Crunched: philanthropy versus tax avoidance

In a new series looking at numbers behind the news, FT statistics journalist Federica Cocco and data journalist John Burn-Murdoch investigate whether companies are hiding behind philanthropic giving while avoiding tax

Rutger Bregman’s comments at Davos: https://youtu.be/4mG-r_3eRCw?t=1377

Total corporate tax avoidance across the world is around $500bn annually https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/wp2017-55.pdf

Evasion in the EU alone is at least €750bn according to new research from Richard Murphy of Tax Research http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Documents/EUTaxGapJan19.pdf

HMRC puts the total tax gap at £33bn https://www.gov.uk/government/news/low-tax-gap-results-in-71-billion-for-uk-public-services

Amazon taxes and profits: https://itep.org/amazon-in-its-prime-doubles-profits-pays-0-in-federal-income-taxes/
Bezos Day One Fund https://www.forbes.com/sites/angelauyeung/2018/09/13/jeff-bezos-amazon-philanthropy-giving-billion-dollar-fund/#44b03bed1570

Microsoft offshore profit shifting - Senate report https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/EXHIBITS%20-%209-20-12%20Profit%20Shifting%20Hrg5.pdf
New York Times investigation into companies holding money offshore https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/02/business/economy/corporate-tax-economists.html
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donations https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/15/bill-gates-charity-donation-microsoft-shares-foundation

Charitable giving: which causes get funding? https://www.privatebank.bankofamerica.com/articles/2018-us-trust-study-of-high-net-worth-philanthropy.html