It's an ill-wind that blows no one any good, as they say. There was a call that really seemed to resonate with those British voters who opted for their country to leave the European Union in the referendum: 'take back control'. And who doesn't want to do that? But as Dr Kevin Farnsworth of … [Read more...]
Race to the Bottom
#10yearsafter the crash: the failure of HBOS and the lessons for reform
As part of our series of blogs #10yearsafter the crash we reproduce below details of new research in a timely new book, The Politics of Financial Risk, Audit and Regulation: A Case Study of HBOS. It's written by Professor Atul K. Shah, University of Suffolk who you can also follow here on twitter. … [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...]
Sweden’s recipe for success: high taxes, strong unions, and equal distribution of wealth
While recent elections in France, U.K. and the U.S.A. have shown the results of globalisation gone bad, Sweden has successfully adapted its development model to make globalisation work for the majority of its people. … [Read more...]
President Trump visits La-La-Laffer Land
Taken as a whole, the tax plans just announced by US President Donald Trump, which include abolition of the inheritance tax, could represent the largest tax cut for billionaires and millionaires in US history. According to the President, this will stimulate growth and job creation. There's no … [Read more...]
UK Parliament fails to tackle financial secrecy in its overseas territories
So near and yet so far… Hopes were riding high yesterday that UK parliamentarians might seize the opportunity to take historic action to end decades of financial secrecy in the UK’s Overseas Territories. We blogged about this yesterday highlighting the fact that a lot of ongoing Parliamentary … [Read more...]
Links Mar 17
The problems with measuring tax systems SPERI 'In debates about tax policy we need to de-emphasise the role of economics and measurement and rekindle the politics'. Blog by TJN's Nicholas Shaxson, author of Treasure Islands: Tax Havens and the Men Who Stole the World. Re-framing tax spillover … [Read more...]
Links Mar 13
Corporate taxation key to protecting human rights in the global economy CESR UN urges US to not exploit American Samoa The Guam Daily Post 'The United Nations has "strongly urged" the United States to refrain from using American Samoa as, among other things, a tax haven'. A significant shift? … [Read more...]
Links Mar 9
Taxes & Women's Rights? Global Alliance for Tax Justice See also: Happy International Women’s Day wrapup We managed tax transparency in Pakistan. Why not everywhere else?The Guardian By Umar Cheema. See Politicians and their tax returns: a new project from Finance Uncovered MEPs vote to … [Read more...]
Links Mar 3
Trusting the Process Kleptocracy Initiative KleptoCast interview with TJN's Andres Knobel about how trusts became the next frontier in dodging taxes and shielding assets Panama Papers: European Parliament tax avoidance fact-finding mission in Luxembourg Luxemburger Wort See also: MEPs’ mission to … [Read more...]
Links Feb 27
Trusts – the hole in the EU’s response to the Panama Papers? Global Witness See also, our report Trusts – Weapons of Mass Injustice HSBC discloses tax evasion probes in India other countries Economic Times Probes in U.S., France, Belgium, Argentina ... See also: HSBC Sets Aside $773 Million for … [Read more...]
Links Feb 22
EU agrees new rules to tackle multinationals tax avoidance The Guardian Don't bank on the EU to create a reliable list of tax havens, TJN's Financial Secrecy Index is more credible. See also: EU finance minister meeting: Blacklist is whitewashing tax havens Sven Giegold Denmark would not oppose … [Read more...]
Links Feb 17
Tackling Illicit Financial Flows - Can Africa Rise to the Challenge? United Nations Economic Commission for Africa / via allAfrica New Zealand to enact tighter foreign trust disclosure rules STEP See also: Trusts – Weapons of Mass Injustice: new Tax Justice Network report Ireland: Finance … [Read more...]
Links Feb 15
Global Week of Action to #EndTaxHavens! - 1 to 7 April 2017 Global Alliance for Tax Justice ICTD Summary Brief 6: Tax and Gender in Developing Countries: What are the Issues? International Centre for Tax and Development The Political Economy of Long-Term Revenue Decline in Sri Lanka International … [Read more...]
Links Feb 13
Brazil’s corruption scandal spreads across South America The Guardian Founders of Panama Papers Law Firm Arrested on Money Laundering Charges ICIJ Swiss voters soundly reject corporate tax overhaul Reuters See also: Switzerland says no to yet more tax abuse Tax Research UK International experts … [Read more...]
