The Taxcast

Episodes

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  Modernising the global tax system 05.10.2026 35m

  As UN negotiations stepped up recently in New York, we hear some of the tussles between delegates trying to hold on to the 100 year old global tax system that's benefited them for so long versus delegates representing countries who have suffered the resulting tax injustices and can now out-vote them. Plus: startling new estimates on the benefits to nations of UN tax reform ambitions: "For the Global South, after a single year the combined gains of all G77 countries would be enough to repay all outstanding IMF loans. For the Global North, countries who received Marshall Plan money after the Second World War would collectively receive the inflation-adjusted equivalent of the entire Marshall Plan every 2.6 years." We also have news from Malta on the verdict from a jury in the trial of a businessman accused of complicity in the assassination of journalist and anti-corruption campaigner Daphne Caruana Galizia. Featuring: delegates at the United Nations negotiations in New York Tove Ryding from Eurodad Alison Schultz, research fellow at the Tax Justice Network Matthew Caruana Galizia, journalist and anti-corruption campaigner at Daphne Foundation Corinne Vella, anti-corruption campaigner at Daphne Foundation, Daphne Caruana Galizia's sister Produced and hosted by Naomi Fowler of the Tax Justice Network Transcript of the show: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Transcript_SeptOct_2026-2.pdf  Further reading: Statements from Daphne Foundation on the trial verdict in Malta  https://www.daphne.foundation/en/2026/09/20/yorgen-fenech-pardon-admission-of-murder-guilt https://www.daphne.foundation/en/2026/09/02/fenech-trial-verdict Times of Malta coverage of the Fenech trial https://timesofmalta.com/news/daphne%20caruana%20galizia UN tax convention hub: Everything you need to know about current negotiations on the biggest shakeup in history to global tax rules https://taxjustice.net/topics/un-tax-convention/ UN Framework Convention – Roundup of the Fifth Session of Negotiations https://taxjustice.net/2026/09/11/un-framework-convention-roundup-of-the-fifth-session-of-negotiations/ A 500-billion-dollar decision for the world: the revenue impacts of global unitary taxation https://taxjustice.net/reports/a-500-billion-dollar-decision-for-the-world-the-revenue-impacts-of-global-unitary-taxation/
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  Tackling misinformation on tax 22.07.2026 37m

  Tax is intensely political. It's routinely misreported by media of all kinds, and often it's the subject of downright disinformation. We look at how to deal with a lack of truth telling, from the experiences of the Tax Justice Network itself and those of a retired scientist who's had a lot of success in combating it. Plus: our new Real Estate Secrecy Index - who are the world's worst offenders? "They can't get away with this. It's a victory. It's a small victory for truth." ~ Alan Williams Key "Misinformation, fake news goes against democratic processes. You can't have proper democracy without pushing back against misinformation in the press." ~ Mark Bou Mansour "Real estate is not the only high value asset that you can use to hide illicit flows, but it's certainly one of the easiest and one of the most attractive." ~ Alex Cobham Transcript of the show available here: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/July-2026-script-1.pdf Featuring: Alan Williams Key, retired scientist, jazz musician and champion complainer to the Independent Press Standards Organisation Alex Cobham, Chief Executive, Tax Justice Network Mark Bou Mansour, Head of Communications, Tax Justice Network Leo Schick, co-producer of the Taxcast, The Corruption Diaries and freelance journalist Further reading: Express business coverage found to have breached Editors' Code 12 times this year https://pressgazette.co.uk/the-wire/newspaper-corrections-media-mistakes-errors-legal/express-business-coverage-found-to-have-breached-editors-code-12-times-this-year/ Alan Williams Key's successful complaint to the Independent Press Standards Organisation about claims printed about millionaire migration from the UK https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings/00197-25/ Millionaire "exodus" claim backtracked but media re-run story anyway https://taxjustice.net/press/millionaire-exodus-claim-backtracked-but-media-re-run-story-anyway/ Study behind millionaire exodus claims drops author and numbers after fake data accusations - Tax Justice Network https://taxjustice.net/press/millionaire-exodus-study-drops-author-and-numbers-after-fake-data-accusations/ Introducing the Real Estate Secrecy Index - Tax Justice Network https://taxjustice.net/2026/06/23/introducing-the-real-estate-secrecy-index/ Financial Secrecy Index https://fsi.taxjustice.net/#scoring_id=316 
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  Wealth Tax Wave in the USA 24.06.2026 34m

