Tax Justice Network in Global Top Tax 50

The Tax Justice Network has been recognised once again as being among the top fifty global organisations influencing geopolitical tax policy matters in 2016.  According to International Tax Review: “Global tax transparency advances in 2016 have been influenced by TJN’s efforts and some of its biggest campaigns to date have earned it a place in the Global Top 50.”

In their article on TJN, ITR singles out our work, in partnership with human rights organisations around the world, in successfully bringing Switzerland to task for failing to ensure that its secrecy laws and corporate tax regime does not harmfully spillover to other countries, undermining their ability to finance their human rights commitments.

ITR also highlights TJN’s focus on the political dynamics of the race-to-the-bottom on tax and social / economic protection.

European Union Competition Commissioner Margarethe Vestager tops the Global Top 50 for her work on the landmark decision on state aid in the case of Apple Corporation’s special tax rulings with Ireland.

We’re also very pleased to see former PriceWaterhouseCoopers employees, whistleblowers and tax justice heroes Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet ranked number 6 by the International Tax Review for their immense contribution to the tax debate, at great personal cost. It’s not over for the Lux Leaks whistleblowers yet. They were back in court in Luxembourg this week appealing against their twelve-month and nine-month suspended sentences. The Luxembourg preosecutor has also appealed, but for different reasons. He wants tougher sentences. As the journalist who helped expose secret tax rulings between the Luxembourg tax authorities and multinational companies Eduard Perrin told Le Monde the case is evidence of

“a desperate lack of legislation protecting whistleblowers in Europe. The court recognised Antoine Deltour and Raphaël Halet as whistleblowers in June, and still failed to protect them. This trial is a warning to journalists and whistleblowers.”

Read the full ITR article on TJN’s work here.  The full list of the Global Top 50 is here.