There is intriguing evidence supporting various quotations in an anecdote recounted by a friend of Holmes named Felix Frankfurter who joined the Supreme Court in 1939 four years after Holmes died. In 1938 Frankfurter published the book “Mr. Justice Holmes and the Supreme Court”, and he also wrote an article for the Atlantic Monthly magazine. Both publications included this story about Holmes [ATFF] [LPFF]:
He did not have a curmudgeon’s feelings about his own taxes. A secretary who exclaimed ‘Don’t you hate to pay taxes!’ was rebuked with the hot response, ‘No, young feller. I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization.’
Important new independent research by our seconded researcher from ATO, Chris Leech, with newly released data, on the role and effectiveness of financial penalties for intentional#tax evasion, on the blog and substantial working paper
Twitter by Miranda Stewart
Tax penalties play an important and often undervalued role in the tax system. They primarily serve two functions: to deter non-compliance, and to reinforce community perceptions that the tax system is fair because non-compliant taxpayers will suffer consequences. Most tax penalties are administrative financial penalties imposed by the tax authority, ranging from minor penalties to financial penalties imposed on deliberate tax evaders. This exploratory paper draws on new data relating to payment of tax penalties for false and misleading statements. The data is subject to limitations and qualifications as detailed in the paper. Overall, the data shows that the majority of financial penalties imposed on deliberate tax evaders are never paid. The paper then seeks to explain how this can serve to undermine the effectiveness of these penalties. The paper reviews literature explaining the role of tax penalties and the hallmarks of effective tax penalties. It also reflects on a chapter of Australian tax history where community perceptions that tax evaders were not being effectively penalised jeopardised the perceived fairness of the tax system. The paper argues that if the current tax penalty regime is not strengthened then this will likely pose a risk to the perceived fairness of Australia’s tax system, and it therefore proposes some potential solutions, including arguing for two new penalties to be introduced into the regime.
Detect and deter or catch and release: Are financial penalties an effective way to penalise deliberate tax evaders?: Workingpaper
Chris Leech
Chris Leech was seconded from the Australian Taxation Office to the ANU’s Tax and Transfer Policy Institute to work on an independent research project on the effectiveness of financial penalties for those taxpayers who intentionally disregard the tax law. The views expressed in the independent research paper are not an official ATO or government position. He holds a Bachelor of Arts/Law (Honours) degree from Monash University.
Austaxpolicy post: Are
Financial Penalties an Effective Way to Penalise Deliberate Tax Evaders?
APO: Detect and deter or catch and release: are financial penalties an effective way to penalise deliberate tax evaders?
#Lookback Overall, data from the @ato_gov_au shows that the majority of financial penalties imposed on deliberate tax evaders are never paid. In our Working Paper 6/2018, Chris Leech proposes two new tax penalties. #austax
https://twitter.com/Austaxpolicy/statuses/1012099253152501760
Links of Interest to Tax Resisters • TPL - Sniggle.net
APO: Detect and deter or catch and release: are financial penalties an effective way to penalise deliberate tax evaders?
https://twitter.com/Austaxpolicy/statuses/1012099253152501760
Tax and transfer policy institute annual report fiscal year 2016-2017
Tax transparency: creating a level playing field - OECD.org
‘Name and shame’ penalty proposed to curb tax evasion by Jotham Lian
Detect and Deter or Catch and Release: Are Financial Penalties an Effective Way to Penalise Deliberate Tax Evaders? by Chris Leech :: SSRN - SSRN papers
Scharff Reviews Cauble's Accessible Reliable Tax Advice - TaxProf Blog - Typepad
Does payroll tax affect firm behaviour?
New federal government measures to combat illegal phoenix activity - where a new company is created to continue the business of a company that has been deliberately liquidated to avoid paying its debts:
* Directors prevented from improperly backdating resignations to avoid liability or prosecution
* Directors limited from resigning when this would leave the company with no directors. * The Director Penalty regime extended to GST, luxury car tax and wine equalisation tax, making directors personally liable for company debts.
