global tax justice

With the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings wrapping up, Nadia Daar, the head of Oxfam International’s Washington office commented on the week’s events, including developments on inequality, climate change, and tax policy. 

Since 2014, a huge number of documents have revealed how powerful corporations and super-rich individuals are exploiting a rigged global system that allows them to avoid paying their fair share of tax. And it’s the world’s poorest people who pay the price. Add your voice and join the fight against tax havens.

“The Panama Papers give us a disturbing look into the murky world of tax dodging, a problem that governments and international institutions refuse to tackle head-on. The true scandal is that many of the cases uncovered are not always illegal, but instead, fully legal practices that ruthless abuse a weak and inadequate tax system."

This discussion paper proposes what ‘good’ looks like in responsible corporate tax behavior, and contains a wide range of positive behaviors and actions companies can undertake to go beyond legal compliance and result in significant gains for developing countries.

The OECD’s Tax Package, released in Paris today, will not stop corporate tax dodgers cheating poor countries out of billions of dollars of tax revenues

Oxfam welcomes the World Bank and IMF’s recognition of the powerful and catalyzing impact of fairer tax systems in reducing poverty, inequality and promoting growth. But the two institutions need to provide more clarity on their proposal.