Tag Archive for: Asset Protection

IRS Targets Bitcoin

The US Government is Targeting Bitcoin

The US government has launched an all out war on Bitcoin and battles are raging on several fronts. The purpose of this war is to either kill Bitcoin so that the dollar remains dominant or, failing that, to control Bitcoin such that the government maximized taxable income and eliminates your ability to transact in private.

It’s early days yet in the war on Bitcoin. But, the writing’s on the wall. The only way for you to salvage some level of privacy is to move your Bitcoin offshore. Set up an offshore company and hold your crypto account in the name of the company.

Here are the 4 primary lines of attack the US government has on Bitcoin today. You can rest assured that new agencies will jump into the fray once they find a way to take what’s yours.

  1. IRS taxing bitcoin as a capital asset and not a monetary instrument.
  2. The SEC treating bitcoin as cash so they can regulate ICOs.
  3. Applying civil asset forfeiture rules to Bitcoin.
  4. Requiring you to report your Bitcoin every time you enter or exit the United States.

Let’s start with the IRS. The Service recently declared that Bitcoin and cryptocurrency are assets, not cash and not currency. This means that, when you exchange Bitcoin for FIAT currency, you must pay tax on the gain.

If you held the Bitcoin for less than a year, you pay short term capital gains tax at your standard rate. This is probably around 35%. If you held the Bitcoin for more than a year, you pay the long term capital gains rate on your profit, which is probably 23.5% (20% if Trump repeals Obamacare taxes). These are the Federal rates and your State will also tax the gain.

Had the IRS classified Bitcoin as a currency, they wouldn’t be able to tax you when you convert Bitcoin to dollars. By calling Bitcoin an asset, the IRS can tax the conversion (or more properly, the sale of the asset).

  • Only currency investments are taxable, such as FX traders, and not basic conversions. That is to say, if you buy foreign currency as an investment, then the gains are taxable.

Then there’s the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). If the regulator had determined Bitcoin to be an asset, rather than a cash or cash equivalent, they might not have had jurisdiction to control ICOs. For the reasons why this might have been the case, see: Crowd Sale vs ICO – What’s Legal?

Suffice it to say, if Bitcoin were an asset, all ICOs might have been considered crowd sales and thus outside the purview of the SEC. Of course, this is unacceptable… all investments must be watched over and controlled by our government – so, Bitcoin is cash to the SEC.

To those of us who write on these topics, both of these lines of attack were obvious. Each US agency will define Bitcoin in whatever way allows them to exert control and levy fines to generate more income. That’s the nature of the beast… to a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Here’s the regulation of Bitcoin that no one saw coming:

Introduced last month, the Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Counterfeiting Act of 2017, will force you to report your Bitcoin each time you leave or enter the United States. That’s right, you will be required to fill out a form telling the government how much Bitcoin and cryptocurrency you have each and every time you cross our border.

When I first saw comments on this legislation, I didn’t believe it. I’ve been writing about government overreach since 2000 and still thought this must be an error. It took me days, and a lot of research, to accept that this level of insanity was possible.

When you cross a US border with $10,000 or more in cash or cash equivalents (diamonds, coins, checks, letters of credit, etc), you must report to the government by filling out a form. Of course, filing this form will likely subject you to scrutiny at the airport and unwanted attention from the IRS later.

In most cases, the government has been reasonable in applying this rule. For example, if you’re traveling with collectable coins, you only report if the face value of those coins is over $10,000. So, reporting was generally for those transporting cash and very rarely intruded into the lives of everyday Americans.

The new rules targeting Bitcoin basically allege that cryptocurrency is always with you. Unlike an offshore bank account, where cash is held outside of the US and must be reported once a year, Bitcoin is literally travels with you inside of your laptop. Regulators believe that Bitcoin is stored in your laptop, phone, hard drive, or USB storage device, and is thus crossing the border with you.

This claim that Bitcoin is always with you is key to the government’s attempt to force reporting. If Bitcoin, which is cash or cash equivalent and not an asset in this case, travels with you, the government can force you to report. If it’s cash sitting on the blockchain, and all you have on your laptop are the codes to access that “cash,” no reporting can be required.

That is to say, you don’t need to report how much you have in your bank accounts simply because you’re username and password to access those accounts is stored on the laptop. You can only be required to report what you are physically carrying with you carrying when you cross the border.

And the same law that requires you to report your Bitcoin allows the government to take it from you. Bitcoin will become subject to the asset forfeiture laws. The government can seize your Bitcoin if 1) you fail to report it, or 2) you report it and they believe you obtained it illegally.

Note that I said, they “believe.” The government can take your Bitcoin and then force you to prove how you earned it. The burden of proof falls on you in a civil asset forfeiture case (YouTube video by John Oliver)… and you must be willing to spend big money on lawyers to have any chance of success.

