Fighting tax evasion and corruption with a beneficial-ownership registry 'Nobody wants their province to be known as Canada's last sanctuary for the world’s dirtiest money.' (Shutterstock) The 2021 federal budget brought welcome news for Canadian anti-money-laundering advocates. Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced $2.1 million for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to establish a corporate beneficial-ownership registry that’s publicly accessible by the year 2025. A beneficial owner refers to the natural person who owns or controls a company, partnership, or trust. Identifying the true owners of companies helps to prevent crooks, kleptocrats, and tax dodgers from hiding dirty money in complicated corporate structures or shell companies.