Swiss and US enter into anti-tax evasion agreement with wide-reaching prosecution implications for Americans, foreigners, advisors and entities with which they are affiliated

Tweet Anti-Tax Evasion Agreement The U.S. Department of Justice and the Swiss Federal Department of Finance have entered into an agreement that essentially ends Swiss bank secrecy and the renown of Switzerland as a tax haven. The Agreement: Applies not just to American taxpayers but also to foreigners and foreign entities who maintain Swiss bank accounts […]

French government concerned over potential money laundering with vineyard purchases

Tweet Tracfin report highlights money laundering In its annual money laundering report, France’s Traitement du Renseignement et Action Contre les Circuits Financiers Clandestins (“Tracfin“) expressed concern over money laundering risks associated with the sale of France’s most renowned wineries to investors from China, Hong Kong and Russia. The concern stems from the increase in suspicious […]

Junket operators in Macau branching out in effort to improve reputation and diversify business but financial crime concerns remain

Tweet Junkets branching out According to this article by Reuters, traditional junket operators (also known as VIP gaming promoters) in Macau are branching out to diversify their businesses and improve their reputation. The largest junket operator, Suncity Group, is planning to open its own casino and has expanded into mining and iron ore operations in […]

Tax evasion, beneficial ownership and money laundering – what are the issues facing Canada at the G8 Summit next week?

Tweet A recent article in the Vancouver Sun on the attendance by Stephen Harper at the G8 summit in Ireland and the proposed measures to combat tax evasion contained an interesting statement buried at the end of the article as follows: “international organizations say… Canada has balked at a measure that would identify the true owners […]

$120 billion removed from China by public officials reports finds

Tweet According to a report published in China by the Central Bank (that has since been removed from the Bank of China’s website) and reported by the BBC, close to 20,000 public officials in China have collectively removed about US$120 billion from China and transferred it to just 4 countries –> Canada, the US, Australia […]