Belgian Imperial Capitalism and Tax Planning in Luxembourg and the Belgian Congo (1919-1965)

Objective

Taking a historical perspective, the project rethinks imperial capitalism and tax havens, shedding light on how the largest Belgian industrial and financial group in history, the Société Générale de Belgique and its numerous affiliated companies, adopted tax optimisation strategies tailored to the legislation of the Belgian Congo and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. By exploring the groundbreaking hypothesis that the Belgian Congo (the colonial regime from 1908 to 1960) and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg served as tax havens for Belgian capital, the project sheds new light on the role of colonies in tax avoidance and business strategies. It also offers fresh insights into the relationship between tax havens and capitalism.