We've blogged recently about the series of events marking the tenth anniversary of the financial crash which will focus on what we've learnt (and not learnt) and how we can reform our economies. We share below a press release from Promoting Economic Pluralism which is coordinating a programme of … [Read more...]
Archives for 2017
Inequality and the broken economy demonstrated in one graph
UPDATE (please see below for a UK graph) If you ever believed that the inequality levels we're seeing today in most so-called developed economies are inevitable, not so very remarkable, and not as extreme as some might have us believe, economists Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman … [Read more...]
The Offshore Wrapper – Data havens and new crackdowns on tax avoidance
Below is the text of the offshore wrapper, a weekly roundup of news from the world of tax justice sent out to our mailing list. If you haven't signed up yet and would like to receive the wrapper in your inbox every week - you can do so here. … [Read more...]
Whistleblower Rudolf Elmer may soon release account data from Julius Baer bank
For twelve years now whistleblower Rudolf Elmer has been fighting Swiss banking secrecy, with court case after court case. He's been imprisoned, victimised, and his family has been harassed. His reputation has been systematically ripped apart in a way that we believe has been intended as a deterrent … [Read more...]
New Job Openings at TJN: Researcher (African Hub, franco- & anglophone)
Tax Justice Network is recruiting two Africa-based researchers for our Financial Secrecy and Tax Advocacy in Africa (FASTA) project, which the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) intends to support. … [Read more...]
The Brexit tax haven threat – rescinded?
Back in January, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer (the finance minister), Philip Hammond, used an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag to raise what has become known as the Brexit tax haven threat: if the EU doesn't give the UK a good deal, the UK will lead a race to the bottom to … [Read more...]
10 Years after the Crash: building a reform agenda
In November 2008, the Queen apparently asked economists on a visit to the London School of Economics, ‘Why did no-one see it coming?’ Well, we're approaching the ten year anniversary of the financial crash which wiped out Lehman Brothers, saw the first run on a UK bank (Northern Rock) in 150 years, … [Read more...]
Open data for tax justice – designing a new CbCR database
This week, TJN participated in a design sprint in London organised by Open Knowledge International. The purpose of the sprint was to bring together coders and tax justice advocates to start work on building a database for the new country by country reporting data that we hope will be released in … [Read more...]
The offshore world and the enablers of capital flight
We're pleased to share an article from Argentinian Economist Jorge Gaggero which was recently published by Opinion Sur which we've adapted in places from the original version. It's time, he says, for countries in the Global South to act together to address capital flight and the slowness of the … [Read more...]
Links Jul 25
First worldwide index of countries' commitment to reducing inequality Global Alliance for Tax Justice Tanzania Hands Mining Company $190 Billion Tax Bill Bloomberg Italian tax police ask Switzerland for details on 10,000 banking clients Reuters Regime Cash Machine: How the Democratic Republic of … [Read more...]
New research on key role major economies play in global tax avoidance
An important new study on Offshore Financial Centres (OFCs) from the University of Amsterdam has made some fascinating discoveries, challenging, as the Financial Secrecy Index has, the popular misconception that tax havens are only palm fringed little islands and exposing that in fact major … [Read more...]
We explore Land Value Tax in the Tax Justice Network July 2017 podcast
In this month’s July 2017 Taxcast: we explore Land Value Tax and the billions in revenue we’re missing out on. Plus: Tax Haven USA signs up to potential sanctions and blacklisting of the few nations still refusing to comply with international financial transparency rules, which would er, … [Read more...]
Links Jul 18
Pakistan's PM facing Supreme Court over Panama Papers ICIJ See also: Pakistan: Court Starts Hearings to Decide Prime Minister’s Future OCCRP PANA committee insists on common rules for Financial Intelligence Units to ensure autonomy Malta Independent Iceland: Half a Billion Krónur Recovered due to … [Read more...]
Links Jul 17
Expert consultation on Panama Papers inquiry committee’s findings and recommendations Sven Giegold Certainty in the tax treaty regime Martin Hearson Many Ways to Lose a Billion: How Governments Fail to Secure a Fair Share of Natural Resource Wealth Report by Publish What You Pay Canada … [Read more...]
Launch of international research collaboration, #AltAusterity
Today is the launch of #AltAusterity, a new, international research collaboration of which Tax Justice Network is a partner. The project aims to stimulate public debate on the subject of austerity though high quality research. It is a response to the lack of evidence which has underpinned the … [Read more...]
