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Encouraging Signs for a Possible U.S. Legislative Crackdown on Anonymous Companies

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A little over a year ago, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) released the Panama Papers, a treasure trove of information and a window into the world of financial secrecy. In some ways, much of what the Panama Papers revealed was already well known. Previous estimates put the amount of money hidden in offshore secrecy havens somewhere between $8 trillion and $32 trillion. In 2015, The New York Times published an impressive five-part series on the use of anonymous shell companies to purchase prime real estate in New York City. Prior to that, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit (which they just won on June 29th) to force the forfeiture of New York property secretly owned by the government of Iran in direct violation of economic sanctions. And so on. Yet it is hard to deny the captivating intrigue of the specific stories in the Panama Papers involving Russian kleptocrats, world leaders, athletes, movie stars, and others.

Letter to Sens. Whitehouse, Grassley, and Feinstein Supporting True Incorporation Transparency for Law Enforcement (TITLE) Act (S. 1454)

The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition (FACT Coalition) sent a letter to Sens. Whitehouse, Grassley, and Feinstein supporting the True Incorporation Transparency for Law Enforcement (TITLE) Act (S. 1454),  which would enable law enforcement to more effectively and efficiently conduct investigations, enhancing safety by saving time and resources in pursuing complex money laundering operations. The full letter can be read below or downloaded here.

Letter to Reps. Maloney, King, Royce, Waters, and Moore Supporting Corporate Transparency Act (H.R. 3089)

The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition (FACT Coalition) sent a letter to Reps. Maloney, King, Royce, Waters, and Moore supporting the Corporate Transparency Act (H.R. 3089),  which would enable law enforcement to more effectively and efficiently conduct investigations, enhancing safety by saving time and resources in pursuing complex money laundering operations. The full letter can be read below or downloaded here.

Bipartisan Bills Target Criminal Money Laundering, Terror Financing

Transparency Measures Have Broad Support from Financial Institutions, Law Enforcement, and Anti-Corruption Advocates
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bipartisan pieces of legislation introduced on June 28, 2017 aim to crack down on one of the prime enablers of criminal money laundering and terrorist financing — the abuse of anonymous shell companies.

Just the FACTs: May 19, 2017

Profits booked offshore are growing at an even faster pace than previously predicted. Earlier this month, Apple made waves when it disclosed that of its more than $250 billion in cash worldwide, $239 billion is kept offshore.  Some of the growth in cash booked offshore is likely due to the perception that Congress and the administration are inching ever closer to a deal that would allow these companies to return the money at a steep discount.

One plan presented by Democratic Representative John Delaney equates to a corporate hand-out of nearly $550 billion.  In a recent blog, the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy analyzes the plan disguised as a pay-for for infrastructure spending.  There is no doubt with a backlog of $836 billion in much-needed repairs, investments in infrastructure need more funding. However, as ITEP argues, this plan will only make the problem of inadequate revenue worse.

FACT Sheet: Anonymous Shell Companies (April 2017)

Enabling Criminal Activity in the U.S. and Around the World
America is one of the easiest places in the world in which to form an anonymous shell company—this facilitates crimes that victimize ordinary Americans.