Manfred Bergmann, director for Indirect Taxation and Tax Administration at the European Commission, nicknamed Mr FTT in EU circles, is the man behind the EU’s proposed financial transactions tax. In part one of an exclusive interview, he explains why critics are wrong to claim it will harm growth, and why the UK has nothing to fear.
Since airlines were brought into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) last month, long-haul countries have been stepping up the noise of protests which will only hurt the environment and taxpayers.
Taxpayers are angry over Germany’s unfair enforcement of interest on old VAT errors even when there has never been any loss to the exchequer. International Tax Review investigates.
The Chinese government wants to introduce a carbon tax from 2015, however even if it is enacted, which remains doubtful, it is unlikely to help the country meet its climate commitments.
Rudolf Elmer’s name hit the international headlines when he was exposed as the whistle-blower on the activities of his former employer, Swiss bank Julius Bär, in the Cayman Islands, handing over the names of 2,000 tax evaders to WikiLeaks. The episode was one of a number that focused attention on tax havens. In an exclusive interview, Elmer explains why he did it, what the impact has been on the world and his life and why he is the one being treated as a criminal.
