Tax Justice Network
{{short description|Independent tax advocacy group}}
{{Primary sources|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Tax Justice Network
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| abbreviation =TJN
| motto =
| formation = March 2003 {{small|formal}}
November 2002 {{small|informal}}
| founder = {{small|28 co-founders}}{{cite web|url=http://taxjustice.blogspot.ie/2012/11/happy-birthday-tax-justice-network.html|title=Happy Birthday Tax Justice Network|publisher=TJN|date=9 November 2012}}
| founding_location = London
| type = NGO
| focus = tax avoidance, tax competition, tax evasion, and tax havens.
| headquarters =38 Stanley Avenue, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2JG, United Kingdom.
| language = English
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| leader_title2 = Chief Executive
| leader_name2 = Alex Cobham
| revenue = £1,111,981 ($1,556,773)
| revenue_year = 2016
| website = {{url|https://www.taxjustice.net/}}
}}
{{Taxation}}
The Tax Justice Network (TJN) is a British advocacy group{{ r | BB_2018-01-30 }} consisting of a coalition of researchers and activists with a shared concern about tax avoidance, tax competition, and tax havens.{{cite web|url=https://www.taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TJN-Core-Funding-Prospectus.pdf|title=Core Funding Prospectus 2018–2021|publisher=Tax Justice Network|access-date=24 March 2019|date=2018}}
Activity
=Research=
The TJN has reported on the OECD Base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) projects and conducted their own research that the scale of corporate taxes being avoided by multinationals is an estimated $660 billion in 2012 (a quarter of US multinationals’ gross profits), which is equivalent to 0.9% of World GDP.{{cite web | url=https://www.bna.com/tax-avoidance-costing-n57982085579/| title=Tax Avoidance Costing U.S. $189 Billion: Tax Justice Network| publisher=Bloomberg News | date=23 March 2017}}{{cite web | url=https://www.taxjustice.net/scalebeps/ | title=Base Erosion and Profit Shifting BEPS| publisher=Tax Justice Network | date=2015}}
In July 2012, following a study into wealthy individuals with offshore accounts, the Tax Justice Network published claims regarding deposits worth at least $21 trillion (£13 trillion), potentially even $32 trillion, in secretive tax havens. As a result, governments suffer a lack of income taxes of up to $280 billion.{{cite news | url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/13-trillion-pounds-in-offshore-tax-havens-report/articleshow/15093725.cms | title=13 trillion pounds in offshore tax havens: Report | newspaper=The Times of India | date=July 22, 2012 | access-date=July 22, 2012}}{{cite news | url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-offshore-wealth-idUKBRE86L03W20120722?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305141839/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-offshore-wealth-idUKBRE86L03W20120722?feedType=RSS&feedname=topNews | url-status=dead | archive-date=5 March 2016 | title=Super rich hold $32 trillion in offshore havens | work=Reuters | date=July 22, 2012 | access-date=July 22, 2012}}{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18944097 | title=Tax havens: Super-rich 'hiding' at least $21tn | publisher=BBC | date=July 22, 2012 | access-date=July 22, 2012}}
In November 2020, the TJN published "The State of Tax Justice 2020" report. It claims $427 billion is lost every year to tax abuse.{{cite web|title=The State of Tax Justice 2020|publisher=Tax Justice Network|url= https://taxjustice.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/The_State_of_Tax_Justice_2020_ENGLISH.pdf|date=20 November 2020}}{{cite news|title=$427bn a year lost to tax abuse by firms and rich individuals, study finds|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/20/427bn-a-year-lost-to-tax-abuse-by-firms-and-rich-individuals-study-finds|date=20 November 2020}}
=Financial Secrecy Index=
The Financial Secrecy Index is a biennial publication of the TJN which was started in 2009 and was last released in February 2020.{{cite web|title=Financial Secrecy Index 2020 Results|publisher=Tax Justice Network|url=https://fsi.taxjustice.net/en/introduction/fsi-results|date=18 February 2020}} It covers 133 global jurisdictions and produces a "Secrecy Indicator" score for each based on 20 qualitative criteria. Releases are widely covered in the media.{{cite web|title=Report Says U.S. Is World's Second-Biggest Tax Haven|publisher=Bloomberg News|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-30/u-s-seen-as-world-s-second-biggest-tax-haven-after-switzerland|date=30 January 2018 | quote=The Financial Secrecy Index, an assessment of global financial centers compiled by the Tax Justice Network, a left-leaning research and advocacy group, }}{{cite news|title=U.S. Becomes World's Second-Biggest Tax Haven|newspaper=Wall Street Journal| url=https://blogs.wsj.com/riskandcompliance/2018/01/30/u-s-becomes-worlds-second-biggest-tax-haven/|date=30 January 2018}}{{cite news|title=UN urged to launch global effort to end offshore tax evasion|newspaper=The Guardian| url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/30/un-urged-to-launch-global-effort-to-end-offshore-tax-evasion|date=30 January 2018}}{{cite news|title=Australia a safe haven for illicit funds, but Switzerland the world's worst|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/australia-a-safe-haven-for-illicit-funds-but-switzerland-the-worlds-worst-20180131-h0qyxl.html|date=31 January 2018}}
