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Bank secrecy, illicit money and offshore financial centers

Author

Listed:
  • Picard, Pierre M.
  • Pieretti, Patrice

Abstract

This paper discusses the effects of pressure policies on offshore financial centers as well as their ability to enforce the compliance of those centers with anti-money laundering regulations. Offshore banks can be encouraged to comply with rigorous monitoring of an investor's identity and the origin of his/her funds when pressure creates a sufficiently high risk of reputational harm to the investor. We show that such pressure policies harm both offshore and onshore investors and can benefit both the bank industry and tax administrations. We show that social optimal pressure policies are dichotomous decisions between no pressure at all and a pressure great enough to persuade offshore banks to comply. The delegation of pressure policies to onshore tax institutions may be inefficient. Deeper financial integration fosters compliance by the offshore center.

Suggested Citation

  • Picard, Pierre M. & Pieretti, Patrice, 2011. "Bank secrecy, illicit money and offshore financial centers," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(7-8), pages 942-955, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:95:y:2011:i:7-8:p:942-955
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    Cited by:

    1. Tobias Hauck, 2019. "Lobbying and the international fight against tax havens," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 21(3), pages 537-557, June.
    2. Raffaella Barone & Domenico Delle Side & Donato Masciandaro, 2018. "Drug trafficking, money laundering and the business cycle: Does secular stagnation include crime?," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(2), pages 409-426, May.
    3. Fernando, Garcia Alvarado & Antoine, Mandel, 2022. "The network structure of global tax evasion evidence from the Panama papers," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 660-684.
    4. Ciprian MANEA & Alina PARINCU, 2018. "Reputational Banking Risks through Offshore Transactions: Benefits of Neuro-Management," Economics and Applied Informatics, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, issue 3, pages 143-147.
    5. Raffaella Barone & Donato Masciandaro, 2011. "Organized crime, money laundering and legal economy: theory and simulations," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 115-142, August.
    6. Shastitko, Andrey (Шаститко, Андрей) & Komkova, Anastasia Andreevna (Комкова, Анастасия Андреевна) & Kurdin, Alexander (Курдин, Александр), 2016. "Competition Policy and Incentives for Innovation [Экономическая Теория Об Адвокатировании Конкуренции]," Working Papers 1448, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    7. Marchiori, Luca & Pierrard, Olivier, 2018. "Unlocking the gates of paradise: General equilibrium effects of information exchange," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 152-172.
    8. repec:idb:brikps:81941 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Sami Bensassi & Arisyi F. Raz, 2025. "Combating trade‐related fraud: do the Financial Action Task Force recommendations bite?," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 92(365), pages 322-347, January.
    10. Picard, Pierre M. & Pieretti, Patrice, 2011. "Bank secrecy, illicit money and offshore financial centers," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(7-8), pages 942-955, August.
    11. Päivi Karhunen & Svetlana Ledyaeva & Keith D. Brouthers, 2022. "Capital Round-Tripping: Determinants of Emerging Market Firm Investments into Offshore Financial Centers and Their Ethical Implications," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(1), pages 117-137, November.
    12. Pieretti, Patrice & Pulina, Giuseppe, 2024. "A game-theoretic analysis of international tax compliance," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    13. Olga Balakina & Angelo D’Andrea & Donato Masciandaro, 2017. "Bank secrecy in offshore centres and capital flows: Does blacklisting matter?," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(1), pages 30-57, January.
    14. Ciprian MANEA & Alina PARINCU, 2018. "Reputational Banking Risks through Offshore Transactions: Benefits of Neuro-Management," Economics and Applied Informatics, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, issue 3, pages 143-147.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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