Paradise Papers: Governments must free themselves of corporate lobby to stop tax dodging

The huge influence which global corporations such as Nike and Apple have over government policy making is laid bare in the latest revelations from the  Paradise Papers said Oxfam today. 

Susana Ruiz, Oxfam’s tax policy advisor, said:

“Corporations such as Apple, Nike and Glencore spend millions lobbying governments to water down tax reforms. The 50 biggest US companies, including Apple, spent an estimated $352 million lobbying on tax issues in the country between 2009 and 2015 while receiving over $423 billion in tax breaks.  This means they received an estimated $1200 in tax breaks for every $1 spent lobbying on tax.”

“Politicians must put the interests of their people above corporations if they are going to close the gap between rich and poor.

"Governments must insist companies produce public financial reports for every country where they operate so it is clear if they are paying their fair share of tax.  They must also work together to compile a global black-list of tax havens based on comprehensive, objective criteria and free of political interference.”