By Luke Holland From Tax justice

Join Tax Justice Network and the FACT Coalition for a discussion of the 2020 Financial Secrecy Index and relevant US legislation.

As Congress considers measures to combat financial secrecy and end the formation of anonymous companies in the United States, the Tax Justice Network and the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition ask you to join them on Capitol Hill for the US launch of the 2020 Financial Secrecy Index on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, from 9:30 am – 10:30 am. The event will take place in SD-106 (Dirksen Senate Office Building).

Since 2009, the Tax Justice Network has produced the Financial Secrecy Index biennially, analysing the level of secrecy in the world’s financial centres. It is the only comprehensive ranking that seeks to apply a methodical approach to defining secrecy jurisdictions. The previous iteration of the Financial Secrecy Index, released in January 2018, rated the United States as the 2nd largest secrecy jurisdiction in the world, behind only Switzerland.

The 2020 Financial Secrecy Index Launch Event will feature a presentation by Tax Justice Network on the 2020 Financial Secrecy Index results, including where the US falls in the new rankings and why. A panel of experts will then discuss the national security, law enforcement, human rights, and economic implications of financial secrecy in the United States as well as bipartisan legislation (such as the ILLICIT CASH Act and the Corporate Transparency Act) currently pending in Congress to tackle financial secrecy.

Coffee, Tea, and Light Pastries Will Be Provided

9:30 AM – Welcome Remarks — Clark Gascoigne, The FACT Coalition
9:35 AM — Presentation of the Financial Secrecy Index 2020 – Jack Blum, Tax Justice Network
9:50 AM – Panel Discussion featuring:

• Caren Benjamin, Polaris
• Jack Blum, Tax Justice Network
• Annabel Lee Hogg, The B Team (TBC)
• Tim Richardson, Fraternal Order of Police
• Jodi Vittori, Transparency International Defense & Security
• Clark Gascoigne, The FACT Coalition – moderator

10:15 AM – Audience Q&A
10:30 AM — End

For more on this story and to register for the event go to: https://www.taxjustice.net/2020/02/14/us-launch-event-for-financial-secrecy-index-2020/