OFFSHORE COMPANY FORMATION

Why register a company offshore:

There are several great reasons why one would choose an offshore company formation structure.

• Tax Breaks: In many cases, your offshore company will not have to pay taxes, or at least pay very in little in levies, from its base in its offshore jurisdiction. Tax rates in these business-friendly countries can be zero or close to zero percent, making them an ideal place from which to grow your business.
• Simple Formation Procedures: Setting up a company in any of these offshore jurisdictions is a straightforward process.  It’s easy, inexpensive, and efficient to do, with your offshore company being up and running in a matter of days.
• Privacy and Confidentiality: Generally speaking, your business and its many details are more safely secured in an offshore jurisdiction. Often, these locations look after your business by providing high levels of privacy and confidentiality, making it more difficult for the prying eyes of your competitors and other interested parties to gain an upper hand over your company. Obviously, along with greater privacy and confidentiality comes a more robust and effective way of protecting your assets and overall wealth.
• Internationalization: An offshore company can help broaden your horizons by opening up new markets for your products and services. Within a matter of days, you will have a new base of operations from where to grow your business, reach out to unique potential clients, and boost your revenue stream. In some cases, by simply opening an offshore company and investing at a local level, you might be eligible to receive residency and eventually citizenship in a jurisdiction different to your own.
• Greater Flexibility: Having an office in several offshore jurisdictions will offer your greater versatility when it comes to running your business. You will be less exposed to the wild fluctuations in the foreign exchange market and better equipped to minimize your tax burden by structuring your business in a more advantageous manner.
• Modern corporate legislation: A legislation that is modern and flexible is now more than ever important, to follow the ever changing rules, regulations and demands of international business.

How we can help: our range of offshore company formation services

At Meridian Trust, we can help you achieve everything mentioned above and plenty more.

Our range of company registration services includes the following:

• Completion and submission of your company registration documents, including the submission of your company’s name to the Registrar of Companies for preliminary approval.
• Coverage of all company registrar’s expenses.
• Issuing of a full set of company certificates includes the Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Directors and Secretary, Certificate of Shareholders, Certificate of the Company's Registered Office, the Company's Memorandum and Articles of Association.
• Production of the company’s first minutes and a company rubber stamp.
• Delivery of nominee services if what you’re looking for is privacy and confidentiality. In this case, a trust deed and instrument of share transfer will be made available as well.
• Set up of your company’s registered office and secretarial services for your company’s first year of operation.
• Ensuring that your company is complying with all local rules and regulations
• Assisting in the opening of an international bank account for your new offshore company.

Our team of experienced and qualified corporate lawyers and administrative professionals will provide you with best practice solutions, in a reliable and timely manner.

• Fulfilling all statutory requirements
• Providing secretarial and management services
• Providing timely and accurate accounting services by qualified accountants
• Preparing audited financial reports according to International Financial Reporting Standards

Here’s where we work

• British Virgin Islands
• Belize
• Seychelles
• Marshall Islands
• Curacao
• RAK Offshore
• Hong Kong
• Cyprus

Get in touch if you would like to find about the opportunities available to you in any of these countries.

Tackling economic substance requirements

As part of our services, we will help you comply to the tee with the many economic substance requirements imposed by the European Union and OECD.

Economic substance requirements refer to the set of regulations brought forth by international organizations and governmental bodies to prevent offshore companies from being established with the sole objective of helping businesses avoid or evade taxation in their home jurisdictions.

Entities set up in any of the following sectors, or to fulfil any of these roles, must meet the economic substance test; otherwise, they risk the possibility of being heavily penalized for a failure to comply.

• Banking
• Insurance
• Fund Management
• Financing and Leasing
• Headquarters
• Shipping
• Distribution and Service Centers
• Holding Entity
• Intellectual Property

With this in mind, the pertinent economic substance requirements involve:

• Being managed and directed in the jurisdiction of choice.
• Carrying out core income generating activities (CIGA) in said jurisdiction.
• Keeping an adequate office or physical premise in this location.
• Hiring sufficient employees with relevant expertise and professional qualifications to work out of this office or physical premise.
• Spending an adequate amount of capital in the related activity in the jurisdiction of choice.
• Producing and submitting a confidential economic substance report with the jurisdiction’s relevant regulatory authority on an annual basis.

Keep in mind that not all companies need to meet the same economic substance requirements and that the test differs from company to company according to each company’s business activities.

At Meridian Trust, we will guide you and provide the necessary solution to ensure that your offshore company will at all times be compliant with any economic substance requirements that might apply.

How long will it take to set up an offshore company?

Timeline for registering an offshore company can be as little as 2 – 3 working days. We do though have at all times, a selection of immediately available ready-made (shelf) companies.

Check our list of currently available offshore shelf companies.

Free Consultation

Let's talk! Fill in the form below and schedule your 30 minute free consultation with one of our corporate lawyers, to discuss any questions about an offshore company formation.