Luxembourg is a founding member of the EU, and is, on the surface, a good corporate citizen with bilateral tax agreements worldwide. But below the friendly facade the tiny nation is cutting secret deals with some of the world's biggest companies to allow them to avoid taxes in their home countries.
From smartphones, to food products, to online shopping, companies associated with the everyday brands, goods, and services we all use have become part of complicated schemes which use all sorts of financial sleight of hand to save billions in tax. Mathilde Dratwa's video uses animation to illustrate complex concepts, helping audiences understand how well-known corporations abuse tax loopholes with Luxembourg's assistance, all within the legal and political boundaries of the EU, rather than through a far-flung rogue island operator.
The animation serves as an introduction to a major investigation by the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. It appears on ICIJ's own website, and on the websites of its media partners from around the world.
