When a company or individual becomes aware of a discrepancy in beneficial ownership details filed with the Central Register of Beneficial Ownership (CRBO) there is an option to file a Discrepancy Report.
History of Discrepancy Notices filed in the CRBO
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In 2020 – just 2
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In 2021 – over 700
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In 2022 – over 600
What is going on and why such an extraordinary surge?
It looks like the trigger event was the enactment of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Act 2021 in 2021. This Act transposed EU Money Laundering Directive into Irish law thus bringing Ireland in line with current European AML and countering financing of terrorism (“AML/CFT”) framework.
Companies are not allowed to be told who has filed the Discrepancy Notices so who is filing and why remains a matter of conjecture. It seems likely though Discrepancy Notices are being filed in a knee jerk reaction to the implementation of the Criminal Justice Act on the basis of “to be sure, to be sure”.
In the event you receive a warning email from the CRBO make sure you respond ASAP to ensure you remain within all relevant deadlines. Do not assume there is a discrepancy. Check the beneficial ownership details as in all likelihood your details are fine. Provided you engage proactively and in a timely manner with the CRBO, with luck, all you will end up with is a story to tell. Surprising, irritating but absolutely fixable!