  Despite the loud protests and misinformation, despite the Trump administration cutting taxes like there's no tomorrow, there's a wealth tax wave that's rising across US states...we look at the most successful models and what they tell us about the future. "It's really a matter of the politicians catching up to where the people already are" ~ William Rice, Americans for Tax Fairness Guests: William Rice, Americans for Tax Fairness and Evan Walker of Washington State Budget and Policy Center Hosted by Naomi Fowler, co-produced wsith Leo Schick for the Tax Justice Network. Transcript of the podcast: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Taxcast_June_26_transcript.pdf Further Reading: Washington's new Millionaires Tax offers big support to people throughout the state https://budgetandpolicy.org/schmudget/washingtons-new-millionaires-tax-offers-big-support-to-people-throughout-the-state/  Historic new policy – now signed into law – has been decades in the making! https://budgetandpolicy.org/schmudget/millionaires-tax/  Maine enacts millionaire tax in historic win for working families https://www.mecep.org/news/maine-enacts-millionaire-tax-in-historic-win-for-working-families/  Washington state's 'historic' millionaire tax takes aim at super-rich https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/31/washington-state-millionaire-tax-wealth The party of the rich just taxed the rich in WA. Can that hold? https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/the-party-of-the-rich-just-taxed-the-rich-in-wa-can-that-hold/ Study behind millionaire exodus claims drops author and numbers after fake data accusations https://taxjustice.net/press/millionaire-exodus-study-drops-author-and-numbers-after-fake-data-accusations/ 
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  Impunity in Malta 28.05.2026 30m

  We look at a worrying law in Malta rushed through Parliament at unprecedented speed that doesn't just decriminalise tax abuse but 'connected breaches' too: "They've allowed the same culture to start being fomented that led to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia." ~ Maltese journalist Julian Bonnici Plus: the role of Britain in the tax affairs of oil companies reaping rich rewards from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, abuse of power in the US and...we have some good news from California. Transcript of the podcast: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Transcript_Taxcast_May_26.pdf Further Reading: How Britain is shielding big oil's Iran war windfall, Adam Ramsay https://abolishwestminster.substack.com/p/revealed-how-britain-is-shielding  $30m an hour: big oil reaping huge war windfall from consumers, analysis finds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/big-oil-huge-war-windfall-consumers  How Trump's IRS settlement could block tax audits of him, his family and their businesses https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0pk2e22jro  Trump's investigation compensation fund draws ire of Republicans - 'Stupid on stilts' https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21d41p6dzo  How crypto billionaires are trying to buy a Senate seat in Alabama https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/crypto-alabama-senate-coinbase-ripple-andreessen/  Congress Must Address Illicit Finance Gaps in Crypto Legislation Before Committee Markup  https://us.transparency.org/resource/january-coalition-letter-congress-must-address-illicit-finance-gaps-in-crypto-legislation-before-committee-markup/  Committee-Approved Crypto Bill Leaves Dangerous Loopholes for Corrupt and Other Dirty Money https://us.transparency.org/news/committee-approved-crypto-bill-leaves-dangerous-loopholes-for-corrupt-and-other-dirty-money/  US drops fraud charges after billionaire Adani pledges $10bn investment https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/5/18/us-drops-fraud-charges-after-billionaire-adani-pledges-10bn-investment  A Five-Year Prison Sentence for a Public Hero https://prospect.org/2024/05/21/2024-05-21-five-year-sentence-public-hero-charles-littlejohn/  The Secret IRS Files Archives https://www.propublica.org/series/the-secret-irs-files  Bill 142: The Law Allowing Tax Crime, Fraud And Money Laundering To Be Settled Out Of Court – Amphora Media https://www.amphora.media/2026/03/bill-142-tax-crime-money-laundering-fraud-malta-law Aron Mifsud Bonnici Avoids Prosecution After Settlement in €1.6 Million Tax Evasion and Money Laundering Case https://www.amphora.media/2026/03/aron-mifsud-bonnici-tax-evasion-money-laundering-settlement-malta  California steps up for tax fairness - Tax Justice Network https://taxjustice.net/2026/05/27/california-steps-up-for-tax-fairness/
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  Private Equity: taming the beast 15.05.2026 31m

  Private Equity has gone under the radar for a very long time so – what is it, how's it affecting our lives? Our tax systems, and financial transparency are crucial for reining in damaging economic activity, something you see a lot of with Private Equity. In this joint podcast with the brilliant Byline Times podcast and its host Adrian Goldberg, the Taxcast's Naomi Fowler talks to Hettie O'Brien who's written The Asset Class: How Private Equity Turned Capitalism Against Itself and Alex Cobham of the Tax Justice Network. A transcript of the show is available here: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Taxcast_Byline_PE.pdf 
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  Taxing emissions ownership 03.04.2026 28m

