Financial Transparency Coalition

In 2006 the Global Forum published a review of the legal and administrative frameworks in the areas of transparency and exchange of information for tax purposes covering 82 jurisdictions, entitled Tax Co-operation: Towards a Level Playing Field – 2006 Assessment by the Global Forum on Taxation. This publication was followed by four annual assessments, with the 2010 publication covering 93 jurisdictions. Following the restructuring of the Global Forum, a program of indepth peer reviews was launched in 2010. This 2011 Report on Progress publication describes the progress made since the Global Forum launched its peer review mechanism in 2010.

Although most people don’t know this, the tailspin that Greece’s economy is in now did not begin in 2008, but rather in 2001, when it joined the euro. Although that statement doesn’t necessarily imply causality. The problem was there, but festering. When the financial crisis did get going, it didn’t so much create Greece’s problems, as it revealed them. At the beginning of 2010,Greece found itself on a precipice of financial ruin, driven by years of excess spending and borrowing and insufficient revenue. To prevent the country from defaulting on its debt, in May of 2010 the International Monetary Fund...

We have had good press coverage for yesterday’s UK-Swiss tax deal analysis, which reveals how the UK government’s claims that it will net 4-7 billion pounds in tax revenues are fatally flawed. See, for example: Swiss-U.K. Tax Agreement May Be ‘Revenue-Negative,’ Group Says – Bloomberg Swiss tax deal could end up costing UK – Guardian

PARIS - Investors who want to ensure their money supports ethical concerns should add tax behaviour to the criteria by which companies are judged, Christian Aid says today.