August 2001 Selected News Clips

DUAL NATIONALITY

Why is second citizenship increasingly popular? Find out here,

BELIZE ECONOMY GROWS, PROBLEMS REMAIN

A recent IMF study shows GDP growing, inflation low and net reserves up. But lots must be done.

DUH! DUMB U.S. INVESTORS

Most US investors are seriously uninformed about the risks they face in a sinking stock market.

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE COSTS

Meeting IRS requirements cost billions of dollars and hours.

600 MORE I.R.S. AGENTS

The US IRS wants to hire 600 more special agents nationwide to investigate criminal fraud and money laundering.

COOK ISLANDS TRUST IN U.S. COURT

BALTIMORE, Maryland USA. A local court is trying to find millions possibly stashed in a COOK ISLANDS trust.

And a reporter discovers the wonders of Cook Islands finances.

PANAMA E-COMMERCE

A new law, the first of its kind in Central America, is expected to give Panama's e-commerce industry a much needed boost.

U.S. SECRET SNOOPING

The FBI uses ChoicePoint software to secretly obtain your personal info tied to your Social Security number.

FBI HEAD PROTECTS CARNIVORE

The new FBI head refuses to commit to an independent review of the Carnivore email surveillance system.

CHECK OUT

Find the true owner of any web site domain name.

OFFSHORE PRIVATE BANKING BOOM

A new study says offshore private banking is showing huge growth, despite, (or because of), all the OECD false attacks and propaganda.

U.S. FBI BECOMES A WORLD POLICE

The fumbling FBI's expansion into an international law enforcement agency is a mistake for many reasons, says Alan BOCK.

LIECHTENSTEIN TRUSTEES BARE ALL

As part of a “get off the FATF blacklist” deal, Liechtenstein trustees are exposing data relating to "economically authorized persons" in the principality, including personal client profiles.

Which may explain why the Liechtenstein Landesbank (LLB) profits dropped 7.1% last year with gross earnings also down 9%.

CARIBBEAN HAVENS THUMB NOSES AT U.S.

Prime ministers of Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis & St. Vincent plan official visits to LIBYA seeking financial aid.

OFFSHORE TAX COMPETITION PRIMER

"Why Tax Harmonization and Information Exchange Undermine America's Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy."

O.E.C.D. BOOSTS AUSSIE TAXES

CANBERRA, Australia. The busybodies at the OECD advise the government here to raise taxes on the wealthy.

NEW LABOUR TAXES SELF, CREDULITY

LONDON. For a a few hours it looked like PM TONY BLAIR and his cabinet colleagues might have to pay taxes like other Brits.

MONEY LAUNDERING

Inevitable - the Internet is being used by dirty money launderers. Does this mean government will require reporting all e-mails?

U.S. GOVERNMENT SPYING CHALLENGED

US officials invoke “national security” to shield new computer key stroke spying technology from court review.

US judges disable government software monitoring them.

Law suits against new US government spying technology.

U.S. LAWYERS MAY SQUEAL MORE ON CLIENTS

The ABA votes to expand loopholes in lawyer-client confidentiality restrictions.

UNDERCOVER U.S. PROBES HALTED

OREGON Supreme Court says lawyers are not allowed to lie or deceive, so they can't take part in undercover police investigations.

The official IRS Criminal Investigation Handbook describes in 95 chapters investigating procedures, including undercover operations and surveillance. Read it here,

Surveillance & Non-Consensual Monitoring

Undercover Operations

O.E.C.D. IS A MESS

PARIS. Don't take our word for it. The tax haven bullying Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development suffers from cumbersome governance structures and unpredictable cash flows.

SAVE FOREIGN SALES CORPS

71 of the largest US companies ask the US government to appeal the WTO ruling against Foreign Sales Corporations (FSC) tax breaks.

CREDIT CARD SCAMS

International criminal gangs use high-technology to steal thousands of credit card numbers at a time from trusting shoppers.

Brits (and Americans) get hit with big, hidden credit card charges when buying in foreign countries.

I.R.S. DEBUNKS FRIVOLOUS ANTI-TAX ARGUMENTS

WASHINGTON. Here's the IRS offical answer to those who claim US taxes are illegal, unconstitutional or whatever.

DEMAND FOR TAXPAYER PRIVACY

The Center for Freedom & Prosperity issues a call for a US government guarantee of tax information privacy.

ARMEY BATTLES BIG BROTHER

WASHINGTON. US House Majority Leader Dick ARMEY continues his fight to protect Americans' privacy.

PROTECT AGAINST I.D. THEFT

An expert gives you 10 specific steps to avoid the fastest growing crime, identify theft.

PRINCIPALITY OF SEALAND

Sealand has citizens, currency, and a government. It issues passports and postage stamps. It enforces its own laws and defends its own borders. Does all that make Sealand a country?

Sealand’s site, history, pictures, here.

HavenCo, the Sealand Internet server here.

"Welcome to Sealand, Now Bugger Off". Story here.

THE WORLD’S SMALLEST “NATIONS”

Sealand claims it is the world’s tiniest sovereign state, but it doesn't make the lists of the world's smallest countries.

LIVE TAX FREE IN CANADA

David LESPERANCE explains how new immigrants to Canada can save big on taxes.

PANAMA HIGH TECH WORLD CROSSROADS

A new information technology center is dedicated where five international broad band fiber optic cables pass through this leading Central American nation.

THERE IS A GOOD CASE FOR GLOBALIZATION

World's leaders fail to address legitimate questions raised by protesters about the effects of global capitalism.

CANADA KILLS FREEDOM

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan. The Minister of what passes for 'Justice' in Canada says her version of the 'public interest' takes precedence over lawyer-client confidentiality. Lawyers will not be exempt from a draconian new anti-money laundering bill.