  A tiny group of very wealthy people are burning through carbon like there'll be no tomorrow. Taxcast host Naomi Fowler talks to economist Tasnia Hussain about the most effective ways to tax emissions and address carbon inequality. Plus: we bring you the highlights of the ongoing historic effort at the UN to overturn a century of global tax rule setting largely by former imperial powers at the OECD to suit them and their multinationals. With economist Tasnia Hussain, University of Toronto, also featuring Navid Hanif (UN Assistant Secretary-General), Ryad Selmani from Terre Solidaire, UN representative for Jamaica, UN represntative from the Youth Forum, and private jet and carbon emissions tracker Jack Sweeney and his lawyer (interviewed on TV). Hosted and produced by Naomi Fowler of the Tax Justice Network. Transcript of the show: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Taxcast_March_26_Transcript.pdf (May not be 100% accurate) Further resources: Want to cut emissions? Young advocate says tax the rich — and what they own https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/19/opinion/carbon-emissions-taxation-billionaires  Optimal Carbon Policy under Carbon Inequality https://tasniahussain.github.io/assets/Optimal_Carbon_Policy.pdf  From Taylor's Jet to Taxation for Climate Rescue: Tasnia Hussain https://newsletter.economics.utoronto.ca/from-taylors-jet-to-taxation-for-climate-rescue-tasnia-hussain/ OECD collapse will lock in countries' tax losses to US firms https://taxjustice.net/press/oecd-collapse-will-lock-in-countries-tax-losses-to-us-firms/ US will be exempt from global tax deal targeting profits of large multinationals https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/06/us-exemption-oecd-global-tax-deal-multinational-companies  Washington's Proposed Millionaires Tax, FAQs: https://budgetandpolicy.org/resources-tools/2026/03/Updated-3-3-BPC-Millionaires-Tax-FAQ.pdf Washington state's 'historic' millionaire tax takes aim at super-rich – will it succeed? https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/31/washington-state-millionaire-tax-wealth The party of the rich just taxed the rich in WA. Can that hold? https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/the-party-of-the-rich-just-taxed-the-rich-in-wa-can-that-hold/  Previous Taxcasts: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/episode/134-who-owns-the-climate-crisis/ Who Owns the Climate Crisis? and The Millionaire Exodus Myth https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/episode/155-millionaire-migration-myth/  Our podcast website with all our podcasts is https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/   
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  Death in Westminster: trailer 11.03.2026 1m

  Britain has turned its capital into a global money laundering machine. The pavements of central London are home to a soaring number of rough sleepers, yet its streets are lined with empty mansions. Who owns these houses? Often, no one knows – because the wealthiest people in the world have built the perfect system to hide their assets.    In this explosive new podcast series Death in Westminster Professor Kojo Koram (author of Uncommon Wealth: Britain And The Aftermath Of Empire) and Dr Dalia Gebrial (Novara Live co-host) will uncover how  secret offshore billions are ruining Britain.   Produced by Planet B Productions and released by Novara Media in March 2026. Available wherever you get your podcasts. More details here: https://novaramedia.com/category/audio/death-in-westminster/ 
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  Tax As An Investment 30.01.2026 30m

  "Tax is one of the smartest investments you can make." That's Professor Chris Harrop's promise to companies, and his new tax funded impact model proves it by helping quantify how paying tax is not only good for their businesses, but for the economies they're operating in, and of course for people and society. Plus: Why have OECD countries just bent the knee to Donald Trump and given up their  sovereign rights to tax US businesses operating within their own borders? Naomi Fowler speaks with Zorka Millin of the FACT Coalition about how US companies now have an exemption from the global minimum corporate tax. Also, Zorka discusses some progress on the Corporate Transparency Act's rollercoaster journey in the US towards setting up a beneficial ownership register - a court ruling has pushed things a little further forward, which is good news since the United States is the world's biggest financial secrecy offender. Now some of the watering down of the act needs to be reversed... And finally, the UK has strengthened its whistleblower reward scheme, lawyer Mary Inman of Whistleblower Partners tells us more. Featuring:  Zorka Millin of the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition, Chris Harrop, Professor of Sustainable Business at the Huddersfield University Business  School in the UK, non-executive director with the Fair Tax Foundation, a founding partner of the Human Centre, and lawyer Mary Inman of Whistleblower Partners. Hosted and produced by Naomi Fowler with Leo Schick. Transcript of the show: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Taxcast_January_26_Transcript.pdf  Further Reading: OECD collapse will lock in countries' tax losses to US firms - Tax Justice Network https://taxjustice.net/press/oecd-collapse-will-lock-in-countries-tax-losses-to-us-firms/ The OECD's "Side-by-Side" System Preserves, But Weakens, the Global Minimum Tax https://thefactcoalition.org/policy-brief-oecd-side-by-side-system/ U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds Landmark Anti-Money Laundering Law https://thefactcoalition.org/court-upholds-landmark-anti-money-laundering-law/   A new ESG metric: Tax Funded Impact – How fiscal multipliers turn fair tax into tangible social value https://fairtaxmark.net/a-new-esg-metric-tax-funded-impact-how-fiscal-multipliers-turn-fair-tax-into-tangible-social-value/   Lawyer Mary Inman writes on the UK's strengthened whistleblower reward scheme: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mary-inman-81229_whistleblowers-activity-7399741339099197440-aGq3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAAA404Bhqfzti-v3tZUVu1UF__9Eyi8fKs   
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  Trailer: The Corruption Diaries, Series 2 04.12.2025 1m

  The Corruption Diaries is a journey through the eyes of anti-corruption veterans with their unique perspectives on combating one of the most compelling ethical challenges of our time. In Series Two: Richard Allen's passion was alternative music and he set up in the music business with his own record label, managing and touring with bands like Porcupine Tree. But a tax loophole took all of that away from him and he unexpectedly became a campaigner, taking on tax dodgers and the British authorities from his garden shed. Produced by Leo Schick and hosted by Naomi Fowler of the Tax Justice Network. Our podcast website is available here where you can also listen to Series One featuring white collar crime lawyer Jack Blum https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/production/the-corruption-diaries/  The Corruption Diaries is available wherever you get your podcasts. 
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  US "r" Us or tax sovereignty? 29.11.2025 20m

