Alex Cobham
@alexcobham.bsky.social
Chief executive @TaxJusticeNet.bsky.social (he/him). New book: 'What do we know and what should we do about... Tax justice?' (SAGE Press): https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/what-do-we-know-and-what-should-we-do-about-tax-justice/book286416
Reposted by Alex Cobham
Deloitte is at it again.
To write one report with made-up references may be regarded as misfortune. To write two looks like carelessness.
To write one report with made-up references may be regarded as misfortune. To write two looks like carelessness.
"A Canadian government-commissioned Deloitte health care report that cost one province nearly $1.6 million contains potentially AI-generated errors, marking the second country this year to allege the consulting firm’s fact-checking shortcomings."
Deloitte allegedly cited AI-generated research in a million-dollar report for a Canadian provincial government | Fortune
In a healthcare report aimed to address a nurse and doctor shortage, Deloitte cited several fake studies with real researchers’ names attached.
fortune.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Deloitte is at it again.
To write one report with made-up references may be regarded as misfortune. To write two looks like carelessness.
To write one report with made-up references may be regarded as misfortune. To write two looks like carelessness.
Reposted by Alex Cobham
If this is true, every halfway decent foreign intelligence service on the planet already has the receipts ….
November 25, 2025 at 2:36 PM
If this is true, every halfway decent foreign intelligence service on the planet already has the receipts ….
Reposted by Alex Cobham
Relatable content from The Times
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Relatable content from The Times
Reposted by Alex Cobham
Great report from @econchange.bsky.social - the UK has made £550bn LESS public investment than the OECD average in the 20 years up to 2024. No wonder our public services are creaking.
An increase in public investment would improve the economy and CUT debt/GDP.
drive.google.com/file/d/1BMUy...
An increase in public investment would improve the economy and CUT debt/GDP.
drive.google.com/file/d/1BMUy...
Closing the Gap - The case for a public investment target.pdf
drive.google.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Great report from @econchange.bsky.social - the UK has made £550bn LESS public investment than the OECD average in the 20 years up to 2024. No wonder our public services are creaking.
An increase in public investment would improve the economy and CUT debt/GDP.
drive.google.com/file/d/1BMUy...
An increase in public investment would improve the economy and CUT debt/GDP.
drive.google.com/file/d/1BMUy...
Reposted by Alex Cobham
Still reeling from the Stanford report on Brexit. Reduced GDP by up to 8% and investment by as much as 18%. The UK Treasury would have £40 billion more each year if Britain had remained in the EU. Devastating self-immolation.
The Economic Impact of Brexit
Other
siepr.stanford.edu
November 24, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Still reeling from the Stanford report on Brexit. Reduced GDP by up to 8% and investment by as much as 18%. The UK Treasury would have £40 billion more each year if Britain had remained in the EU. Devastating self-immolation.
Reposted by Alex Cobham
Tax Billionaires. Tax Polluters.
Fix Inequality. Fix the Climate!
Ahead of the Autumn Budget, we joined groups from across our movement to send a message to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Fix Inequality. Fix the Climate!
Ahead of the Autumn Budget, we joined groups from across our movement to send a message to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
November 24, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Tax Billionaires. Tax Polluters.
Fix Inequality. Fix the Climate!
Ahead of the Autumn Budget, we joined groups from across our movement to send a message to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Fix Inequality. Fix the Climate!
Ahead of the Autumn Budget, we joined groups from across our movement to send a message to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Reposted by Alex Cobham
Will linguistic creativity ultimately be our best defence?
November 20, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Reposted by Alex Cobham
TIL that the UK govt employs almost 4000 civil servants to work on its property-valuation system for taxation. And one of their core jobs is guessing what a new house might have been worth if it had been built in 1991.
Stupid, stupid country.
Stupid, stupid country.
About us
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) gives the government the valuations and property advice needed to support taxation and benefits.
www.gov.uk
November 20, 2025 at 11:48 AM
TIL that the UK govt employs almost 4000 civil servants to work on its property-valuation system for taxation. And one of their core jobs is guessing what a new house might have been worth if it had been built in 1991.
Stupid, stupid country.
Stupid, stupid country.
Enjoyed this thought-provoking thread on AI and cognition...
Here is a really high level view (other views are available) of the process of language / cognition.
1. Perception (eg seeing stuff)
to…
2. Memory / experience (ie processing stuff)
to…
3. Translation / Association (ie making stuff into language)
to…
4. Discourse (ie communicating stuff)
1. Perception (eg seeing stuff)
to…
2. Memory / experience (ie processing stuff)
to…
3. Translation / Association (ie making stuff into language)
to…
4. Discourse (ie communicating stuff)
November 20, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Enjoyed this thought-provoking thread on AI and cognition...
