In this episode of the Tax Justice Network’s monthly podcast, the Taxcast: We look at the terrible Beirut explosion and how the story of tracing those responsible tells us everything that's wrong with our world.Plus, we discuss what President-elect Biden's win could mean for tax and economic … [Read more...]
Beneficial Ownership
New publication on beneficial ownership transparency for companies listed on the stock exchange
This new paper describes why beneficial ownership regulations shouldn’t exempt companies listed on a stock exchange. In essence, securities’ disclosure regulations aren’t enough to identify beneficial owners. In addition, definitions are subject to loopholes that affect identifying all relevant … [Read more...]
How Denmark is verifying beneficial ownership information
Guest blog by Jesper Bertelsen, Danish Business Authority The concept of a well-functioning beneficial owner register sounds achievable and easy, at a first glance. Simply put, legal entities check who their beneficial owners are, and enter this information into a system, in turn making it … [Read more...]
Regulating complex ownership chains – a call for experts for closed brainstorming round-table session
Regulating complex ownership chains – A common goal for tackling beneficial ownership transparency and tax avoidance? The Tax Justice Network, together with City University London, the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT), Transparency International … [Read more...]
We ran a beneficial ownership webinar for over 260 officials from Latin America
On 26 August, together with the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (CIAT), we hosted a webinar in Spanish for Latin American authorities involved in beneficial ownership transparency. The Spanish webinar was based on the first and second set of presentations on beneficial ownership … [Read more...]
Developing countries, take note: how much money do your residents hold in Australia, the most transparent country on bank account information
Australia has become the first country to publish statistics on automatic exchange of information for all jurisdictions, especially those that cannot join the automatic exchange system. Here’s what they reveal and why it has more potential than statistics published by the Bank for International … [Read more...]
Exploring UK companies’ legal ownership chains to detect red flags and verify beneficial ownership information: Part 1
By Andres Knobel and Oliver Seabarron The Tax Justice Network in cooperation with the CORPNET group at the University of Amsterdam (@UvACORPNET) and the Data Analytics and Society Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Sheffield (@DataCDT) has mined and applied advanced analytics to … [Read more...]
Tax, reparations and ‘Plan B’ for the UK’s tax haven web
The killing of George Floyd by US police in Minnesota, on 25 May 2020, has sparked a public response both more powerful and more international than almost any of the previous cases in a very long line - including Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, 13 March 2020. The demands for justice extend far beyond … [Read more...]
Tax Justice Network Portuguese podcast #13: Pandemia: como acertar no socorro às empresas?
Em meio à crise econômica e sanitária, o governo brasileiro anunciou uma injeção de mais de US$ 185 bilhões para ajudar o setor financeiro — cerca de dez vezes o orçamento do Ministério da Saúde. Enquanto isso, 87% das micro e pequenas indústrias do Estado de São Paulo, por exemplo, não conseguem … [Read more...]
Financial Secrecy Index: who are the world’s worst offenders? The Tax Justice Network podcast special, February 2020
In this special extended Taxcast, Naomi Fowler takes you on a whistle-stop guided tour on an express train around the world with some of the Tax Justice Network team, looking at the worst offenders selling secrecy services according to the latest Financial Secrecy Index results What can nations can … [Read more...]
Isle of Man: an awareness-raising swim and reflections on tax havenry
The Isle of Man is part of the UK's network of satellite havens and secrecy jurisdictions, ranked number 17 in the 2019 Corporate Tax Haven Index and number 42 in the Financial Secrecy Index in 2018 by the Tax Justice Network. We identify the UK as "bearing the lion’s share of responsibility through … [Read more...]
More beneficial ownership loopholes to plug: circular ownership, fragmented control and companies as parties to the trust
Beneficial ownership transparency has been defined as a key tool to tackle tax abuse, money laundering, corruption and the financing of terrorism among other illicit financial flows. It involves identifying the individuals (“beneficial owners”) who ultimately own, control or benefit from companies, … [Read more...]
US half-shuts door to financial secrecy, opens new window
The US is the world’s second greatest contributor to global financial secrecy, according to the Tax Justice Network’s Financial Secrecy Index, only faring better than Switzerland in complicity in enabling financial secrecy schemes that foster tax abuse, money laundering and the financing of … [Read more...]
Global Asset Registry workshop – 1-2 July, Paris: submit your paper
The Global Asset Registry workshop in Paris on July 1st and 2nd, 2019 is by invitation only. We will of course share the fruits of the workshop as we develop them further, but for now participation during Day 1 is open to anyone whose paper has been accepted. You can submit your proposal and … [Read more...]
Rising inequality and dysfunction in the tax haven of Jersey: a Taxcast special edition
In this special extended edition of the April 2019 Taxcast, broadcast from the tax haven of Jersey: we explore Jersey's poor showing in the OECD's Better Life Index and ask why Jersey's spending so much money on improving its bad image instead of setting up public registers of beneficial … [Read more...]