{"id":14575,"date":"2026-10-23T12:12:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T02:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/?p=14575"},"modified":"2026-10-26T12:18:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T02:18:15","slug":"insights-sanctions-ownership-and-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/insights-sanctions-ownership-and-control\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanctions Ownership and Control and How to Screen Companies Behind a Designated Person"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Sanctions lists name people and entities, but the restrictions do not stop at the names on the list. In Australia, sanctions laws apply to assets owned or controlled by a designated person, whether or not the person holds them directly. In the UK and the US, specific ownership and control tests can treat an unlisted company as if it were sanctioned.<\/strong> For a small firm, that means a clean result on a company name is only part of the answer.<\/p>\n<p>This guide explains how sanctions ownership and control works in Australia, how the UK and US tests compare, and a practical way to check a company client. It is general information, not legal advice. DFAT encourages businesses to seek independent legal advice on sanctions questions.<\/p>\n<h2>How Australian sanctions laws approach ownership and control<\/h2>\n<p>Under Australian sanctions laws, it is an offence to make an asset available, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of a designated person or entity. It is also an offence to use or deal with an asset that is owned or controlled by a designated person or entity, or to allow or facilitate that. Such assets must be frozen.<\/p>\n<p>The Australian Sanctions Office&#8217;s guidance on dealing with these assets explains how ownership and control are assessed:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>it depends on the facts, including the kind of asset and the law of the place where it was created<\/li>\n<li>the asset does not need to be held directly by the designated person or entity<\/li>\n<li>ownership can be shown by legal title, or by rights such as exclusive use, disposal or recovery of the asset<\/li>\n<li>control can be shown by command or direction over the asset, such as possession of it or the ability to dictate how it is dealt with<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The guidance does not set a fixed percentage threshold. It also gives a useful limit: shares that a designated entity has issued to an Australian investor are not controlled assets, because the shareholder owns them and the issuing entity has no command or direction over them once issued.<\/p>\n<p>DFAT&#8217;s guidance on employment with designated persons also notes that an entity can be beneficially owned or controlled by a designated person even when it is not designated itself, and that dealing with such an entity carries real sanctions risk.<\/p>\n<h2>How the UK and US tests compare<\/h2>\n<p>If your client, its owners or the transaction have links to the UK or US, those regimes may also be relevant to your risk assessment.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14578\" src=\"https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-control-au-uk-us-table.png\" alt=\"Table comparing sanctions ownership and control rules in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (OFAC). Core idea: in Australia, assets owned or controlled by a designated person are caught; in the UK, entities owned or controlled by a designated person face the same restrictions; in the US, entities owned 50% or more by blocked persons are blocked. Ownership threshold: no fixed percentage in Australia, assessed on the facts; more than 50% of shares or voting rights in the UK; 50% or more in the US, directly or indirectly. Aggregation of several designated owners: assessed on the facts in Australia; not simply added together in the UK unless there is a joint arrangement or one controls the other\u2019s rights; added together in the US. Control without majority ownership: in Australia, command or direction over assets can amount to control; in the UK, the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board, or a reasonable expectation the person can ensure the entity acts in line with their wishes; in the US, control alone does not automatically block the entity, although OFAC may designate it separately.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-control-au-uk-us-table.png 2560w, https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-control-au-uk-us-table-300x155.png 300w, https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-control-au-uk-us-table-1024x529.png 1024w, https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-control-au-uk-us-table-768x397.png 768w, https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-control-au-uk-us-table-1536x793.png 1536w, https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-control-au-uk-us-table-2048x1058.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The UK government has also sought views on changes to its ownership test, including moving to &#8216;50% or more&#8217;. Check the current guidance from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) before relying on the UK position.<\/p>\n<p><strong>CHECKING A COMPANY FOR SANCTIONS OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>A clear result on the company name is the start, not the end.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-14577\" src=\"https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-workflow.png\" alt=\"Five-step workflow for screening companies for sanctions ownership and control. 1. Map ownership: identify every owner, layer by layer. 2. Screen people: owners, directors and controllers, not just the entity. 3. Assess control: board rights, signing authority, nominees. 4. Check regimes: Australian law first, then UK or US where relevant. 5. Unclear: pause, seek advice or ask the Australian Sanctions Office.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-workflow.png 2560w, https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-workflow-300x80.png 300w, https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-workflow-1024x272.png 1024w, https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-workflow-768x204.png 768w, https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-workflow-1536x408.png 1536w, https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/namescan-sanctions-ownership-workflow-2048x544.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><em>Figure 1. Illustrative ownership and control check for a company client.