OFAC screening of an Italian company's owners
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In short: OFAC's 50 Percent Rule treats entities owned 50 percent or more, directly or indirectly, by blocked persons as blocked, so a US business needs to know who owns an Italian counterparty. Veryfy shows the beneficial owner, shareholders and directors from Italian official sources (from €9.90). It does not screen sanctions lists: you run that search yourself.
Part of the guide Vetting an Italian company or counterparty: a guide for US businesses.
The rule that makes ownership matter
OFAC FAQ 401 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, and that "indirectly" refers to ownership through another entity or entities that are 50 percent or more owned in the aggregate by blocked persons. OFAC urges persons considering a transaction to conduct appropriate due diligence on the entities involved to determine relevant ownership stakes (OFAC: FAQ 401, the 50 Percent Rule).
Where to search
OFAC's Sanctions List Search tool checks names against the SDN List and the Non-SDN Consolidated Sanctions List and uses fuzzy logic on its name search field (OFAC: Sanctions List Search). The European Commission publishes the EU consolidated financial sanctions list, managed by DG FISMA and reflecting the texts published in the Official Journal, and an EU sanctions map (European Commission: EU sanctions overview and resources). Search each shareholder and director by the name exactly as it appears in the Italian record.
Finding the owners of an Italian company
The beneficial-owner concept in Italian law and the current state of the Italian beneficial ownership register are in Beneficial ownership of an Italian S.r.l. for US KYC. The official company data are in Registro Imprese (Registro Imprese, the Italian business register portal (InfoCamere)).
Titolare effettivo (€9.90) resolves the chain of control behind an Italian company; Verifica (€19) shows beneficial owner, shareholders and directors with the other checks; Decisione (€49) adds links to other companies. Prices are one-off and in euros.
What Veryfy does not do
Veryfy does not search OFAC, EU or UN sanctions lists and does not tell you whether a person is sanctioned. It gives you names and ownership from Italian official sources so that you can run the searches and apply the 50 Percent Rule. Names, company names and offices stay in Italian. Sanctions decisions belong with your compliance officer or counsel.
Every company product comes with a free Check anti-truffa (anti-scam check): it looks at the VAT number in the EU VIES register, free webmail or disposable email, domain age, domains flagged for malware or phishing, SPF and DMARC protection, the VAT number shown on the website, data breaches affecting the site, and whether the IBAN is correctly written and from a country consistent with the company.
The service and the report are in Italian, built from Italian official sources: company names, offices and procedures keep their original Italian wording. Veryfy does not offer a translated report.
Frequently asked questions
Does OFAC's 50 Percent Rule apply to an Italian company?
OFAC FAQ 401 applies the rule to entities owned 50 percent or more, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate by blocked persons. An Italian company can fall within it if blocked persons own it that way.
Does Veryfy screen against sanctions lists?
No. It shows beneficial owner, shareholders and directors from Italian official sources so you can search the OFAC and EU lists yourself.
Where do I search the EU sanctions list?
The European Commission publishes the EU consolidated financial sanctions list and an EU sanctions map.
More in this cluster
Hub: Vetting an Italian company or counterparty: a guide for US businesses. Related guides:
- Beneficial ownership of an Italian S.r.l. for US KYC
- Acquiring an Italian SME: due diligence and golden power
- Italian company credit report: what a US buyer gets
- Monitoring an Italian customer: ongoing due diligence
All guides: Guides.
Sources
Official sources opened and read on October 24, 2026 (2026-10-24).
- OFAC: FAQ 401, the 50 Percent Rule
- OFAC: Sanctions List Search
- European Commission: EU sanctions overview and resources
- Registro Imprese, the Italian business register portal (InfoCamere)
General information, not legal advice. Sources verified on 2026-10-24.
Frequently asked questions
Does OFAC's 50 Percent Rule apply to an Italian company?
OFAC FAQ 401 applies the rule to entities owned 50 percent or more, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate by blocked persons. An Italian company can fall within it if blocked persons own it that way.
Does Veryfy screen against sanctions lists?
No. It shows beneficial owner, shareholders and directors from Italian official sources so you can search the OFAC and EU lists yourself.
Where do I search the EU sanctions list?
The European Commission publishes the EU consolidated financial sanctions list and an EU sanctions map.
Want to check a specific company?
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