The Taxcast By The Tax Justice Network

Naomi Fowler talks to investor and author Jonathan Tepper who’s co-written a book called ‘The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the death of capitalism’ and explore monopolies, the dangers to consumers and citizens, and the suppression of true innovation: are we in the last stage of capitalism? Plus the Tax Justice Network's John Christensen discusses Congress woman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez's proposal for a 70% top marginal tax rate to be levied on incomes once they get to $10 million and above. And...we talk about Brexit, and how the European Union should handle the City of London's finance sector

In this month's podcast: time's running out to tackle climate crisis facing us all. We look at environmental taxes and making them fair. Plus we discuss the gilets jaunes in France, a movement that's been widely reported as anti-green taxes, but is in fact born from wider desperation for their 'let them eat cake' President Macron to reverse a series of policies that have worsened inequality in the country. We give Monsieur le President a lesson in how not to implement an environmental tax...

In this month's Taxcast: we look at how governments can better protect, encourage and even incentivise whistleblowers. Also: what do the latest Brexit developments tell us about dark money, the 'influence industry' and plutocracy? And, we hear from the UN's Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights Philip Alston on his findings from his UK visit.

In the October 2018 Taxcast: we speak to Nicholas Shaxson about his new book "The Finance Curse: How Global Finance Is Making Us All Poorer" released alongside new research from the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute on the true costs of the City of London’s oversized finance sector to the British economy - £4.5 trillion in lost economic output over a 20 year period – that’s equivalent to £67,500 for every person in the UK, not far off $90,000. This research has serious implications for oversized financial centres everywhere. Also, we discuss the brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the hypocrisy of the 'west' and corruption of democracy by dark money and national and international security threats not only from Russia, but also from China and, the most overlooked - the United States.

In the September 2018 Taxcast: we talk about 'Moneyland' and the transnational elite that have broken free of democratic control with journalist Oliver Bullough. Also, 10 years after the financial crash - how do we tackle the next one? Plus, we discuss the fifth aide of US President Trump to be convicted of, or admit criminal charges, and what it says about the spread of plutocracy.

In the August 2018 Taxcast: We ask why many Bermudians are leaving their beautiful island & why inequality levels have become so extreme despite it's huge offshore services centre. Plus we discuss the legal fight back against financial transparency gains, and we discuss tackling fake news from fake think tanks.

In the July 2918 Taxcast: a firewall to protect EU citizens from the Big Four accountancy firms and the tax avoidance lobby. Plus, we discuss UN Rapporteur on Poverty and Human Rights Professor Philip Alston’s announced visit to the UK to look at austerity and the human rights consequences: his report on the US was hard-hitting and controversial. What will he make of the UK? Also, we look at Transparify’s 2018 think tank funding transparency rankings and talk about how opacity is the name of the game for many of the ‘free market’ lobby groups pushing for Brexit, deregulation, privatisation and tax havenry, such as the Institute for Economic Affairs.

We’ve had leak after leak, whistleblower after whistleblower. But no matter what the scandal is, when it comes to financial secrecy and tax dodging, the so-called big four accountancy firms are key players. We interview investigative journalist Richard Brooks of the Private Eye on his new book: Bean Counters: the triumph of the accountants and how they broke capitalism. Plus: Will President Trump be prosecuted for foundation fraud? And can a leopard change its spots? How come the secrecy jurisdiction of Delaware came out in support of a financial transparency bill?

In this month's Taxcast: We discuss why we can’t afford the rich and challenge ideas about wealth, entrepreneurialism and investment. Also: ten years ago the Tax Justice Network was told it’d never happen, but this month British MPs voted to stop secret ownership of companies in British Overseas Territories. The Crown Dependencies got away for now. But the pressure is on them as a UK Foreign Affairs Committee report says corrupt assets of Kremlin-connected individuals pouring in to London is a threat to the UK’s national security. And while some of the money hidden in the Overseas Territories may flow to the United States, the EU may actually add it to their blacklist of non-cooperative jurisdictions…

In this month's Taxcast: Tax justice, women and UN human rights conventions: how we may be beginning to hold governments to account. Also: we discuss scandal-hit Facebook's checks on whether overseas influencers are funding political ads in the United States and why they won't work. And is it time for a new model? How Mark Zuckerberg could become a hero. Plus: Norway does the responsible thing and decides not to invest its sovereign wealth fund in private equity. And India’s decade-long battle to collect back taxes from Vodafone runs into potential conflicts of interest at the highest political levels.

