UK Launches New Property Register Targeting Foreign Oligarchs

UK Launches New Property Register Targeting Foreign Oligarchs
A general view of Tower Bridge in London on April 23, 2018. John Phillips/Getty Images
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Foreign companies owning or buying UK land or properties will have to reveal their true owners as the government launched a new register on Monday in a bid to ensure “criminals cannot hide behind secretive chains of shell companies.”

From Aug. 1, any foreign entity seeking to buy UK land or property will have to identify its beneficial owner and present verified information to Companies House—the government body in charge of company registration—before submitting an application to the UK’s land registries.