The rise of tax havens and conduit countries from the early 2000s

Tax havens are more and more used as locations for international capital flows. This is not only the case for traditional small island economies, but also for larger conduit countries. Globalisation and lower taxes on corporate income can explain the rise of tax havens to some extent. A more logical explanation is the increase in international corporate tax avoidance. Although the evidence is not definitely conclusive, various developments point in the same direction, such as the rise of indirect capital flows and the fast increase in international payments for the use of intellectual property rights. These developments also suggest that the implemented measures against corporate tax avoidance are only partially effective, and that new international measures are necessary to curb the role of tax havens and conduit countries in international capital flow structures.