Paul Monaghan

Plaid smash Reform to win in Caerphilly These are the key takeaways from a massive night in Welsh politics

Great analysis of the Caerphilly byelection. A good night for tactical voting, the left and the centre. A bad night for the far-right and Reform. Turnout was up on the last general election. willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/plaid-smas...

Rachel Reeves targets tax partnerships in crackdown on wealthy Britons UK chancellor fleshes out Budget plan to target professionals with ‘broadest shoulders’ including lawyers, doctors and accountants

100% this is the correct direction of travel www.ft.com/content/fad9...

Rachel Reeves targets tax partnerships in crackdown on wealthy Britons UK chancellor fleshes out Budget plan to target professionals with ‘broadest shoulders’ including lawyers, doctors and accountants

100% this is the correct direction of travel www.ft.com/content/fad9...

Great to have these Fair Tax Mark certified. Amadeus is the world’s leading provider of travel technology. Three companies on the Spanish IBEX 35 now accredited, with a fourth progressing accreditation. 😀
bsky.app/profile/fair...

China’s Temu more than doubles EU profits to nearly $120m despite having only eight staff Online marketplace paid just $18m in corporation tax, leading campaigners to call for government action

Temu's numbers are batshit crazy, as reported here. Sales in the UK and EU of c.$2bn & c.$10bn. Combined staff <10?!?

And their response? Imply that the VAT that customers pay, and they collect, comes out of their pockets! www.theguardian.com/business/202...

China’s Temu more than doubles EU profits to nearly $120m despite having only eight staff Online marketplace paid just $18m in corporation tax, leading campaigners to call for government action

Temu's numbers are batshit crazy, as reported here. Sales in the UK and EU of c.$2bn & c.$10bn. Combined staff <10?!?

And their response? Imply that the VAT that customers pay, and they collect, comes out of their pockets! www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Research finds US multinationals are increasingly laggards on tax transparency, in comparison to the UK and Japan - Fair Tax Foundation Research reveals growing tax transparency gap between leaders and laggards, on public country-by-country reporting (pCbCR)

Multinationals headquartered in the UK and Japan are far more likley to implement new European tax transparency rules with integrity compared with MNCs from the US & Switzerland. Stand-out laggards include Apple, Eli Lilly, Microsoft & Oracle #pcbcr 1/n fairtaxmark.net/research-fin...

But there is still one heck of a chasm opening up. One nudge option for the EU could be to make pCbCR compliance a condition of future public procurement contracts in Member States (the rules for which are about to be reviewed). #pCbCR 3/n

There are some US MNCs that are not running scared on what tax they pay and where. The following US MNCs all have the confidence to implement the EU pCbCR fully. #pcbcr 2/n

Research finds US multinationals are increasingly laggards on tax transparency, in comparison to the UK and Japan - Fair Tax Foundation Research reveals growing tax transparency gap between leaders and laggards, on public country-by-country reporting (pCbCR)

Multinationals headquartered in the UK and Japan are far more likley to implement new European tax transparency rules with integrity compared with MNCs from the US & Switzerland. Stand-out laggards include Apple, Eli Lilly, Microsoft & Oracle #pcbcr 1/n fairtaxmark.net/research-fin...

"If we lose hope, we're doomed."

We must continue Dr. Jane Goodall's mission and all fight for the future of the planet.

Jane Goodall, world-renowned primatologist, dies aged 91 Jane Goodall Institute says ‘tireless advocate’ for natural world died in California during US speaking tour

Sad to hear. One of the greatest scientists of the last 100yrs. I studied her work at university. Convinced me that higher primates should never be subject to experimention or exploitation. Years later, made such this was embedded in Coop Bank's Ethical Policy. www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Greek customs broker caught with €3mn cash in China-linked fraud probe Bloc’s top prosecutor says investigation highlights ‘massive’ criminal effort to avoid taxes and duties

€800mn tax evaded via this one criminal scheme. Europe's chief prosecutor not mincing her words. Says: Chinese criminal groups were involved in most of the ongoing VAT fraud investigations.
on.ft.com/3KP1lcX

Greek customs broker caught with €3mn cash in China-linked fraud probe Bloc’s top prosecutor says investigation highlights ‘massive’ criminal effort to avoid taxes and duties

€800mn tax evaded via this one criminal scheme. Europe's chief prosecutor not mincing her words. Says: Chinese criminal groups were involved in most of the ongoing VAT fraud investigations.
on.ft.com/3KP1lcX

Great to be in sunny Liverpool rubbing shoulders with wonderful social enterprises at #LabourConference2025

Chilly Saturday morning. Supporters milling on platform. Plastic bags in hand. First tin of the day. Oooh, that has a kick. Inside voices for now. Chat with randomers. No-one lost yet. Happy. Slag off the Prem - not proper football. No Salah but also no VAR in EFL. #UpTheTics

This is big and a really good piece of policing and prosecutorial work - bribes to help foreign states get a more favourable hearing in parliaments and with the public should never have a place in the UK or Europe.

