The Taxcast

In the November 2014 Taxcast: 'You can lie and you can steal from us but this time we'll know who you are': Ukraine becomes the first country in the world to introduce a public registry of the real owners of companies. The Taxcast speaks to the Director of Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Action Centre about stopping corruption that continues to cost lives. Also: we take a look at the fallout from the latest leaks from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists on corporate tax avoidance in Luxembourg, or #LuxLeaks, Kenya considers ending corporate tax holidays, and why is the taxpayer funded European Investment Bank lending money to companies that are heavy users of tax havens? All that and more scandal.

How much is corporate welfare costing us? Across the US they're going to start publishing the subsidies and tax breaks. We take a look at the latest research in the UK. Also: Ireland announces it'll abolish the 'Double Irish' tax dodge after the EU Commission finds Apple's tax deal is 'illegal state aid'. But what will they replace it with? Australians discover the true state of the tax contributions made by their top companies, and Tax Justice Network Africa makes history taking the Kenyan government to court in an unprecedented case over a tax deal with the tax haven of Mauritius.

In the September 2014 Taxcast: 'unpatriotic corporate deserters'? We ask why so many US companies are relocating. Also, the less reported side of the Scottish vote on independence, the OECD's latest 'action' plan on tackling international tax avoidance and much, much more.

In the August 2014 Taxcast: when was the last time you used a £100 bill, a 500 euro note or a 1,000 Swiss Franc note? We look at how Western Central banks and Treasuries are facilitating crime through high denomination bills. Also, tax haven reputation damage-management, Switzerland pulls a fast one on India, the European bankers raking in the bonuskis from sanctions against Russia and how the tax haven of Mauritius is...erm...expanding its portfolio. "I think it's terrible public policy to facilitate organised crime" Jim Henry Produced by @Naomi_Fowler for the Tax Justice Network and also featuring John Christensen of the Tax Justice Network, author of Laundry Men and many other books on financial crime Jeffrey Robinson, Assistant US Attorney General Lanny Breuer, Economist and asset recovery specialist Jim Henry.

What really happened at the Google Shareholder meeting vote on a proposal for ethical tax principles? Plus: we discuss what the new tax haven-friendly EU Commission President might now do (or not do), anti-democratic moves in Hong Kong by the big four accountancy firms, and: forget the OECD's global tax reforms - developing countries can, and are doing it for themselves. But will the new BRICS Development Bank do any better? And much more...

In the June 2014 Taxcast: the guillotine vs progressive taxation. the Taxcast looks at Thomas Piketty's book Capital in the 21st Century. Also: welcome to the temporary tax haven of World Cup Brazil; the EU Commission begins investigations into illegal state aid for tax havens; and are developing countries really not interested in tracking illicit outflows from their countries? Plus more scandals

In the May 2014 Taxcast: the Taxcast looks at privatisation and tax: what happens when public assets or services get into private hands? Also, Google's challenged on its tax affairs by its own shareholders; will Congress block the US government's decision to agree to the G20's global transparency standard? And whatever happened to the UK's 'leadership' on public registers of the real owners of companies now it turns out it'll 'encourage' but not 'force' its overseas territories and crown dependencies to sign up to the initiative?

In the April 2014 Taxcast: Forget Congress! The Taxcast looks at the latest US state to take matters into its own hands and legislate against tax havens. Also: the scandal of how the Bank for International Settlements has kept offshore wealth data to itself, the British government tries to impress its friends in Washington with a 'tough' new tax evasion offence, taxing problems in Nigeria and...how will UK Parliamentarian Lord Blencathra manage now his £12,000 (c. $20,000) a month contract with the Cayman Islands has been terminated?

In the March 2014 Taxcast: Russia, Ukraine, Londongrad and the offshore threat to global security. Also: modern day colonialism? Niger battles France over fairer revenues from its uranium; it's official - inequality IS bad for economic growth: the IMF becomes an unlikely advocate for tax justice. And, the European Parliament moves against anonymous ownership of companies by voting for public registers of beneficial owners.

In the February 2014 Taxcast: Are European tax havens getting 'illegal state subsidies'? The European Union's Competition Commissioner thinks so. Are the world's tax havens really going to become more transparent? We analyse the OECD's automatic information exchange proposal, warts and all. And, the tax haven of the Bahamas is broke – the government's solution? Tax the poor! We look at the Bahamian campaign against a Value Added Tax and their demands for a freedom of information act.