Brett Robson, Global Photographics, Creative Commons
A few days ago we were delighted to read an article about the enormously influential UK band One Direction, which began like this.
“George Osborne [the UK Chancellor] can expect a bombardment from One Direction fans after the boyband urged its army of followers to lobby the Chancellor to maintain the UK’s international aid budget and crack down on corporate tax avoidance. Continue reading “One Direction get tax justice. Or do they?”
From a book review in The Economist:
“(the author) cites Thomas Kuhn’s theory of scientific revolutions. First, the existing models are proved wrong by the facts. Second, the experts try to adjust the theory to account for the anomalies, leading to ever-greater complexity. Third, a new theory is put forward that throws away the existing framework. Fourth, the theory is attacked by the experts as being incompatible with the existing model. Finally, younger, more open-minded scientists accept the new theory and it becomes the consensus.” Continue reading “Scientific revolutions and the tax justice consensus”
Source: Walt McDougall, New York World, Oct 30, 1884.
From Shifting Grounds, our quote of the day:
“New political eras begin when the ideas that define them are embraced by those most reluctant to accept their logic.”
The quote is about inequality – but it could just as well be about tax justice. Continue reading “Quote of the day: inequality”
A month ago we published a short, quick reaction to a new report by the OECD, outlining the nuts and bolts of a major new international system for information exchange. We have now spent quite some time exploring the OECD’s report, and have written a much more detailed response.
Our new report is entitled OECD’s Automatic Information Exchange Standard: A watershed moment for fighting offshore tax evasion ?.
This is slightly updated version of a blog we wrote a while ago: a useful reminder of the theatre of probity that tax havens employ to try and appear clean.
This blogger used to live in South Africa, not long after the end of Apartheid, where one of the common refrains he heard was “I am not a racist, but . . . ” – usually followed by an ugly tirade, demonstrating exactly the opposite proposition.
The point of this little story is not to put down the tremendous strides that South Africa has taken in terms of national reconciliation. The point is to draw attention to a similar turn of phrase: “We are not a tax haven, but . . .” Continue reading ““We are not a tax haven.” They all say that”
A while ago we wrote about efforts by French regions and councils to take action against tax havens. Other initiatives, elsewhere, have been bubbling up too. Now, from the newly created Tax Haven Free, an international network to encourage local governments to cut out tax havens from their operations Continue reading “Tax Haven Free: new international network for tax haven free local governments”
International Tax Review has just published an exclusive interview
with the OECD’s Pascal Saint Amans concerning our new report on the proposals for a new international standard for automatic information exchange. Continue reading “Exclusive interview with OECD on TJN’s report on AIE proposals”
Barclays bank has a long and not entirely honourable track record of involvement in Africa. Continue reading “Barclays: Behave!”
From the Bureau of Investigative Journalism:
“The US government makes vast interest payments to technology giants including Apple and Microsoft on the billions of dollars they shelter from tax offshore.
A trawl of Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosures shows that Apple, Microsoft, Google and Cisco Systems hold $163 billion in US government debt, earning these companies substantial sums in interest. Continue reading “Report: US government’s vast interest payments to tech giants on their offshore billions”
We have just issued a series of tweets and Facebook entries containing past editions of Tax Justice Focus. This was deliberate: we are creating a new Tax Justice App, and we had to republish each edition to inject it into the app. Each post gets tweeted and added to Facebook automatically.
Apologies for clogging up your Twitter feed and Facebook pages.
Normal service will now resume.
Tax Justice Focus, Sept 2013 – The Finance Curse edition
In partnership with Open Democracy
With a letter from Cyprus, an analysis of FATCA, and a book review.
Tax Justice Focus, May 2013 – The Mythbusters edition.
Tax Justice Focus, Volume 7, Number 3 – the TRANSFER PRICING edition.
Nov 7, 2012.
The latest edition of TJN’s quarterly newsletter, Tax Justice Focus, is available here. Continue reading “2012 – The Transfer Pricing edition”
Tax Justice Focus, Volume 7, Number 2 – the INEQUALITY edition.
July 26, 2012
Download the Inequality edition of Tax Justice Focus here. Continue reading “2012 – The Inequality edition”
Tax Justice Focus, Volume 7, Number 1 – The OCCUPY edition.
23 April 2012
The Occupy edition – click here. Continue reading “2012 – The Occupy edition”
Tax Justice Focus, Volume 6, Number 2 – The SWITZERLAND edition.
October 5th, 2010
The Switzerland edition – click here Continue reading “2010 – The Switzerland edition”
Tax Justice Focus, Volume 6, Number 1 – The NATURAL RENTS edition.
May 25th, 2010
The Natural Rents edition – click here
The latest edition of Tax Justice Focus explores the issue of taxing natural rents. Continue reading “2010 – The Natural Rents edition”
Tax Justice Focus, Volume 5, Number 2 – The JUSTICE edition.
From Paul Sagar, guest editor
January 14th, 2010
The Justice Edition – click here.
Welcome to a special edition on the theme of tax justice and political philosophy. Continue reading “2010 – The Justice Edition”
Tax Justice Focus – THE LATIN AMERICA EDITION
From Matti Kohonen, guest editor
September 6th, 2009
The Latin America Edition – click here
This is a special edition of Tax Justice Focus, with Latin America as its main theme. Continue reading “2009 – The Latin America edition”
Tax Justice Focus – THE NEXT STEPS EDITION
From the Editors
January 2009
The Next Steps Edition – click here
This is a special edition of Tax Justice Focus looking at the tumultuous events of the last year, and looking forward to next steps in a fast-changing world and a deepening global economic crisis. It is edited by Nicholas Shaxson and John Christensen. Continue reading “2009 – The Next Steps edition”
Tax Justice Focus – THE RESEARCH EDITION
From the Editors
July 18th, 2008
The Research Edition – click here Continue reading “2008 – The Research edition”