Starmer gambles on ‘levelling up’-style initiative to tackle Reform threat Deprived communities to be given tens of millions to patch up derelict shops, pubs and libraries and ‘restore pride’

If the plan is to bring back thriving high-streets, will also *need* to bite the bullet and tackle the rapid rise of online marketplaces such Shein, Temu, Amazon and now even TikTok - who don't pay their way on tax and have a massive unfair advantage. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

It's absolutely astonishing: In just about 13 years, Norway has skyrocketed from virtually no sales of zero-emission battery electric vehicles to nearly 100% of all new passenger car purchases.

Starmer gambles on ‘levelling up’-style initiative to tackle Reform threat Deprived communities to be given tens of millions to patch up derelict shops, pubs and libraries and ‘restore pride’

If the plan is to bring back thriving high-streets, will also *need* to bite the bullet and tackle the rapid rise of online marketplaces such Shein, Temu, Amazon and now even TikTok - who don't pay their way on tax and have a massive unfair advantage. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Insolvent UK recruiter acquired by previous owner who took millions out Premier Group Recruitment went into administration with debts of £2.9m – including £647,000 owed in tax

Phoenixism is rampant in the UK. Here's what it looks like:
- a business goes into admin with £2.9m debts, including £647k owed in tax
- 3 days later, acquired for initial £10k by venture created by previous owner, who pocketed millions in its final three years www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

It is "established fact" that humans have warmed the Earth by burning fossils fuels and that our emissions have made climate extremes more frequent and intense (IPCC AR6)

Thank you for your attention to this matter!

www.carbonbrief.org/...

Donald Trump tells UN meeting London wants "to go to sharia law" President Trump tells the United Nations London has "been changed" and has a "terrible mayor".

The USA is much further along the road to Gilead under Trump than London is to Sharia Law under Khan. I know who I wouldnt want my daughter alone in a room with.

Equally disappointing and predictable. The US Chamber of Commerce never misses an opportunity to attack legislation that improves financial transparency. They are now trying to kill not only… | Paul M... Equally disappointing and predictable. The US Chamber of Commerce never misses an opportunity to attack legislation that improves financial transparency. They are now trying to kill not only improveme...

The US Chamber of Commerce never misses an opportunity to attack legislation that improves financial transparency. Now trying to kill not only improvements in US accounting and reporting standards, but progressive tax transparency legislation in other countries. www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

Ditto, the wailing surrounding small businesses no longer being able to file abridged accounts at Companies House from April 2027 - some of those profit/loss statements are gonna be interesting

Temu accused of paying ‘negligible’ tax in the UK despite ‘enormous sales’ Temu's UK arm has been accused of not paying corporation tax in the UK for two years despite enjoying "enormous sales" in the region, Retail Week can reveal.

"Serious questions need to be asked as to why Temu has such a negligible economic and tax footprint in the UK despite its enormous sales. The registered office in London is essentially a shell, with no staff and no long-term assets."
www.retail-week.com/fashion/temu...

Temu accused of paying ‘negligible’ tax in the UK despite ‘enormous sales’ Temu's UK arm has been accused of not paying corporation tax in the UK for two years despite enjoying "enormous sales" in the region, Retail Week can reveal.

"Serious questions need to be asked as to why Temu has such a negligible economic and tax footprint in the UK despite its enormous sales. The registered office in London is essentially a shell, with no staff and no long-term assets."
www.retail-week.com/fashion/temu...

Equally disappointing and predictable. The US Chamber of Commerce never misses an opportunity to attack legislation that improves financial transparency. They are now trying to kill not only… | Paul M... Equally disappointing and predictable. The US Chamber of Commerce never misses an opportunity to attack legislation that improves financial transparency. They are now trying to kill not only improveme...

The US Chamber of Commerce never misses an opportunity to attack legislation that improves financial transparency. Now trying to kill not only improvements in US accounting and reporting standards, but progressive tax transparency legislation in other countries. www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

HMRC raises small business ‘phoenixing’ tax loss to £836mn Higher than previously estimated figure underlines challenge faced by UK agency in curbing losses

We have been warning for years that phoenixing is a major issue in the UK. The chances of being caught are very small. And if caught, the penalties have been laughable to date. Beyond vital tax lost, it's difficult for legitimate small retailers to compete www.ft.com/content/5ef9...

Three-quarters of UK public support PCbCR: report Over two-thirds of survey respondents back the continuation of the UK’s digital services tax, research commissioned by the Fair Tax Foundation also found

International Tax Review have picked up on our latest polling of the UK public, highlighting that:
- 69% want to see Big Tech continue paying a digital services tax; and,
- 74% support mandatory country-by-country tax reporting by multinationals.
www.internationaltaxreview.com/article/2fby...