Out to dinner last night and someone asked me what success would look like in my work. Now, he's doing an MBA and I know this is a cult question on such courses, but it's also a challenge. So I offered these:

1) An end to aid dependency in developing countries because they are able to meet the needs of their populations from resources that their own elected governments can raise from transparent taxation of thriving economies;

2) An assumption that transparency is the norm for all business transactions and all entities created under statute law (companies, charities, limited liability partnerships, trusts, foundations and all the variations on this theme, plus material private entities and partnerships) disclose their ownership, constitution and accounts on free access public record;

3) The ending of 'secret spaces', be they created by tax havens, or as subsidiaries hidden within groups, or behind trusts, nominees and other such arrangements;

4) International tax cooperation in pursuit of corruption (tax evasion) and anti-democratic activity (tax avoidance) is the norm in all territories;

5) Progressive taxation so that each contributes to society according to their capacity to pay.

No doubt I could refine this list. But I'd accept these for 2007.