I spoke at the meeting calling for tax justice in London this evening, supported by a wide range of organisations. This is what I said:
We have already heard this evening of the need for tax justice for a great many people who live in this country. I wholeheartedly agree with what has been said. But [...]
UBS is fighting for its survival, not just in the US, but quite possibly around the world following the exposure of the corporate corruption at the heart of its tax practise in the USA. But in the Observer today a senior UBS official is quoted as saying:
It does look bad. Everyone is pretty upset.
The Swiss [...]
I’ve had a first quick look at the World Wealth Report for 2008, published this week. The headlines are:
• 10.1 million individuals worldwide held at least US$1 million in financial assets, an increase of 6.0% over 2006• Global HNWI wealth totaled US$40.7 trillion, a 9.4% gain from 2006, with average HNWI wealth surpassing US$4 million [...]
Accountancy Age has reported the response of Gibraltar’s Chief Minister to last year’s National Audit Office report. I am amused that it has taken him six months to notice its existence, but am much less amused by his comments. He said:
There’s no lack of capacity either for receiving [or investigating] reports. There’s no shortage of [...]
Terry Cook - the newly appointed President of the Association of Revenue and Customs (ARC) - has called for increased resources to counter the threat of highly experienced staff being lost to the private sector and to enhance the counter tax evasion work of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). ARC is the union representing senior [...]
The Telegraph has reported that:
A row has broken out between the Channel Islands and the European Union over a decision to leave the tax havens off a ‘white list’ of countries deemed to have satisfactory controls against money-laundering.
Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man have been placed by the EU on an ‘intermediate’ list of [...]
I’m still struggling to believe that anyone could as blatantly promote tax evasion Konrad Hummler, a partner in Wegelin & Co., did when saying this to Der Spiegel:
German tax evasion is a legitimate defense by citizens attempting to “partially escape the current grasp of the administrators of a disastrous social welfare state and its fiscal [...]
The Swiss Private Banker’s Association has looked at the consequences of making tax evasion a criminal offence in Switzerland (where it does not have that status at present) and has found that after asking someone they call a highly regarded expert on the subject - Professor Xavier Oberson, of Geneva University that the change:
would lead [...]
Transparency International, India, issued this press release today. I think it worth reproducing in full:
Transparency International, India is concerned over the attitude of the Indian Government in seeking information from the German Government about millions of dollars of un-accounted-for money, belonging to the people of India, lying in Liechtenstein, a small country near Germany.
The Indian [...]
Cayman NetNews has published another of its stunning editorials, this time in response to the Christian Aid report.
Please do read it in full: it’s well worth it. So much so I’m tempted to reproduce it in full, but I won’t, restricting myself instead to the part in which they note Cayman’s reaction to the challenge [...]
