The European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has announced she is now going to investigate what we hope is the first of many secret tax deals arranged between accountancy firm PwC and the Luxembourg tax authorities. We asked recently along with Simon Bowers of the International … [Read more...]
Financial Secrecy Index
Why has the European Commission not investigated #LuxLeaks tax deals?
Today Simon Bowers of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists asks a very pertinent question, which you can read in full here. Some of the deals signed behind closed doors, brokered by accountancy firm PwC, known as “tax rulings” — meant some companies were able to pay less than 1 … [Read more...]
Dos nuevos puestos en América Latina (two new jobs in Latin America)
Estamos buscando un/a investigador/a y un/a responsable de proyectos en América Latina. We are hiring a researcher and a project manager in Latin America. Investigador/a (researcher): https://www.taxjustice.net/lar (aplicar en / apply at … [Read more...]
Whistleblower Rudolf Elmer’s court victory: the long arm of Swiss secrecy law gets shorter
We've written many times about Swiss whistleblower Rudolf Elmer's (pictured above) long legal battles against Swiss banking secrecy here, here, here and here. He's endured 48 prosecutorial interrogations, 6 months in solitary confinement and 70 court rulings. Of one thing you can be sure - if the … [Read more...]
Edition 7 of the Tax Justice Network Arabic monthly podcast/radio show الجباية ببساطة
Here’s the seventh edition of our new monthly Arabic podcast/radio show Taxes Simply الجباية ببساطة contributing to tax justice public debate around the world. (In Arabic below) Taxes Simply الجباية ببساطة is produced and presented by Walid Ben Rhouma and Osama Diab of the Egyptian Initiative for … [Read more...]
Blacklist, whitewashed: How the OECD bent its rules to help tax haven USA
We’ve criticised for years the farcical nature of ‘tax haven’ blacklists, whether EU or OECD ones. They all turn out to be politicised, misleading and ineffective. If you want an objectively verifiable ranking you need look no further than the Tax Justice Network’s Financial Secrecy Index. But … [Read more...]
More open data, greater transparency and layout changes added to the Financial Secrecy Index
The Tax Justice Network published today an updated layout version of the Financial Secrecy Index’s database reports. The Financial Secrecy Index (FSI), which ranks jurisdictions according to their secrecy and the scale of their offshore financial activities, is a transparent living document that we … [Read more...]
Country by country reports: why “automatic” is no replacement for “public”
A critical battle is currently being waged in the international tax policy arena over the implementation of country by country reporting, a reporting process that deters and detects tax avoidance by multinational companies, among other things, by requiring companies to provide a global picture of … [Read more...]
Ending secret ownership: we assess the progress and challenges
The richness of the Tax Justice Network’s Financial Secrecy Index is such, (conveying so much more information than just a ranking of the largest contributors to global financial secrecy), we’re now publishing a visual report describing the current state of play with legal and beneficial ownership … [Read more...]
Bermuda: inequality and poverty in UK Overseas Territory
We're very pleased to share this important report on the British Overseas territory of Bermuda, written by Bermudian economist Robert Stubbs, formerly Head of Research for Bank of Bermuda. There are more details on him and his work at the end of this fascinating and timely report. which we reproduce … [Read more...]
Will the EU really blacklist the United States?
In our latest Financial Secrecy Index assessment, the United States moved up to second place. With its now unparalleled commitment to secrecy at scale, and its influence on international reforms, it has become the leading driver of tax abuse and corruption risk around the world. Years ago we … [Read more...]
Continuing the work of murdered journalist #DaphneCaruanaGalizia, 6 months on
We'd like to draw attention to the Daphne Project, announced by the OCCRP and Forbidden Stories which honours the life and courageous work of murdered Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The project begins today, marking six months since her brutal assassination. Malta is ranked … [Read more...]
Now you see me, now you don’t: using citizenship and residency by investment to avoid automatic exchange of banking information
On February 19th, the OECD launched a consultation entitled “Preventing abuse of residence by investment schemes to circumvent the CRS”. It was about time. Since 2014, we have written several papers and blogs (here, here, here, here and here) explaining how residency and citizenship schemes offered … [Read more...]
Our February 2018 Spanish language podcast: Justicia ImPositiva, nuestro podcast, febrero 2018
Welcome to this month’s latest podcast and radio programme in Spanish with Marcelo Justo and Marta Nuñez, downloaded and broadcast on radio networks across Latin America and Spain. ¡Bienvenidos y bienvenidas a nuestro podcast y programa radiofónica! (abajo en castellano). In the February 2018 … [Read more...]
Africa’s battle against financial secrecy: Financial Secrecy Index
How are Switzerland, the United States, and the Caymans working against African efforts to stem the tide of illicit financial flows? They're among the worst offenders in the Tax Justice Network’s 2018 Financial Secrecy Index. The index was launched at the end of January 2018 and weights a … [Read more...]