EMERGING MARKETS INVESTMENT FADES

Volatile foreign markets have scared off some investors.

Analysts think MEXICO may no longer be 'emerging,' but has entered an asset class of top quality world investments.

INSATIABLE ASPIRATIONS OF THE RICH

The mental link between income growth and happiness has big implications for economists -- and for the wealthy.

OFFSHORE VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE

How it might offer legal relief from some US taxes.

WHEN NIXON KILLED THE U.S. GOLD STANDARD

Thirty years ago the late US president cut loose the dollar from its gold peg. The rest is downhill monetary history.

TAX REFUGEES ABANDON U.S. CITIZENSHIP

The US is one of only four countries that taxes its citizens when they choose to live abroad. Read why expatriates are renouncing US citizenship to avoid paying huge taxes to the IRS.

IRS Q.I. RULES IN COURT CHALLENGE

NASSAU. The Bahamas based Institute For Economic Freedom, (http://www.iefbahamas.org) backed by US free market leaders, plans legal action against the IRS "qualified intermediary" rules.

GUIDE TO WORLD TAX HAVENS

A Manchester Guardian reporter gives a flippant guide to offshore tax havens, from Andorra to the Turks & Caicos.

RHODESIA REDUX

21 years after independence, a bloody civil war, and liberation from white minority rule, ZIMBABWE is back where it started.

LEFTIST ATTACK PRO-OFFSHORE C.F.P.

WASHINGTON. The Center for Freedom & Prosperity has been a leader in the defense of offshore financial freedom, with some success. The leftist at the New Republic can't stand it, so they smear.

U.S. TAX SHELTERS EXPLAINED

Here's Tax-News.com new special report on US venture capital tax laws and tax shelters. Informative read at

NOT AS GOOD AS OFFSHORE BUT...

Foreign investment OPPORTUNITY abound at the Nasdaq, the New York & American Stock Exchanges. They're called ADRs.

INSIDE HEDGE FUNDS

Financial Times examines current hedge fund philosophy.

The Guardian suggests hedge fund investors better hedge their bets.

IRELAND AS BUSINESS TAX HAVEN

How free market economics and lower taxes made IRELAND Europe's leading business tax haven.

CARIBBEAN HAVENS COLLECTIVE BAD JUDGMENT

Miffed at reduced US foreign aid and pressure from Washington and London on their tax haven nations, several Caribbean leaders are off on a trip to play games with LIBYA's madman, Muammar QADHAFI.

THE WIRED WORLD

No longer refer to First and Third Worlds, but to regions that are, or are not, hardwired to information flows.

THE ORIGINAL TAX PROTESTER

CONVENTRY, U.K. Archaeologists take the wraps off Lady GODIVA, the original protester against high taxes.

MASSACHUSETTS DRIVERS BE AWARE

If you drive in the US State of Massachusetts and you use a Fast Lane radio transponder to enable automatic billing on turnpikes and tunnels ­ watch out! Because the Fast lane system tracks the date and time turnpike charges are made ­ it can also be used as a method of vehicle surveillance.

And the Turnpike Authority (TA) has come clean and admitted that it turns over information to law enforcement on request.

On its website Fast Lane promised it would "hold all customer account information confidential". But it doesn¹t. A judge ordered the TA to hand data over to law enforcement ­ a case which provides ample evidence that your RIGHT to privacy is a RIGHT which can be taken from you with one stroke of the legislator¹s pen.

CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP OPPORTUNITY

As a foreign resident in Canada you can acquire preferential tax treatment not available to nationals. And Canada is an excellent alternative domicile ­ it has no estate taxes. You can also become a naturalised Canadian citizen and obtain a Canadian passport after three years permanent residence. So how do you acquire permanent residence rights?

There are several categories through which you can apply ­ through family sponsorship, self-employment, business immigration and entrepreneur category. Find out more about these categories and requirements by reading an article by immigration barrister, David Lesperance.

A SURVEY OF THE STATE OF PRIVACY IN 50 NATIONS

Electronic Privacy Information Center home page here.

COURT SAYS TELEPHONE PRIVACY IS DEAD

George Orwell might glow with prescient delight, as a state supreme court rules that, given methods of telephone communication widely used now, individuals have no reasonable expectation of privacy in telephone calls made to their own homes.

CARNIVORE EXPANDS TO WIRELESS

Communications experts say the FBI's Internet spying system, CARNIVORE, can now intercept wireless transmissions.

F.B.I. COMPUTER KEYSTROKE SPYING ATTACKED

Big Brother may be watching every key stroke on your computer.

But the FBI wont even explain keystroke spying to a federal judge.

YOUR WEB PAGE MAY BE A SPY

Your personal web page may be tracking those who visit and sending the information to third parties.

A US district court judge orders a cable company to give police private details about one of its subscribers and bars the company from telling the customer.

U.S. FOREIGN VISITORS BEWARE

Customs officials humiliate with body searches those entering the US, assuming profiled racial groups smuggle drugs.

TEXAS COLUMNIST SWALLOWS OECD LINE

AUSTIN. Easier than thinking; a caustic Texas columnist knows little about offshore, so she regurgitates the OECD line.

And the OECD forces TONGA to change its tax laws. Apparently no one told the Pacific island the OECD tax blacklist is a dead letter.

What is a Tonga? Check here to find out.

MORE U.S. CIVIL FORFEITURE

WASHINGTON. New US Treasury Under Secretary for Enforcement says government should go after financial assets in fighting money launderers and other criminals.

U.S “GREEN CARD” MEANS TAXES

U.S. permanent resident aliens get privileges of citizenship and lots of high taxes. Do you really need that?

NIXON KILLED THE GOLD STANDARD

Just 30 years ago the American dollar's gold backing died. Now its “value” is a matter of faith; some interesting history.