* Australian Taxation Office to get expanded powers to retain refunds where there are outstanding tax lodgements. Budget 2018: Government gets tough on phoenix companies
Scharff Reviews Cauble's Accessible Reliable Tax Advice - TaxProf Blog - Typepad
Does payroll tax affect firm behaviour?
New federal government measures to combat illegal phoenix activity - where a new company is created to continue the business of a company that has been deliberately liquidated to avoid paying its debts:
* Directors prevented from improperly backdating resignations to avoid liability or prosecution
* Directors limited from resigning when this would leave the company with no directors. * The Director Penalty regime extended to GST, luxury car tax and wine equalisation tax, making directors personally liable for company debts.
* Australian Taxation Office to get expanded powers to retain refunds where there are outstanding tax lodgements. Budget 2018: Government gets tough on phoenix companies
'It’s adding up to billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money'
VERONA BURGESS: Two hearings and more than 50 submissions later, the Public Accounts and Audit inquiry may not be getting far, but the committee leaders are clearly asking intelligent questions
PM&C’s efforts didn’t really halt ABC’s ‘The Cabinet Files’ stories after all.
Alan Sunderland, ABC's editorial director, was dismissive of the great and powerful Senate under questioning at the estimates hearing
Majority of reported Aussie data breaches caused by human error
Health sector dominates in first report on data breach notification scheme
The first dissertation on Jane Austen appeared in 1883. Ever since, the field has given rise to many Austens — moralist, humorist, ironist — and little Concensus
Why Do So Many Judges Cite Jane Austen in Legal Decisions? - Electric Literature
Why it’s worth stomping on Universal Basic Income
David Walker argues it’s not enough to merely dismiss the Greens idea, rather it must be stomped on early.
Four Corners fallout: union defensive, ATO under review
Both the government and opposition have promised to subject the ATO to independent scrutiny once again following this week’s episode of Four Corners.
ATO Executive statement on ABC/Fairfax coverage
Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas: CONTENTS Q2 2018 THESIS & CONTENTS: Revolutionary Tools Enable Revolutionary Times – Reform movements succeed when the methods, motivation & moment converge. We are reaching such a time. [31 pages slide deck]
THE METHODS Revolutionary Tools Enable Revolutionary Times; THE MOTIVATION Why Citizens Increasingly Demand Change; THE MOMENT New Leaders Emerging to Challenge Washington / Fill the Vacuum; WHAT’S NEXT Where We Go From Here
Crime is about more than policing.
"The UK's Serious Crime Strategy tries to capture the complex web of issues which lead to people becoming perpetrators and victims: from mental health problems, to deprivation, and lack of parental support. These are all issues which go well beyond the police’s remit." (Institute for Government)
Africa Progressing In Fight Against Corruption, Illicit Financial Outflows New Business Ethiopia
Resolving African Challenges in Transfer Pricing The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF)
Tax justice in Europe: why does it matter for workers? European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)
How the UN women’s talks failed to call out corporate power – letting down our human rights defenders openDemocracy
EU targets US for tax haven blacklist International Adviser
Nigeria OPL 245 oil scandal: JP Morgan reveals UK cops gave go-ahead to transfer $875m to convicted money launderer Finance Uncovered
Russia plans to help sanctioned oligarchs with off-shores OCCRP
Swiss bank Julius Baer Top Banker Tied to Russia Weapons Scandal finews
Ghana to review corporate tax exemptions for resources sector Reuters
‘Official data was not immediately available on the volume of tax exemptions claimed by companies in the resources sector. However, finance Ministry data seen by Reuters showed that Ghana granted a cumulative three billion cedis ($678 mln) in tax exemptions last year.’
Shell companies: The UK government’s pride over the Companies House saga completely misses the point City A.M.
Priced Out: How Anonymous Companies Contribute to the Rising Cost of Housing FACT Coalition
Whistleblowers are vital to democracy. We need to better protect them Los Angeles Times
Italian oil major Eni offices searched in Congo Republic corruption probe Reuters
Facebook fined $33 million for failing to aid Brazil graft probe Reuters
Staff cuts, outsourcing contributing to 'toxic' Tax Office culture
