The spotlight on anonymously owned companies has grown in recent years, exposing their role in enabling illicit financial flows and corruption. Most countries now aim to curb their misuse by creating platforms to disclose the individuals who own, control, or benefit from them. Over 100 nations have established or are developing beneficial ownership transparency (BOT) registries, with more than half offering some public access to this information.

For BOT reforms to succeed, standards must ensure that ownership information is accurate, verifiable, and up-to-date. Effective measures and sanctions for noncompliance are essential, as is making information accessible to key stakeholders like law enforcement, anti-corruption bodies, tax authorities, and civil society. Parliaments play a critical role in creating and enforcing BOT frameworks by closing legal gaps and aligning with international standards.

However, guidance on parliamentary involvement remains limited. This primer seeks to address that gap by exploring how legislatures can enact and implement effective BOT laws.