Oxfam’s list of Tax Havens, December 2016

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Oxfam’s list of Tax Havens, in order of significance are:

(1) Bermuda
(2) the Cayman Islands
(3) the Netherlands
(4) Switzerland
(5) Singapore
(6) Ireland
(7) Luxembourg
(8) Curaçao
(9) Hong Kong
(10) Cyprus
(11) Bahamas
(12) Jersey
(13) Barbados,
(14) Mauritius and
(15) the British Virgin Islands.

Most notably is The Netherlands placement as no. 3 on the list.

Oxfam researchers compiled the list by assessing the extent to which countries employ the most damaging tax policies, such as zero corporate tax rates, the provision of unfair and unproductive tax incentives, and a lack of cooperation with international processes against tax avoidance (including measures to increase financial transparency).

Many of the countries on the list have been implicated in tax scandals. For example Ireland hit the headlines over a tax deal with Apple that enabled the global tech giant to pay a 0.005 percent corporate tax rate in the country. And the British Virgin Islands is home to more than half of the 200,000 offshore companies set up by Mossack Fonseca – the law firm at the heart of the Panama Papers scandal.

The United Kingdom does not feature on the list, but four territories that the United Kingdom is ultimately responsible for do appear: the Cayman Islands, Jersey, Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands.

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