Tax treaty negotiation: what affects the outcome for developing countries? (Part 1)

[T]ax administration and tax policy officials in Uganda are not sufficiently trained in the area of tax treaties and international taxation. As a result, Uganda has a weak tax treaty negotiation team that concludes treaties more intensively reflecting the position of the other contracting state. A first attempt to answer a question that I’ll be… Continue reading Tax treaty negotiation: what affects the outcome for developing countries? (Part 1)

The death of corporation tax?

With all the recent scandals involving internet companies, it seems quite reasonable to assert that corporation tax as we know it is in a crisis, and it’s time for fundamental reform of the way we tax multinational companies. The very low overall effective tax rates of the internet giants do suggest that today’s biggest companies… Continue reading The death of corporation tax?

Corporation tax has no association with GDP growth, says an IMF paper

This is a review of “Tax Composition and Growth: A Broad Cross-Country Perspective,” an IMF working paper by Santiago Acosta Ormaechea and Jia Yoo. Here’s the assumption that I’m going to make in this post: it’s probably not too much of a stretch to say that the consensus among development practitioners is that economic growth… Continue reading Corporation tax has no association with GDP growth, says an IMF paper

Five people who were missing from the Global Tax 50

We’re invited to comment on International Tax Review’s Global Tax 50. It says a lot about these annual trade press lists that four years before I appeared in the International Tax Review list I had featured in its equivalent in Drapers, which covers the fashion industry! Still, it’s a fun game, so let’s play it.… Continue reading Five people who were missing from the Global Tax 50

What makes Bradley Wiggins and Jimmy Carr different?

Compare and contrast: I had a small investment in Twofold, following guidance from my professional advisers. I had, however, claimed no tax relief of any amount in regard to this investment. Given the concerns raised, I have now instructed my advisers to withdraw me from the scheme with immediate effect. That’s Bradley Wiggins in an… Continue reading What makes Bradley Wiggins and Jimmy Carr different?

ActionAid on the global fight against tax havens

Well, happy 40th birthday ActionAid. Beginning as a small London-based child sponsorship initiative, my former employer had grown into a truly global federation of development organisations. Form follows function, and the brilliant decision to relegate ActionAid’s UK office from headquarters to one member of a federation with the same number of votes as, say, ActionAid Malawi is… Continue reading ActionAid on the global fight against tax havens