The Panama Papers form a leaked set of 11.5 million confidential documents created by the Panamanian corporate service provider Mossack Fonseca that provide detailed information on more than 214,000 offshore companies, including the identities of shareholders and directors. The documents identify (as directors and shareholders of such companies) current government leaders from five countries — Argentina, Iceland, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates — as well as government officials, close relatives and close associates of various heads of government of more than 40 other countries, including Brazil, China, Peru, France, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Syria and the United Kingdom. Comprising documents created since the 1970s that amount to 2.6 terabytes of data, the papers were supplied to the Süddeutsche Zeitung in August 2015 by an anonymous source, and subsequently to the U.S.-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The papers were distributed to and analyzed by about 400 journalists at 107 media organizations in more than 80 countries. The first news reports based on the set, along with 149 of the documents themselves, were published on April 3, 2016, and a full list of companies is to be released in early May 2016.
Panama Papers Series
To really tackle corporate tax evasion we need a public register
Sep 12, 2016 02:05 am UTC|
Insights & Views Politics
The Australian government shouldnt rely on leaks like that of the Panama Papers to pick up on tax evasion, it should consider stronger action.
The federal government showed some leadership earlier this year by...
Panama Papers Series
Why British law doesn't necessarily apply in overseas territories
May 05, 2016 16:59 pm UTC|
Law
Until the Panama Papers scandal broke, it would have been easy to think that the widest possible definition of the United Kingdom is England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. But the territory is much wider than that ...
Panama Papers Series
Panama Papers revelation: we must rethink data security systems
May 04, 2016 12:31 pm UTC|
Insights & Views
The surge of information leaks from highly confidential sources in recent years demonstrates the futility of current cyber defenses.
The leaks of U.S. diplomatic cables, Office of Personnel Management data, CIA...
Panama Papers Series
Should tax collection be privatised?
Apr 20, 2016 06:08 am UTC|
Insights & Views Business Law
The release of the Panama papers is yet to reach its endgame, but there are some clear truths we can take from it. People or businesses who dont pay their taxes whether deliberately or through ignorance undermine state...
Panama Papers Series
Did you cheat on your taxes? Here's why your days may be numbered
Apr 18, 2016 04:28 am UTC|
Insights & Views Law
The so-called Panama Papers span thousands of pages, revealing that many of the worlds elite have been hiding their money in offshore accounts in an attempt to shield their income from taxes.
Their release the biggest...
Panama Papers Series
Why Europe's new tax initiative is a big deal
Apr 15, 2016 15:16 pm UTC|
Insights & Views Law
Public outcry over revelations in the Panama papers about global levels of tax dodging has led to political action. Europes five largest economies the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have agreed to new transparency...
Panama Papers Series
Should all politicians publish their tax returns? Here's what we might find
Apr 14, 2016 08:04 am UTC|
Insights & Views Law Politics
Public pressure has forced Britains prime minister, David Cameron, to publish a summary of his taxable income, and a string of UK politicians have followed suit. The moves comes in the wake of the Panama Papers data leak,...
Economy 
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