Offshore Investing

Offshore investing is a legitimate way to minimise international taxation and protect assets. There are various factors to consider when developing an offshore investment strategy, but in general company formation offshore offers a variety of benefits as follows:

Advantages of Investing Offshore

1. Investing offshore allows businesses to minimize their tax liabilities through effective tax planning. Healy Consultants offshore tax consultants advises entrepreneurs on offshore investment planning. One example of tax planning would be the restructuring of a business, such that the main holding company is incorporated in Singapore.
2. An effective offshore investment strategy gives entrepreneurs unrivalled access to emerging markets in developing countries, thereby enabling them to diversify their investment portfolios.
3. An offshore company start up is one of the best ways to protect offshore assets. By investing offshore, an individual's assets may be transferred to other legal entities, such as offshore corporations, trusts or foundations. Forming an offshore company is popular for entrepreneurs with an import-export company, an international trading company, shipping companies or intellectual property developers. Investment portfolios and property-owning companies are also popular choices.
4. With effective offshore financial planning, international entrepreneurs can legitimately minimise their international tax. Entrepreneurs investing in offshore companies can often access double taxation agreements, through which the individual avoids paying duplicate tax on global income. In addition, a double tax treaty reduces withholding tax on payments to non-resident individuals and companies.
5. An important aspect of any offshore investment strategy is therefore drawing upon effective accounting and taxation support for the offshore company. Following offshore company start up, Healy Consultants offers a wide range of accounting and taxation services including i) minimising withholding tax ii) assistance with tax returns and financial statements iii) payroll and investments.
6. Developing markets such as China and India are driving demand for qualified offshore asset protection service providers in Asia. Healy Consultants is geared to offering sophisticated offshore asset protection services to wealthy individuals in these markets, as well as globally.
7. Companies incorporated in some jurisdictions, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, are legitimately tax-exempt on revenues sourced outside the country. Many countries have also signed Double Taxation Treaties to prevent taxes levied twice on the same income, profit, capital gains or inheritance. An effective offshore asset protection strategy should also take into account confidentiality and privacy concerns.

Disadvantages of Investing Offshore

1. Investing in certain offshore jurisdictions may portray a negative image to your clients, suppliers and potential venture capitalists, for example in traditional tax havens such as the BVI, Cayman Islands or the Bahamas.
2. While offshore investment is perfectly legal, concealing information is considered illegal in some countries.
3. Many offshore jurisdictions are subject to pressure from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to exchange information on bank account holders in that jurisdiction. This is part of OECD efforts to minimise tax evasion, money-laundering and terrorist financing. Incorporating in jurisdictions such as Singapore and Hong Kong are still popular offshore investment strategies. More information on the evolution and future of the offshore industry and its implications for offshore company start up can be found in the media centre of our website.

Offshore Financial Services

• After setting up their offshore investment, Healy Consultants assists clients to open an international corporate bank account in the jurisdiction of their choice, usually with one of the world's leading retail banks such as HSBC, Standard Chartered and Citibank. Furthermore, Healy Consultants assist clients with obtaining corporate finance, trade finance and open merchant accounts.
• Accounting and taxation support. Another of our core business startup services, this includes corporate structuring, minimising withholding tax, preparing and submitting annual tax returns and financial statements, and providing payroll and investments support.
• Virtual office services. Many clients choose this offshore corporate service to support their international business. Our virtual office services include providing high quality office space to clients in the city of their choice; providing a physical business address for invoicing; providing secretarial services such as phone answering and fax services and message forwarding.
• Healy Consultants' offshore financial advisors can provide retirement planning and inheritance planning - for example, making a will, setting up a Trust, advice with inheritance and capital gains taxes etc.
• As leading offshore financial advisors, Healy Consultants offers exclusive private banking services, which are best suited to clients with in excess of US$1 million. Healy Consultants introduces clients to professional private bankers who are responsible for every detail of a financial transaction or investment.
• International marketing. Healy Consultants offers a creative edge to its business startup services for offshore companies, including designing and developing business websites; instigating search engine advertising campaigns; designing stationery and logos; conducting market research and feasibility studies, and conducting and coordinating media advertising campaigns if necessary.
• Consulting Services are also a part of Healy Consultants offshore corporate services and include advice on mergers and acquisitions; assistance to collect business due diligence; assistance to carry out internal audits; and business process re-engineering.
• IT support services. Unlike most offshore corporate services suppliers, our business startup services extend to providing IT support, including buying, installing and configuring office hardware; configuring office networks; and hosting and maintaining our client's websites on our own server.
• Offshore real estate purchase. Healy Consultants provides a range of offshore consultancy services, including property consulting services, assistance to obtain international mortgages, conducting market analysis and property valuations, and locating tenants. Visit our Asia property page for further information.

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