ITR Global Tax 50 2022: Alex Cobham

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ITR Global Tax 50 2022: Alex Cobham

Chief executive of Tax Justice Network

Alex Cobham ActionAid UK Board Member

Alex Cobham has long played a key role in tax justice campaigning, particularly when it comes to tax evasion and avoidance, as well as flagging illicit financial flows.

Over the years, he has taken part in political discussions around tax issues around the world. Some included opinion pieces criticising Britain’s low corporate tax model and how to end tax abuse in a “simple and fair way”.

He joined the Tax Justice Network – an advocacy group that brings researchers and activists together – as director of research in January 2015. A year later, Cobham became chief executive at the organisation.

On the global stage, the OECD is at a difficult place in finding a consensus around pillar one and two, as some jurisdictions are pushing back on the endorsement of the tax deal – and Cobham has condemned the organisation’s failure to do so.

He also supports the UN’s planned takeover as a leader in global tax policy.

In October 2022, Cobham said a UN tax convention could reshape negotiations on international tax matters on the digital economy.

The following month, the UN General Assembly voted in favour of a new tax convention proposed by African countries.

The UN seems keen to take the reins on global tax, which could change the direction of the OECD’s objectives.

“It could move rule-making on global tax from the OECD to the UN, finally lifting the grip that former colonial powers have continued to exert over global tax rules,” Cobham told ITR.

Global Tax 50 2022

Breaking down the entire 50 individually according to the impact they made would require too granular an approach. Each entry is in alphabetical order as part of categories, i.e. individuals, to make it simpler to navigate.

Industry figures
Tax authorities
Public officials
Noteworthy individuals
NGOs
 
Vice president of global transfer pricing and tax disputes, Johnson & Johnson
Chair of tax policy group, BusinessEurope
Director and head of international tax for Meta Latin America
Head of transfer pricing, AstraZeneca
Executive vice president of global tax and treasury, Unilever
Global head of tax, Siemens
Chair of the taxation committee, USCIB
Chair of the tax committee at BIAC
Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency
Commissioner of SARS
Minister of Revenue, New Zealand
Former IRS commissioner
Commissioner of the State Tax Administration
Executive secretary of ATAF
 
Director of direct taxation, coordination, economic analysis and evaluation, European Commission
Minister of finance, budget and national planning, Nigeria
US president
Departing president of Brazil
Secretariat of the economy, Mexico
Acting Head of the Tax Policy and Statistics Division, OECD
Co-chairs of the UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters (UN Tax Committee)
Commissioner for the economy, European Commission
Minister of finance, Indonesia
Head of TIWB secretariat
Prime minister of Japan
US senators
Director-general of the Public Debt Management Office, Thai Ministry of Finance
Chair of the House Ways & Means Committee
Director of the OECD’s Centre for Tax Policy and Administration
Head of the GloBE unit, OECD
President of Colombia
Acting deputy director of the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, OECD
Former director of the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, OECD
Lord of Kingswood, UK
Minister of finance and corporate affairs, India
UK prime minister and chancellor of the exchequer
Chair of the Senate Finance Committee
Secretary of the US Treasury
 
CEO and global chairman, EY
Tax attorney, blogger and podcaster, Taxgirl
Former Uber lobbyist
Director of Tax Research UK
Director of Tax Policy Associates
CEO of Opportunity Green
 
Chief executive of Tax Justice Network
Acting director of TaxWatch
Former responsible tax lead at PIRC
Chief executive of Fair Tax Foundation
Director of the ICIJ
Principal analyst for CICTAR
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