noun
front company; shell corporation
A company that exists mainly on paper, often used to hide the true owners or activities. Common in business and legal contexts.
その箱企業は実体がなく、租税回避に使われていた。
That shell corporation had no real operations and was used for tax avoidance.
彼らは箱企業を設立して資金を隠した。
They set up a front company to hide the funds.
ダミー会社 is another common term for 'dummy company', often used interchangeably with 箱企業.
Compound of 箱 (hako, 'box') and 企業 (kigyō, 'enterprise'), literally 'box enterprise'. The exact origin is uncertain, but it likely refers to a company that is an empty shell, like a box with nothing inside.