Offshore Investment into the United States

Sophisticated tax structuring is generally involved in the Investment activities of foreign private and sovereign investors in U.S. private equity and real estate investments, that generate effectively connected income to a U.S. trade or business (ECI). The focus of this structuring generally accomplishes several important tax and non-tax objectives. Re-characterization of income otherwise it’s subject … Read more

The legal basis for a 402(b) Overseas Retirement Plan

A Nonqualified overseas retirement plan has characteristics that are opposite of what we have all been used to. This specific 402(b), the Regulated Asset Protection Structure (RAPS), allows for pre-tax contributions. There are no maximum contribution limits as this is a nonqualified deferred compensation tax law issue. The fact that this is precisely the opposite … Read more

Tax havens hidden in plain sight

Many of the world’s most secretive tax havens, ranging from Anguilla to Uruguay, are set to open their books to foreign tax by 2017. A year later, dozens more, including Belize, Hong Kong and Singapore, are set to follow suit. Among them is Switzerland, abandoning a tradition of secrecy that dates back at least as … Read more

Top 20 Best Foreign Retirement Havens

Most foreign pension plans are likely characterized as trusts for U.S. tax purposes. Neither the statute nor the regulations define the term “employees’ trust.” However, if a foreign pension (i.e., the trust): (i) was created by a foreign employer, (ii) is administered by the foreign employer, and (iii) is more than half funded by the … Read more

Invest Offshore in Escudo de Veraguas with the Ngobe (Ngabe)-Bugle´Indian Tribe

The master developer of Escudo de Veraguas (to be referred to as “the project”) will be by HES International, S.A., IPPCorporation and the Ngobe (Ngabe)-Bugle´Indian Tribe. Escudo de Veraguas is an island off the east coast of Panama in Bocas del Toro Province. HES International owns 100% of the land and holds the master concession … Read more

Regulatory driven offshore asset protection

All foreign investment capital needs to be looked at because of the expanded scope of the U.S. Treasury form FinCEN 114 (FBAR), the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and Intergovernmental Agreements (IGA). The rule that changed everything is the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Continuously there is the ever present report to the … Read more

British Overseas ‘Tax Havens’ Warned by UK

LONDON, England — A Labour government would push for UK overseas territories to be put on an international blacklist if they refuse to co-operate with a drive against tax avoidance, Labour Party leader Ed Miliband has told them ahead of general elections in Britain in May. In a letter to the leaders of British Overseas … Read more

Offshore Companies and FATCA

Structuring Business Ownership of Offshore Companies with FATCA and GATCA Compliance There is a misunderstanding as to what type of businesses the U.S. provides tax deferral overseas. Is it a trading company or a company dealing in capital overseas? The fact is that the U.S. provides tax deferral on overseas trading businesses but not on … Read more