In the wake of the "Luxembourg Leaks" scandal, more than 30 organisations from the Tax Justice Europe network have written to members of the European Parliament strongly supporting a proposal from Green MEPs to set up a stand-alone investigative committee of the European Parliament to tackle … [Read more...]
Taxing corporations
CEO: EU Commission gets advice on tax policies from #LuxLeaks tax dodgers
From the Corporate Observatory Europe, an important article entitled Commission gets advice on tax policies from LuxLeaks tax dodgers. It begins: "LuxLeaks documents recently revealed that the consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has created questionable strategies enabling big businesses to … [Read more...]
Patent boxes: progress, or more racing to the bottom?
We've written quite a bit about patent boxes in the last few days. A Patent Box is a tax incentive that reduces effective corporation tax rates on income attributable to patents, subject to certain conditions. We at TJN think they are generally a terrible idea. In two patent box blogs last week … [Read more...]
Global Investor Groups Support Tax Justice and Transparency
From Corporate Governance, a news release basically taking a series of core tax justice positions ahead of the G20 summit meeting in Brisbane this weekend: Investors Back Global Tax Reform and Transparency In a global first, a group of institutional asset owners and managers are jointly calling … [Read more...]
New reports on OECD and developing countries: progress, but far to go
A couple of days ago the OECD published a document called The BEPS Project and Developing Countries: from Consultation to Participation which has three key elements: first, inviting ten developing countries to participate directly in its Committee on Fiscal Affairs and subsidiary bodies; second, to … [Read more...]
Goodbye UK Patent Box – don’t let the door hit you on your way out
Updated with substantial and important analysis at the bottom, which raises a new and crucial question about whether the world's media has swallowed a load of spin: Last month two TJN-related authors, David Quentin and Nicholas Shaxson, had a piece on the Naked Capitalism site entitled The … [Read more...]
Hidden Profits: The EU’s role in supporting an unjust global tax system 2014
From Eurodad, an important new report, whose press release goes: Hidden Profits: The EU's role in supporting an unjust global tax system 2014 This report – the second in a series of three annual reports – brings together civil society organisations (CSOs) in 15 countries across the EU. Experts in … [Read more...]
Open letter to G20 leaders – something must be done at Brisbane about illicit financial flows
OPEN LETTER TO G20 LEADERS When a global financial system allows billions of dollars of corrupt or stolen money to flow unchecked around the globe, something is wrong. When financial secrecy helps strip Africa of US$50 billion each year, something is wrong. When the poor of this world see the … [Read more...]
Luxembourg’s Sweetheart Deals: Could the OECD Stop Them?
Guest blog by Prof. Sol Picciotto, a TJN Senior Adviser. Luxembourg’s Sweetheart Deals: Could the OECD Stop Them? In an earlier comment on the Luxembourg tax leaks, we pointed out that there is no world tax authority which can judge whether the sweetheart deals it has been offering … [Read more...]
PWC and Luxembourg: no, this wasn’t ‘legal’ behaviour
From Prem Sikka, a quote from an article from June that provides essential context for those who would dismiss the explosive leaks and analysis from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) on Luxembourg. The Big Four accountancy firm PWC has been exposed as having … [Read more...]
Huge trove of information blasts hole in Luxembourg’s theatre of probity
From the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a story we've been waiting for: "Capping a six-month investigation, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and its media partners are publishing a secret cache of leaked tax documents and dozens of … [Read more...]
Denmark’s tax treaties: time for change
Tax treaties are international agreements between countries that share out taxing rights between countries when there's cross-border investment between them. The international tax treaty system is strongly based on models created by the OECD, a club of rich countries, and it shouldn't be a great … [Read more...]
Fair taxes are key to a fair share for all
Guest blog from the Global Alliance for Tax Justice Growing inequality within and between countries has become one of the defining issues of our age. It seems a week cannot go by without another damning report looking at the size and harmful consequences of this pervasive problem. … [Read more...]
Publishing tax breaks and subsidies for corporations – a good idea whose time has come
The indefatigable US-based organisation Good Jobs First has sent a fascinating email, which relates to the United States but could have general relevance for other countries. This one is located at the fascinating, busy intersection between tax and transparency. The intro: "For many years, we at … [Read more...]
Tax and corporate responsibility in Denmark – new report
The Danish organisation IBIS has just released a new report on tax and corporate responsibility, as part of its wider Tax Dialogue project on corporate responsibility. It maps the policies and practice with regards to corporate tax and CSR among some of the most influential corporates and investors … [Read more...]
