Review of 2014

And so we arrive at the end of 2014. A momentous year for tax? Well perhaps. It may not have brought all the answers, or even really got to the bottom of some of the questions, but it certainly wasn’t dull!

Here are a few of my observations on the key events. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, or even the definitive list of the most important announcements, but just a reminder of some of the milestones we have passed in the last 12 months.

Enjoy, but please also feel free to comment on any other landmarks you think should be included.

g+ blog: What does the UK Government want to tax?

The pan-european public affairs agency g+ europe has posted an opinion piece on the UK Diverted Profits Tax, to which I contributed.

It can be found here.

The Autumn Statement: Diversion Ahead?

The Autumn Statement was quite a mixed bag, at least in part, aimed at the elections in May. There was the usual pre-election tax giveaway, combined with some strong economic governance messages, all packaged with a big blue ribbon. It will provide plenty of ammunition for all parties to use in the campaign. So there’s something to look forward to!

Fair Tax Mark

I'm absolutely delighted to be able to announce that Engaged Consulting has become the very first independent licensed Fair Tax Mark Assessor.

Germany extends extractives transparency by launching EITI

On Wednesday it was my pleasure to attend the launch event of D-EITI, the German Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in Berlin.

The riddle of tax morality

There is a very old riddle that starts by stating that someone has built a house where all 4 walls face south. A bear walks past. What colour it is? Just in case you don't know the answer, I won't spoil it for you, and least for now. However, what is clear is that this riddle assumes that there’s either something rather odd about the building or the compass. But which?

The eagle has...well, you know

And so it begins. I can't hope to emulate those other highly successful and informative tax blogs out there, but hopefully my contribution will be an interesting addition to the mix.