The Irish rocker Bono is unhappy about being criticised for moving his tax affairs (along with those of his fellow band members) to the Netherlands
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I’ve noted this: The EU Commission has today confirmed proposals which would exempt businesses from financial reporting rules, if they meet two of the following
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These are my links for February 25th through February 26th:

• Dan Roberts: RBS: nationalisation in all but name | – When it walks like a dying duck and quacks like a dying duck, it's time to hand around the orange sauce. In the case of Royal Bank of Scotland, the latest rescue plan cooked up by the government this morning has the distinctive charred smell of full nationalisation.

  The lengths that ministers have gone to to avoid facing this harsh reality are extraordinary. A whole new class of funny money has been invented to disguise the fact that the taxpayer is close to owning 95% of RBS and has virtually open-ended exposure to all its worst liabilities

• Tax Justice Network: Dear Evan Davis – are journalists doing enough to warn people of impending problems? – Up to the challenge Evan?
• FT.com / Companies / Banks – Luxembourg attacks UBS over Madoff fund – One thing that causes me a lot of pleasure is tax havens blaming each other's lax regulation

  It's always nice when they make my case for me

• FT.com / UK / Business – State to insure £300bn of RBS assets – And still we say it's not under state control

  Come on – let's be open, transparent and honest. Isn't that the mood of the moment?

  RBS is nationalised.

  Now let's treat it as such – and close down its tax haven operations for starters

• Larry Elliott: Japan's trade figures signal depression | – "Anybody who doubts that the global economy is facing its most serious downturn since the 1930s should take a squint at the latest trade figures from Japan. Exports in January were 46% lower in January than they were a year ago – a phenomenal drop for a country that is so heavily dependent on sales of its industrial products overseas."

  It's going to be a long time before that fat lady sings

I draw attention to the previous post. And then I’ll mention that I was on BBC Radio Jersey this morning – the second time in
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INVITATION TO A PUBLIC SEMINARon Thursday 12th March, 2009 – 6,45pmLOCATION: St. Paul’s Centre, Dumaresq Street, St. Helier (Upper Hall), JerseyOffshore financial centres: past, present,
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One of the commentators on my article in Comment is Free today said: I haven’t paid much attention to the UBS case. Clearly if they
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U2 have reacted to yesterday’s criticisms of their tax affairs, reported here many times in the last day. The Belfast Telegraph has reported that: On
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I have an article on Comment is Free at the Guardian today: One of the most basic objectives of regulation in the financial services sector
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Richard Baron, head of taxation at the Institute of Directors, gets idiot of the day award. He told Accountancy Age: I don’t think our members
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