A referendum on banning politicians and civil servants from having bank accounts or companies based in tax havens was held in Ecuador on 19 February 2017, alongside general elections.Referendum on tax havens will be conducted in the elections of 2017 Ecuador Times, 22 November 2016 The proposal was approved by voters, giving officials one year to transfer their assets or be removed from their posts.Ecuador Revives Campaign for UN Tax Body IPS News, 27 January 2017
The question on the ballot was "Do you agree that, for those holding a popularly elected office or for public servants, there should be a prohibition on holding assets or capital, of any nature, in tax havens?"Republic of Ecuador: Referendum IFES
Classification of tax havens In preparation for the referendum, the Ecuadorian Internal Revenue Service issued a resolution outlining the criteria for a jurisdiction to be considered a tax haven, establishing two categories: Preferential tax regimes, and low tax jurisdictions.Ecuadorian IRS issues resolution with new list of tax haven jurisdictions EY, 9 February 2015 A preferential tax regime was classed as a jurisdiction whose effective tax rate is below 60% in relation to the Ecuadorian corporate income tax (CIT) rate of 13.2%. A low tax jurisdiction was classed as having an effective tax rate below 60% in relation to the Ecuadorian CIT of 13.2% and no substantial economic activity. The IRS may remove a country from their list of tax havens if it reforms its tax policy, if it enforces a treaty to avoid double taxation, including a special information exchange clause, or if its laws do not include banking confidentiality, securities or other regulations that prohibit sharing information with the Ecuadorian IRS.
Along with this definition, the Ecuadorian IRS published a list of countries which currently meet the definition of a tax haven under their law. This list included 28 jurisdictions in the Americas, 19 in Oceania, 16 in Europe, 13 in Asia, 9 in Africa and two other island territories.
AfricaAmericas
Cocos Island ()
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint MartinAsia
()
Qeshm ()Europe
() Campione d'Italia () Channel Islands
(Portugal)
Ostrava Free Zone ()
Svalbard () (Italy)Oceania
(Australia)Other
Campaign Outgoing President Rafael Correa stated that he would campaign in favour of the proposal, having previously stated that tax havens were one of the biggest issues for democracy.President Correa: tax havens are one of the biggest problems in our democracies Andes, 29 July 2016
Results ChoiceVotes%Yes5,030,57955.12No4,096,55944.88Invalid/blank votes1,336,496–Total10,472,302100Registered voters/turnout12,816,69881.64Source: CNE
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