Treasure islands

the long version

"We are witnessing the greatest shift of wealth from poor to rich in history. In the United States alone, the wealthiest avoid paying an astonishing $53 billion in taxes each year. Nicholas Shaxson, in league with the Tax Justice Network, dives deep into the secret world of tax havens and takes us to hot spots from Switzerland to Panama to Delaware in a riveting narrative of how society loses through illegal tax evasion. With jaw-dropping stories and vivid explanations, Shaxson highlights the biggest players in the game, and shows how: - More than 12,750 foreign corporations get out of paying taxes each year by claiming to have offices in the same five-story building in the Cayman Islands. - One thousand children die every day as a result of illegal, trade related tax evasion. - Although billions are poured annually into Africa, corrupt officials there stow twice as much away in tax havens, making Africa a net creditor to the rest of the world. "--