Base erosion and profit shifting

Response to the OECD consultation on taxation of the digital economy: taking the politics seriously

Yesterday I was part of a group of political scientists who made a submission to the OECD’s consultation on taxation of the digital economy. The text of our submission, also available as a PDF document, is below, first published on Rasmus Christensen’s website. The undersigned are a group of political science academics working on issues… Continue reading Response to the OECD consultation on taxation of the digital economy: taking the politics seriously

The Panama papers and the OECD: re-reading Havens in a Storm

Last week I re-read Jason Sharman’s classic Havens in a Storm, described by Tax Analysts’ Martin Sullivan as “one of the best books out there for tax experts trying to make sense of big countries’ policies toward tax havens” (Sullivan’s review includes a length summary of the book). I was looking for a hook for… Continue reading The Panama papers and the OECD: re-reading Havens in a Storm

The tax treaty arbitrators cometh

Next month sees the results of the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit-Shifting project, as well as a discussion at the UN tax committee on alternative dispute resolution in tax treaties. India has apparently vetoed the inclusion of mandatory binding arbitration by default in the OECD model tax treaty, and it remains an optional provision within… Continue reading The tax treaty arbitrators cometh

Policy drift in international tax

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of policy drift as a way to explain what might at times seem like perverse outcomes in the international tax system. This post is an attempt to road test this idea. Policy drift seems to originate with this 2004 article by Jacob Hacker… Continue reading Policy drift in international tax

Taxing the digital economy is (going to be) an African issue

This is the second of three posts in which I’m reflecting on the recent report on BEPS and developing countries [pdf] during a short stay in Africa. Today, I’m looking at the digital economy. This visit to Africa has been the first time I’ve really grasped the scale of what mobile internet is doing to… Continue reading Taxing the digital economy is (going to be) an African issue

Capital gains tax avoidance: can Uganda succeed where India didn’t?

I’m writing this post from under a mosquito net on a close Kampala evening. Since arriving on Wednesday I’ve had a whistlestop tour of the issues facing Uganda as it embarks on a review of its tax treaties. So far I’ve met with four tax inspectors, two finance ministry officials, four (count ’em) tax advisers,… Continue reading Capital gains tax avoidance: can Uganda succeed where India didn’t?