Financial Transparency Coalition

Reporting from Seattle -- Two principals of defunct Seattle investment management firm Quellos Group and a Los Angeles lawyer were indicted in a tax shelter scheme that allegedly created more than $1.3 billion in fraudulent losses for prominent clients, including media mogul and billionaire investor Haim Saban.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced initial details of the new offshore bank account disclosure scheme, which is due to commence in the autumn of 2009.

Luxembourg Minister of Budget Luc Frieden concluded a new tax agreement with Dutch State Secretary of Finance Jan Kees de Jager on 29 May. The agreement will provide for the exchange of information in tax matters between the two countries in accordance with the OECD standard.

Jeffrey Owens is the director of tax planning and administration at the OECD’s Centre for Tax Policy, which is responsible for framing tax principles and ensuring that tax havens fall in line on disclosure norms and share information. He spoke to Sidhartha on recent developments and the strategy India should adopt on double taxation avoidance treaties.