In the July 2014 Taxcast: what really happened at the Google shareholder meeting vote on a proposal for ethical tax principles? Plus: we discuss what the new tax haven-friendly EU Commission President might do (or not do), anti-democratic moves in Hong Kong from the big four accountancy firms, and: forget the OECD’s global tax reform – developing countries can and are doing it for themselves. But will the new BRICS Development Bank do any better? And much more…
The Taxcast
Welcome to the Taxcast – the Tax Justice Network’s monthly podcast: around 30 minutes of unmissable corruption, scandal and analysis on tax havens, tax dodging and financial secrecy you won't hear anywhere else – we cover the battles for transparency, fairness and the public interest. Each month we speak with experts in the field to help us analyse the top global stories.
If your favourite radio station's not playing it, ask them why not? Produced by @Naomi_Fowler with regular commentary from the Tax Justice Network's John Christensen. Follow the Taxcast on twitter.
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Edition 30: June ’14
In the June 2014 Taxcast: the guillotine v progressive tax? The Taxcast looks at Thomas Piketty’s book Capital in the 21st Century. Also: welcome to the temporary tax haven of World Cup Brazil; the EU Commission begins investigations into illegal state aid for tax havens; and are developing countries really not interested in tracking illicit outflows from their countries? Plus more scandal..
Edition 29: May ’14
In the May 2014 Taxcast: the Taxcast looks at privatisation and tax: what happens when public assets or services get into private hands? Also: Google’s challenged on its tax affairs by its own shareholders; will Congress block the US administration’s decision to agree to the G20’s global transparency standard? And whatever happened to the UK government’s ‘leadership’ on public registers of the real owners of companies now it turns out it’ll ‘encourage’ but not ‘force’ its overseas territories & crown dependencies to sign up to the initiative?
Edition 28: April ’14
In the April 2014 Taxcast: Forget Congress! The Taxcast looks at the latest US state to take matters into its own hands and legislate against tax havens. Also: the scandal of how the Bank for International Settlements has kept offshore private wealth data to itself, the British government tries to impress its friends in Washington with a ‘tough’ new tax evasion offence, taxing problems in Nigeria and…how will UK Parliamentarian Lord Blencathra manage now that his £12,000 (c.$20,000) a month contract with the Cayman Islands has been terminated?
Edition 27: March ’14
In the March 2014 Taxcast: Russia, Ukraine, Londongrad and the offshore threat to global security. Also: modern day colonialism? Niger battles France over fairer revenues for its uranium. It’s official – inequality IS bad for economic growth – the IMF becomes an unlikely advocate for tax justice. And, the European Parliament moves against anonymous ownership of companies by voting for public registers of beneficial owners.
Edition 26: February ’14
In the February Taxcast: Are European tax havens getting ‘illegal state subsidies’? The European Union’s Competition Commissioner thinks so. Are the world’s tax havens really going to become more transparent? We analyse the OECD’s automatic information exchange proposal, warts and all. And, the tax haven of the Bahamas is broke – the government’s solution? Tax the poor! We look at the Bahamian campaign against a Value Added Tax and their demands for a freedom of information act.
Edition 25: January ’14
In the January Taxcast: Tax justice goes to the Cayman Islands; the latest fall-out from #OffshoreLeaks, the expose on tax havens from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists; and HOW much does Africa spend on corporate tax breaks?! The Taxcast looks at tax ‘incentives’, Africa-style.
Edition 24: December ’13
In the December 2013 Taxcast: the clock’s ticking for Swiss banks, OECD countries are failing to collect enough information on the real owners of companies, and the Taxcast looks at tax and human rights: lawyers have escaped public scrutiny of their role in tax abuse. So far…
Edition 23: November ’13
In the November 2013 Taxcast: the movers and the shakers in the 2013 Financial Secrecy Index, the pariah states trying to wreck new global transparency measures, and it’s 50 years ago this month that US President John F Kennedy was assassinated. Did you know he was trying to tackle tax havens?
Edition 22: October ’13
In the October 2013 Taxcast: Swiss villagers send some of profit shifting mining giant GlencoreXstrata’s money to humanitarian projects, tax havens do some window dressing and how many sets of accounts does a multinational corporation REALLY need to file their tax returns? The David and Goliath story of tax collection – even for the United States.
Edition 21: September ’13
In the September 2013 Taxcast: The Netherlands is getting worried about its bad reputation – and not because of its red light districts, China steps aboard the G20 Automatic Information Exchange train. And what do Tina Turner and Muammar Gadaffi have in common? – The Taxcast breaks down some dance moves for the Swiss Shuffle.
Edition 20: August ’13
In the August 2013 Taxcast: we look at why development money is being invested in developing countries via tax havens and the under-reported elements of the tensions between Spain and Britain over the territory of Gibraltar. Also: tax and the environment – making the polluter pay instead of paying the polluter: the Taxcast investigates the Carbon Tax in British Columbia, Canada.
Edition 19: July ’13
In the July 2013 Taxcast: We analyse the OECD’s Action Plan it says is going to tackle corporate tax avoidance. And who needs the OECD, the G8 or the G20 anyway? The Taxcast looks at working models governments could implement NOW without any more summits: Japan introduced it’s Tax Haven Counter Measure Law in the 1970s and Mexico has a tax haven black list and the Dictamen Fiscal rule to help it hold multinational corporations to account.
Edition 18: June ’13
In the June 2013 Taxcast: ‘Coulds’ and ‘shoulds’ – but any real action? We analyse what the G8 summit did for tax justice and why some tax havens may get a competitive advantage. And, while the world waits for reform, the Taxcast looks at how some countries are finding creative ways around the current global tax system.
Edition 17: May ’13
In the May 2013 Taxcast: Google and Apple are forced to defend their tax affairs in public, how anti-EU sentiment serves offshore interests and the Taxcast looks at tax havens and the arms trade: how secrecy kills. The Lord of War makes an appearance.