What can you do to protect your Bitcoin?

These are all the ways the US government is targeting Bitcoin. And the only thing you can do to protect your coins is to move them out of the United States and out of the government’s reach. Remember that the US government can seize any cryptocurrency “stored” in a US exchange by issuing a levy or seizure order.

The US government can’t easily seize assets held outside it’s borders. For example, the IRS can levy any bank or brokerage in the US, and any institution that has a branch in the US. So, if you have cash in a bank in Panama, and that bank has a branch in the US, you’re at risk.

The solution is to form an offshore corporation or trust to hold your wallet. Then use only Bitcoin firms located out of the United States… those without ANY ties to the US and can’t be intimidated by Uncle Sam.

The same goes for buying Bitcoin in your retirement account. First, form an offshore IRA LLC. Then move your account into an international bank that doesn’t have a branch in the United States. Then setup an offshore wallet and buy your coins.

I should point out that buying Bitcoin in your IRA is one way to beat the IRS at their own game. Because crypto is an asset, you pay capital gains tax on each and every transaction. However, if you buy Bitcoin in your IRA, you defer or eliminate capital gains tax. Because cryptocurrency is an asset, you can buy and sell it inside an IRA.  For more, see How to move your IRA offshore in 2017.

The fact that Bitcoin is an asset also means you can take advantage of the tax benefits available in the US territory of Puerto Rico. Basically, if you move to Puerto Rico, spend 183 days a year on the island, and qualify for Act 22, all crypto gains on coins acquired after you become a resident will be tax free. See: Move to Puerto Rico and Pay Zero Capital Gains Tax.

I hope you’ve found this article on how the government is targeting Bitcoin to be helpful. For more information on taking your IRA offshore, setting up an asset protection structure, or moving to Puerto Rico, please contact us at info@premieroffshore.com or call (619) 483-1708. We’ll be happy to assist you to protect your coins and keep more of those crypto profits.

asset protection for defined benefit plan

Maximum Asset Protection for a Defined Benefit Plan

Defined benefit plans are excellent tools to put a lot of pre-tax money away quickly. Because of they don’t have the same contribution limits as IRAs, they allow the business owner to build up savings and reduce taxes efficiently.

Because defined benefit plans build cash quickly, they’re big time targets of lawyers and civil creditors. In this article I’ll show you how to provide maximum asset protection for a defined benefit plan.

The best asset protection for a defined benefit plan is to move it offshore and inside a “trust like” structure. Get it out of the reach of creditors and judges by moving it out of the US and behind the walls of an advanced asset protection structure.

The first step in moving a defined benefit plan is to figure out if it’s eligible to go offshore. In most cases, a plan from a previous employer with a cash value can be protected. If it’s a defined benefit plan from your current employer, and the plan documents allow for a conversion or to be invested abroad, then it too can be placed inside an international asset protection structure.

Sometimes DB plans are in subsidiary companies, or can otherwise be separated from the main business. If this sub can be closed down, the plan might then vest and be eligible to go offshore.

The way you get a defined benefit plan offshore is to convert it into an IRA (either a ROTH or traditional). Then you place that into an offshore IRA LLC. I’ll explain how to do this below. First, you need to find out if your plan can be converted into an IRA.

The bottom line is that you’ll need to ask your plan administrator if your DB plan can be converted into an IRA. They might not know how to take it offshore, but, if they can advise you how to convert it into an IRA, that’s all you need from them.

Assuming you get a positive answer, you need to ask your administrator to convert the defined benefit plan into an IRA.

  • If your administrator says it’s impossible to convert to an IRA, and he’s making money managing your investments, you might seek out a second opinion. I’ve seen many cases where DB plan administrators put their financial well being ahead of their clients.

Once the cash is an IRA, you can move that account or accounts from your current custodian to one that allows for foreign structures and investments. Not all IRA custodians allow for offshore LLCs and international investments. This is a very specialized area.

Now you can finally get the defined benefit plan offshore. We setup an offshore IRA LLC, open an international bank account, and the custodian transfers the money into this structure. As the manager of the LLC, you will have checkbook control of the account. You’ll make all transfers and be responsible for all investment decisions.

All of the above gets you basic offshore asset protection of your defined benefit plan. If you want maximum protection, we can customize your LLC with features you would normally find in an offshore asset protection trust.

You can’t put an IRA or defined benefit plan into a trust, but we can create an LLC that acts like a trust.

The way we do this is by forming the IRA LLC in the Cook Islands, the top offshore asset protection trust jurisdiction. We then build an LLC operating agreement molded after a Cook Islands asset protection trust.

For example, an offshore trust uses an independent trustee, a protector, and has clauses that make it impossible for the trustee to make payments to creditors. Even if one gets a judgement against you in the United States, there’s no way for them to collect on it in the Cook Islands.

