Blowing 200 whistles on tax secrecy!

 

 Photo: Demonstration 'Blow the whistle on tax secrecy!'

 

 

7 May 2015

 

Dear Ambassador Philipps,

 

We, the undersigned organisations, would like to express our deep concern about the role of Luxembourg in facilitating large-scale tax avoidance of multinational enterprises, as well as the prosecution of two whistleblowers and one of the key journalists, who acted in the public interest and helped publish the so-called #LuxLeaks information. 

 

The #LuxLeaks scandal revealed secret ‘sweetheart tax deals’ between the Luxembourg authorities and hundreds of multinational enterprises, which allowed the companies to lower their tax rates to extremely low levels, in some cases less than 1%. This kind of corporate tax avoidance has grave implications for societies and citizens in both developed and developing countries. It increases the escalating inequality and deprives societies of tax income that is desperately needed to combat poverty, protect the environment, ease austerity measures and fund essential public services such as health care, education and sanitation.

 

We believe the #LuxLeaks information should never have been secret in the first place. The public in both developed and developing countries have a right to know the truth about how much – or how little – multinational enterprises pay in taxes. Therefore, we believe the whistleblowers and journalist who are currently being charged for exposing the #LuxLeaks information acted in the public interest.

We also believe that multinational corporations should be required to carry out public country by country reporting and pay their fair share of taxes.

 

Through today’s action, we are expressing our solidarity with the whistleblowers and journalist and hope to raise awareness of these problems and injustices.  As Luxembourg is about to take up the presidency of the European Union, it is even more vital that the government shows commitment to changing course and ensuring corporate transparency, fair corporate taxation and effective protection of whistleblowers and journalists.  We hope you will convey this message to the government of Luxembourg.

 

Sincerely,

 

11.11.11 Koepel van de Vlaamse Noord-Zuidbeweging

ActionAid Denmark

ActionAid International

ActionAid UK

Attac Austria

Both ENDS, Netherlands

CCFD -Terre Solidaire

Changemaker Norway

Christian Aid

Christian Aid Ireland

CIDSE

CNCD -11.11.11

Debt & Development Coalition Ireland

Diakonia

Ekvilib Inštitut

Erlassjahr.dk

Eurodad - European Network on Debt and Development

Forum Norway

Forum Syd

Global Alliance for Tax Justice

Global Policy Forum

Glopolis

Ibis

Instytut Globalnej Odpowiedzialności

Jubilee Debt Campaign, UK

Justice et Paix

Kairos Europe

Latindadd - la Red Latinoamericana sobre Deuda, Desarrollo y Derechos

Methodist Tax Justice Network UK

Norwegian Church Aid

Norwegian ForUM for Development and Environment

Oxfam France

Oxfam Intermón

Plateforme Paradis Fiscaux et Judiciaires

Réseau Foi et Justice Afrique Europe

Secours Catholique - Caritas France

Sherpa

Solidaires Finances Publiques

Tax Justice Network

Tax Justice Network Africa

Tax Research UK

VIDC -Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation

WEED –World Economy, Ecology & Development