In response to new revelations on offshore tax avoidance by Nike, Apple, Facebook and Uber published today by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists in the Paradise Papers, Gawain Kripke, policy director for Oxfam America said:
“There is no clearer symbol of Congress’s willful blindness to the abuse of offshore tax havens by large US companies than the decision by the Ways and Means committee to proceed with its markup of its tax bill in the midst of this unfolding scandal.
“We are all bearing witness to the consequences of Congress’s failure to address offshore tax haven abuse. Yet Congressional leaders are charging forward with a tax bill, which has as its primary feature a massive windfall for offshore tax dodgers.
“Nike, Apple, Facebook and Uber must address the allegations leveled against them today by disclosing more details about where they pay taxes and where they do business. Whether a tax structure is legally defensible is an inadequate response to evidence of abuse of the offshore tax system. This is especially true as big companies and the trade groups they fund are heavily invested in shaping the US tax code through lobbying and campaign contributions. The clearest evidence of this influence is the proposed tax bill moving through the House of Representatives today.
“The only serious response to this scandal is to halt progress on the House tax bill and launch an immediate investigation into the activities revealed by the leak.”
