Financial Transparency Coalition

WASHINGTON, DC – The House Judiciary Committee will convene a hearing tomorrow to consider whether to amend the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the nation’s flagship anti-corruption legislation. Among other things, the hearing will specifically consider amendments proposed to the act by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which FCPA-proponents charge will significantly weaken the anti-corruption legislation and undermine efforts to tackle corruption and illicit financial practices abroad.

Global Financial Integrity Managing Director Tom Cardamone has written a new blog post for the TrustLaw website highlighting U.S. Senator Rand Paul's (R-KY) efforts to gut the USA PATRIOT Act of key anti-money laundering/anti-terror financing provisions. The key provisions are set to expire Friday morning unless the U.S. Congress renews them before then. Referencing two of Senator Paul's eight proposed amendments to the act, Cardamone writes:

Two of the Paul amendments deal with Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) that money services businesses...

I have suggested before, and I will suggest again, that transfer pricing is contributor to the tax gap. Oddly (!) the tax profession – and especially those parts with links to secrecy jurisdictions – deny this. Many are not convinced by such arguments. Take this testimony given by the IRS to Congress in July:

Testimony of Stephen E. Shay Deputy Assistant Secretary (International Tax Affairs) U.S. Department of the Treasury Before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means July 22, 2010 Chairman Levin, Ranking Member Camp and members of the Committee, thank you for the...

The Administration strongly supports House passage of the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 4213. Passage of this legislation will provide much-needed relief to families, including extended access to health care benefits for workers who have lost their jobs and extended unemployment insurance benefits for millions of Americans who are looking for work. It will also provide critical assistance to hard-pressed States while encouraging continued job creation by America’s businesses. The importance of longer-term extensions for various authorities and programs – and the certainty that such extensions bring – has been highlighted by the...