Reposted by Alex Cobham
a British government looting refugees displaced from former colonial protectorates now is it?
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Asylum seekers’ jewellery could be seized to pay for processing costs, says Home Office minister
Idea borrowed from Denmark is latest attempt to reduce number of people seeking asylum in UK
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:18 PM
a British government looting refugees displaced from former colonial protectorates now is it?
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Alex Cobham
6/ "1) Biggest wealth transfer in American history. 2) Kills solar industry, raising prices 3) almost a trillion dollar cut to Medicaid 4) nursing homes shutting down 5) energy shortages 6) 4.5 trillion in NEW DEBT. — I promise you this bill is worse than you think." - @brianschatz.bsky.social
June 29, 2025 at 3:32 PM
6/ "1) Biggest wealth transfer in American history. 2) Kills solar industry, raising prices 3) almost a trillion dollar cut to Medicaid 4) nursing homes shutting down 5) energy shortages 6) 4.5 trillion in NEW DEBT. — I promise you this bill is worse than you think." - @brianschatz.bsky.social
Reposted by Alex Cobham
It's clear this idea has wide support. An objective International Panel on Inequality with experts from around the world to advise governments, examine current inequality data and look for areas that need more research. Similar to the IPCC. The time is now.
apnews.com/article/glob...
apnews.com/article/glob...
Top economists call on world leaders to set up an international panel on inequality
Hundreds of top economists and other experts including former U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen are calling for the world to set up an independent international panel on income and wealth inequalit...
apnews.com
November 14, 2025 at 1:32 PM
It's clear this idea has wide support. An objective International Panel on Inequality with experts from around the world to advise governments, examine current inequality data and look for areas that need more research. Similar to the IPCC. The time is now.
apnews.com/article/glob...
apnews.com/article/glob...
Reposted by Alex Cobham
We've missed out on nearly $30BN in tax from tax cheating mega-corporations & from under-taxing extreme wealth as we enter Day 5 of #COP30 & #UNtaxConvention negotiations. A better future is possible when we use tax to protect people, economies & planet. #TaxForClimate taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
November 14, 2025 at 10:22 AM
We've missed out on nearly $30BN in tax from tax cheating mega-corporations & from under-taxing extreme wealth as we enter Day 5 of #COP30 & #UNtaxConvention negotiations. A better future is possible when we use tax to protect people, economies & planet. #TaxForClimate taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
Important moment from yesterday's #UNTaxConvention negotiations: India provided the definitive response to the (decade-long) attempt by OECD countries to subvert the definition of illicit financial flows by retrospectively removing corporate tax abuse from scope taxjustice.net/2025/11/14/i...
‘Illicit financial flows as a definition is the elephant in the room’ — India at the UN tax negotiations - Tax Justice Network
At UN tax negotiations, India confirms that illicit financial flows include tax abuse under the UN’s agreed definition, closing the door on any manufactured ambiguity.
taxjustice.net
November 14, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Important moment from yesterday's #UNTaxConvention negotiations: India provided the definitive response to the (decade-long) attempt by OECD countries to subvert the definition of illicit financial flows by retrospectively removing corporate tax abuse from scope taxjustice.net/2025/11/14/i...
Reposted by Alex Cobham
22 authors in a new OA peer-reviewed article in Soc of Sport Journal:
Israel is committing *athleticide* in Gaza, "an indispensable component of the overall genocidal campaign enforced by the Israeli settler colonial regime and bankrolled by the US."
journals.humankinetics.com/view/journal...
Israel is committing *athleticide* in Gaza, "an indispensable component of the overall genocidal campaign enforced by the Israeli settler colonial regime and bankrolled by the US."
journals.humankinetics.com/view/journal...
November 7, 2025 at 3:15 PM
22 authors in a new OA peer-reviewed article in Soc of Sport Journal:
Israel is committing *athleticide* in Gaza, "an indispensable component of the overall genocidal campaign enforced by the Israeli settler colonial regime and bankrolled by the US."
journals.humankinetics.com/view/journal...
Israel is committing *athleticide* in Gaza, "an indispensable component of the overall genocidal campaign enforced by the Israeli settler colonial regime and bankrolled by the US."
journals.humankinetics.com/view/journal...
