In 2009, the IRS launched a voluntary disclosure program for taxpayers affiliated with the United States who had undeclared offshore investment accounts. The voluntary disclosure program was intended to encourage U.S. affiliated taxpayers to come forward, report their accounts voluntarily and pay a reduced penalty. Taxpayers who came forward would also be protected from criminal prosecution if they were eligible to participate in the voluntary disclosure program.

In recent years, there have been several major leaks of data related to offshore financial accounts. The Paradise Papers is the fifth major leak. The Paradise Papers contain more than 1,400 gigabytes of data, including an estimated 13.4 million documents that expose insider details about the world of offshore banking.  An estimated 6.8 million of the leaked documents come from Appleby, which is a law firm that provides assistance to individuals and businesses in setting up offshore companies and registering those organizations.