Countries around the world struggle with how to curb multinational corporations’ tax minimizing profit shifting. Recent estimates suggest that each year, 40 % of multinational corporate profits are shifted to tax havens, imposing large losses of tax revenues on many countries.

The ability to raise tax revenue to finance public spending and the broad welfare state seen in many high-tax countries is now even more pressing in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the same time, there is increased focus on sustainability, also in tax practices among corporations, policy makers, and the public. However, it is not always clear what a sustainable corporate tax practice means. And it is not always straightforward for corporations to comply with complex tax rules when doing business in a multinational setting.

This interdisciplinary course aims at educating the students about the connection between corporate tax and sustainability within the framework of law, economics, and politics. We provide a basic introduction into the concept of profit shifting.

The course covers various topics on political challenges related to tax and sustainability, such as initiatives from governments and international organizations, as well as corporate challenges, such as how to align corporate strategies with sustainable strategies, and how to communicate tax behaviour to interested parties. We also give an overview of various international measures / agreements / processes to curb corporations’ profit shifting, in addition to the perspectives of different groups such as consumers, investors and international organizations.

Knowledge:

After completed course, the student should have knowledge on the topics covered by the course:

• Why do governments tax and why do corporations pay tax?
• What is international tax competition?
• What is aggressive tax planning, tax avoidance and tax evasion?
• How large is the extent of tax planning, and who suffers and benefits from it?
• What is a sustainable tax practice?
• Who are the stakeholders?
• Which measures are taken, and which processes are ongoing to prohibit tax avoidance and tax evasion, nationally and internationally?

Skills:

After completed course, the student should be able to:

• Give an account of basic terminology of corporate tax and sustainability.
• Explain why governments tax and why corporations pay tax.
• Give an account of different structures and organizational forms of the company.
• Describe the basic structure and challenges of international tax competition.
• Apply knowledge to a real world setting and reflect on what it means for a company to act sustainable.

General qualifications:

After completed course, the student

• Masters basic corporate tax and sustainability terminology.
• Has a basic understanding of the role of different stakeholders and corporate governance.
• Can reflect on the interaction between taxes, inequality, and sustainability.
• Has a basic understanding of who are the winners and losers from multinational corporations’ profit shifting activities.