We have for years remarked that one of our informal markers of a tax haven is loud tax haven denials. See our 'we are not a tax haven' blog for more. There's probably no place more vocal than Ireland, where there seems to be a veritable industry of tax haven deniers, which specialises in … [Read more...]
Secrecy
Links Sep 14
An Intergovernmental UN Tax Body – why we need it and how we can get it Eurodad Taking action for tax justice at World Social Forum 2016 Global Alliance for Tax Justice New report reveals the "dark side" of European Investment Bank funds: How the EU's bank supports non-transparent investment … [Read more...]
Quote of the day – tax crimes and traffic offences
From Michael West, an Australian tax journalist: "In Australia, Part 4a of the Tax Act deems that the principal purpose of a transaction should be commercial (rather than tax driven). In light of the proliferation of tax haven activities by Australian companies this law, Part 4a, must be the most … [Read more...]
The Bahamas tax haven – a (re-)emerging global menace?
Update: as it happens, The Economist has just published an excellent story about the Bahamas, subtitled The Bahamas Cocks a Snook at the War on Tax Dodgers. (Our only beef with that subtitle is that this is about so much more than just tax.) We've periodically remarked on the Bahamas as a secrecy … [Read more...]
On our recent event on beneficial ownership in Buenos Aires
The Second International Conference on Beneficial Ownership Registries took place in Buenos Aires on August 31st and September 1st. The event was held again at Argentina’s Central Bank and was co-organized by the Tax Justice Network, Argentina’s General Prosecution Office (Ministerio Público … [Read more...]
Links Aug 19
How the multinationals do it ABC On multinationals, the Big 4 & tax havens. Interview includes TJN's Nicholas Shaxson, author of Treasure Islands: Tax Havens and the Men Who Stole the World. World's Biggest Corporations Won't Pay Taxes at the Olympics telesur Brazil will lose about a … [Read more...]
Why the Swiss case against whistleblower Elmer may hurt the bankers
Rudolf Elmer, the Cayman-based Swiss whistleblower who went to prison after spilling secrets relating to the Swiss bank Julius Baer, has long been victimised not only by the Swiss banking establishment, and Switzerland's courts (which as we've extensively documented, seem to have played fast and … [Read more...]
Links Aug 16
Indonesia plans tax haven on two islands near Singapore The Straits Times See also: Tax Haven in Indonesia? Corporate Income Tax Indonesia Slashed? Indonesia Investments, and Read about Tax Wars here Some shell companies sidestep new UK transparency rules Reuters Scotland formally calls on … [Read more...]
Links Aug 12
Small but not too beautiful: Europe’s micro-countries may be places where people are up to no good, but so are bigger ones The Economist New Zealand Foreign Trusts: the Scandals, the Reforms, and Some Throat-Clearing From the EU naked capitalism Joseph E. Stiglitz and Mark Pieth: Why We Left … [Read more...]
Links Aug 10
World Social Forum 2016 - Tax Justice and Fight against Poverty World Social Forum 2016 - Women & Girls, Equality & Tax Justice World Social Forum 2016 - Disarm finance and achieve tax justice World Social Forum 2016 - Tax Justice & Human Rights Forum World Social Forum 2016 … [Read more...]
Links Aug 8
Experts Quit Panama's Transparency Committee Over Lack of Transparency ICIJ Developing Nations Seek Tax Body to Curb Illicit Financial Flows Inter Press Service DRC’s largest mine was just sold. And DRC got nothing. Oxfam: The Politics of Poverty How PWYP-Indonesia is Turning Extractives … [Read more...]
Links Aug 5
Latin American tax clampdown latest threat to Swiss bank accounts Reuters Rio-2016: The Olympic tax binge Outras Palavras (In Portuguese) German state shares Swiss bank details swissinfo Panama Papers: EU Parliament to ask Mossack Fonseca representatives to testify The Parliament … [Read more...]
New report from UK parliament: tax justice to the fore
The UK's All Party Parliamentary Group on Tax has published a report entitled A more responsible global tax system or a ‘sticking plaster’? An examination of the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) process and recommendations. They consulted us (among many others) and the result is a … [Read more...]
Links Aug 3
LuxLeaks is not over - Luxembourg Prosecutor appeals against LuxLeaks outcome Luxemburger Wort See our blog The #LuxLeaks whistleblowers verdict: our statement On debt and taxation, rich and poor countries are worlds apart The Guardian Mapping global business opinions on human rights … [Read more...]
Links Jul 27
Christian Aid Calls On UK's Prime Minister To Start Her Tax Haven Clean Up Close To Home One year after Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa, rich countries blocking UN from working on tax, again Financial Transparency Coalition Is India close to passing a law to identify true … [Read more...]
