Even if there is no official definition, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identifies countries considered to be tax havens, according to four criteria:
non-existent or very low taxes;
a lack of transparency (strict banking secrecy and facilities for opening accounts, etc.);
legislation preventing the exchange of information;
tolerance towards shell companies.
Also called non-cooperative states and territories (NCTs), tax havens allow non-residents to invest their money while hiding their identity, in order to prevent the tax administration of their country of residence from knowing where the funds are transferred. .
Increase in the number of tax havens
For 2024, 16 countries and territories are on the European blacklist of tax havens.
List of countries considered tax havens in 2024 |
|---|
Anguilla |
Antigua and Barbuda (2024) |
Bahamas |
Belize (2024) |
Fiji |
Guam |
Turks and Caicos Islands |
US Virgin Islands |
Palau |
Panama |
Russia (2024) |
Samoa |
American Samoa |
Seychelles (2024) |
Trinidad and Tobago |
Vanuatu |
From now on, the British Virgin Islands and Panama are no longer on the list of “blacklisted” states.
Since the law to combat tax evasion of 2018, France automatically adds countries appearing on that established by the European Union to its blacklist of tax havens.