Links Jun 20

Clarifying a link posted yesterday - we noted publication of the following piece in Financial News. The article is originally from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
Scratching the surface: Are Zambians about to get their dues from foreign miners? The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Jun 15 - "Zambia is Africa’s top copper producer and it is in the midst of a spectacular boom ... But the tax revenue to build schools, train and employ teachers, sink boreholes and buy medicine has simply not materialised. Wealth from Zambian copper has not trickled down – 64% of the population live on less than $2 per day ..."

IRS Resists Whistle-Blowers Despite Wide U.S. Tax Gap Bloomberg

Jun 19 - "The IRS whistle-blower program -- created by Congress in 2006 to boost tax revenue by giving incentives to tipsters -- has become the place where allegations of tax avoidance go to die ..."

Judge OKs deal between BDO USA and U.S. in tax-evasion case LA Times

Jun 14 - "Accounting firm BDO USA admitted it helped U.S. citizens evade about $1.3 billion in income taxes from 1997 to 2003 and said it would pay $50 million as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the government."

EU: Commission mulls fiscal IDs to stop tax evasion EurActiv

Jun 20 - "The European Commission is considering setting up a single European tax identification number for EU citizens and companies in order to improve tax collection rates, according to an internal document seen by EurActiv."

Tax Haven UK: Cameron’s real agenda Tax Research UK

Jun 19 - Richard Murphy has comments published in the Guardian: In wooing French tax exiles, Cameron makes a mockery of democracy.

Life in a nice, clean Swiss tax haven swissinfo

Jun 20 - Commentary on the draw for international residents to the "tax haven" Swiss canton of Zug, observing the proliferation of registered corporations including "letterbox" companies, and noting: “Many Swiss cannot afford Zug’s prices and are driven out to the surrounding cities and cantons.”