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 Prior to the Offshore Leaks, the snippets of information available on offshore companies were largely confined to the outdated online registrars kept by tax havens, as an empty gesture towards transparency.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.

INVERSIONES EAGLE BEACH N.V.

Company Name INVERSIONES EAGLE BEACH N.V.
Date of Registration 18th June 2003
Company Objective A. THE DESIGN, CALCULATION, ACCEPT, arranging and carrying CONSTRUKTIEWERKEN OF BOTH private estates AND IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, RENOVATIONS AND RESTORATION INCLUDING;
B. EXERCISING THE CONSTRUCTION AND CONSTRUKTIEBEDRIJF INCLUDING METAL AND WELDING, PLUMBING WORK, masonry and TIMMERWERKEN AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT; AD. PROVIDING ARCHITECTURAL AND TECHNICAL ADVICE AND RELATED MONITORING OF IMPLEMENTATION OF SAID WORK UNDER A
D. THE PROVISION OF SERVICES IN PROJECT DEVELOPMENT BY PROMOTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF REAL AND HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND SUPERVISION AND COORDINATION OF THE OPERATIONS AS WELL AS THE advise and mediate RELATING TO TRANSACTIONS IN REAL AND MOVABLE PROPERTY;
E. THE ACQUISITION, POSSESSION, DISPOSE, MANAGING AND DEVELOPMENT OF MOVABLE AND IMMOVABLE PROPERTY AND THE ACQUISITION, POSSESSION, DISPOSE AND MANAGING RIGHTS AND INTERESTS ON movable and immovable property RELATE;
F. HIRING, HIRING UNDER-RENT, GRANTING OF MORTGAGE OR OTHERWISE TO ESTABLISH SECURITY RIGHTS AND HOUSEHOLD REAL ESTATE OR RELEVANT RIGHTS AND INTERESTS
G. BANKING OF ITS CAPITAL SECURITIES AS SHARES AND OTHER SECURITIES OF SECTION ENTITLED T, BONDS AND OTHER INTEREST-BEARING RECEIVABLES, UNDER WHAT NAME AND IN ANY FORM;
H. HIRING AND HIRING OF MACHINES AND TOOLS REQUIRED TO this construction, REPAIR, PAINTING AND MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS;
I. USE OF MANAGEMENT AND KEEPING CONTROL IN THE PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS;
J. PROVIDING ADVIEEN AND PROVISION OF SERVICES IN THE SETTING OF BUILDINGS AND OUTDOOR SPACES;
K. IMPORTING AND MARKETING OF ALL DIOE ARTICLES, MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS REQUIRED TO BUILD A BUILDING, AND TO ADAPT;
L. the setting of bail and other guarantees and transfer the ownership - whether in
fiduciaire ownership or trust - or mortgage, pledge or otherwise encumber assets, all this as security for the payment of the debts of vernnootschap and debts of third parties, whether in return contraprestatie;
M. PERFORM ALL OTHER MEASURES WHICH ARE CONNECTED WITH THE FOREGOING, EVERYTHING TO THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE.
N. PARTICIPATING IN OTHER COMPANIES AND / OR COMPANIES WHATEVER THEIR PURPOSE;
Country
aruba
Financial Secrecy Index [more info] 68
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