Page 103 – Tax Justice Network

Automatic info exchange: will Europe’s spoilers soon play ball?

Recently we explored the welcome (if imperfect) news that the OECD had presented its report on a new global standard for countries and tax havens to exchange information with each other automatically: a brand new tool for fighting tax evasion. And a few days ago we reported on a European parliamentary vote to create public registries of companies and trusts in the EU.

Now, from Tax-News.com:

“European Union Tax Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta has confirmed that an agreement on plans to revise the European Union (EU) Savings Tax Directive is expected in March. Continue reading “Automatic info exchange: will Europe’s spoilers soon play ball?” →

The Trans Pacific Partnership, economists, bozos and bamboozlement

We’ve been sent a nice cartoon about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement – which, while not an issue we’re working on directly, is interesting. Continue reading “The Trans Pacific Partnership, economists, bozos and bamboozlement” →

New report: Growth in Africa fails to curb soaring inequality

From TJN-Africa and Christian Aid:

February 24 2014

GROWTH IN AFRICA FAILS TO CURB SOARING INEQUALITY, SAYS NEW REPORT

Unprecedented economic growth in a number of African countries is going hand in hand with soaring inequality, which national tax systems are failing to address, according to a new report.

Continue reading “New report: Growth in Africa fails to curb soaring inequality” →

The Fair Tax Mark – coming to the UK

Richard Murphy and Ethical Consumer today launch the Fair Tax Mark:

“The world’s first independent accreditation scheme to address the issue of responsible tax.”

Continue reading “The Fair Tax Mark – coming to the UK” →

European Parliament votes to end anonymous shell companies

From Global Witness, via email:

European Parliament votes to end anonymous shell companies Continue reading “European Parliament votes to end anonymous shell companies” →

The February Taxcast: Bahamas and more

In the February 2014 Taxcast: Are European tax havens getting ‘illegal state subsidies’? The European Union’s Competition Commissioner thinks they may be. 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! Continue reading “The February Taxcast: Bahamas and more” →

Foreign investment – smaller than you might believe

From Jesse Griffiths, Eurodad, with permission.

Foreign investment – much smaller than you might believe

You may have seen that foreign direct investment (FDI) was judged last month to have finally regained pre-crisis levels, and that a record percentage of all FDI – 52% – went to developing countries in 2013. The UN’s figures say $759 billion of new investment flowed into developing countries in 2013, right? Well, no actually they say nothing of the sort, but it requires a bit of digging to understand why. Continue reading “Foreign investment – smaller than you might believe” →

Australian tax office forced to pay Murdoch $880m over offshore scheme

Author: Monika Flueckiger, World Economic Forum. Creative Commons

From the Brisbane Times:

“An $880 million payout to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation has reignited the debate over whether global companies pay their fair share of tax in Australia. Continue reading “Australian tax office forced to pay Murdoch $880m over offshore scheme” →

Swiss “Rubik” secrecy deal – let’s make sure those nails stay in that coffin

Image credit: Davidd, flicker. Creative Commons

Image credit: Davidd, via Flickr. Creative Commons

A nice article from the UK’s Independent newspaper:

“On Tuesday I had breakfast with a top team from the Swiss Bankers Association, who talked about what had happened since the signing of an agreement with Britain
Continue reading “Swiss “Rubik” secrecy deal – let’s make sure those nails stay in that coffin” →

The UK Gold film: now available online

From Brass Moustache productions:

“Where is the gold buried when crisis is looming and society begins to demand its share?
With eloquence and polite mutual support, the British business establishment elegantly winds its way out of society’s demands of accountability and community, and vast amounts of money are diverted away from the state coffers through a net of confusing transactions, Caribbean tax havens and a shelter of bureaucracy. All wrapped up in the “Union Jack”.” Continue reading “The UK Gold film: now available online” →

Swiss reject OECD’s new transparency project

“Are we Swiss all criminals?” The poster asks. No. But many Swiss bankers are.

Switzerland, it seems, has rejected the OECD’s new project on automatic information exchange, out of hand.

Continue reading “Swiss reject OECD’s new transparency project” →

Tax Justice Focus – now fully available

We have finally completed the full upload to our website of all our past editions of Tax Justice Focus, our inaugural newsletter.

Please take a look.

New TJN briefing: OECD’s BEPS project for developing countries

TJN is pleased to publish a new briefing paper looking at the implications for developing countries of the OECD’s widely referenced Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project, which is designed to find ways to tackle the deficiencies in the international tax system. It is available in English and Spanish. Continue reading “New TJN briefing: OECD’s BEPS project for developing countries” →

Should donors boost aid to Pakistan if it won’t tax its élites?

The U.S.-based Tax Analysts has just published a fascinating article with the bland title Should Donor Countries Push Tax Reform? The answer, we think, is generally ‘yes’ – though it depends, of course, what we mean by ‘reform.’ The article notes: Continue reading “Should donors boost aid to Pakistan if it won’t tax its élites?” →

France’s CAC 40: over 1500 tax haven affiliates

France 2 explores the report yesterday

From Le Monde:

“The corporations in the CAC 40 [France’s benchmark stock exchange index of the 40 biggest French stocks] have over 1,500 affiliates in tax havens, according to a study published on Thursday by the journal Project . . . cross-checked with authoritative studies data (the work of the Tax Justice Network Association in particular) and the most recent list of tax havens of the [OECD] Global Forum on Transparency.”
. . .
Its authors estimate that, according to their research, ‘their presence in tax havens has not diminished since 2009.”

Read the study, conducted in partnership with the plateforme paradis fiscaux et judiciaries here (in French.) See further coverage in L’expansion, Mediapart, and on France 2 television.

Hat tip: Mathilde Dupré.

BVI tax haven floats 20 years in prison for whistleblowers

From the ICIJ:

“The British Virgin Islands have never been accused of taking financial secrecy lightly. But last week, members of the BVI legislature took a step toward raising the territory’s noted secrecy protections to new heights. Continue reading “BVI tax haven floats 20 years in prison for whistleblowers” →

TJN responds to new OECD report on automatic information exchange

PRESS RELEASE

New OECD report on automatic information exchange: will developing countries be left out?

Continue reading “TJN responds to new OECD report on automatic information exchange” →

Your tax cuts at work

British prime minister David Cameron has announced that money is no object when it comes to tackling the floods now inundating towns to the west of London. Continue reading “Your tax cuts at work” →

Number Renouncing US Citizenship rose 221% in 2013, in tax panic

That headline is at least what this contributor would have you take away from his latest column in Forbes. And of course the article speculates that it’s all about tax, tax, and tax Continue reading “Number Renouncing US Citizenship rose 221% in 2013, in tax panic” →

London, the Great Sucking Sound, and the Finance Curse

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]From Aditya Chakrabortty in the UK’s Guardian newspaper: some statistics that are classics of the “Finance Curse” analysis – where an oversized financial centre begins to weigh on the rest of an economy, rather than to support it. Continue reading “London, the Great Sucking Sound, and the Finance Curse” →

Why should tax havens insist on ‘reciprocity’ from poor countries?

One of the many devious ploys used by the Swiss financial centre to protect its often illicit gains is to insist on ‘reciprocity’ in the exchange of information. Along the lines of: “If we’re going to share information with Nigeria, then they should share the same kind of information with us!” Continue reading “Why should tax havens insist on ‘reciprocity’ from poor countries?” →

How Inequality Became THE Issue – Five Years of The Spirit Level

From the Equality Trust:

How Inequality Became THE Issue – Five Years of The Spirit Level

Continue reading “How Inequality Became THE Issue – Five Years of The Spirit Level” →

Thank you!