Do tax havens really look like this? The large number of articles and reports on this topic are usually illustrated with pictures of tropical beaches. They conceal the fact that today more than half of world trade is conducted through these places.
Paolo Woods and Gabriele Galimberti travelled for several years through the world’s tax havens. From the British Virgin Islands to the City of London, from the Cayman Islands to Luxembourg and the Netherlands: The Heavens – Annual Report takes us on a journey into a rarely seen, mysterious world of the rich and super-rich.
Around 32 trillion US dollars are hidden in tax havens worldwide. This corresponds to about ten times the GDP of Germany. Individuals and companies circumvent financial requirements and reduce their tax payments – often completely legally. They deprive the general public of funds for education, health care or public safety.
With The Heavens – Annual Report, Paolo Woods and Gabriele Galimberti succeed in translating this elusive theme into haunting photographs. They show not only what tax havens are, but also what they mean for all of us.