The U.S. is the easiest place in the world for a criminal, terrorist, tax cheat, or kleptocrat to open an anonymous shell company to launder their money with impunity. Anonymous corporations are great ways to hide money and other assets — they can hold a bank account or buy a yacht. Criminals often layer anonymous corporations, with one owning another and so on, making it even harder for law enforcement to “trace the money” and figure out who is directing the company’s activity. It’s time to ending the use of anonymous shell companies as vehicles for illicit activity by requiring that the true owners of U.S. companies be disclosed at the time of formation and updated upon any change.
The past week’s revelations through the “Pandora Papers” – the largest exposé to-date of how global politicians, business leaders, celebrities, and multinational companies use and abuse the “offshore” financial system – are both shocking and surprisingly familiar.
The stunning front-page coverage of the Pandora Papers and the harms caused by anonymous shell companies and trusts based in U.S. states such as South Dakota reinforces the need to ensure that the landmark Corporate Transparency Act.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, along with major news outlets such as the Washington Post, yesterday revealed the largest leak of private financial records to date, eclipsing the Panama Papers in scope and scale. The “Pandora Papers” confirm the use of a secretive “offshore” financial system that allows criminals, world leaders, and others to hide billions of dollars from authorities, fueling tax dodging and corruption.
The Treasury Department, in parallel with state and municipal actors, should implement permanent reforms to pull back the veil on the anonymous purchase of U.S. real estate to fight money laundering and corruption and, as a result, cultivate fairer housing markets here at home..
FACT recently sent comments to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) urging the international body to adopt more robust beneficial ownership recommendations as part of its public consultation on Recommendation 24.
The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition welcomed the White House announcement today of a “Summit for Democracy” from December 9-10 bringing together global leaders from governments, civil society, and the private sector. The summit will address three themes: addressing and fighting corruption; defending against authoritarianism; and advancing respect for human rights.
