Ownership Transparency

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.

FACT Welcomes U.S. Congressional Anti-Kleptocracy Caucus Committed to Financial Transparency and Rule of Law

The U.S. Congress announced today the formation of the new, bipartisan Caucus Against Foreign Corruption and Kleptocracy. The caucus – chaired by Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and John Curtis (R-UT) and vice-chaired by Reps. Bill Keating (D-MA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) – will be a forum to educate and mobilize Members of Congress on cross-cutting domestic and foreign policy reforms to tackle corruption.

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A Biden Boom in the Fight to Close Tax Loopholes: Just the Facts: April 21

Over the past month, there has been an unprecedented global focus on corporate tax loopholes and profit shifting amidst reporting that at least 55 of America’s largest corporations paid no federal corporate income taxes at all in 2020. Since the dawn of civil society campaigning for international tax justice, this may be the closest activists have come to ending the era of tax havens and massive tax avoidance and it is increasingly clear to many lawmakers that corporations need to pay their fair share to help pay for COVID recovery programs, infrastructure, and other needs.

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