  Countries can either capitulate to President Trump's tax bullying. Or come together to fight for the sovereign right to tax multinationals fairly. In this episode host Naomi Fowler explores whether US economic policy is actually good for the US economy and its people. We've done some number crunching looking at what really happened after Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It tells us a lot about the state of tax justice, its real effects on people, and the misguided exercise of power. Transcript of the show: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Transcript_Taxcast_Nov_25.pdf Featuring: The Tax Justice Network's Mark Bou Mansour, Alison Schultz and Sergio Chaparro-Hernandez. Produced and hosted by Naomi Fowler. Further Reading: $475bn lost to US-backed global gag order shielding corporate tax cheaters, Tax Justice Network https://taxjustice.net/press/475bn-lost-to-us-backed-global-gag-order-shielding-corporate-tax-cheaters/ UN tax convention: Everything you need to know about current negotiations on the biggest shakeup in history to global tax rules. https://taxjustice.net/topics/un-tax-convention/ Our website with all our podcasts is available here: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/  Get the Taxcast as soon as it comes out by subscribing by email to naomi@taxjustice.net   
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  Social Reuse of Seized Assets 15.11.2025 36m

  When tax officials and law enforcement do manage to recover assets and money from criminals, what happens next? How are those seizures used to benefit taxpayers and society? We think there are lots of missed opportunities here and the Taxcast goes to West Yorkshire in the North of England to see social reuse of seized assets in action. It's pretty heartening. Plus: President Donald Trump has pardoned convicted money launderer Changpeng Zhao, the billionaire founder of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance. We speak to Scott Greytak of Transparency International US about what this means for the financial integrity of the US financial system and the ramifications for the rest of the world. A transcript of the show is available here: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Taxcast_Transcript_Oct_25.pdf Produced and hosted by Naomi Fowler and Leo Schick. Featuring: Scott Greytak of Transparency International US Dr. Amber Phillips, University of Bristol, Senior Criminology lecturer Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire Alison Lowe, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Tasha Dyson, Fusion Housing Derek Jones, All Saints Landmark Centre Tony Macaluso, Chapel FM Art Centre Nigel Crowther, senior financial investigator, West Yorkshire Police Alysha, Dance United Further reading: Trump's crypto pardon delivers immediate payback: https://popular.info/p/update-trumps-crypto-pardon-delivers From Crime to Community: The Social Reuse of Confiscated Assets in Italy, Spain and Romania https://www.scena9.ro/en/article/crime-community-social-reuse-confiscated-assets-italy-spain-romania Website with all our podcasts: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/production/taxcast/   
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  Banking on Opus Dei 26.09.2025 34m

  We look at the outsized influence of a small and secretive Catholic institution, Opus Dei, from Spain's dictator Franco, right up to the present day. And the bank it secretly controlled for sixty years: "This sounds a bit like a bit of conspiracy theory but trust me, it's very real. It's in almost every major city around the world and it's quite ruthless. It's close to the Trump regime because they share a lot of common ground." ~ Gareth Gore, journalist and author Plus: in the latest twist in the epic battle to end anonymous ownership in the United States, the US's financial regulator FinCEN has announced that only 'foreign businesses' with 'foreign owners' will now be required to report ownership information to the federal government. It's announced plans to actually delete ownership information that 'US companies' have already submitted. We look at the options to stop the US sliding even further into a corruption abyss: "The US is making a commitment to stay at the back of the pack compared to the rest of the world." ~ Erica Hanichak, FACT Coalition Co-produced by host Naomi Fowler and Leo Schick. Transcript of the show: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Taxcast_Sept_25_Transcript-1.pdf (may not be 100% accurate) Further Reading: Opus: the Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking and Right Wing Conspiracy Inside the Catholic Church by Gareth Gore https://bookshop.org/p/books/opus-the-cult-of-dark-money-human-trafficking-and-right-wing-conspiracy-inside-the-catholic-church-gareth-gore/7b5e7a3a10fa7fa5?ean=9781668016169&digital=t Treasury Reopens the Floodgates to Dirty Money in the U.S., FACT Coalition https://thefactcoalition.org/treasury-reopens-the-floodgates-to-dirty-money-cta/ FinCEN plans to delete data on U.S. companies from beneficial ownership database, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists https://www.icij.org/news/2025/09/fincen-plans-to-delete-data-on-u-s-companies-from-beneficial-ownership-database/ 'I became like a slave': why 43 women are suing the secretive Opus Dei Catholic group in Argentina, the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/apr/14/argentina-human-rights-women-opus-dei-catholic-church-exploitation-abuse-celibacy-trafficking-allegations Press statement on a judicial process in Argentina, Opus Dei https://opusdei.org/en-uk/article/press-statement-on-a-judicial-process-in-argentina/  Website with more information and more Tax Justice Network podcasts https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/   
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  Immigrants, tax and bullying in the USA 24.07.2025 43m

