Can “harmonization” antidote tax avoidance and other financial crimes globally?
Authors: Mugarura Norman 
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to underscore that harmonization of laws, much as it might not offer a lasting cure of tax avoidance and other forms of financial crimes, can enhance the fight against it and subsequently help to forestall it. Tax avoidance has remained an intractable challenge and costs governments astronomical sums of money, largely because taxation is a sensitive issue in the realm of sovereign national jurisdictions. The first part of this paper involves a review of empirical data on tax avoidance to create a context for evaluating theoretical issues on tax avoidance and how they are manifested in practice. It draws examples in a cross-jurisdictional perspective given the global character of tax avoidance and evasion as financial crimes. The last part of this paper discusses possible recommendations that could be implemented to tackle tax avoidance and its attendant challenges on economies.

Design/methodology/approach

The author has carried out a scoping review of the literature on tax avoidance and myriad of ways used to commit it globally. There was a wealth of data on tax avoidance, evasion, money laundering and harmonization of laws, which was reviewed and applied in undertaking this study. These data were sourced from published academic books, journal articles and online data sources/websites. This paper reflects on and internalizes most recent empirical data on tax avoidance and evasion such as unprecedented leak of millions of files from the database of the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm, Mossack Fonseca – the so-called “Panama papers”, which has revealed the extent of tax avoidance globally. It also goes an extra length (literally speaking) to underscore important measures that ought to be introduced to address tax avoidance, evasion and money laundering once and for all.

Findings

The findings of this paper confirm that while harmonization of law has its inherent shortcomings, it is necessary to enhance individual state’s ability to deal with overlapping interstate challenges such as tax avoidance. This paper proffers a thorough analysis of tax avoidance, the varied context in which it is manifested with a view to evaluate measures that could be adopted by states to minimize or forestall it globally.

Research limitations/implications

This paper has used data on tax avoidance and cognate areas in underscoring inherent challenges in current measures against tax avoidance globally. There were not many studies carried out on the role of harmonization in bolstering states’ efforts against tax avoidance and other financial crimes.

Practical implications

Paying taxes or avoiding paying it has a direct bearing on people, societies and national governments. It is therefore important that states adopt measures to curtail tax avoidance – because it costs governments a lot of revenue.

Originality/value

Though studies have been conducted on tax avoidance and cognate areas, this paper articulates that harmonization could greatly enhance the fight against it globally. This paper will appeal to tax authorities, banks, governments, policy makers, oversight financial institutions and those who have a vested interest in regulation of financial crimes globally.