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.”
TJN has always taken a sceptical view of corporate social responsibility. Our outlook has been shaped by the view that real social and economic responsibility starts with paying the right amount of tax, to the right country, at the right time. Continue reading “Corporate social responsibility, tax avoidance, and counting spoons”
Welcome to this month’s podcast and radio programme in Spanish with Marcelo Justo and Marta Nunez, downloaded and broadcast on radio networks across Latin America and Spain. ¡Bienvenidos y bienvenidas a nuestro podcast y programa radiofonica! (abajo en castellano). This month: Continue reading “Our December 2016 Spanish language Tax Justice Podcast: Justicia ImPositiva, nuestro podcast de diciembre 2016”
The introduction of a key policy tool against multinational companies’ tax avoidance has been handled so badly that developing countries are now exposed to worse inequalities. In a new report published today, we call for immediate changes to limit the damage done. Continue reading “For rich countries only: A global map of multinationals’ tax avoidance”
On July 22nd, 2016 the French supreme constitutional court ruled on a case brought by a US American citizen resident in France who had created a trust, allegedly to distribute her inheritance. She was contesting moves by France to set up a public register of trusts connected to France in an attempt to tackle tax fraud and serious economic and financial crime[1]. So, what does this mean for transparency and tax justice? Continue reading “Beneficial Ownership and disclosure of trusts: challenging the privacy arguments”
How do you contribute meaningfully to the debate about the decisions governments make on levels of fossil fuel subsidies or tax and budgetary decisions that affect us all? And how do you prove (or disprove) that big mega-projects are a good use of taxpayer’s money? Well, part of the answer is through learning to use modelling techniques using publicly available information. Andres Knobel of the Tax Justice Network recently participated in OpenOil’s free online course on fiscal and financial modelling of extractive industries (mining, oil, etc.), which covered issues such as how to read oil and mining contracts, and the fundamentals of taxing the extractive industries. Continue reading “The importance of modelling for tax discussions: show me the numbers!”
Ahead of the publication of the results of the 2017 Financial Secrecy Index (FSI), the Tax Justice Network is reaching out to ask for your support in conducting pro-bono research. The FSI 2017 is expected to be published between October and December 2017.
Since its first publication in 2009, the FSI has become the only global ranking of ‘tax havens’, which combines measures of both the secrecy on offer and the international importance of the jurisdiction. Published every two years, the FSI has grown in global media coverage, in practical usage and, increasingly, in academic research. It helps drawing attention to the role played by large economies in the looting of developing countries by facilitating illicit financial flows.
In light of the fast pace of change in international tax and finance, TJN has done an in-depth review process of the FSI methodology which led, among other changes, to the creation of a number of new key indicators and several amendments of existing key indicators. Following these changes, some of the new indicators include research questions which require further in-depth research for each of the 111 jurisdictions we plan to assess for the FSI 2017 .
The relevant research questions focus on the following subjects: a) beneficial ownership information of assets stored in freeports and cash vaults; b) beneficial ownership registry of real estate; c)the requirement of a secondary mechanism of country by country reporting; d) transparency of cross-border tax rulings; e) transparency of both criminal and civil tax proceedings; i) the risk of prison sentences for bankers who manage money of illicit origin.
If you would like to explore any of these subjects, we would be grateful for your assistance in this regard. The research may be of specific relevance if you could combine the research topics for any thesis or research project of your own. We believe the results of this type of comparative research may be of use in an academic context and are of relevance to anyone concerned about illicit financial flows and global wealth inequality. Furthermore, the results can be used as a basis for valuable future studies and potential reports which we may be happy to either initiate or take part in.
If you are interested in any of these research areas/in supporting us, please send an email and a CV to: [email protected], no later than 15 December 2016.
