
Nick Shaxson ■ Quote of the day: Panama

A quote about the tax haven of Panama:
“The country is filled with dishonest lawyers, dishonest bankers, dishonest company formation agents and dishonest companies. The Free Trade Zone is the black hole through which Panama has become one of the filthiest money laundering sinks in the world.”
– An anonymous U.S. customs official, quoted in Jeffrey Robinson’s book The Sink
They deny being a tax haven, of course: tax havens always do. But if you’re in any doubt, here’s a useful laundry list of the kinds of stuff that Panama is up to.
More on this filthy subject fairly soon.
Related articles

Indicator deep dive: ‘patent box regimes’

Two negotiations, One crisis: COP30 and the UN tax convention must finally speak to each other

‘Illicit financial flows as a definition is the elephant in the room’ — India at the UN tax negotiations

Taxation as Climate Reparations: Who Should Pay for the Crisis?

UN tax convention hub

Tackling Profit Shifting in the Oil and Gas Sector for a Just Transition
The State of Tax Justice 2025

Follow the money: Rethinking geographical risk assessment in money laundering

Democracy, Natural Resources, and the use of Tax Havens by Firms in Emerging Markets

