From the Equality Trust: How Inequality Became THE Issue - Five Years of The Spirit Level … [Read more...]
Inequality & Democracy
Links Feb 7
Delayed European Parliament vote crucial for corporate transparency Eurodad See also: Time for action on financial transparency euobserver Bankers take fight over U.S. anti-tax dodge rules to appeals court Reuters … [Read more...]
Links Feb 6
Global version of FATCA could be a reality in a few years, say industry officials Thomson Reuters / Compliance Complete See also: No more delays for FATCA, says IRS STEP Greek-Swiss tax deal remains elusive Reuters Is Switzerland retreating on Rubik? … [Read more...]
Links Feb 5
Obama Tax Rhetoric on Offshore Profit Falls Shy of Action Bloomberg See also: U.S.: Has the Tax Code Been Used to Reduce Inequality During the Obama Years? Not Really. Citizens for Tax Justice … [Read more...]
Flipping the corruption myth
TJN has previously challenged the prevailing discourse on corruption; and we have taken particular issue with Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which looks at corruption through a highly distorted prism. … [Read more...]
GFI: $410bn illicit flows in or out of Philippines from 1960-2011
February 4, 2014 Philippine Economy Loses US2.9 Billion in Illicit Financial Outflows from Crime, Corruption, Tax Evasion over 52-Year Period; US7.6 Billion Transferred Illegally into the Philippines Smuggling through Trade Misinvoicing Cost Philippine Taxpayers at Least US$23 Billion in … [Read more...]
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 … [Read more...]
Show trial of Swiss whistleblower Elmer now in 9th year
This month a Swiss court fought back against efforts by the United States to tackle criminal activity and tax its wealthy citizens properly. As Worldwide Tax Daily reports: … [Read more...]
Links Jan 24
"ChinaLeaks" Stories Censored In Mainland China ICIJ See also: China mobilizes cyber-cops after leak on elite overseas wealth globalpost, Chinese media speaks no evil over Offshore Leaks Deutsche Welle, Latest update: Release Of Offshore Records Draws Worldwide Response and searchable Offshore … [Read more...]
Guinea: A slow death facilitated by lawyers, accountants and financial advisers
The Guardian has posted a comment from Guinean President, Alpha Condé, currently in Davos at the 2014 World Economic Forum. He gets straight to business in his first paragraph: "As president of Guinea I know we can't tackle this problem alone – corruption is embedded in the western institutions … [Read more...]
Occupy London: February 2014 tour programme
February 2014 programme Forget Jack the Ripper and the London Dungeons, we show you the murky side of the capital’s more recent past. Occupy London Tours is a free alternative tour company, run by volunteers, who want to throw open the secretive world of finance and politics for all to see. … [Read more...]
Links Jan 23
Davos Secrets: Swiss Trade Opacity and Illicit Flows from Developing Countries Center for Global Development See also comment by the president of Guinea At Davos, the west must help us root out corruption in Africa The Guardian, and our blog Why is Davos held in the world’s top illicit money … [Read more...]
Why is Davos held in the world’s top illicit money centre?
From the Davos OpenForum 2014: "Switzerland is known for its chocolate, watches and banking sector. But today, with traditional banking secrecy gone, the country has to reinvent itself to retain its competitive advantage." Our emphasis added. That's news to us. … [Read more...]
Links Jan 21
HIghlights of Offshore Leaks So Far ICIJ See also: ICIJ To Reveal China's Offshore Secrets … [Read more...]
The Bahamas – Another Captured State?
Written for TJN by someone with long experience of the Bahamas. The Bahamas is a stunningly beautiful archipelago of more than 700 islands, cays and islets, a proud nation populated with vibrant, passionate, good-hearted people. The economy of this small island state, ranked at 35th position on … [Read more...]
