Guess which country is the world's biggest exporter of software? The US? Nope, guess again? No, not China, or Malaysia, or even Indonesia. The world's biggest exporter of software is a misty green island of four million people. That's right, Ireland. The country which had a famine while the rest of Europe was having an industrial revolution. The country whose economy, up until the 1960s was based mainly on farming and tourism. Ireland has created unprecedented success built on massive levels of investment from multinational firms, and most of that comes from the US.
Welcoming Tax Dodgers Written By: Sheila Killian 2008-02-22 04:16:31
A depressing little story from The Irish Examiner notes that “Ireland Inc is well positioned to benefit from new tax laws aimed at foreigners living and working in Britain, which may result in an exodus of wealthy expatriates.” The background to this story is straightforward. Resident, non-domiciled individuals in Britain pay tax only on income arising within the country and on foreign income only when it is remitted into the UK. Many are extremely wealthy, and keep this wealth offshore, avoiding tax. There has been considerable moral outrage in Britain at the fact that very rich people are enjoying life in London while paying virtually no tax. In response, the government now proposes a levy of £30,000 per year on such individuals, which many consider remarkably low.
Who's Driving the Getaway Car? Banks and Tax Havens in Corruption in Africa Written By: Sheila Killian 2008-01-28 16:17:03 Imagine a theft has just been committed. A big one - say billions of dollars. Imagine everyone can see what has been stolen, and from whom. It’s clear who has ended up with the goods, but it’s impossible to prove they stole it. Some people say it was an inside job, that one of the guards let the thieves in, but it’s hard to say for sure, because nobody saw anything.
