More than a Half Million Sign Petition Against Tax Havens

More than 590,000 individuals have signed a petition to G8 leaders calling on them to address tax havens and tax avoidance. The signatories are asking international leaders to “agree and implement tough, binding measures to combat tax evasion” at the G8 Summit to be held in Northern Ireland starting on June 17.

The website hosting the multinational petition, Avaaz, advocates putting “pressure” on President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Harper, who are “considering siding with corruption over this gigantic step forward for the planet.”

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, who will be hosting the talks, has made it clear that tax havens will be addressed at the G8 Summit. However, it is unclear how receptive the U.S. will be. While Apple’s recent high profile testimony before Congress drew public attention to the issue, gridlock in Washington could limit the scope of G8 negotiations.

The petition reads as follows:

As citizens concerned about companies and criminals hiding wealth out of reach, we call on you to agree and implement tough, binding measures to combat tax evasion. These should include ways to identify and exchange information on all forms of wealth and a public registry of who owns and controls companies. This is a vital way to fund solutions to our social and environmental challenges.

Individuals who would like to sign the petition can find it here.

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