A report prepared by the staff the of the Joint Committee on Taxation for a public hearing held on 22 July 2010 before the House Committee on Ways and Means includes six case studies of companies that reported effective tax rates at least 10 percentage points lower than the U.S. statutory rate for a period of years, along with large gaps between the countries in which they reported sales and the countries in which they reported earnings.
A new Business Against Tax Havens report, ‘Unfair Advantage: The Business Case Against Overseas Tax Havens,’ looks at the unfair advantages that large companies have as a result of tax evasion and the amount of revenue lost in tax havens. The report puts forth nine policy recommendations, which include banning offshore corporations and repealing the 80/20 rule.
Johannesburg – The Africa Progress Report launched today by the Africa Progress Panel (APP) states that African leaders need to boost “political determination and capacity to use what revenues they have to achieve results for people”.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—A May 2010 report from Global Financial Integrity (GFI) examines where trillions of dollars in illicit finances—the proceeds of crime, corruption, and tax evasion—are being deposited.
LONDON—A May 2010 report from Christian Aid, Blowing the Whistle: Time’s Up for Financial Secrecy, reveals how the same tax-haven secrecy that allows football club owners to hide their business practices – and even their identities – is also facilitating massive tax dodging in developing countries.
By Richard Murphy — Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) are state owned companies located in European countries that invest their capital in developing countries for the express purpose of advancing development in those places by promoting investment in local business. In this respect their activities can be compared to that of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and International Finance Corporation (IFC) – a part of the World Bank. All these institutions are closely related in the way they operate, including the use of tax havens in their investment operations or those of their beneficiaries. Therefore, the concerns raised and proposals addressed to DFIs in this paper are also applicable to the other two institutions.
Washington — A new report released today from Global Financial Integrity (GFI) on private, non-resident deposits in secrecy jurisdictions finds that the United States, United Kingdom, and the Cayman Islands are the most popular destinations for financial deposits by non-residents. Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Hong Kong also make the top 10 list of destinations.
Washington, DC — Developing country treasuries are losing approximately $100 billion dollars every year due to trade mispricing, according to a new report available today from Global Financial Integrity (GFI).
A new Global Witness report, ‘The Secret Life of a Shopaholic: How an African dictator’s playboy son went on a multi-million dollar shopping spree in the US’, strongly suggests that Teodorin Obiang, son of the dictator of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, purchased a $33 million private jet, a $35 million Malibu mansion, speedboats and a fleet of fast cars using corruptly acquired funds. The report goes on to explain how, despite the ample evidence against him, the investigation is going nowhere and Teodorin continues to be allowed into the U.S.
Transparency International’s 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). The CPI, released annually since 1995, aims to quantify corruption by measuring the perceived level of public-sector corruption over 180 jurisdictions worldwide.
The final report of Michael Foot’s Review of the opportunities and challenges facing the British Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey) and six Overseas Territories (Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Turks and Caicos Islands) was published on 29 October. The recommendations made to these jurisdictions cover: the quality and extent of economic planning; meeting international standards on tax transparency, financial sector regulation, and tackling financial crime; ensuring that deposit protection schemes can be understood by depositors; considering whether an Ombudsman scheme is justified; and crisis prevention and resolution measures.
“Economic Transparency: Curtailing the Shadow Financial System” provides an overview of the work that the Task Force is doing. From laying out the framework of our mission, to detailing the specifics of each priority, this document is an excellent all in one resource.
The private sector plays a pivotal role in fighting corruption worldwide. Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report 2009 documents in unique detail the many corruption risks for businesses, ranging from small entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa to multinationals from Europe and North America. More than 75 experts examine the scale, scope and devastating consequences of a wide range of corruption issues, including bribery and policy capture, corporate fraud, cartels, corruption in supply chains and transnational transactions, emerging challenges for carbon trading markets, sovereign wealth funds and, growing economic centres, such as Brazil, China and India.
A new briefing paper, titled “The Links Between Tax Evasion and Corruption: How the G20 Should Tackle Illicit Financial Flows,” sent to the G20 from Christian Aid, Global Financial Integrity, Global Witness, and Tax Justice Network highlights what the G20 should do to address illicit financial flows.
A major report on the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) published by Leprosy Mission Ireland and launched by Minister Peter Power, Minister of State with responsibility for Overseas Aid calls for radical new thinking on development and aid with several recommendations to address the failure of the MDGs.
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