News

Money Laundering Associated with Tax Crimes in the Asia Pacific Typologies Report 2023

4 September 2023

The Typology Report on Money Laundering Associated with Tax Crimes in the Asia Pacific, jointly prepared by the Australian Tax Office and the APG, was adopted by the APG membership at its Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada (July, 2023). The project was endorsed by APG members in 2021 and is the result of contributions and feedback from APG members and observers, and extensive research by the lead authors.

The report collates tax crime typologies observed by members, and documents experiences of competent authorities in responding to ML associated with tax crimes. The report considers issues related to the scope of the relevant FATF standards, implementation by national AML/CFT frameworks, and the roles and capabilities of financial intelligence units, AML/CFT supervisors and investigative agencies. Findings highlight the impact of appropriate international cooperation mechanisms, and the use of complex legal structures, gatekeepers, and facilitators in the laundering of proceeds of tax crimes.

The project was conducted in partnership with the Australian Taxation Office, as part of Australia’s leading role in the OECD Taskforce on Tax Crimes and Other Crimes (TFTC). The project team comprised experts from members and observers including Fiji, Pakistan and Singapore, the Asian Development Bank, European Union, OECD TFTC, Pacific Islands Tax Administrators Association and the World Bank.