The revelations of the leaked Panama Papers in April 2016 pushed the issue of tax and tax evasion high up the international political agenda. Prompting scandals and high profile resignations, the 11.5 million documents from the offshore law firm Mossack Fonseca unveiled some of the tricks and strategies that countless politicians, businessmen and elites use to avoid taxes. Among them were arms companies and arms traders, including blacklisted individuals as well as major arms corporations such as Italian arms giant FinnMeccanica. However Panama is just one of the many countries offering corporations secrecy and means of avoiding tax. The Netherlands is another leading player, providing a legal home to thousands of corporations, attracted by its low tax rates, its lack of transparency requirements and its bilateral investment agreements with many nations.
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