As the global Anti-Corruption Conference begins in this week in Panama City, the case of Dutch citizen Okke Ornstein has hit the headlines. Okke, who lived in Panama was recently jailed on a charge of defamation. Continue reading “When free speech is criminal”
In less than a year data will start to flow under a new scheme for countries to share information automatically across borders, to help each other collect taxes from their taxpayers and fight financial crimes and abuses. The scheme is the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) which was set up by the OECD, a club dominated by rich countries. The scheme will start to deliver global automatic exchange of information from 2017. Continue reading “Switzerland and information exchange: tweak, tweak and something will always remain”
The East Africa Tax and Governance Network (EATGN) has today launched its first report on taxation and human rights in East Africa. Continue reading “Taxing Rights and Human Rights in East Africa – new report”
The impacts on gender of tax and spending decisions made by governments although important are often little understood by decision makers. As the UK government sets out its autumn statement the Women’s Budget Group is seeking to promote understanding of this issue.
The British Prime Minister today hinted that she is considering further corporate tax cuts and increases in corporate welfare after US President elect Donald Trump signaled he would seek to slash the US federal corporation tax rate to 15%. Theresa May’s speech signals a renewed commitment by her government to what it misleadingly called ‘tax competition’. In our view, the policy is an act of economic recklessness which puts the UK at the head of a global race to the bottom on corporate taxation that the world really does not need. Continue reading “Corporate Tax Wars: May tries to trump Trump in a race to the bottom”
Over the years, we’ve chronicled the tax haven denial of many secrecy jurisdictions, even building a partial list of those who have publicly claimed “We are not a tax haven!” Now, at the prompting of tax twitter (notably Mary Cosgrove and Stephanie Johnston, with honourable mentions to Aisling Donoghue, Toby Quantrill and Richard Smith), we thought we’d have a go at crowdsourcing a more full listing.
This is being done as part of the Open Data for Tax Justice project which TJN and our partners at Open Knowledge International have set up with Omidyar Network support, to which new members are always welcome (our major focus at the moment is on the creation of a public database of country-by-country reporting – on which your views are sought). Continue reading “Crowdsourcing request: “We are not a tax haven!””
Welcome to the Tax Justice Network November 2016 Podcast! In this month’s Taxcast:
– Tax Inspectors Without Borders – we look at a practical project that’s changing lives and aiming to level the global playground of tax-minimising multinational companies.
– Plus: what does new US President Trump mean for tax justice?
– And, in Trusts we trust? The French Constitutional Court upholds a challenge to France’s trailblazing public register of Trusts: what does it mean for progress on financial transparency? Continue reading “Tax Inspectors Without Borders, US President Trump and Tax Justice: our November 2016 podcast”
French activists occupy a branch of BNP Paribas to protest against that bank’s deep engagement in offshore secrecy jurisdictions. Continue reading “French activists occupy BNP Paribas to protest against offshore secrecy jurisdictions”
Yesterday the Tax Justice Network was in the UK Parliament to launch a report it co-produced with the Public and Commercial Services Union. The report, entitled “HMRC, Building an Uncertain Future” is a study of HMRC’s (the UK tax authority) reform plans which it is calling “Building our Future”.
The report published yesterday analysed the proposed reforms at HMRC by looking at the history of the department’s reform programmes and using a survey of 2000 HMRC staff who are members of the PCS Union. Although the report only deals with the UK tax authority, the findings may seem familiar to many tax authorities around the world who have faced austerity drives in recent years. In this article report author George Turner sets out some the issues.
Continue reading “New Report: HMRC’s “Building our Future” programme”
YOU ARE INVITED TO
A one-day conference
Max. 120 participants
Bibliothèque Royale, Brussels
The public interest is not being properly represented in banking and finance: eight years after Lehman Brothers collapsed, the EU’s economy is weak and the banking system remains a threat to financial stability. In response, Finance Watch began a research project in 2015 to investigate why the public interest has been so under-represented in banking and to identify possible improvements. The two-year project invited civil society and academics to participate and contribute to the research.
The conference will present the results of this research – including policy recommendations – while providing an opportunity for its contributors and others to continue the conversation and to strengthen the network of civil society organisations and academics working on the subject.
This one-day event combines plenary sessions with 8 parallel sessions, allowing the participants to explore the multiple dimensions and possible answers to the questions raised.
MORNING:
9AM | Opening
9:20AM | Introduction on the project and the conference
10AM | Panel discussion on how a simplified, more open and inclusive regulatory process can improve participation and deliver better outcomes in terms of public interest representation?
