In this special extended Taxcast, Naomi Fowler takes you on a whistle-stop guided tour on an express train around the world, looking at the worst offenders selling secrecy services. What can nations can do to protect themselves and their populations from the corruption that results from financial and legal secrecy?

https://www.thetaxcast.com/the-financial-secrecy-index-who-are-the-worlds-worst-offenders-the-tax-justice-network-podcast-special-february-2020/

The Taxcast kicks off the new decade with:

• the French strikes - tax justice and pensions vs financialisation
• the EU countries who've missed the deadline on publishing registers of real corporate owners
• the effect of Brexit on poorer (plundered) countries
• And the IMF's stark warnings about the finance curse and another Great Depression

This month we ask - what's going on with our pre-school childcare and elderly care home services? We take a long hard look at the financialisation of our services and what we can do about it. Plus: the Conservative party in the UK has won a major victory in the general elections. With major challenges for tax justice, what are the next steps for trade deal negotiations? Will Britain become a fully fledged Singapore-on-Thames?

Our website: www.thetaxcast.com

This month we speak to Tax Justice Network CEO Alex Cobham on his new book The Uncounted on the politics of counting. Who's missing from the stats, from the bottom to the very top? And how can we count better?

Plus: For decades corporate tax cuts have been touted as the way to promote the economy. This month the Tax Justice Network's John Christensen talks about a paradigm shift on corporate tax in the UK general election: and we look at the results of Trump's corporate tax cuts in the US - did they deliver what he promised?

In this month's episode we speak to Gabriel Zucman about his new book with co-author Emmanuel Saez - Triumph of Injustice: How the Rich Dodge Taxes and How to Make Them Pay. Plus, as Extinction Rebellion has held a fortnight of protests around the world over the climate emergency, we discuss the surprisingly small number of companies which determine whether investment will go into a better future, or onto a continued path of destruction. We discuss how tax justice and a different vision of growth can lead us back from the brink.

In this month's episode we discuss a new vision for Europe amid, or in spite of the Brexit vortex: plus - Britain's about to become the neighbour from hell, post-Brexit: how can the EU defend citizens from the race to the bottom on tax and regulations between nations precipitated by Britain's destructive 'Singapore-on-the-Thames' model?

In this month's Taxcast: ethics and accountancy - yes they can go together! Plus: as Britain sinks into full crisis-mode over Brexit, we bring you unique analysis on some of the far-reaching consequences for the world, including threats to public health service models. And why does the new British government love Freeports so much?

Immigration as reparations: we speak with multiple award winning Suketu Mehta about his new book: This Land Is Our Land: An Immigrant's Manifesto on the fastest way to fix global inequalities and injustices.

Also, we discuss France's 3% digital tax which has so angered the US president and yet another sign of the collapse of the supposed international consensus on tax rules and which countries have the power to dominate those agreements. And, we discuss the high tensions with Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and how expensive navies are potentially protecting privately owned ships busy minimising their tax bills using flags of convenience.

The Tax Justice Network now speaks tax justice in five languages on radio stations and podcast platforms across the world, each with their own unique content and style – English, Spanish, French, Arabic and now Portuguese. In this Taxcast special the podcast/radio producers come together to discuss their experiences of covering tax justice in their regions.

Our website with all our podcasts: www.thetaxcast.com

This month we look at the new Corporate Tax Haven Index released by the Tax Justice Network. What does it tell us about the global economy and the international tax system? And how can we fix it?

More information on the Corporate Tax Haven Index on https://cthi.taxjustice.net/en/