Under the Common Reporting Standard, a bank reports the people behind many companies and structures, not only the entity itself. For a company that usually means anyone owning more than 25%. Each person is reported to their own country of residence.
Companies
When a company is a passive entity under CRS, the bank must identify its controlling persons. Under the UAE guidance, these are, in order:
- anyone owning more than 25%, directly or indirectly
- if nobody does, anyone who controls the company by other means
- failing that, its senior managing official
Whether your company is passive is covered in Is my company a passive entity under CRS?
Trusts and foundations
For a trust, the settlor, trustees, any protector and the beneficiaries are all treated as controlling persons, whatever their share. For a foundation, banks look at the people in equivalent roles. See What is reported about a trust or foundation under CRS?
An example
Amara lives in Dubai and owns 40% of a holding company that only holds investments. Her two brothers, one living in India and one in Kenya, own 30% each. All three hold more than 25%, so the bank reports each of them: Amara to the UAE and her brothers to India and Kenya.
Quick questions
Is the company itself reported too?
Yes. For a passive company, the bank reports the company's details as well as those of its controlling persons.
Sources: UAE Ministry of Finance: CRS frequently asked questions.
General information as at October 2026, not advice. The examples are fictional and simplified, and the rules have conditions and exceptions not covered here. Take advice on your own circumstances, in each country involved, before acting.