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>A practical check for small firms<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Map the ownership.<\/strong> Identify each shareholder, layer by layer, until you reach individuals. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/namescan.io\/insights\/information-needed-before-screening-a-company\/\">the information you need before screening a company<\/a> sets out what to collect.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Screen the people, not just the company.<\/strong> Screen every owner, director and person with control, including minority shareholders, because sanctions rules can turn on control as well as percentages.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Record percentages and links.<\/strong> Note each designated person&#8217;s holding, any combined holding and how ownership flows through each layer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Look for control indicators.<\/strong> Board appointment rights, signing authority over accounts, nominee or proxy arrangements, and anyone who appears to direct the business without a formal title.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Apply the right regimes.<\/strong> Start with Australian law. Consider UK or US rules where the client, its owners, its banks or the transaction have links to those countries.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Escalate when unsure.<\/strong> If you cannot rule out ownership or control by a designated person, do not proceed. DFAT&#8217;s guidance notes that asset holders can ask the Australian Sanctions Office for help in deciding whether an asset is owned or controlled by a designated person or entity.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>A worked example<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Illustrative example.<\/strong> An accounting practice is asked to restructure a trading company. Screening the company name returns no match. Mapping the ownership shows two overseas shareholders with 30% and 25% each, and screening shows both appear on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dfat.gov.au\/international-relations\/security\/sanctions\/consolidated-list\">DFAT&#8217;s Consolidated List<\/a> and on the US sanctions list. In Australia, the question is whether these designated persons own or control the relevant assets on the facts, and any dealing that would make assets available to them is prohibited. On OFAC&#8217;s approach, their combined 55% would block the company. Under the UK test, the holdings would not simply be added together unless there is a joint arrangement or one controls the other. The practice treats the client as high risk, pauses the engagement and seeks legal advice before doing anything else.<\/p>\n<h2>Where DFAT&#8217;s own case study helps<\/h2>\n<p>DFAT&#8217;s guidance describes an Australian real estate firm that found a property registered to a shell company with several layers of intermediaries, raising concerns that the ultimate owner might be designated. Unable to reach a conclusion, the firm asked the Australian Sanctions Office for help and supplied ownership records, transaction history and details of the intermediaries. That is a sensible model for small firms facing a complex structure.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>If a company is not on the Consolidated List, can I deal with it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Not automatically. Australian sanctions laws apply to assets owned or controlled by designated persons and prohibit making assets available to them indirectly, so you also need to check who owns and controls the company.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Does Australia use a 50% rule?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>DFAT&#8217;s guidance does not set a fixed percentage. Ownership and control are assessed on the facts, including legal title and command or direction over assets.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why compare UK and US rules?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Where your client, its owners or the transaction have links to those countries, their rules may affect the risk and other parties&#8217; willingness to deal. Australian law remains the starting point for Australian businesses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What counts as control?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In Australia, control can be shown by command or direction over an asset. The UK test includes the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board, or a reasonable expectation that the person can ensure the company acts in line with their wishes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What should I do if I cannot work out who controls a company?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Do not proceed until you can. Seek legal advice, and consider asking the Australian Sanctions Office for assistance.<\/p>\n<h2>How NameScan can help<\/h2>\n<p>NameScan&#8217;s sanctions and PEP results include linked individuals and linked companies, such as shareholders, founders and executives associated with a profile, which can point you to ownership links worth investigating. Alongside that, NameScan&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/namescan.io\/knowyourbusiness\">Know Your Business checks<\/a> help you verify company details and ownership structures, and you can screen each owner and director on a pay-as-you-go basis.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Look behind the company name<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Screen owners, directors and controllers as well as the entity, and keep a record of every decision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sanctions lists name people and entities, but the restrictions do not stop at the names on the list. In Australia, sanctions laws apply to assets owned or controlled by a designated person, whether or not the person holds them directly. In the UK and the US, specific ownership and control tests can treat an unlisted [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":14576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[238],"class_list":["post-14575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-post","tag-sanctions-screening"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sanctions ownership and control rules for small firms<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How sanctions affect unlisted companies, ownership and control rules in Australia, the UK and US, and what small firms should check.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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