=Corporate Tax Haven Index=
The Corporate Tax Haven Index is a biennial publication of the TJN which had its inaugural publication in May 2019.{{cite web|title=Corporate Tax Haven Index 2019 Results|publisher=Tax Justice Network|url=https://www.corporatetaxhavenindex.org/en/introduction/cthi-2019-results|date=28 May 2019}} It covers 64 global jurisdictions and produces a "Corporate Tax Haven Index" value by combining two core measures; first a "Haven Score" based on 20 mostly tax related criteria, second a "Global Scale Weight" showing the scale of activity. Release are widely covered in the media.{{cite news|title=UK and territories are 'greatest enabler' of tax avoidance, study says|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/28/uk-and-territories-are-greatest-enabler-of-tax-avoidance-study-says|date=28 May 2019}}{{cite news|title=Channel Islands 'among worst tax havens' worldwide|publisher=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-jersey-48354081|date=28 May 2019}}{{cite web|title=U.K. Islands Unravel Global Corporate Tax Order, Group Says|publisher=Bloomberg Tax|url=https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report/u-k-islands-unravel-global-corporate-tax-order-group-says?|date=28 May 2019}}
=Publicity=
Experts of TJN appeared at public hearings of the Finance Committee of the German Bundestag in 2016.{{cite web | url=http://www.bundestag.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/2016/neuer-inhalt/428040 | title=Öffentliche Sitzung des Finanzausschusses | publisher=German Bundestag | date=June 15, 2016 | access-date=February 16, 2017 | language=de}}
Funding
TJN has been rated as 'highly transparent' in its funding by Transparify{{Cite web |url=https://www.transparify.org/blog/2018/12/17/yu6z844z5sf3vnhvqkegzeefuzv12o |title=Round-Up of Transparify 2018 Ratings |website=Transparify |date=17 December 2018 |language=en-US |access-date=2019-07-07}} and has been given an A grade for funding transparency by Who Funds You?{{Cite web |title=Tax Justice Network {{!}} Who Funds You? |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/who-funds-you/tax-justice-network/ |website=whofundsyou.org |language=en}}
Leadership and authors
- John Christensen, founding director and chief executive 2003-2016, board chair 2016-2021{{cite web |website=Tax Justice Network |url=https://taxjustice.net/2021/08/02/john-christensen-steps-down-as-tax-justice-network-chair/ |title=John Christensen steps down as Tax Justice Network chair |date={{date|2021/08/02}}}}{{cite web |website=Tax Research UK |author=Richard Murphy |url=https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2021/08/03/john-christensen-quits-the-tax-justice-network/ |title=John Christensen quits the Tax Justice Network |date={{date|2021/08/03}}}}
- Richard Murphy, co-founder and research director 2003-2010{{cite web |website=Tax Research UK |url=https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/richard-murphy/ |title=Richard Murphy }}
- Alex Cobham, chief executive since 2016{{cite web |website=Tax Justice Network |url=https://taxjustice.net/2021/08/02/the-past-present-and-future-of-tax-justice-network/ |title=The past, present and future of Tax Justice Network |author=Alex Cobham |date={{date|2021/08/02}}}}
Notable authors who have worked with TJN include accounting scholar Prem Sikka, activist Sony Kapoor, journalist Nicholas Shaxson,{{cite web |website=Tax Justice Network |url=https://taxjustice.net/our-history/ |title=Our History }} and legal scholar Sol Picciotto.{{cite web |website=Institute of Development Studies |title=Sol Picciotto, ICTD Senior Fellow |url=https://www.ids.ac.uk/people/sol-picciotto/ }}
See also
Notes
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official|https://www.taxjustice.net|Tax Justice Network}}
- [https://www.globaltaxjustice.org/ Global Tax Alliance for Justice]
- [https://www.taxjustice.net/cms/upload/pdf/Price_of_Offshore.pdf Briefing Paper of the TJN]
- [https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/ TJN Co-founder Richard Murphy Tax Blog]
- [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/dec/08/fall-of-jersey-how-tax-haven-goes-bust Bullough, Oliver. "The Fall of Jersey: How a Tax Haven Goes Bust," The Guardian online, 8 December 2015] - includes an interview with John Christensen, a native of Jersey, about the origins of TJN
{{Globalization}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tax Justice Network}}
Category:Business ethics organizations
Category:International taxation