TTIP could block Governments from cracking down on tax avoidance, study warns

The Independent - Similar trade agreements have been used to facilitate apparent tax avoidance in the past

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Anti-TTIP demonstration

"A controversial new trade deal between the EU and the United States could make it more difficult to fight tax avoidance, a new report has warned."

"A new report by the Transnational Institute and Global Justice Now found that previous implementations of this rule in other trade agreements have been used to fight tax policies imposed by soverign countries. The analysis, which looked at data and documents of hundreds past of “investor state dispute settlement” (ISDS) tribunal cases, found that 24 countries have already been sued for changing their tax policies."

" 'The evidence of the dangers of these investment deals continues to mount. Not only do they affect health and the environment and cost taxpayers millions in legal fees, this report shows they also affect the ability of governments to tax corporations effectively,' said Cecilia Olivet from the Transnational Institute.  “This is yet more money lining the pockets of corporate executives stolen from the public taxpayer. New trade deals such as TTIP and CETA have to be stopped and the public interest defended.' "

Read the full article here.

 

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