Secrecy Jurisdictions

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Jurisdiction Reports

Introduction to the Jurisdiction Reports

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The data we have produced on each of the secrecy jurisdictions surveyed is extensive and not everyone will want to read or interpret it all. For this reason we have produced a summary report on each secrecy jurisdiction surveyed. Links to these can be found here.

We stress that in each case the data sources used can be found in our database. Please look there in the first instance if you have queries on the data presented. 

Please also note with care the methodology we have used to appraise the data we have collected. Our aim has been to be objective. You may not agree with the criteria we have used, but we have disclosed our methodology and have sought to apply it consistently to data whose source we have referenced. This is the only appropriate basis for reliable research.   

We will also be publishing reports on each variable on which we report for each jurisdiction. These reports can be found here.

We know some users will be surprised by our findings. For example, some will claim that accounts are available public record when we say they are not. This is because we expect all accounts to be available, not just some. Others will say information on ownership is published when we disagree. This is because we expect information on beneficial and legal ownership. Please check that you have fully understood the data we are reporting before challenging it. If you remain sure that the data we report is wrong, despite our best endeavours to check it and reference it to source, please do let us know providing authoritative referencing to prove why you think this is the case.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 October 2009 15:19 Read more...
 

Jurisdiction Reports

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Secrecy jurisdictions facilitate illicit financial flows.

Illicit financial flows stem from three major sources: bribery (corruption in its narrow sense), criminal activity and cross-border tax evasion. In doing so, secrecy jurisdictions and the secrecy providers operating through them play not only a major role in preventing the poorest countries from developing out of a state of dependency and poverty, but they help creating a criminogenic environment in which all sorts of crimes can thrive and feast on the fruits of breaking the law. 

The crimes that are facilitated and whose financial reward is secured by financial opacity and the resulting secrecy comprise, but are not limited to: tax evasion, aggressive tax avoidance, money laundering, terrorist financing, drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal arms trading, non-payment of alimonies, counterfeiting, insider dealing, embezzlement, fleeing of bankruptcy orders, illicit intelligence operations, insider dealing, all sorts of fraud, and many more.

This is what we claim to be facilitated by secrecy jurisdictions that offer a high level of financial opacity. The reports below should be read bearing this in mind.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 October 2009 15:19 Read more...
 

Identifying Secrecy Jurisdictions

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This project relates to illicit financial flows. By definition illicit flows are illegal or of dubious legality. Those who manage such flows are well aware of this. As such they wish as little information to be available about them as they can possibly achieve.

As has been noted in the section entitled ‘Finding the Secrecy World’, there are many jurisdictions that that intentionally create regulation for the primary benefit and use of those not resident in their geographical domain that is designed to undermine the legislation or regulation of another jurisdiction. They do in addition create a deliberate, legally backed veil of secrecy that ensures that those from outside the jurisdiction making use of its regulation cannot be identified to be doing so. Their appeal to those seeking to hide illicit financial flows is obvious as a result.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 October 2009 15:19 Read more...