Jurisdictions

The offshore industry continues to weather a political storm, but is perhaps emerging all the stronger for it. Pressures that seemed almost irresistible 12 months ago have been withstood, and then there is succour from the fact that demand for offshore structures remains robust. 

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Over regulation remains a key concern – the call for publicly accessible registers of beneficial owners is the latest example of how political zeal can be counter-productive – but obliging the industry to conform to a higher standard is essential to its long-term health. Although higher costs can be passed on to clients, they will eat into service providers’ profit margins and encourage consolidation. Those able to offer a genuine value proposition will prevail and prosper; and use the proceeds to invest in better infrastructure which will reinforce their competitive advantage. 

Jurisdictions face a similar battle to prove they are relevant in an increasingly complex commercial environment. A number of offshore financial centres have already carved out niches for themselves of varying sizes and across various disciplines – in some cases this is the result of years of effort and it is difficult to see them being supplanted. Others must identify a unique selling point and invest in it, or face extinction.

Price remains a factor for customers, but it is not the only one. Service providers must be able to cope with the evolving needs of clients, whether this means hiring people capable of finding tax efficient paths through a regulatory jungle, investing in IT hardware that can cope with the workload brought by automatic exchange of information, or having the bandwidth to help an investor establish substance in Singapore as well as Hong Kong. 

And it is worth reminding the wider world that – in spite of what politicians might say – the majority of these needs have more to do with facilitating international trade and asset management than traditional tax planning.

OneIBC are experts in advising clients on the selection of the best offshore company or onshore company jurisdiction for their offshore or international business.

The information provided below will introduce you to both offshore company and onshore company jurisdictions. 

 

Anguilla	Bahamas	Belize	BVI	Brunei
Cayman Islands	Cyprus	Hong Kong	Marshall Islands	Mauritius
Panama	RAK(UAE)	Saint Vincent	Samoa	Seychelles
Singapore	United Kingdom	United States