Proposed Rule Would Require Banks to Report Information on the U.S. Accounts of Foreigners
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Treasury Department will hold a hearing tomorrow on a proposed rule requiring banks to report information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on bank accounts held by non-U.S. residents. Currently, U.S. banks are not required to give the U.S. government information about these types of accounts.
Financial Reform Coalition to Showcase New Initiatives, News, and Analysis
WASHINGTON, DC – Starting Monday, May 9th Global Financial Integrity (GFI) will feature content from the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) coalition in the Resources section of the www.gfip.org website or through http://fact.gfip.org.
Patents Part of a Larger Industry that Enables Tax Evasion, Banking Secrecy
WASHINGTON, DC – Global Financial Integrity (GFI) joined a coalition of professional and civil society organizations calling upon the Senate Judiciary Committee to support a provision in S. 23, The Patent Reform Act of 2011, which will eliminate tax strategy patents today.
This year’s International Anti-Corruption Day is marred by a U.S. Chamber of Commerce attempt to weaken the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), our nation’s flagship anti-corruption legislation. Passed in 1977, the FCPA was a response to eroded public trust in government following the Watergate scandal and the admission by Lockheed and some 400 other American companies that bribery to foreign officials was a commonplace practice in international commerce.
The U.S. FCPA stood virtually alone on the global stage in the fight against corruption until the late 1990s, when other nations began adopting similar prohibitions. Today, the FCPA is buttressed by the UN Convention Against Corruption, a similar document binding members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, regional commitments, and a significant focus on the issue by the G20.
Global Financial Integrity Director Raymond Baker Warns of Danger to the World’s Flagship Anti-Corruption Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC – To mark this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day, Global Financial Integrity (GFI) director Raymond Baker has written a piece warning against challenges posed to the United State’s key anti-corruption legislation, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
New U.S. and UK Laws, Multi-Lateral Actions Represent Significant Gains, but Challenges Still Exist
WASHINGTON, DC – In October 2003 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and designated December 9th as International Anti-Corruption Day. Global Financial Integrity looks back on the past year to see how anti-corruption efforts fared.
Greater Accountability Would Improve Development and Rights, Alleviate Poverty
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States should press for greater transparency and accountability in the global financial system at the G20 Summit meeting in Seoul, a coalition of civil society organizations said today. The G20 Advocacy Coalition brings together varied organizations – that share the view that increased transparency is essential to promoting economic development, alleviating poverty and realizing enjoyment of economic and social rights.
New Reporting Requirements a “Game Changer” in Extractive Industries Sector
WASHINGTON, DC—A provision in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, passed in the Senate today, will require energy and mining companies registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report payments to foreign governments for the extraction of oil, gas, and minerals on a country-by-country basis.