Explore the Advantages and Disadvantages of Setting Up an Offshore Company

An offshore company is a business that is registered, established, or incorporated outside the country of residence. Offshore incorporation is a straightforward process in all of the popular offshore financial centers and tax havens. They can provide a wide range of benefits to the company and company principals. Some well-known offshore locations include Belize, the Caribbean, Nevis, the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, and Switzerland. Although Switzerland is not offshore, it is one of the most convenient jurisdictions for offshore corporation formation.

Overseas company formation can provide a wealth of benefits such as privacy, asset protection, reduced tax liability, protection against lawsuits, flexible business laws, ease of operation, and confidentiality. It can also facilitate growing your business outside of your country of residence. Conducting business and undertaking banking transactions in the name of a legal entity, such as an offshore corporation, provides significant privacy and confidentiality benefits. Most offshore financial centers do not divulge the responsible individuals within the offshore corporations to a third party, which provides additional privacy. Furthermore, placing assets into offshore corporations and overseas legal structures can provide protection from future liabilities. By having trusts, investments, or bank accounts in the possession of your offshore corporation, it makes tracking them down via an asset search difficult. Offshore companies also provide effective asset protection and effectively screen your finances from public view.

However, there are also disadvantages to setting up an offshore company. For instance, due to the absence of public registers, proving ownership of a company registered offshore can be difficult. While anonymity can be an advantage for overseas companies, when it becomes in the owner’s interests to declare themselves as the beneficial shareholder, this might be a difficult exercise. Another main drawback is in the area of remittance and distribution of the assets and income of the offshore company. Once monies reach the resident country, they are subject to taxation. This can negate the benefits of the initial tax-free environment.

Operating an offshore company is not considered tax evasion; however, there are large tax risks with administering non-Swiss corporations from outside of Switzerland, for example. According to Swiss law, a company has its tax residence where effective administration and control of the entity is carried out. There are also risks with the market, interest rates, and credit, and a further consideration is that of reputational risk.

In conclusion, an offshore company can be a viable option for businesses seeking greater privacy and asset protection, reduced tax liability, and flexible business laws. However, it is essential to understand the potential drawbacks and risks associated with setting up an offshore company. Seeking specialist advice is necessary to successfully navigate the complexities.