16 February 2013

The Economist: Special Report - Offshore finance


This special report argues that tax havens are indeed facing serious threats but are also being presented with some enticing opportunities, especially if they have strong links with emerging economies. The best-regulated of them are no longer merely “sunny places for shady people”. They can reasonably feel aggrieved when they are lumped together with the dodgiest havens, or when onshore jurisdictions themselves fail to practise the financial rectitude they preach to their offshore rivals.

All the same, the OFCs will remain under intense pressure as tax compliance receives more political attention. They will have to show not only that they have cleaned up but that they are making a constructive contribution to the world economy.



Storm survivors

Offshore financial centres have taken a battering recently, but they have shown remarkable resilience, says Matthew Valencia


A brief history of tax havens


Havens serve clean as well as dirty money


Some onshore jurisdictions can be laxer than the offshore sort


The way to make exchange of tax information work


Corporate profit-shifting has become big business


Accounting firms will do nicely under any set of rules


The offshore industry’s centre of gravity is shifting eastwards


The agony and the ecstasy of offshore whistleblowing


Offshore financial centres will always be controversial, but they will stay in business

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