TaxCast Norway (Pengeland in English)

In low-income countries, large parts of the economy are characterized by informality, and low tax coverage. Governments and international development partners have long viewed the informal sector as an untapped goldmine for boosting national tax revenues. However, recent research suggests that this revenue potential may be overestimated. In this episode, we talk to Vanessa van den Boogaard from th...

Two years ago, the regime in Bangladesh collapsed after 15 years of widespread corruption and authoritarian rule. In the wake of the revolution, an expert committee conducted an in-depth analysis, revealing the mechanisms of corruption and abuse of power within the fallen regime. Based on these findings, the committee proposed constitutional amendments. In 2026, the first elections since the revol...

Many resource-rich countries lose critical revenue because these resources are not managed well enough. The extractive industries are characterized by extensive corruption risks and aggressive tax planning. In this episode we are joined by Mark Burnett, EITI's Regional Director for Europe. The EITI – or Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative – is an international organization working for gr...

We often think of tax as an exchange with the state – money in return for services and security. But what happens if this "social contract" is absent? In the world’s most fragile states, authorities often lack the ability to collect taxes and the capacity to provide basic services. In this episode we look at taxation as a way to understand the relationship between the state and the population. We...

How does corruption work in Russia? And can an understanding of corruption help us make sense of the war in Ukraine and how it is being conducted? In this episode, we are joined by Alyona Vadysheva, head of Transparency International Russia. Both civil society and the press working for transparency and against corruption in Russia have long been under significant pressure. After the full-scale inv...

The world's wealthiest people pay very little tax. The oligarchization of the United States illustrates how the massive wealth growth of the richest individuals translates into political influence that undermines democracy. What do the incomes and fortunes of the super-rich look like, why are we unable to tax them effectively, and how can we solve this issue? These questions are central to this ep...

The U.S. gains a new old president. How will this impact the global tax regime, the fight against hidden ownership, and, not least, trust in institutions and democracy? We discuss what the Trump administration did regarding taxation and transparency during its first term and how these issues have evolved since. Looking ahead, we explore what the tax landscape might look like under Trump 2.0. Joini...

Every year, the world loses 311 billion dollars to tax avoidance by large corporations. Australia has taken steps to address this issue, and now we hope Norway will follow suit! Tax avoidance and the use of tax havens have never been higher. However, we still have no way of seeing whether individual companies are paying sufficient taxes in the countries where they operate economically. This makes...

Can we combat poverty without economic growth? In this episode, we talk with Olivier de Schutter, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. His latest report addresses this very issue. How can we continue to fund education, health, and welfare while considering the planet's limitations? And what role will taxes and tax system reforms play in a growth-free future? Hosts: Jonas...

Alex Cobham was in Oslo in December to discuss his latest book " What Do We Know and What Should We Do About Tax Justice? ". Together with Cobham, we explore the history and possibilities of tax justice. We delve into the development and influence of the tax justice movement in connection with the Tax Justice Network's 20th anniversary. How has this movement shaped today's tax systems and transpar...

How is it that the world's most powerful country has become the best place to hide money? Last year, the latest edition of the Financial Secrecy Index, a ranking by the Tax Justice Network of the world's best countries for hiding money, was released. The United States was in first place, thus being called the world's largest tax haven for the first time. But why is that, really? The country is nei...

Tax havens have perfected the art of offering services that bypass laws and regulations in other countries. The lack of transparency regarding the ownership of shell companies and trusts, and what goes on within them, has made tax havens a useful tool for everything from tax evasion to corruption, money laundering, and terrorist financing. The demand for greater transparency in ownership within ta...

Many associate South Africa with an inspiring story of the fight against apartheid, whichhad a happy ending when Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerkreceived theNobel Peace Prize in 1993. But history never ends. In this episode of Taxcast Norway, we will hear how South Africa – under former president Jacob Zuma – became so permeated with corruption that agovernment – appointed commission re...

According to a new report, African countries are drained of more than 10 billion US dollarsannually, as a result of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Countries in South America and Southeast Asia are also affected. In most cases, the fishing is carried out by large commercial fishing companies, where the ownership of the fishing boats is hidden through layers of tax haven companies, as...

In this episode of TaxCast Norway we talk to professor Kanchana Ruwanpura from the University of Gothenburg about the situation in Sri Lanka. This is an excerpt from a longer episode in Norwegian: https://www.spreaker.com/user/taxcastnorge/20220427a-sri-lanka-5-norsk The episode was recorded 27.04.2022. Guest: - Professor Kanchana Ruwanpura - University of Gothenburg Hosts: - Peter Ringstad, advis...

In this episode of TaxCast Norway we talk to Martin Hearson from the International Centre for Tax and Development about tax treaties and try to answer why developing countries, who seemingly only limit their ability to tax foreign multinationals through tax treaties with rich countries, still have signed thousands of them. Guest: - Martin Hearson, author of «Imposing Standards, The North-South Dim...

It has long been known that the powerful Kenyatta family holds a great deal of wealth within Kenyas’ borders. The global document leak #PandoraPapers has recently disclosed that Kenya’s sitting president and his family also have wealth stashed away abroad. This has led to public outcry in the country. Guest: - Francis Kairu, Policy Advisor, Tax Justice Network - Africa Hosts: - Peter Ringstad, Tax...

Just days before she was appointed as the Biden-administration head of Office for Tax Analysis at the US Treasury, a conversation between Kimberly Clausing and Alex Cobham and our hosts Peter Ringstad and Ingrid Hjertaker about the art of estimating profit shifting to tax havens, and a plan for pragmatic tax reform for the US. Papers discussed in this interview: - Kimberly Clausing: Five Lessons o...