The Taxcast

In this special extended interview we ask - how much wealth is stashed offshore? We speak to Tax Justice Network senior advisor Jim Henry on why his estimate for the Tax Justice Network of $21 to 32 trillion has been vindicated by new figures released by the OECD: "it means we've discovered an eighth continent of wealth" Further reading here and here. You can hear a shorter version of this interview on the Taxcast #103 available here in which we also bring you Part 2 on systemic racism and tax.

This month we bring you part 2 on how tax justice can help address systemic racism in the US. Author Shawn Rochester, (The Black Tax: the cost of being Black in America) does some number crunching on the historic denial of equality and economic costs of exclusion, Gabriel Zucman speaks on reforming the private tax of healthcare, Cortney Sanders of the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities speaks about the impact of covid19 on communities of colour, and Brandon J. McKoy of New Jersey Policy Perspective speaks on the myth of millionaire tax flight. Plus: how much wealth is stashed offshore? We speak to Jim Henry on why our estimate of $21 to 32 trillion has been vindicated by new figures released by the OECD: "it means we've discovered an eighth continent of wealth" Transcript available here (not 100% accurate)

This month we look at the United States and how tax justice can help address systemic racism. Plus: did you know Britain's slave owners compensation loan was only settled by the government in 2015 on behalf of taxpayers? As Faulkner wrote: "The past is never dead. It's not even past." As we discuss, the legacy of centuries of institutionalised racism is that a wealth chasm has been created between black and white communities. We also know that the City of London in Britain itself built its wealth from slavery and empire. Still today major finance sectors have extractive business models, that impoverish some of the world's poorest nations. And financial secrecy is another form of empire. So how can we think about combining tax justice and reparations? Keval Bharadia's work on a super tax on the $8 trillion a day financial markets could help show the way. And financial institutions must have independent slavery money audits.

This month, we cover the story the mainstream media aren’t telling you – how governments around the world are undermining our tax collection services. We look at how the South Africa Revenue Service was established in very challenging times to become a world class institution. Yet also how quickly such achievements can be set back. Also, as all eyes turn to Central Banks during this coronavirus pandemic, we ask who are they serving? And how do people forge a new relationship and a new role for them that fits modern times?

This month: from the ashes of this coronavirus crisis how can we build a better economic and socially just system that works for all of us? The pandemic also exposes the pile-up of unaddressed crises which we must also fix. We discuss tax justice (which was always key), bailout conditions for companies now seeking government assistance, and Universal Basic Services.

How many more signs do we need to tell us we must urgently reform our economies, keep essential services out of private hands and transition away from fossil fuels? As the world buckles up for a different crisis tackling the Coronavirus, we look at how tax justice is key to all economic reform in the public interest, and solving the climate crisis - any crisis - is impossible without it. We speak to Dr Gail Bradbrook, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion on her vision of hope, and John Christensen of the Tax Justice Network.

In this special extended Taxcast, Naomi Fowler takes you on a whistle-stop guided tour on an express train around the world, looking at the worst offenders selling secrecy services. What can nations can do to protect themselves and their populations from the corruption that results from financial and legal secrecy? https://www.thetaxcast.com/the-financial-secrecy-index-who-are-the-worlds-worst-offenders-the-tax-justice-network-podcast-special-february-2020/ 

The Taxcast kicks off the new decade with: the French strikes - tax justice and pensions vs financialisation the EU countries who've missed the deadline on publishing registers of real corporate owners the effect of Brexit on poorer (plundered) countries And the IMF's stark warnings about the finance curse and another Great Depression

This month we ask - what's going on with our pre-school childcare and elderly care home services? We take a long hard look at the financialisation of our services and what we can do about it. Plus: the Conservative party in the UK has won a major victory in the general elections. With major challenges for tax justice, what are the next steps for trade deal negotiations? Will Britain become a fully fledged Singapore-on-Thames? Our website: www.thetaxcast.com 

This month we speak to Tax Justice Network CEO Alex Cobham on his new book The Uncounted on the politics of counting. Who's missing from the stats, from the bottom to the very top? And how can we count better? Plus: For decades corporate tax cuts have been touted as the way to promote the economy. This month the Tax Justice Network's John Christensen talks about a paradigm shift on corporate tax in the UK general election: and we look at the results of Trump's corporate tax cuts in the US - did they deliver what he promised?