Belgium, like Luxembourg, Singapore, San Marino, the Seychelles, the Isle of Man and Monaco, is a tax haven.
The OECD has now declared Belgium to be "clean" because it has signed some of its pitifully weak exchange of information agreements with 12 countries, getting it over the hurdle required for the country to be declared "clean."
And who, pray, has Belgium signed its latest exchange of information agreements with?
Step forward Singapore, San Marino, the Seychelles, the Isle of Man and Monaco.
It couldn't be cosier, could it?
It’s time the G20 upped the anti: 12 was OK in April. Now it’s been proven 12 is easy the next step is 36, at least. Will they have the courage to do that at their September meeting? I hope so. But I’m not holding my breath.
Hat tip to TJN
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Richard,
Forget quantity and numbers (36 instead of 12), and look for quality in DTAs. Surprise, you might find … Switzerland !
The Swiss are indeed in the process of renegotiating their Double Tax Agreements with the USA, France, Japan, the UK and other significant countries. No San Marino, no Seychelles, no Faroe Islands here.
See http://www.efd.admin.ch/aktuell/medieninformation/00462/index.html?lang=en&msg-id=28221
Sorry if you have to – once – say something positive about Switzerland, the oldest democracy, where the ‘elites’ are the people, not bloggers.
Best
Bernard
To what extent would it be counterproductive to cut the crap and just set the figure at 179?
179 is ideal
But creating the smoking gun to make them work is also a priority….
R