This article aims to utilize the evolution of the inversion phenomenon and its countermeasures as a mirror which can be held to the current tax regime, both globally and locally, in order to highlight some of the issues which it faces. Whilst the US has typically favoured a direct, reactive method of countering inversions, the UK has largely relied on more generalized anti-avoidance principles to achieve the same aim. Although the inversion phenomenon seems to have slowed, it remains to be seen whether these differing approaches have eradicated the practice completely. This article posits that the story of the inversion phenomenon up to this point is illustrative of many of the problems which the tax regime must deal with both presently and in the future. In particular, it is suggested that the allure of tax competition seems too strong for the optimism of increased international cooperation, notably in the form of the BEPS project, to overcome in the near future.
Intertax