Tax havens or tax hells? A discussion of the historical roots and present consequences of tax havens

Tax havens are not recent phenomena. However, in contrast to historical precedents, tax havens in the age of mobile capital allow for non-consensual transfers and are not profitable for every citizen. We discuss the four main groups of tax havens (former Western possessions, sovereign nations, count...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ana Margarida Raposo, Paulo Reis Mourão
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of Public Finance 2013-09-01
Series:Financial Theory and Practice
Subjects:
Online Access:http://fintp.ijf.hr/upload/files/ftp/2013/3/raposo.pdf
Description
Summary:Tax havens are not recent phenomena. However, in contrast to historical precedents, tax havens in the age of mobile capital allow for non-consensual transfers and are not profitable for every citizen. We discuss the four main groups of tax havens (former Western possessions, sovereign nations, countries controlled by cartels, and emerging economies). This article also synthesizes the history of tax havens and describes their current heterogeneity, discussing the main methods available to regulate tax haven flows. Some of the most efficient methods involve unilateral measures (such as the Fiscal Transparency of Outland Societies) but also encompass multilateral measures (such as Tax Harmonization and the Request for Information).
ISSN:1846-887X
1845-9757