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.
Following last month’s historic agreement on a 15 percent global minimum tax rate at the G7 Finance Ministers meeting, a groundbreaking 130 countries came together to support the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s Inclusive Framework, in another sign of accelerating progress on global taxation reform.
The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition today warmly welcomed the Biden Administration’s move establishing combatting corruption at home and abroad as a core U.S. national security interest. The National Security Study Memorandum, and President Biden’s directive to the National Security Advisor to develop a national strategy to combat corruption, represents a significant and timely elevation of the fight against corruption and financial secrecy.
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.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) closed the first round of public comment ahead of the rulemaking on the historic, bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), passed this year by Congress to end the abuse of anonymous U.S. shell companies.
After months of anticipation, Rep. Cynthia Axne (D-IA) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) unveiled the Disclosure of Tax Havens and Offshoring Act last week to a chorus of civil society, small business, and investor support.
The FACT Coalition offered a blueprint to the Biden Administration on how the Treasury Department should draft the rule for a landmark anti-corruption and anti-money laundering law, the Corporate Transparency Act, enacted by Congress in January.
