While public officials argue and delay adopting global tax reforms, multinational companies continue to rort the variances in rates and arbitrage jurisdictions. More than US$2.4 tln of profits avoid minimum acceptable levels

The OECD released its 2023 Corporate Tax Statistics today (Wednesday NZT).

It's urging faster action for global tax reform, because multinational companies continue to report low-taxed profit even in jurisdictions with high corporate tax rates. More than a third of the US$6.5 trillion of global company profits are taxed at rates less than 15%.

Ireland, a favourite jurisdiction for tax-avoiding multinationals, is the worst offender.

But even in countries with higher statutory rates, local incentives and concessions can cut tax bills sharply, and the OECD is calling for the adoption of a global minimum of a 15% rate.

Here an extract of the top-level company tax rates for jurisdictions we often compare ourselves with.

Here is the OECD note covering the data release.

Jurisdictions with high tax rates account for more than half of the low-taxed profits reported globally by multinational enterprises (MNEs), according to new OECD analysis.

The new data and estimates on taxation of large MNE profits show how tax incentives and other concessions in jurisdictions with high statutory and average tax rates enable some firms to pay low effective tax rates (ETRs). The findings highlight how the introduction of a global minimum tax rate on the profits of large MNEs agreed by the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework would create new opportunities for domestic resource mobilisation for high-tax and low-jurisdictions alike.

The OECD’s latest Corporate Tax Statistics report and a new accompanying working paper, Effective Tax Rates of MNEs: New evidence on global low-taxed profit, provide new data on global low-taxed profit, a key issue for determining the impact of the global minimum tax.

The working paper finds that an estimated 37.1% (USD 2 411 billion) of global net profits (totalling USD 6 503 billion) are taxed at ETRs below 15%. In contrast to earlier studies, which have focused on low-taxed profit only in low-tax jurisdictions, the new paper estimates that high-tax jurisdictions – jurisdictions with statutory and average tax rates above 15% – account for more than half (56.8%) of all global profits currently taxed below 15%. This profit in high-tax jurisdictions exists across all country groups regardless of income level, with an estimated 28% of all global low-taxed profit being located in low or middle-income jurisdictions.

High-tax jurisdictions even account for more than 20% of very low-taxed profits – those with an ETR below 5%. These low-taxed profits in jurisdictions with high tax rates, which are likely the result of tax incentives and other targeted concessions, highlight the revenue-raising potential of the global minimum tax, even in jurisdictions that have previously been thought to be high-tax.

The data in Corporate Tax Statistics covers MNE taxation in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions, bringing together new detailed information on MNEs’ international activities, as well as two years of aggregated Country-by-Country Reporting (CbCR) data shared between companies and tax authorities.

The report shows continued misalignment of MNE profits and real economic activity in markets worldwide. The median value of MNE revenues per employee in investment hubs is USD 1 710 000, as compared to USD 290 000 for all other jurisdictions. While these effects could reflect some commercial considerations, they likely also indicate the existence of base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) practices, further highlighting the importance of implementing the global tax agreement.