On 19 January 2017, MEPs rejected the European Commission’s blacklist of countries at risk of money laundering and terrorist financing as being ‘too limited’. The rejection suggests that the list should be broader, by including countries that facilitate tax crime, for example. The list from the Commission contained the names of 11 countries, including Afghanistan,


The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) has become infamous for its unintentionally damaging effect on the average American expat, as many foreign financial institutions (FFIs) attempt to mitigate their paperwork and risk by denying custom to American citizens according to expat groups with mainly anecdotal evidence. Groups protecting US expats are proposing tweaks to


Last week was an embarrassing week around the globe for a number of high profile politicians, sports personalities, multinationals, law firms, the rich and the famous.  The leak of the Panama papers – a data leak of almost 11.5 million documents, concerning the tax affairs of many – brings into sharp focus an agenda that


The minefield of KYC compliance

JWG analysis. The idea of KYC compliance has traditionally been associated with AML, PEP checks and international sanctions, however the new wave of regulations that is to begin rolling out in 2015 will place a whole new set of pressures on businesses to ‘know their clients’. Rachel Wolcott, writing for Accelus’ Compliance Complete, has highlighted


AMLD IV adds fuel to KYC utility model

JWG analysis. The European Parliament recently published (here) the latest amended text of the proposed 4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD IV), which includes measures to help simplify the way firms conduct KYC today, and adds weight to the KYC utility business model by requiring the industry to maintain accurate and timely data on beneficial ownership.


Can a controversial tax reporting initiative actually be good for your bottom line? We explore how. The US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) has been heavily criticised, and accused of being a “kind of US backward imperialism” with “an atomic bomb used to kill a fly”. At its heart, FATCA exists to track down


2012 could well go down as a turning point for the industry. Billions in fines have raised consciousness of the need for better financial crime processes, systems and controls. Regulators have found sanctions breaches, anti-money laundering deficiencies and bribery failures – and will likely to continue to do so as they examine historical compliance. We


The cost of not monitoring your customer

When the G20 first revealed its plans in April 2009, the scale and scope of new reforms was all encompassing. Now, we are seeing how serious the regulatory community is about them. The battle to know your customer provides a first glimpse of just how seriously the industry will take the new reforms. At the