The EU leads a list of the largest tax havens in the world – the regions in which companies and rich private individuals have to pay very few taxes. In this ranking, the regions are presented on the “black list”.
Tax fraud, avoidance, evasion and money laundering wants to combat the European Union (EU) in the countries on the “EU list of non -cooperative countries and areas” -this document is also called “Black List”.
According to the Council of the European Union, countries are listed “that have not fulfilled their obligations to comply with the criteria for responsible action in the tax area within a certain time frame” and countries that refuse to meet.
On December 5, 2017, the first EU list was accepted by the Council and has been updated and revised regularly since then. The list has been updated twice a year since 2020.
Which regions offer so striking tax rates that the EU actually included it in the list? The data from the official EU list of non-cooperative countries and areas, which was last updated on February 18, 2025.
Editor finance.net
12th place: the ranking
Some private individuals like to make their assets abroad, but companies also make themselves comfortable in various tax havens. The European Parliament lists the worst tax havens in the “EU list not cooperative countries and areas” – in order to then combat tax fraud in these regions. In addition to the “black list”, there is also a “gray list” with countries and areas that have promised the EU reforms, but have not yet implemented them. In this ranking, the regions are presented on the black list in any order. The official EU list for non-cooperative countries and areas serves as the source. The data of the data is February 18, 2025.
Source: European Parliament, Image: JAG CZ / Shutterstock.com
11th place: Vanuatu
Vanuatu is classified by the global forum for transparency and information exchange for tax purposes (OECD) as not at least “largely conforming” and facilitates problematic offshore structures and agreements. Since Vanuatu has not done anything about it or at least agreed, the region remains on the list for the time being.
Source: European Parlamet, Image: Yusuf Aktas / Shutterstock.com
10th place: American maiden islands
The US maiden islands are also among the tax havens classified as particularly bad: in the region there is no automatic exchange of financial information and the multilateral OECD Convention on mutual administrative assistance was not signed by the US maiden islands in its changed version. Furthermore, according to the European Parliament, “harmful preferential tax regulations” are currently being used there and the region has not undertaken to apply the BEPS-Mindest standards.
Source: European Union, Image: Lux Blue / Shutterstock.com
9th place: Trinidad and Tobago
There is no automatic financial information exchange in Trinidad and Tobago and the region is not classified by the global forum for transparency and information exchange for tax purposes at the request of the EU. In addition, the multilateral OECD Convention on mutual administrative assistance in its changed version of Trinidad and Tobago was not signed and, according to the EU, the region has “harmful tax control regulations”. A revision of the problems was not investigated on request.
Source: European Union, Image: Yuriy Seleznev / Shutterstock.com
8th place: Samoa
Samoa is only on the black list of the EU for one reason. This is the “harmful preference”, which is currently in force and that the region has not yet promised to change.
Source: European Parliament, Image: Maxim Ermolenko / Shutterstock.com
7th place: Russia
Russia was included in the list in February 2023 after the Code of Conduct’s Code group has checked new legislation that was adopted in 2022 based on the criteria of the code for responsible action in the tax area. The group found that Russia had not fulfilled its obligation to tackle the harmful aspects of a special regulation for international holding companies. In addition, the dialogue with Russia came to a standstill on tax issues after the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine.
Source: European Council, Image: Valeriiaarnaud / Shutterstock.com
6th place: Panama
According to the global forum for transparency and information exchange for tax purposes, Panama has a harmful system for liberating income from foreign sources and has not yet solved this problem. However, the Central American state has undertaken to remedy the defects found and to apply for an in -depth examination before July 17, 2026.
Source: European Union, Image: Design_Bank / Shutterstock.com
5th place: Palau
Palau is on the list because it does not operate financial information and has not signed the multilateral OECD Convention on mutual administrative assistance in its changed version. In addition, the EU mentions in its document that Palau has not yet solved these problems.
Source: European Union, Image: Tatoh / Shutterstock.com
4th place: Guam
In the US outdoor area of Guam there is no automatic exchange of financial information and the region has not undertaken to apply the BEPS-Mindest standards. In addition, Guam did not sign the multilateral OECD Convention on mutual administrative assistance in its changed version.
Source: European Parliament, Image: Skilful / Shutterstock.com
3rd place: Fiji Islands
The reasons from which the Fiji Islands are on the black list are diverse: the archipelago is not a member of the global forum for transparency and information exchange for tax purposes and has not signed the multilateral OECD Convention on mutual administrative assistance in its changed version. In addition, it has “harmful tax preference regulations” and is not a member of the inclusive framework on Beps.
Source: European Union, Image: Leo Altman / Shutterstock.com
2nd place: Anguilla
Anguilla is also one of the largest tax havens for companies and rich private individuals. The region was already on the list in 2020 and was re -recorded in October 2022. However, the Caribbean overseas area has undertaken to remedy the defects found by the World Bank regarding its framework for the exchange of information and to request a catchy review by July 24, 2026.
Source: European Parliament, Image: Flag World / Shutterstock.com
1st place: American Samoa
According to the EU, American Samoa is also one of the worst tax havens in the world: it does not operate a automatic exchange of financial information and has not signed the multilateral OECD Convention on mutual administrative assistance in its changed version. In addition, no BEPS-Mindest standards are used and American Samoa are not committed to tackling these tax problems.
Source: European Parliament, Image: Kitraveler / Shutterstock.com