In this month's Taxcast: They say history is written by the victors. So how can we rethink the way we use words about tax havens that reflect the reality of what's really happening? We talk to Alain Deneault about his new book in which he writes about laundering with language - Legalising Theft, a short guide to tax havens.  Plus: we discuss the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter on British soil and how by welcoming oligarchs with no questions asked, the City of London has compromised democracy and ushered in an era of oppression, criminality and impunity. And also, how US President Trump's tax reforms have awarded tax write-offs for private jet owners.

In this month’s Taxcast: we look at the United States, Trump’s tax reforms and the killing of the American Dream. Plus: as we see yet another school shooting, should the powerful National Rifle Association continue to be a tax-exempt, non-profit organisation? And we discuss ongoing state-capture in Malta as the European Banking Authority investigates Pilatus bank, the subject of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s investigations. Can the Malta Financial Services Authority possibly be ‘fully equipped and free from conflicts of interest to perform its supervisory duties’?

In the January 2018 Taxcast we explore the results of the Tax Justice Network's Financial Secrecy Index just out, that tell the real story of global corruption. We look at the top ten worst global offenders, discuss the 4 key geographical political poles: the Far East, Europe, Britain plus its cluster of satellite tax havens, and the United States. And we discuss what countries can do independently and as regional blocs to defend themselves against the threats to their economies from offshore secrecy jurisdictions.

We speak with Jake Bernstein about his new book 'Secrecy World' - we ask what makes offshore players like Jurgen Mossack and Ramon Fonseca tick, and what do the Panama Papers and now the Paradise Papers tell us about Presidents Putin, Trump and the transnational oligarchy? Also we analyse Tax Haven USA's tax reforms set to turbo-charge inequality in a country with weak gun controls, the EU's disappointing tax haven blacklist and how the race to the bottom on tax between nations won't stop at 0%.

In the November 2017 Taxcast: we discuss the latest offshore scandal, the Paradise Papers with one of the journalists who got the scoop, Frederik Obermaier of Suddeutsche Zeitung. We interpret the enquiries to Jersey from offshore lawyers looking for a new tax haven for Apple which they'd rather had remained secret, look at the anti-democratic processes the Paradise Papers uncover and ask - what now for tax justice?

In this month’s Taxcast we look at the booming business of passports and residency for sale, and why it should worry us all. Also, even the IMF now advocates wealth taxes to combat inequality, yet governments around the world – most recently President Macron of France – are going in the opposite direction despite all the evidence that it’s a bad idea, we discuss how Russia and the US are now world leaders in inequality and the good news that the European Commission has ordered Luxembourg to claim back $293 million in taxes from Amazon in another ruling on illegal state aid.

In the September 2017 Taxcast we look at our over-reliance on unhelpful economic measures, like Gross Domestic Product and how it constrains us. Also: we discuss hurricanes, tax havens and disaster capitalism; and the bitcoin bubble - China may be closing its doors on it for the moment but tax havens like Switzerland are very interested…

In the August 2017 Taxcast: #10yearsafter the crash we ask - what will the next one look like? Can we avoid it? Also: Panama Papers fallout - another Prime Minister bites the dust, this time in Pakistan the offshore law firm Mossack Fonseca has closed 39 of its 45 offices around the world a UK court ruling spells the end for ‘employee benefit trusts’ being used by footballers to minimise their tax bills and the Bank Of England Governor has predicted Britain’s financial sector could double in size in the next 25 years. Has he not heard of the finance curse?

In this month’s July 2017 Taxcast: we explore Land Value Tax and the billions in revenue we’re missing out on. Plus: Tax Haven USA signs up to potential sanctions and blacklisting of the few nations still refusing to comply with international financial transparency rules, which would er, include itself as the world’s prime offender. Did Team USA read the small print? And will the G20, OECD and the EU really blacklist one of the world’s biggest economies? Also, at last, Members of the European Parliament vote for public country by country reporting for the world’s biggest companies – but a last minute amendment was tabled…

In the June 2017 Taxcast we ask - has the UK just had its first tax justice general election? Are we seeing a popular shift towards tax justice in the UK and in the US? Is this the beginning of the end to our long austerity winter? How much do people REALLY care about taxes, who pays them and who doesn’t?