Reposted by Alex Cobham
It's day 4 of #COP30 & #UNtaxConvention negotiations, & so far we've missed out on $21 billion in tax to tax cheating multinational corporations & to the under-taxation of extreme wealth. The problem isn't scarcity, it's weakened tax sovereignty. #ChangeTaxNotClimate
taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
November 13, 2025 at 10:16 AM
It's day 4 of #COP30 & #UNtaxConvention negotiations, & so far we've missed out on $21 billion in tax to tax cheating multinational corporations & to the under-taxation of extreme wealth. The problem isn't scarcity, it's weakened tax sovereignty. #ChangeTaxNotClimate
taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
Reposted by Alex Cobham
The outcome of these talks – a world-first United Nations tax convention – will impact every one of us, wherever we are in the world, and shape people’s lives for generations to come.
It’s not just trillions of dollars on the line, but our democracies, human rights and planet.
It’s not just trillions of dollars on the line, but our democracies, human rights and planet.
November 11, 2025 at 12:21 PM
The outcome of these talks – a world-first United Nations tax convention – will impact every one of us, wherever we are in the world, and shape people’s lives for generations to come.
It’s not just trillions of dollars on the line, but our democracies, human rights and planet.
It’s not just trillions of dollars on the line, but our democracies, human rights and planet.
It's the second day of the Nairobi negotiation session of the UN tax convention. You can find all sorts of resources including our daily updates on the discussions here taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
UN tax convention - Tax Justice Network
Everything you need to know about current negotiations on the biggest shakeup in history to global tax rules.
taxjustice.net
November 11, 2025 at 12:08 PM
It's the second day of the Nairobi negotiation session of the UN tax convention. You can find all sorts of resources including our daily updates on the discussions here taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
Reposted by Alex Cobham
#COP30 is underway as countries debate how to fund real climate action. The question isn’t just what they commit to, but who pays. Meanwhile in Nairobi, talks on #UNTaxConvention may give nations the power to raise fair, reliable finance for #ClimateJustice & sustainable dev.
November 11, 2025 at 10:33 AM
#COP30 is underway as countries debate how to fund real climate action. The question isn’t just what they commit to, but who pays. Meanwhile in Nairobi, talks on #UNTaxConvention may give nations the power to raise fair, reliable finance for #ClimateJustice & sustainable dev.
Reposted by Alex Cobham
The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service are issuing rules that provide hundreds of billions of dollars in tax relief to big companies and the ultrarich. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/b...
How the Trump Administration Is Giving Even More Tax Breaks to the Wealthy
www.nytimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:56 PM
The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service are issuing rules that provide hundreds of billions of dollars in tax relief to big companies and the ultrarich. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/b...
Reposted by Alex Cobham
Next round of UN global tax negotiations are kicking off in Nairobi next Monday.
Useful primer here to get up to speed thanks to Tax Justice Network @alexcobham.bsky.social et al
taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
Useful primer here to get up to speed thanks to Tax Justice Network @alexcobham.bsky.social et al
taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
UN tax convention - Tax Justice Network
Everything you need to know about current negotiations on the biggest shakeup in history to global tax rules.
taxjustice.net
November 7, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Next round of UN global tax negotiations are kicking off in Nairobi next Monday.
Useful primer here to get up to speed thanks to Tax Justice Network @alexcobham.bsky.social et al
taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
Useful primer here to get up to speed thanks to Tax Justice Network @alexcobham.bsky.social et al
taxjustice.net/topics/un-ta...
Reposted by Alex Cobham
🗣️ Yesterday, MPs of all stripes spoke out against the ongoing financial secrecy in certain UK Overseas Territories. They called urgent attention to its devastating impacts on their constituents, and pushed the government to act.
🧵⬇️
🧵⬇️
November 6, 2025 at 10:43 AM
🗣️ Yesterday, MPs of all stripes spoke out against the ongoing financial secrecy in certain UK Overseas Territories. They called urgent attention to its devastating impacts on their constituents, and pushed the government to act.
🧵⬇️
🧵⬇️
Reposted by Alex Cobham
The world is at a fork in the road. One path leads to tax subjugation under Trump & US multinationals, while the other leads to a collective defence of tax sovereignty at the UN that protects every country’s taxing rights. @alexcobham.bsky.social#UNtaxConvention #TaxJustice2025 bit.ly/taxjustice25
November 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM
The world is at a fork in the road. One path leads to tax subjugation under Trump & US multinationals, while the other leads to a collective defence of tax sovereignty at the UN that protects every country’s taxing rights. @alexcobham.bsky.social#UNtaxConvention #TaxJustice2025 bit.ly/taxjustice25
Reposted by Alex Cobham
It's terrible.
$475bn lost to US-backed global gag order shielding corporate tax cheaters - Tax Justice Network
A US-backed global gag order1 preventing governments from revealing the names of multinational corporations found shifting billions into tax havens has caused countries to miss out on over US$475 bill...
taxjustice.net
November 4, 2025 at 1:17 PM
It's terrible.