How Luxembourg has become a black hole of global finance Mediapart (In French)

Shows the Captured State in action, as described in our Finance Curse document. Luxembourg is ranked in second position on the 2013 Financial Secrecy Index.

Swiss banks sign up for US tax programme swissinfo

Why does Italy’s Google Tax matter? Tax Research UK

Ireland: Firms ‘use offshore trusts to pay huge bonuses’ Independent

Latest update: Release Of Offshore Records Draws Worldwide Response ICIJ

In No One We Trust The New York Times

Joe Stiglitz comments on how trust in society and the economy is becoming a casualty of staggering inequality.

U.S.: Ultra-Wealthy Dodge Billions in Taxes Using “GRAT” Loophole Citizens for Tax Justice

Hungary tax whistleblower: ‘People who expose corruption have to be afraid’ euronews

Corporate tax reform and the biggest tech tax havens FInFact

Transparency for fund directorships: It’s already here Cayman Financial Review

Views on the scenario where “… about half the world’s independent directorships are held by just over 230 Cayman-based individuals – that is to say less than 10 percent of worldwide directors accounting for the oversight of 3,200 funds with trillions of dollars managed by over 1,000 different investment advisors.”

Court bans US businesswoman from Cayman trip Compass Cayman

UK think tank: Bermuda still a tax haven Bermuda Sun

End of year gift to readers: OECD FATF country ratings as an excel file Financial Secrecy Media Monitor

EU leaders postpone action on tax and transparency Eurodad

Singapore Fights Image As Swiss Banker of Asia Menafn

Cites TJN director John Christensen. Singapore is ranked at fifth position on the 2013 Financial Secrecy Index.

Swiss banks Lombard Odier and VP Bank sign up to U.S. tax deal Reuters

See also: Swiss Banks Pressure U.S. Clients The Wall Street Journal (paywall), Swiss banks sign up to reveal hidden accounts as US deadline looms Channel News Asia, and Swiss regulator recommends banks take provisions for U.S. tax deal Reuters

End Tax Write-Offs For Wrongdoing U.S. PIRG

Li Ka-shing’s British power firm UKPN under fire over alleged tax avoidance South China Morning Post

UK Power Networks (UKPN) is alleged to have avoided an estimated £38 million (HK$485 million) in British taxes over the past three years by paying £164.4 million via the Cayman Islands to firms controlled by Li, Asia’s richest man.

Moguls Rent South Dakota Addresses to Shelter Wealth Forever Bloomberg

See also: How South Dakota became the “Bermuda of the prairie” Quartz

Bulgarian Parliament Bans Offshore Firms From 28 Activities Novinite

Tax crackdown reaping rewards in China South China Morning Post

Kazakhstan Signs OECD Multilateral Tax Convention Tax-News

Italy delays “Google tax” until July, OKs funds for business, welfare Reuters

See also: Italy Approves ‘Google Tax’ on Internet Companies Bloomberg, and France to extend “culture tax” to Google as Italy delays “Google tax” SlashGear

France to remove Jersey, Bermuda from tax-haven blacklist Reuters

Israel Taking Steps Against New Immigrants Hiding Assets: Taxes Bloomberg Businessweek

India, US preparing framework to solve tax feuds involving MNCs like IBM, Oracle and Microsoft The Economic Times

Taxing time for corporates in India Financial Times (paywall)

See also: Vodafone, India In New Tax Row Tax-News

India: Cyprus may no longer be a tax haven for funds The Economic Times

Mauritius puts curbs on tax avoidance, round tripping Deccan Chronicle

Top 12 Business Stories 2013: Tax Avoidance and Evasion Crackdown International Business Times

Faceless offshore funds and the mafia – funding football’s have-nots Inside World Football

Corrupt money hides in Dubai, officials turn blind eye – Eva Joly Thomson Reuters

UAE (Dubai) is ranked at 16th position on the 2013 Financial Secrecy Index.

Austria’s outspoken finance minister replaced Financial Times (paywall)

The Austrian Ostritch has been ostracised. See also: Austria’s Coalition Accord Sets Out AEI Tax Stance Tax-News, and recent blog Austria, Luxembourg continue to defend dirty money, undermine EU

Budget deal a victory for oil payment transparency Oxfam

What our leaders promised us for Christmas Eurodad

On EU leaders and tax justice promises.

Wealth magnet Singapore challenges private banks swissinfo

See also: Standard Chartered says private bank client statements stolen in Singapore Reuters

Swiss agree to EU savings tax talks swissinfo

See also reported in swissinfo:

Corporate tax reforms to go out to consultation

Swiss hold on to Egyptian and Tunisian funds

UBS funding casts doubt on university independence

United States: A Race To Disclose Secret Offshore Accounts: New Justice Department Program Pits Swiss Banks Against Their U.S. Accountholders mondaq

See also: US Treasury signs anti-tax evasion pacts with six jurisdictions Reuters

Cayman news: corruption accounts for more suspicious activity reports; company registrations “robust” Financial Secrecy Media Monitor

India losing patience with Cyprus on tax pact Cyprus Mail

Insight: The Great British tax giveaway Reuters

UK: Tax avoidance: a capital idea! Private Eye

Private Eye’s superb dig into French-domiciled owner of Daily Mail, Lord Rothermere. Via BVI, Bermuda, Switzerland, Jersey.

UK: The complex tax lives of our foreign millionaires The Independent

Vodafone: an exercise in wildly missing the mark with selective tax PR Tax Research UK

European Commission opens tax probe on Spanish football clubs euobserver

The BEPS Monitoring Group – Submission to OECD on The Digital Economy

It’s Official: From Today, Panama is no longer a Tax Haven Wealth Report
They all claim not to be tax havens, of course. Fascinating report, though: worth a full read, revealing some important elements of how the world of shell companies and secrecy jurisdictions operates. See also: New Panama Law, Quickly Repealed, Makes Panama Dangerous for Business Gold$eek

The Exciting New Trend In Citizenship Programs Wealth Report
On the disturbing rise of “citizenship by investment”. See also: A quick guide to buying St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship (residence not required) Financial Secrecy Media Monitor

Proof that offshore banking is the key to embezzling billions Quartz
On the dramatic tale reported in Billions Vanish in Kazakh Banking Scandal The Wall Street Journal

Latest update: Release Of Offshore Records Draws Worldwide Response ICIJ

Ex-UBS chairman slams ‘brutal’ US swissinfo. Well, if you’re going to attack another country’s tax system, then expect consequences. Especially if it’s a big and powerful country.

Liechtenstein bank closes its Swiss business Bilan (In French)

Rich Chinese hold the key to Asian growth for Swiss bank South China Morning Post
Lombard Odier’s Asia head explains, “More and more Chinese have offshore assets and we are good at helping them manage these assets as Hong Kong is positioned clearly as a hub for offshore wealth”.

Canada Revenue Agency looking to cut auditors despite rise in tax-haven cases Financial Post

Vodafone Agrees To Meet Indian Finance Ministry Officials Tax-News

U.S.: Five Tax Trends to Watch in 2014 Forbes

Bringing International Tax Rules Into the 21st Century Huffington Post
By Pascal Saint-Amans, Director of the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy and Administration