  The persecution of anyone suspected of being an undocumented immigrant in the United States is not only taking the form of armed, masked ICE agents. Tax is being weaponised against them too. An estimated 10.9 million undocumented immigrants are the powerhouse of the United States economy, and also an exploitable workforce with minimal rights. It turns out that they're paying a higher effective tax rate than 55 mega-corporations and several billionaires: There's something very wrong with our tax system, that people with that much wealth could be paying a lower tax rate than undocumented immigrants who are generally working in low paying jobs. A nation that's focused on persecuting and purging specific groups of people is not a healthy one. And as people are being ripped out of their communities, we look at the data that show how devastating it is for the economy and public services too. Plus: bullying at home, bullying abroad: President Trump is deploying tariffs and threats of tariffs against countries who have the audacity to want to tax US multinationals fairly on the business they do in their countries. We look at the options for nations to stand together and resist.  The US administration wants US multinationals to be more able to continue to commit corporate tax abuse than everybody else. Featuring: Alex Cobham, Tax Justice Network Lauren Loricchio, investigations editor, Tax Notes William Rice, policy consultant, Americans for Tax Fairness Delia Catalina Ramírez, Congresswoman, Illinois, District 3 Co-produced by host Naomi Fowler and Leo Schick. Transcript (some is automated and may not be 100% accurate) https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Transcript_July_25.pdf Further reading: Information Sharing Deal Complicates Immigrant Return Filing, Lauren Loricchio, Tax Notes https://www.taxnotes.com/featured-news/information-sharing-deal-complicates-immigrant-return-filing/2025/05/28/7sc72 What a 3.5% tax on remittances could do to the developing world, Jesse Chase-Lubitz, Devex https://www.devex.com/news/what-a-3-5-tax-on-remittances-could-do-to-the-developing-world-110206  Undocumented Workers Pay Higher Effective Tax Rate than 55 Mega Corporations and Several Billionaires, Americans for Tax Fairness study https://americansfortaxfairness.org/undocumented-workers-pay-higher-effective-tax-rate-55-mega-corporations-several-billionaires/ Report: Report: How Undocumented Immigrants Contribute to Our Economy & Pay Higher Tax Rates Than Many Major Corporations, Americans for Tax Fairness https://americansfortaxfairness.org/undocumented-immigrants-contribute-economy/ ICE Agents Deserve No Privacy, the Intercept: "Armed gangs of officers, often masked and anonymous" https://theintercept.com/2025/07/01/masked-ice-agents-victimization-accountability/ We're Now at the Stage Where Criminals Are Impersonating ICE Agents, This is what happens when federal authorities are allowed to seize people without identifying themselves, The New Republic https://newrepublic.com/post/196360/man-impersonates-ice-agent-robs-immigrant-pennsylvania Tax Payments by Undocumented Immigrants, Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy https://itep.org/undocumented-immigrants-taxes-2024/ Our website with all our podcasts is https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/ where you can also subscribe and get an email every time the Taxcast drops! 
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  Millionaire exodus myth 27.06.2025 46m

  Millionaires are not fleeing countries to escape taxes. The Tax Justice Network has analysed these claims and found it's questionable data published by a firm that helps the super-rich buy their way out of rules that apply to everybody else. In fact, things are changing for people in the business of helping to sell passports and residency. Some doors are closing... Plus, we look at the latest results from the Financial Secrecy Index - what are the latest global trends and have you heard of an anocracy?! Transcript of the show: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/June-2025-Taxcast-script_-millionaire-exodus-myth.pdf Further reading: Millionaire exodus did not occur, study reveals, Tax Justice Network https://taxjustice.net/press/millionaire-exodus-did-not-occur-study-reveals/  Millionaire "exodus" claim backtracked but media re-run story anyway, Tax Justice Network https://taxjustice.net/press/millionaire-exodus-claim-backtracked-but-media-re-run-story-anyway/  The 'Millionaire Exodus' the UK Media Told You About Never Actually Happened, Byline Times https://bylinetimes.com/2025/06/10/the-millionaire-exodus-the-uk-media-told-you-about-never-actually-happened/  Citizenship must not be up for sale, speech by the Vice-President of the European Commission, EU Justice Commissioner https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_14_18 EU Court Rules Malta's Golden Passport Program is Illegal, OCCRP https://www.occrp.org/en/news/eu-court-rules-maltas-golden-passport-program-is-illegal Influencer Andrew Tate got Vanuatu Passport Around Time of Arrest on Rape Charges https://www.occrp.org/en/news/exclusive-alleged-rapist-influencer-andrew-tate-got-vanuatu-passport-around-time-of-2022-arrest  Vanuatu: Council of the EU ends visa exemption https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/12/12/vanuatu-council-ends-visa-exemption/ Logged Pushbacks to Libya from Malta's SAR Zone Triple Since 2020, Over 5,000 People Forced Back https://www.amphora.media/2025/06/logged-pushbacks-to-libya-from-maltas-sar-zone-triple-since-2020-over-5000-people-forced-back Malta Migration Archive https://maltamigrationarchive.org/ Times of Malta Editorial: A shameful abdication of duty https://timesofmalta.com/article/editorial-a-shameful-abdication-duty.1107005 £160 billion could have been raised for the UK's public finances over the past three decades if UK tax residents on the annual rich lists had been asked to pay a two per cent wealth tax on their assets over £10 million - equivalent to the cost of building 80 new hospitals in that period. (Patriotic Millionaires UK) https://patrioticmillionaires.uk/latest-news/special-report-on-the-sunday-times-rich-list-the-missing-billions?mc_cid=2f5977ff81 Family statement: Robert Agius and Jamie Vella sentenced. Despite her murderers' attempts to silence her, Daphne's legacy endures. (Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation) https://www.daphne.foundation/en/2025/06/10/sentence-complicity Vanuatu, Financial Secrecy Index country profile, Tax Justice Network https://fsi.taxjustice.net/country-detail/#jurisdiction_id=VU&scoring_id=268 Reporting from the Passport Papers, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation https://www.daphne.foundation/passport-papers/  Passport Papers: Henley and Partners' leaked documents show most applicants are from countries where dual citizenship is not permitted https://theshiftnews.com/2021/04/22/passport-papers-henley-and-partners-leaked-documents-show-most-applicants-are-from-countries-where-dual-citizenship-is-not-permitted/ The Passport King who Markets Citizenship for Cash, a Daphne Project investigation, OCCRP https://www.occrp.org/en/project/the-daphne-project/the-passport-king-who-markets-citizenship-for-cash Why rich foreigners may not rush to buy Trump's $5 million 'gold card' visas, Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-gold-card-visa-demand-rich-immigrants-green-card-lutnick-2025-5  The Taxcast website with all the Tax Justice Network podcasts in five different languages are available at https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/  
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  How to spend 14 billion 29.05.2025 34m

