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 Prior to the Offshore Leaks, the snippets of information available on offshore companies were largely confined to the outdated online registrars kept by tax havens, as an empty gesture towards transparency.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

PALM BEACH DEVELOPER

Company Name PALM BEACH DEVELOPER
Date of Registration 29th May 2004
Company Objective A. ACTION AS A REAL ESTATE PROJECT;
B. THE ACQUISITION, POSSESSION, MANAGE, cropping, DO cropping, DEVELOP AND DISPOSE OF PROPERTY, AND / OR INTEREST IN PROPERTIES, ESPECIALLY THE EXPLOIT OF AN OFFICE CENTRE, SHOPPING, HOTELS, CASINOS, RESTAURANTS AND BARS, DISCOS, cocktail lounges and SUCH AND HIRING, lease, mortgage or IN GENERAL OBJECTIONS OF PROPERTY AND ANY RIGHT IN OR INTEREST IN REAL ESTATE; AD. HIRING, HIRING UNDER-RENT, GRANTING OF MORTGAGE ON OR OTHERWISE ESTABLISH SECURITY RIGHTS AND HOUSEHOLD REAL ESTATE OR RELEVANT RIGHTS AND INTERESTS
D. BANKING OF ITS CAPITAL SECURITIES AS SHARES AND OTHER SECURITIES OF JUSTICE PART, BONDS AND OTHER INTEREST-BEARING RECEIVABLES, UNDER WHAT NAME AND IN ANY FORM;
E.HET DESIGN, CALCULATION, ACCEPT, arranging and carrying OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS BOTH THE PRIVATE AND IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, VERBOUINGEN AND RESTORATION INCLUDING;
F.HET EXERCISE OF THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY INCLUDING METAL AND WELDING, PLUMBING WORK, masonry and TIMMERWERKEN AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT;
G.HET PROVISION OF ARCHITECTURAL AND TECHNICAL ADVICE AND RELATED MONITORING OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WORK UNDER A LISTED;
H.HET PROVISION OF SERVICES TO PROJECT DEVELOPMENTS 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;
I.HET RENT AND HIRING OF MACHINES AND RECYCLED SHELVES REQUIRED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS;
J.HET USE OF MANAGEMENT AND KEEPING CONTROL IN THE PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS;
K.HET PROVIDE ADVICE AND PROVISION OF SERVICES IN THE DESIGN OF BUILDINGS AND OUTDOOR SPACES;
L.HET IMPORT AND MARKETING OF ALL THOSE ARTICLES, MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS REQUIRED TO BUILD A BUILDING, AND TO ADAPT;
M.HET PROVISION OF BAIL AND OTHER GUARANTEES AND IN OWNERSHIP TRANSFER OR NOT IN FIDUCIARY PROPERTY OR TRUST or mortgage, pledge or otherwise encumber ASSET, AND ONE ANOTHER AS SECURITY FOR THE PAYMENT OF DEBTS OF THE COMPANY AND THE DEBTS OF OTHER RIGHT OR NATURAL PERSONS WHO ARE dIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPANY, WHETHER OR NOT TO contraprestatie;
N.HET PROVIDE ALL MEASURES WHICH ARE CONNECTED WITH THE FOREGOING, EVERYTHING TO THE FULLEST SENSE;
O.HET PARTICIPATE IN OTHER COMPANIES AND / OR COMPANIES WHATEVER THEIR PURPOSE;
P.HET LISTED ABOVE WILL BE MADE TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE LICENCE REGULATION.
Country
aruba
Financial Secrecy Index [more info] 68
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