter in its campaign for fair, efficient and growth-friendly taxation in the EU with new proposals to tackle corporate tax avoidance. The Anti Tax Avoidance Package calls on Member States to take a … [Read more...]
Links Jan 28
The movement to end tax havens is already 100,000 strong and growing Oxfam Eurodad: European Commission’s Anti Tax Avoidance Package will not stop multinationals dodging taxes See also Eurodad's Briefing: An analysis of the European Commission’s Anti-Tax Avoidance Package, and EU clamps down on … [Read more...]
TJN calls on EC to investigate all of the UK’s secret tax deals
Here is the text of a letter of complaint that TJN will be handing in to the European Commission at its office in London this afternoon. On 23rd January 2016 the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, tweeted from Davos that the UK Government had struck a deal with Google over its past … [Read more...]
TJN calls for public country by country reporting. A few hours later . . .
This morning Alex Cobham, TJN's Director of Research, called for public country-by-country reporting, in an interview with the BBC's flagship Today programme (19:20ish). "Country-by-country reporting: that was actually a Tax Justice Network proposal, going back to our establishment in 2003; but … [Read more...]
Taxing Google (and Facebook, Twitter, Uber and the rest)
Guest blog from TJN senior adviser Professor Sol Picciotto The announcement of the deal struck by Google with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has aroused much speculation. The term ‘permanent establishment’ has even been mentioned in some august media outlets, such as the Financial … [Read more...]
Tax haven USA: new Bloomberg story adds urgency to reform needs
Bloomberg is running a story entitled The World’s Favorite New Tax Haven Is the United States, which closely follows the line that TJN has been taking, particularly since our big Loophole USA blog a year ago, and our subsequent USA Report for the Financial Secrecy Index last October. Expanding … [Read more...]
Links Jan 26
Accounting experts seek independent probe into KPMG’s audit of HBOS Financial Times. Involving a number of TJNers or friends of TJN. Australia: Big business accused of using 'straw man' arguments against tax avoidance crackdown The Guardian Political commentator: 'Tax havens won't last … [Read more...]
The Offshore Wrapper – a week in tax justice #72
Colombian energy moves offshore. Colombian power generation firm Isagen has been sold to Brookfield for $2bn. Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners L.P. describes itself as a “Bermuda based limited partnership”. The deal was hugely controversial, with people taking to the streets after it was … [Read more...]
2016 Tax Justice and Human Rights Essay Competition
Tax Justice Network and Oxfam are joining together to launch a tax justice and human rights essay competition for legal students and professionals. With tax justice rising up the human rights agenda, we want to hear your ideas on how human rights law can be used in the fight against tax dodging. … [Read more...]
Google’s taxes and the economic illiteracy of the Mayor of London
No, not the Lord Mayor of London, but the Mayor of London, a certain Boris Johnson, who's frequently tipped to be Britain's next Prime Minister. Given that Britain is arguably the most important player in the global offshore system, this man's opinions deserve close scrutiny. The topic at hand is … [Read more...]
Links Jan 25
Google £130m UK back-tax deal lambasted as ‘derisory’ by expert The Guardian Cites TJN Senior Adviser Prem Sikka. See also Prem's report Some Questions about Google’s UK Tax Settlement of £130 million, also MPs attack deal to let Google to pay 'relatively trivial' £130m back taxes The Guardian, … [Read more...]
Links Jan 22
Governments need to get out of their “cosy bed” with business, says Oxfam chief euronews Apple Steps Up Lobbying Efforts Against European Tax Probe Bloomberg Cites TJN's research director Alex Cobham Ireland: State may not get any Apple tax haul The Irish Examiner Number of Offshore IPOs … [Read more...]
The January 2016 Tax Justice Network Podcast
In our January 2016 Tax Justice Network podcast: What's Scotland got to do with the plunder of Moldova? We take a look at the 'Wild West' of Scottish Limited Partnerships. Also, we discuss the tensions in the EU - is the net finally closing on multinational companies, the tax minimisation deals … [Read more...]
