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null Introducing Ethics to Prevent Tax Avoidance at TaxCOOP

On the 16 October 2017 the United Nations in Geneva hosted the TaxCOOP 2017.

TaxCOOP is an international nonpartisan conference on tax competition and the weaknesses of the current taxation system in the era of trade globalization and the web. This situation has allowed mobile taxpayers to choose their tax residency and encourages States to engage in competition over tax rates.

Globethics.net President, Christoph Stückelberger, was invited to close the TaxCOOP Forum for a New Generation. Through his speech he shared that the main problem of tax avoidance is the lack of trust between the citizens and the government and how ethics can answer this issue. Government can build this trust through proximity: Citizens will be more committed to pay their taxes if they see their effect clearly in services, such as schools, roads or security. Christoph Stückelberger stated, 'Building this trust is a precondition to prevent tax avoidance'.

By endorsing a code of ethics the government is helping building trust with its citizens since they will be conducting their actions in accordance to values and ethical standards. Nevertheless, adopting a code of ethics does not replace binding laws; both instruments are needed to avoid corruption.

Globethics.net, thanks to the facilitation of the Geneva Center for Security Policy, was a conference partner of TaxCOOP 2017.