Winnie Byanyima Quotes

Developing countries can make great strides towards more progressive and effective taxation and spending through action within their own borders. But the damage caused by exemptions, loopholes, and tax havens requires action beyond national borders - it requires international action and cooperation.

We have international organizations for health, trade, and football - even for coffee - but not tax. Why not?

If every country tries to race towards the lowest [tax] rate, then in the end nobody gains. If you believe there should be no government at all, then fine. But if you believe some government is good, then you cannot have a system that erodes the tax base in all major countries.

Crucially, African governments must ensure they prioritize the eradication of tax evasion and tax avoidance.

It seems idle to speculate in the abstract as to whether or not a progressive income tax schedule rising to rates in excess of 70 percent are justifiable …. The fact is that such rates cannot be successfully collected.

I have long argued that in the modern world, corporation tax has had its day as a major source of tax revenue.

We never tell countries that they should have a particular number in terms of a tax number, you know, if countries can make do with whatever average tax they have. The question is, do they apply it to everybody? Or do they give sweetheart deals to some companies?

Ultimately, developing countries and groups like Oxfam want to see a new intergovernmental body on cooperation in tax matters under the auspices of the United Nations.

Transparency and effective tax co-operation must be shared principles applied by all. Until they are, nations will need to protect themselves against loss of revenues to tax havens.

My expertise was in public finance, particularly corporate taxation, since I had worked at the US Treasury.

The most important ways in which I think the Internet will affect the big issue is that it will make it more difficult for government to collect taxes.

The real problem in Greece is not cutting taxes, it's making sure that we don't have tax evasion.

Financial transaction tax raises problems of competition.

Nobody is opposed to paying taxes; governments need to coordinate, work together and simplify the law.

A tax can never be favorable to the public welfare, except by the good use that is made of its proceeds.

A global tax body would give all countries - not just the rich and powerful - an equal say in how the global rules on taxation are designed.

We have to have an adequate number of taxes and an adequate amount of taxes.

The public, investors and stakeholders now expect higher standards of tax compliance and more transparency from large businesses about the way they approach taxation.

As a general rule, governments are wise to avoid taxation that is voluntary, as they need a steady stream of income.

Tax policy is not about compassion.

And it would be fair. Everyone will pay the same tax and it will eliminate tax cheaters and corporate shenanigans.

Make as much money as you can, but can you please pay your taxes, because this is a major problem.

It's not Apple's fault that they're seeking to avoid paying taxes. They're not lying, cheating or stealing. They're following the rules that were created by governments. If the government doesn't like the rules, they can change them.

I think that taxes have to exist. They should exist at the lowest possible level, and to the extent that we can, we shouldn't invent more. Maybe that's my experience being mayor of New York City, where we had so many taxes.

Anything to do with any new form of tax, like consumption tax in Japan, carbon tax in Australia, these are big issues that cannot be easily decided.