Offshore A-Z is a digital repository of companies operating across major tax havens. Offshore A-Z exploits the inscrutability of such companies to speculate on their possible nature and intent. Each company listed on here is real, but the information surrounding these consist of both actual records, obtained by dmstfctn, and speculative images and mission statements, generated by algorithms.

Tax havens, or secrecy jurisdictions, employ laws and corporate regulations different from those of most jurisdictions, using secrecy as a prime tool. Furthermore, the agents operating offshore on behalf of clients elsewhere have been observed by dmstfctn to willfully introduce mistakes in the records held on the companies they help forming. (Offshore Investigation Vehicle)

When offshore companies are but a bundle of papers held in private storages, these practices contribute to a number of possible configurations of any given offshore company, whose records are at once factually correct and conveniently flawed.

Offshore A-Z plays with the idea that truth is not one nor static, and that it does not need to be upheld equally at all times or in all fora.

Obtaining the data

The data contained within Offshore A-Z comes from a number of sources. Prior to the Offshore Leaks, the snippets of information available on offshore companies were largely confined to the outdated online registrars kept by tax havens, as an empty gesture towards transparency. Employing data scraping techniques, dmstfctn extracted records on hundreds of thousands of companies appearing in a number of such registrars.

Yielding varying amounts of information, and naturally full of gaps - sometimes full company details and descriptions, sometimes little more than a name - the records were cross referenced with data from the ICIJ’s Offshore Leaks as well as Financial Secrecy Index scores from the Tax Justice Network, and compiled into a single searchable database.

Training the algorithms

Algorithms were then trained to fill in the gaps in information. Using keywords from the company’s records as a trigger, the algorithms associate images with each nondescript company and complete missing fields by guessing possible incorporation dates or by generating corporate mission statement via a simple neural network. The coherency and accuracy of the neural network is directly undermined by the opaque source material, or incomplete input records. Finally, companies previously named in the Offshore Leaks ( for example) are hyperlinked to the relevant entry on the ICIJ database, allowing user to investigate further.

Compiling the template

The resulting information is autonomously built into a Web 2.0 page, employing a visual grammar similar to that used by existing registrars of companies. However, under intense scrutiny, the template mealts away revealing warm hues and floating forms.

This cycle of actions is repeated for each unreleased company found in the database and publicly announced by a Twitter bot.

Zooming in

Among the companies listed on the Offshore A-Z, a few appearing to be embedded in complex offshore vehicles were further investigated, resulting in three stories focusing on the funding behind Leave.EU, the corporate tax-avoidance of Barclays and the colonial origins of HSBC.

Offshore A-Z is a project by dmstfctn.

R & J ENTERPRISES A.V.V.

Company Name R & J ENTERPRISES A.V.V.
Date of Registration 25th March 1997
Company Objective 1.a.     the operation of a water sports company in the broadest sense, and in particular the operation of a dive business, sport fishing company and windsurf business;

    -th trading in all kinds of craft items windsurfing, diving, sport fishing articles, water sports, and water supplies.;

C     the repair sub b listed.;

d     the giving lessons in sailing, diving, fishing and windsurfing, organizing courses in sailing and windsurfing.;

e     the rental and leasing of motor vehicles, boats, diving equipment, sport fishing articles, windsurfing articles and floating objects.;

f     the providing all types of services in any way related to recreation and tourism, and in particular water tourism.;

g.     alles some of the above in the broadest sense, the word context.

2.a.     the import, export, wholesale, retail and agency trading in computers, computer parts, peripherals and other computer items such as computer furniture, computer books, computer software and office supplies;

    the install automation and all related, equipment.;

C     the maintenance of automation equipment and software systems.; .

d     the providing service and services in general and mediating in the creation of various types of contracts; .

e advise     the do and advise on matters automation, systems analysis and programming; .

f     the organize and make organizing courses on the use of automation equipment and software;

g     the provide administrative and accounting services and counseling thereabouts.;

h     the leasing and other finance computer equipment and software, as well as mediating and providing computer timesharing.;

i.     the development and make developing systems and progamme structure.

j.     the train for solicitatiegesprekken including the preparation of curricula vitae, advising employers on personnel matters including teaching courses and holding of seminars;

3.a.     the provision of services in the field of management and advisory ( "consultancy");

    the exercise of the brokerage in the broadest sense of the word.

C     the. buying and selling, administration and rent, operate and lease of immovable and movable property or rights, including co-understood (but not limited to) the sale of goods on time share basis;.

d     the giving advice in the field of marketing ( "marketing"), public relations, advertising ( "advertising"), sales promotion ( "sales promotion"), and placing on the market ( "merchandising") market research

e.     het give advice in the field of tourism in general and the provision of all that is at the service tourism and encourages

f     the training staff for the same work;.

g     the whole or. partly build retirement benefit of employees or former employees of the company and / or their survivors;

h     the invest its assets in securities such as shares and other securities in respect of bonds and other interest-bearing debt, by whatever name and in whatever form.;

4.a.     the act as shipping and bevrachtingsagent, forwarding, ship supplier, travel and passage agent, insurance agent, insurance broker, representing classificatiebureaux and handling of ships and aircraft;

    the design, construction and repair of boats, ships and yachts.;

c.     the clearance, customs clearance, storage and pack goods in the broadest sense, including the exercise of the Veembedrijf and handling of containers, as well as the transport or have transported goods either by road or sea ​​or air;

d     the under its own name or on behalf of third parties, import, export and transit of all eligible goods and provision of related services in and outside the port.;

e     the intermediary and / or mediator at the conclusion of transactions and agreements in the broadest sense of the word.; .

f     the provision of services in the maritime and aviation area, including but not limited to the provisioning and bunkering of ships and aircraft, including chartering and hiring of tugs with or without crew;

5.     the company may not be working in and out of Aruba as a credit institution or credit union as defined in the national ordinance supervision of banking and credit system.

6.     the company is authorized to anything to achieve its object may be useful or necessary or therewith in the broadest sense of the term, including participating in any other business or company, and to undertake all other actions in the commercial, industrial and financial areas.

Country
aruba
Financial Secrecy Index [more info] 68
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