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Frequently Asked Questions

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401. OFAC’s 50 Percent Rule states that the property and interests in property of entities directly or indirectly owned 50 percent or more in the aggregate by one or more blocked persons are considered blocked. How does OFAC interpret indirect ownership as it relates to certain complex ownership structures?

"Indirectly," as used in OFAC’s 50 Percent Rule, refers to one or more blocked persons' ownership of shares of an entity through another entity or entities that are 50 percent or more owned in the aggregate by the blocked person(s). OFAC urges persons consider ... Read more

5. How do I determine if I have a valid OFAC match?

Please take the following “due diligence” steps in determining a valid OFAC match.If you are calling about a wire transfer or other “live” transaction:Step 1. Is the “hit” or “match” against OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, one of its other sa ... Read more

Recently Added FAQs

No, provided that the provision of services is not an indirect export to a person located in the Russian Federation.  For the purposes of the IT and Software Services Determination, OFAC interprets the “indirect” provision of the prohibited services to in ... Read more
OFAC expects to promulgate regulations that define or interpret these terms as follows:The term enterprise management software means the following types of software:  enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), business int ... Read more