Archive for Tax Havens

How The World Should Respond To The US FATCA Driven Attack On The Tax Base Of Other Countries

How The World Should Respond To The US FATCA Driven Attack On The Tax Base Of Other Countries

This purpose of this post is to continue the general theme of focusing on the difference between what a law says and what the law means in application and effect. Yesterday’s post (The Pandora Papers, FATCA, CRS And How They Have Combined To Create Tax Haven USA) focused on the role that the 2010 US FACTCA law played in in facilitating the rise of Tax Haven USA. (To be clear, I am not saying that FATCA was the sole cause.) That said, the unwillingness of the USA to sign the CRS (“Common Reporting Standard”) has also played a role in the growth of the US as a tax haven.

Read More

Written by | Posted in FATCA • Tax Havens

The Pandora Papers, FATCA, CRS And How They Have Combined To Create Tax Haven USA

JOHN RICHARDSON

Introduction

While millions of people are obsessed with taxation there are apparently people who may (but who knows) wish to simply opt out of the discussion.

https://twitter.com/crenshawpunch66/status/1444787814915186688

I am becoming less and less interested in the intricacies of taxation. At its core the principles of tax are really pretty simple. Tax laws exist for two purposes: (1) To redistribute assets from one person to another person (with the government taking an administrative cut along the way) and (2) to punish (sin taxes) or reward (buying a fuel efficient car) certain kinds of behaviour. Certain cultures are more tax obsessed than others. When it comes to obsession over taxation the USA is certainly a world leader. In fact, what started out as US “citizenship-based taxation” more than one hundred years ago, has created a culture of “Taxation-based citizenship” (Yes, they are different concepts).

Read More

Written by | Posted in Tax Havens • Trusts

Tax Havens And The IRS

The term “tax haven” is a bit of a misnomer, for the places that are considered tax havens don’t just offer an escape from taxes. They also offer secrecy and a place for U.S. citizens and corporations to keep their money far from the government’s grasp.  What is a tax haven, and how does the IRS think of them?

The IRS actively fights against tax havens via their The Abusive Tax Scheme Program, which actively attempts to prevent abusive behavior by would-be taxpayers. Avoiding paying taxes via hiding money in tax havens is a white-collar crime.

What Is A Tax Haven?

A tax haven is any country, state, or territory that offers foreign individuals and businesses with little or no tax liability. It usually refers only to countries that are politically and economically stable. Tax havens fall into one of three categories:

Read More

Written by | Posted in IRS • Tax Havens