  The life-changing, life-saving, transformational nature of tax - for people and planet. Ireland's got a tax windfall of about €14 billion - that's roughly  $15 billion. What are they going to do with it..? "This is the kind of moment that doesn't come around often and we really need to seize it. Or if we let the opportunity slip through our fingers, it's going to have impacts for future generations." ~ Mansi Rawat, Social Justice Ireland We don't do enough about blue sky thinking on how tax can transform our lives. This is our chance to unlock our imaginations. It's also time for Ireland to rethink its tax haven model and for many countries, not just Ireland, to ask who its economy is serving. The Taxcast is produced by Naomi Fowler and Leo Schick of the Tax Justice Network. Further reading: Here's the transcript of the show (some is automated and may not be 100% accurate: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Taxcast-May-2025-Transcript.pdf Pope Francis, 1936-2025 (Tax Justice Network) https://taxjustice.net/2025/04/24/pope-francis-1936-2025/  Top EU court rules Apple owes Ireland over $14B in back taxes https://www.icij.org/investigations/paradise-papers/top-eu-court-rules-apple-owes-ireland-over-14b-in-back-taxes/ EU's Apple 'victory' highlights the failure of international tax rules (Tax Justice Network) https://taxjustice.net/press/eus-apple-victory-highlights-the-failure-of-international-tax-rules/ A response to the European court's bad Apple ruling, (Alex Cobham, Tax Justice Network) https://taxjustice.net/2020/07/15/a-response-to-the-european-courts-bad-apple-ruling/ Tax Haven Ireland, a book by Brian O'Boyle and Kieran Allen https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745345314/tax-haven-ireland/ Previous Taxcast episode featuring Brian O'Boyle and Kieran Allen talking about their book Tax Haven Ireland. https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/episode/116-tax-haven-ireland/ Budget Analysis by Social Justice Ireland (they have also written about managing the windfall gains) https://www.socialjustice.ie/system/files/file-uploads/2024-10/Budget%202025%20Analysis%20and%20Critique%20%281%29.pdf People Before Profit calls for Apple taxes to fund State construction firm, RTE https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2024/1104/1479063-pbp-state-construction/ Our podcast website with all our podcasts: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/   
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  #153 Criminalising Journalists 29.04.2025 35m

  The Taxcast looks at the battle for freedom of the press in Switzerland and the implications for the rest of the world. Investigative journalists like Bastian Obermayer risks arrest, fines and imprisonment if he sets foot in Switzerland again, and Swiss journalists are having to turn away strong public interest stories - for fear of not just rich and powerful people coming after them, but also the Swiss state. Switzerland's always been famous for its banking secrecy laws and it's never been the friendliest place for investigative journalists. Now the situation threatens to get even worse. Featuring: Bastian Obermayer, one of the Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalists who broke the Panama Papers story and many other groundbreaking scandals. Swiss investigative journalist, Oliver Zihlmann, co-head of the Investigative Unit at Tamedia, the leading publishing and broadcast media company in Switzerland. Policy and advocacy manager at Reporters Without Borders Switzerland, Valentin Rubin Hosted by Naomi Fowler and co-produced with Leo Schick. Transcript of the show available here: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Criminalising-Journalists_-Script.pdf Further reading: Suisse Secrets https://www.occrp.org/en/project/suisse-secrets Bastian Obermayer: 'In Switzerland, I face prison – for exposing wrongdoing.' https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bastian-obermayer-9ba8805b_we-investigate-corruption-swiss-law-calls-activity-7316409781127159808-EgfS/  US overtakes Switzerland in global ranking of financial secrecy hotbeds https://taxjustice.net/press/financial-secrecy-index-2020-reports-progress-on-global-transparency-but-backsliding-from-us-cayman-and-uk-prompts-call-for-sanctions/ Tax Justice Network's Financial Secrecy Index https://fsi.taxjustice.net/ Swiss Government Motions for Press Freedom in Country's Finance Sector https://www.occrp.org/en/news/swiss-government-motions-for-press-freedom-in-countrys-finance-sector Swiss parliamentarians refuse to overhaul banking secrecy laws https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/swiss-banking-secrecy-law-clashes-with-freedom-of-speech/47365724  
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  The Chinese Phantom 27.03.2025 36m

