Mossack Fonseca Group on BVI: Removed from French Non-Cooperative List

On December 21, 2015, the French Minister of Finance and Public Accounts announced that they had removed BVI from their list of non-cooperative jurisdictions. The French minister indicated that BVI had been very cooperative with France and positively responded to almost all recommended changes. BVI Premier and Minister for Finance, Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE said, “The Government of the Virgin Islands is pleased with this positive step from France which demonstrates our commitment to exchange of information and also demonstrates our compliance with the international standards”. The announcement comes after the progress made in BVI was also recognised by the Global Forum on Tax Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes in August 2015 which upgraded the Territory’s non-compliant rating to ‘largely compliant’.