Company Incorporation and Trustee Services
The term “Offshore Company” was initially used to refer to corporations or international business companies (IBC) incorporated in the Caribbean. The increase in offshore jurisdictions, or now what are marketed as international financial centres, means that the expression offshore company now also includes any corporate structure that offers:
- Low or no taxation;
- Protection of assets;
- Enhanced privacy and confidentiality;
- Low costs; and
- Minimum bureaucracy.
Companies with offshore benefits can now be formed in onshore jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom. English companies are frequently used in various tax avoidance schemes and in Ireland, and other EU member states, corporate rates of taxation are low. In the United States limited liability companies (LLCs) are readily available as off the shelf companies for immediate purchase and even Canadian vehicles can be advantageous in certain structures.
An offshore company, wherever incorporated, may be used for all legal commercial activities such as trading, investment, holding of real estate, financing, professional or consulting services, patent, royalty and copyright holding, ship management and yacht ownership, and personal, family and corporate tax planning. Such companies can additionally be used as a stand alone vehicle (such as owning a luxury villa or aircraft) or in more complex tax planning and wealth preservation structures involving a combination of companies, trusts, foundations and partnerships established under the laws of many and various legal systems.
We arrange both onshore and offshore company incorporations in all jurisdictions globally.
Trustee Services
A fiduciary structure in the form of a trust arrangement can help preserve a client’s wealth against adverse consequences connected to political unrest, economic downturns, unforeseen creditors, frivolous litigation, and family and/or marital disputes. The trust involves the transfer of assets to a “trustee”, who is required to administer the trust assets for the benefit of specified beneficiaries strictly in accordance with the terms of the trust.
We can therefore offer a bespoke service in the field of offshore trust establishment, handling all:
- Trustee and trust related services;
- Administration of the trust funds;
- Trust accounting and maintenance of asset ledgers;
- Reporting; and
- Filing requirements.
Typical assets held in a trust include:
- Shares and stocks in both listed and unlisted companies
- Investment portfolios
- Real estate and intellectual property
- Bank deposits
- Life assurance policies issued under the name of the Settler (client)
A trust is a flexible solution to clients who seek tax minimisation or elimination on estate taxes arising on the death of a Settler, for clients seeking to consolidate the ownership of their worldwide assets in one location, and for the transferring of wealth to 3rd parties such as family members, friends etc.