  How easy is it to get filthy rich selling arms to anyone who'll pay? There may be sanctions, there may be laws, but even though he's the FBI's most wanted fugitive, a Chinese arms dealer and manufacturer has evaded arrest for two decades. Who could be better to investigate one of the world's most dangerous men and tell this story than Panama Papers journalists? Taxcast host Naomi Fowler speaks to Frederik Obermaier about the book The Chinese Phantom: the Hunt for the World's most Dangerous Arms Dealer. What does it tell us about sanctions and financial secrecy at a time of rising autocracy and global insecurity?   Also in this episode: the latest on efforts by powerful people to block the US's Corporate Transparency Act which was supposed to set up a register of the real owners of companies;   And, in the UK - a new whistleblower incentive scheme - the tax authority HMRC will give whistleblowers who bring actionable information a cut of between 10 and 25% of any fine that HMRC imposes. Also, as the British government announces welfare cuts affecting the poorest people in the country, there are calls for a windfall tax on banks and a 2% wealth tax on assets above £10 million instead.   Featuring: Panama Papers journalist Frederik Obermaier, Whistleblower lawyer Mary Inman, Erica Hanichak of the FACT Coalition, Hannah Dewhirst of Positive Money, Professor Prem Sikka.   Produced by Naomi Fowler and Leo Schick of the Tax Justice Network.   Transcript of the show: (some may be automated) https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/March_25_Transcript-1.pdf    Further reading:   The Chinese Phantom, the Hunt for the World's Most Dangerous Arms Dealer. (Available in English and in German) https://www.kiwi-verlag.de/verlag/rights/book/bastian-obermayer-frederik-obermaier-die-jagd-auf-das-chinesische-phantom-9783462001396 Also available here but please try to use a local bookshop! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chinese-Phantom-worlds-dangerous-dealer/dp/1915590698    Tax abuse whistleblowers will earn a share of HMRC proceeds, says UK Finance Minister https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/26/tax-avoidance-whistleblowers-will-earn-share-of-any-hmrc-proceeds-rachel-reeves-confirms   Windfall tax on bank profits in the UK could raise £15bn https://positivemoney.org/press-release/windfall-tax-on-bank-profits-could-raise-ps15bn/   How to raise £60 billion for public services: ten tax reforms from Tax Justice UK https://taxjustice.uk/blog/how-to-raise-60-billion-for-public-services-our-ten-tax-reforms/   Millionaires urge MPs "tax us, the super-rich" to avoid cuts and invest in Britain https://patrioticmillionaires.uk/latest-news/millionaires-urge-mps-tax-us-the-super-rich-to-avoid-cuts-and-invest-in-britain    All our podcasts are available on our podcast website https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/ 
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  The Taxcast: trailer 05.03.2025

  Listen to the Taxcast wherever you get your podcasts. You can subscribe by email and get lots of resources and further reading on our website here: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/production/taxcast/  The Tax Justice Network has monthly podcasts in different languages focused on different regions of the world, all available here https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/ Also available there is our series The Corruption Diaries; a journey through the eyes of anti-corruption veterans, with unique perspectives on combating some of the most compelling ethical challenges of our time.
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  Ending US financial secrecy 27.02.2025 36m

