Round Tripping refers to a situation where money or assets are moved out of a country to a foreign jurisdiction (often a tax haven or low-tax country) and then brought back into the original country, typically through a complex transaction, to take advantage of tax benefits or to hide the true origin of the funds. This process can be used by individuals or companies to evade taxes, launder money, or make it appear that foreign investment is coming into the country when, in fact, it is just money being recycled.
Simple Example:
Suppose an Indian company wants to show that foreign investors are putting money into its business to avoid taxes or gain benefits like tax incentives for foreign investment. The company might send money to a country with low taxes, like Mauritius. Then, the money is sent back to India through a different company or through investments that look like foreign money. This makes it look like India is receiving foreign investment, even though the money originally came from within the country itself.
Why Round Tripping is a Problem:
Round tripping is often used for tax evasion or money laundering. It misleads governments about the real source of investments and can result in countries losing tax revenue. It can also distort economic data and give a false impression of foreign investment, which may influence government policies or public opinion.
Governments and international tax bodies try to detect and prevent round tripping by tightening regulations and monitoring suspicious financial transactions.