JURISDICTIONS

Executive Summary: Although the UK must be counted as business-friendly, with its superb professional services, a common law heritage, and straightforward company law, it is relatively highly taxed and there are few if any niches available by way of escape. The ffshore dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man (qv) do however provide low-tax possibilities, and there is a beneficial tax regime for on-doms those who do not have UK origins. The services sector is dominated by banking, finance and insurance, centred in the City of London. The UK has excellent telecommunications, extensive rail and road networks, including...

2020

Country:                                Samoa Region:                                   South Pacific Currency:                              Samoan Dollar (Tala)/US Dollar (USD/US$) Languages:                English Time Zone:                 UTC-11 Phone Code:              +685 Communications:      Good Incorporation Cost:  300 USD$ Formation Time:       24 hours Maintenance cost:     NIL Samoa, which comprises two large islands and seven smaller isles, is situated in the centre of the Southern Pacific Ocean, approximately equidistant between Honolulu and Sydney and immediately east of the International Date Line. The Islands have a total land area of approximately 2,830 sq. km. Five of the islands are uninhabited. The administrative and commercial centre is situated...

2020

New Zealand is a remote island country in the south-western Pacific, situated about 2,000 km south-east of Australia across the Tasman Sea. The country mainly comprises two islands – the North and South islands. Its population is around 4.25m. New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy and a British Commonwealth realm. The chief of state is the British Monarch. John Key has been the Prime Minister since the November 2008 general election. Previously, New Zealand based its economy on the export of meat and dairy products to the United Kingdom. However, since Britain's membership of the European Union, New Zealand has...

2020

What is unique in your jurisdiction and why Chinese investors should form companies there?Panama has a Free Zone in the Panama Canal Zone. There are more than 300 banks dealing with import, export of goods. Bank of China is in Panama. We can use CNY (Renminbi) as contract-currency. What makes your jurisdiction different from other competitors for Chinese investors?Panama Canal is unique. Panama Canal is a magnet. Everybody has a representative office in Panama.What is the general taxation rate for incorporating companies in your jurisdiction?Zero. Can the regulatory authority request information about the company and officers or account details from...

2020

Executive Summary:Panama has come a long way since the free-wheeling days of the 1990s, but it is still relatively tax-friendly. The service sector contributes more than 75% of the economy, which is based on banking, tourism, mining and commerce, alongside of course the famous canal, currently being enlarged for the nth time. The government is trying to make productive use of the canal's facilities with export processing zones and many investment incentives.  The Colon Free Zone is very successful, accounting for more than 10% of GNP. Only locally-sourced income is taxed. It is reasonably easy to form corporations, and privacy...

2020

By Leo Zhang. As a leading international finance center for three decades, the Cook Islands is a prime choice for sophisticated international services for the most discerning wealthy clients and corporate entities. Located in the South Pacific northeast of New Zealand, east of Tahiti, and south of Hawaii, the country boasts an ideal location and a global client reach for its legal and financial services. The Cook Islands is known for its innovative services and ability to respond quickly to changes in and d emands from the global market . With the recent changes in the global banking environment, the...

2020

Latin American Offshore Paradise. By James Zhang.With a population of some 3.5 million, the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a small nation situated between Brazil and Argentina in the southeast region of South America. The country's citizenry speaks English, Spanish and Italian, and about 88% of the population is of European descent. Economic growth for Uruguay was robust, enjoying an average growth between 2004 and 2008 of almost 10%, a rate that could beat all but China. The 2008-2009 global financial crisis distorted Uruguay's path of vigorous growth that decelerated in 2009 to 2.9% at US$ 45 billion, which was...

2020

Country: Cayman Islands Region:Caribbean Currency:Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD) Languages: English Time Zone: UTC-5 Phone Code: 1-345 Communications: Good Formation Cost:US$3,500 – US$4,500 Formation Time:3-5 business days Maintenance cost:US$2,500 – US$3,500 The Cayman Islands is one of the world’s leading international financial centres and is a politically stable jurisdiction thatoffers companies a tax neutral platform for mutual funds, private equity funds,holding structures, structured finance, insurance companies and listing vehicles. The Cayman Islands is also home to the world’s 50 largest banks and is the second largest offshore jurisdiction for captive insurance. Approximately eight out of ten of the world’s hedge funds...

2020