  The rollercoaster story of the battle in the US (the world's biggest global financial secrecy offender) over the implementation of a beneficial ownership register, the attempts to stop it and the (many) lessons learned from the UK's registers. The US's Corporate Transparency Act seemed to be on track. Until it wasn't... "Everything is bigger in Texas, that's what they like to say! And as we've learned, even court orders are bigger in Texas." Meanwhile, we take a look at UK company registration progress, since the days when "you could just set up a company for 12 pounds and say you were Mickey Mouse with a shareholder Donald Duck and no one asked any questions." (Spoiler alert: there's still a long way to go) Guests include: Zorka Milin and Ian Gary of the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition, Cynthia O'Murchu Financial Times Investigative Reporter, Graham Barrow, financial crime sleuth and podcaster, the Dark Money Files, campaigner and author Oliver Bullough Hosted and produced by Naomi Fowler, co-produced by Leo Schick. Transcript of this episode: https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Transcript_Feb_25.pdf  Further reading:  What is beneficial ownership? https://taxjustice.net/faq/what-is-beneficial-ownership/ How to fix beneficial ownership frameworks, so they actually work https://taxjustice.net/2023/12/20/new-report-on-how-to-fix-beneficial-ownership-frameworks-so-they-actually-work/  Ownership Transparency https://thefactcoalition.org/issues/ownership-transparency/ Beneficial ownership registration around the world, 2022: https://taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/State-of-Play-of-Beneficial-Ownership-2022-Tax-Justice-Network.pdf  US Judge Lifts Last Beneficial Ownership Roadblock https://lnkd.in/gNYN6nrg  Biden's DOJ just asked the Supreme Court to do a huge favor for Donald Trump https://www.vox.com/scotus/393540/supreme-court-garland-texas-top-cop-shop-nationwide-injunction  Supreme Court Allows Enforcement of Major Anti-Corruption Law to Resume, FACT Coalition: https://thefactcoalition.org/supreme-court-allows-enforcement-of-major-anti-corruption-law-to-resume/ US company database remains on hold, despite Supreme Court decision https://www.icij.org/investigations/fincen-files/us-company-database-remains-on-hold-despite-supreme-court-decision/  Supreme Mess: The Beneficial Ownership Interest Reporting Controversy Lands At The U.S. Supreme Court https://www.forbes.com/sites/jayadkisson/2025/01/15/supreme-mess-the-beneficial-owne[…]interest-reporting-controversy-lands-at-the-us-supreme-court/ The Corporate Transparency Act is Constitutional, Government and "Friend of the Court" Briefs Make Clear https://thefactcoalition.org/the-corporate-transparency-act-is-constitutional/ How overseas territories are being used to bypass UK transparency rules https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/how-overseas-territories-are-being-used-to-bypass-uk-transparency-rules/ Owners of 53,000 properties still unknown https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/owners-of-53000-properties-still-unknown/5115054.article Who paid £139 million for a Regent's Park mansion? Nobody knows. https://www.the-londoner.co.uk/the-regents-park-mansion-mystery/ How Do Judges Become Judges? Here Are Five Main Ways (US) https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/how-judges-become-judges/     
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  al-Assad and Guernsey 31.01.2025 43m

  We look at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism story about a Syrian kleptocrat and alleged war criminal, and the British Crown Dependency of Guernsey. It throws up all kinds of questions about policing compliance, enforcement and the need for public beneficial ownership registers, with good quality information. Also, on day one of his presidency, Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the OECD's global minimum tax deal. So what now? We'll talk to the Tax Justice Network's Alex Cobham. Featuring: Reporter at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Ed Siddons  Guernsey-based investigative and podcast journalist, Rob Byrne Alex Cobham of the Tax Justice Network Hosted and produced by Naomi Fowler, Tax Justice Network Transcript of the show is here (some is automated) https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jan_25_Taxcast_Transcript.pdf  Further reading: 'Butcher of Hama': Assad's uncle used Guernsey fund manager to stash millions looted from Syria (Bureau of Investigative Journalism) https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2024-12-16/butcher-of-hama-assads-uncle-used-guernsey-fund-manager-to-stash-millions-looted-from-syria/ Guernsey, country profile, Tax Justice Network https://taxjustice.net/country-profiles/guernsey/  Guernsey Financial Services Commission notice regarding Ginette Blondel https://www.gfsc.gg/news/ms-ginette-louise-blondel  The Guernsey finance worker, the alleged war criminal and a £210k fine - Bailiwick Express News Jersey https://www.bailiwickexpress.com/news/focus-210k-fine-working-alleged-war-criminal-without-licence/ Sentencing of Bashar Assad's Uncle in France Exposes Bank's AML Failure https://www.moneylaundering.com/news/exclusive-sentencing-of-bashar-assads-uncle-in-france-exposes-banks-aml-failure/ Assad uncle used Guernsey adviser to secretly manage vast wealth https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/16/assad-uncle-used-guernsey-adviser-to-secretly-manage-vast-wealth Former Syrian Vice President Rifaat al-Assad will stand trial in Switzerland on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity https://trialinternational.org/latest-post/former-syrian-vice-president-rifaat-al-assad-will-stand-trial-in-switzerland-on-charges-of-war-crimes-and-crimes-against-humanity/ When will the British government impose public registries on its tax havens? Tax Justice Network blog from 2019 https://taxjustice.net/2019/03/04/when-will-the-british-government-impose-public-registries-on-its-tax-havens/  "The three Crown Dependencies have committed to introducing public registers. Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man have private registers. However, in response to the 2022 ECJ ruling, in December 2022 the three governments said they would wait for legal advice before taking further steps." https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2023-0220/ (House of Commons Library) Dear European Court of Justice, you were played, Tax Justice Network blog on 2022 European Court of Justice ruling https://taxjustice.net/2022/12/05/dear-european-court-of-justice-you-were-played/  Officer: GINETTE LOUISE BLONDEL, Data from Paradise Papers - Malta corporate registry https://offshoreleaks.icij.org/nodes/56057386   Guernsey FSC Prohibitions and Disqualified Directors https://www.opensanctions.org/datasets/gg_disqualified_directors/   Trump demands countries surrender tax sovereignty at economic gunpoint, Tax Justice Network https://taxjustice.net/press/trump-demands-countries-surrender-tax-sovereignty-at-economic-gunpoint/    Countries should stand up to President Trump's tax threat and continue working together to deliver a progressive global tax reform. https://www.icrict.com/non-classe/countries-should-stand-up-to-president-trumps-tax-threat-and-continue-working-together-to-deliver-a-progressive-global-tax-reform/    Our website with all our podcasts is https://podcasts.taxjustice.net/