IMAGE: Sunset in the village of East End, Grand Cayman. Photos taken on Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. Photo credit: Christopher Muther, Globe Staff.

By Mark Peters From Boston Globe

tax neu·tral (adj.): The term “tax haven,” which has been around since at least 1960, describes countries where the wealthy can totally evade or greatly minimize what they owe. Its original connotation was soft and squishy, sounding more like warm respite — a haven in a storm — than sketchy avoidance. But the real meaning became commonly known over time. Hence the need for a new adjective for these jurisdiction: “tax neutral.”

This term came to light in the hubbub over the Paradise Papers — leaked documents exposing a smorgasbord of options for the filthy rich to hide their income. In an article for the UK’s Evening Standard, Simon English describes Grand Cayman, the largest Cayman Island, as “a tax haven — it prefers the term tax neutral.” Well, no wonder. English then suggests another term that would be more honest: “The most common word used to describe Cayman, alongside tax haven, is ‘secretive.’”

For more on this story go to: https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2017/12/01/euphemism-tax-neutral/O51dM9qdaVXHQT247ALvaO/story.html