LiveOffshore - Liberty, Financial Privacy, and Economic Freedom

In Defense of Tax Competition, Liberty, and Economic Freedom

 

Tax havens are under attack throughout the world.  If you believe the popular media, the OECD and other liberal organizations, tax havens are to be blamed for third world poverty, the economic meltdown and the reason why socialist western nations run continual budget deficits.  A whole mythology has grown up around tax havens.

In reality, tax havens play an important role in the world economy.  By keeping their own corporate tax rates low, they attract companies and capital.  Countries that don't want to lose jobs, investment, and capital in their own countries are forced to keep their own tax rates competitive.  This is an important check and balance on socialist western governments that maintain their power and support by increasing the numbers of people that receive a government check.

Periodically LiveOffshore finds papers, videos, speeches, and other important reports that we post here to further your education and knowledge.  As we wrote above, a whole mythology has grown up around tax havens.  The truth is far different.

 

Papers

• Tax Havens: Myth vs. Reality — The truth about tax havens is often shrouded in distortions and myths.
• Tax Havens, Tax Competition and Economic Performance — Tax havens have a valuable role in the global economy.  They are a tax-efficient platform for cross-border investments.  They boost savings and investment and the result is increased economic growth.
• Economic Freedom of the World 2009 Report — The index published in Economic Freedom of the World measures the degree to which the policies and institutions of countries are supportive of economic freedom. The cornerstones of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete, and security of privately owned property.
• The 2010 Index of Economic Freedom — The Heritage Foundation has released their 2010 Index of Economic Freedom.  The United States has slid to 8th place.  Hong Kong remains the world's freest economy. 
  

 

Speeches

• The OECD, by Hon. Robert E. Bauman JD
  Conference on the Case for Tax Competition, Fiscal Sovereignty, and Financial Privacy
  Tuesday, October 20, 2009
• Tax Competition - Protecting American Jobs, delivered by Richard Teather, Senior Lecturer in Tax Law, Bournemouth University
  Conference on the Case for Tax Competition, Fiscal Sovereignty, and Financial Privacy
  Tuesday, October 20, 2009
• The U.S. Anti-Tax Haven Initiatives:  Illegal and Ill-Conceived, delivered by Bruce Zagaris, Berliner, Corcoran & Rowe, LLP
  Conference on the Case for Tax Competition, Fiscal Sovereignty, and Financial Privacy
  Tuesday, October 20, 2009
• Cayman Islands, delivered by Anthony Travers OBE
  Conference on the Case for Tax Competition, Fiscal Sovereignty, and Financial Privacy
  Tuesday, October 20, 2009

 

Videos: Tax Competition

• Tax Competition: Economic Freedom and National Sovereignty Part I — 4 November 2009. Tax Competition: Economic Freedom and National Sovereignty. Richard J. Hay - Tax Principal, Stikeman Elliott. Geoff Cook Chief Executive, Jersey Finance. Richard Teather Fellow, Adam Smith Institute; Senior Lecturer in Tax Law, Bournemouth University.
• Tax Competition: Economic Freedom and National Sovereignty Part II
• Tax Competition: Economic Freedom and National Sovereignty Part III
• Tax Competition: Economic Freedom and National Sovereignty Part IV
• Tax Competition: Economic Freedom and National Sovereignty Part V
• Tax Competition: Economic Freedom and National Sovereignty Part VI
• Tax Competition: Economic Freedom and National Sovereignty Part VII
• Cutting the United States' Corporate Tax Rate — In order to stay competitive with the world, the US needs to cut corporate tax rates.
  
• Tax Competition: A Liberalizing Force in the World Economy — Tax competition results in better tax policy, smaller government and a better economy.
• The Global Flat Tax Revolution — In an age where politicians thrive on class warfare, special interest and tax equality, 25 countries have ignored what's ideologically popular and have enacted a flat tax.
  

 

Videos: Tax Havens

• Dan Mitchell's Tax Haven Speech on Capitol Hill, Part 1 — Tax havens play a valuable role in the global economy.  Find out why tax havens need to be defended.
  
• Dan Mitchell's Tax Haven Speech on Capitol Hill, Part 2 — Tax competition is in trouble if the OECD is able to impose fiscal protectionism.
  
• President Obama's Dishonest Demagoguery on So-Called Tax Havens — Politicians who like higher taxes would like to shut down so-called tax havens so they can set up an "OPEC for politicians" and implement higher tax rates. Yet since all the evidence shows that low-tax jurisdictions are very beneficial for the global economy, the politicians often resort to dishonest demagoguery.
• The Economic Case for Tax Havens — Statist politicians and international bureaucracies such as the OECD and UN routinely attack tax havens, claiming that they lead to "harmful tax competition."  But where's the proof?  In reality, tax havens are a positive force on the global economy.
  
• The Moral Case for Tax Havens — Low-tax jurisdictions are a safe haven from tyrannical and oppressive governments.  This video builds a persuasive case for the moral defense of tax havens.  
• Tax Havens:  Myths vs. Facts — Tax havens are surrounded by myths in the popular media.  What are they and what is the truth?

 

Videos: Tax Policy

• The Laffer Curve, Part I: Understanding the Theory — The Laffer Curve charts a relationship between tax rates and tax revenue.
• The Laffer Curve, Part II: Reviewing the Evidence — This video reviews real-world evidence showing that changes in marginal tax rates can have a significant impact on taxable income, thus leading to substantial amounts of revenue feedback.
• The Laffer Curve, Part III: Dynamic Scoring — This video builds on the discussion of Laffer Curve as it relates to tax rates, tax revenue and marginal tax rates.
• Flat Tax vs. National Sales Tax: Dynamic Scoring — The current tax system in the United States is based in envy, covetousness and class warfare.  There are alternative proposals including a Flat Tax or the Fair Tax. 
  
• Moving Beyond the Fake Stimulus: Reviewing Policies that Produce Real Growth — This Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation video reviews the key finding in the Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of the World and explains that, contrary to the policies of Presidents Bush and Obama, smaller government and free markets are the way to boost economic growth.

 

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