Panellists:
– Eric Ducoulombier, European Commission, DG FISMA
– Monique Goyens, BEUC
– Daniel Mügge, University of Amsterdam
– Ella Sjödin, Nordic Financial Unions
– Magda Tancau, EAPN and FESSUD
– Myriam Vander Stichele, SOMO
11:30AM | Interview on stakeholder banking:
What are the criteria and recipe for success? How to influence banks actions and foster the participation of the public?
With:
– Christine Berry, New Economics Foundation
– Rym Ayadi, International Research Centre on Cooperative Finance
12AM | Keynote speech by John Christensen, Founder and President of the Tax Justice Network:
Building up a movement and influencing policies on a complex and technical issue: learning from the international tax campaigns
AFTERNOON:
2PM | 1st series of parallel sessions: short presentations followed by discussions with participants
> Participation in banking regulation: CSO strategies
S. Pagliari, City University; F. Lemaire, University Paris XIII
> Banks facing societal issues: Investing in the transition
D. Korslund, GABV; S. Hierzig, Share Action
> The future of bailed-out banks: a citizens’ perspective
F. Travers-Smith, Move your Money; L. Deruytter, Fairfin (tbc)
> Citizens’ Dashboard of Finance
G. Porino, Finance Watch; W. Kalinowsky, Veblen Institute
3PM | 2nd series of parallel sessions: short presentations followed by discussions with participants
> Almost all of us are banking clients: consumers’ interest representations
A. Fily, BEUC; Lisa Karstner, Sciences Po Paris
> Learning from German stakeholder bank
C. Scherrer, Kassel University; L. Regneri, Ver.di (tbc)
> Communication, pedagogy: how to talk about money and finance
M. Nichols, Meteos; M. Thiemanns, Goethe University Frankfurt (tbc)
> Building coalitions on finance and tax: lessons from the FTT campaigns and an overview
P. Wahl, Weed; T. Fazi, ISI Growth
4PM | Stakeholders debate: What to do next? Panel discussion on key actions to be taken to improve the representation of the public interest in banking
Panellists:
– Sven Giegold, Member of the European Parliament
– Hakan Lucius, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Transparency and Civil Society Division at the European Investment Bank
– Andreas Botsch,The German Trade Union Confederation, DGB
– Wim Mijs, European Banking Federation
– Anne Van Schaik, Friends of the Earth Europe
5PM | Closing speech and cocktail reception
Register here
Welcome to this month’s podcast and radio programme in Spanish with Marcelo Justo and Marta Nunez, downloaded and broadcast on radio networks across Latin America and Spain. ¡Bienvenidos y bienvenidas a nuestro podcast y programa radiofonica! (abajo en castellano). This month: Continue reading “Our November 2016 Spanish language Tax Justice Podcast: Justicia ImPositiva, nuestro podcast de noviembre 2016”
John Christensen
After 13 years, our founding executive director John Christensen is stepping down. We’re delighted that John will stay on and become our new board chair. And I (Alex Cobham) am honoured to accept the role of chief executive at TJN.
Since I took up the post of Director of Research at the start of last year, I’ve had the chance to look back and think about the achievements so far of John and the network. In changing the political weather on these issues, those achievements are nothing short of extraordinary.
Alex Cobham
Behind the success of this radical agenda has been the use of high quality research and excellent communications to take clear, innovative solutions into the policy mainstream. The piece below sets out some of the dramatic changes that have taken place, some of the ways that John and TJN have achieved this, and a hint of the work that’s to come. (John would never be so immodest, incidentally – but please forgive me, because the achievements are far from modest.)
EU governments are very close to agreeing the criteria for the EU tax haven blacklist, expected to be finalised around September 2017 so the list can be endorsed by the end of 2017. Continue reading “EU decides criteria for inclusion on tax haven blacklist: without fear or favour?”
This blog comes from Johannesburg, South Africa, where investigative journalists from 28 countries are sharing their work at the African Investigative Journalism Conference. One session looked at stories dug out from the Panama Papers leak from offshore law firm Mossack Fonseca and investigations which have revealed a colourful mix of characters involved in looting Africa. Continue reading “Panama Papers: the role of Western secrecy jurisdictions in looting Africa”