Description

White collar crimes like tax evasion, bribery, and corruption are often concealed through complex legal structures and financial transactions facilitated by lawyers, accountants, financial institutions and other “professional enablers” of such crimes. These crimes have significant impacts on government revenue, public confidence and economic growth, including the recovery from COVID-19. A new report by the OECD’s Task Force on Tax Crimes and Other Crimes sets out a range of strategies and actions for countries to take to tackle professional intermediaries who enable tax evasion and other financial crimes on behalf of their criminal clients. This session will highlight the damaging role played by intermediaries who enable financial crimes on behalf of their criminal clients, and the importance of concerted domestic and international action in clamping down on the enablers of crime. The panel will bring together leading experts to discuss the challenges posed by professional enablers; the report’s recommendations for deterring, disrupting, investigating and prosecuting these intermediaries; as well as current and emerging risks, including those arising from the difficult circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the new report at http://www.oecd.org/tax/crime/ending-the-shell-game-cracking-down-on-the-professionals-who-enable-tax-and-white-collar-crimes.htm