To copy these protection elements, we install an independent LLC manager in the Cook Islands LLC. We also set up a protector who takes over should you (the beneficial owner, similar to a settlor) comes under duress.

To support these professional advisors, the LLC operating agreement includes terms that prohibit the manager from transferring money to the custodian or owner if they’re under duress. The agreement basically creates the defense of impossibility in the Cook Islands to protect the assets of the LLC.

I should point out here that setting up this maximum asset protection structure for a defined benefit plan means that you must also follow the same rules that apply to international trusts. For example, rules around fraudulent conveyance.

In its most basic form, a fraudulent conveyance is when you send money out of the United States to keep it away from a current or reasonably anticipated creditor. If you injure someone today and fund an offshore trust or IRA LLC tomorrow, you’ve probably fraudulently conveyed money into the structure.

Thus, your defined benefit plan must be moved offshore well before you have any legal problems. In a perfect world, it is moved offshore 1 or 2 years before a dispute arises. That is, 1 or 2 years before the harm occurs, not before the plaintiff files a claim against you.

I hope you’ve found this article on how to max protect your defined benefit plan by moving it offshore to be helpful. For more information, please send me an email at info@premieroffshore.com or call us at (619) 483-1708. 

protect IRA

Enhanced Protection for Your IRA

Many people think that IRAs are protected from civil creditors and the IRS… many people are wrong. Here’s how to get enhanced protection for your IRA and take control of your investments.

IRA assets are protected to varying degrees by each of the states and under the federal bankruptcy law. In order to secure 100% protection from all creditors and the IRS, you need an enhanced protection plan for your IRA. Remove your retirement account from the United States and get it away from US judges and creditors.

First, let’s look at what protection your IRA has. I’ll focus on California here, knowing that many states have similar rules.

In California, 401(k)s and profit-sharing plans are protected from civil creditors but not the IRS. IRAs are not as protected as 401(k)s because they are not covered by federal statutes. Therefore, a civil creditor’s ability to get your retirement account in California will depend on what type of account you have and how much you have in it.

401(k) accounts have better protection is because federal law prohibits civil creditors from going after pension plans that were set up under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Examples of ERISA-qualified pension plans and benefit plans:

  • 401(K) accounts
  • pension and profit-sharing plans
  • group health and life insurance plans
  • dental and vision plans, and
  • HRAs, HSAs, and accidental death or disability plans

Plans not covered by ERISA include IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEPs, and SIMPLE IRAs. These are covered by state law only, which offers far less protection than federal law.

California protects only that portion of your IRA which a judge believes you need to survive. This is the amount necessary for the support of you and your dependents at the time you retire. Yes, standard of living you’ll be allowed in your old age is at the discretion of the judge.

In deciding how much to “allow” you to keep from your IRA, the judge will consider the following questions:

  • Do you need the retirement funds now, and if so, how much?
  • Will you be able to replenish your retirement account if it’s awarded to a creditor?

Bottom line is, if you have a job and are under age 65, the court is likely to take all of your retirement savings. If you’re retired and in poor health, they’ll leave you enough to support yourself… not necessarily enough to maintain your current standard of living, but enough to keep you alive (think welfare recipient lifestyle without all of the Obama benefits).

Keep in mind that none of these plans are protected from IRS levy!

The most efficient way to enhance the protection of your IRA is to move it offshore. Get your retirement account away from US judges while maintaining the tax benefits. Take it offshore and out of the reach of future civil creditors and IRS levy.

It’s important to note that your IRA will retain its tax deferred (traditional) or tax free (ROTH) status. So long as you follow the rules, you can invest your IRA as you see fit, which includes  offshore. The fact that this enhances your protection is a side benefit of investing abroad, not the sole motivating factor.

Here’s how to take your IRA offshore…

We first move your account from your current custodian to one that allows for international investments. Most custodians, such as Vanguard, Fidelity, and Chase don’t allow foreign investments. They want you to buy their bonds and those products on which they earn the highest commission. When you go offshore, your custodian gets no commission and has no control over your investments.

Note that changing custodians is done by transferring your account. It doesn’t involve a roll over and has no limitations.

Next, we form an offshore LLC in a max security jurisdiction like Cook Islands, Belize, Nevis, etc. This LLC is owned by your retirement account and you’re named as the manager of this company.

Then the LLC opens an offshore bank account and your custodian invests your account into the LLC by transferring cash to this foreign bank account. You’re the signer on the account and the one in control over all transfers and investments originating from it. That is to say, you have checkbook control over your IRA once it’s in an offshore LLC.

Tip: The IRS can levy your foreign account if your bank has a branch in the United States. For this reason, I recommend international banks that don’t have branches in the US.

Once your IRA is offshore, it’s your responsibility to manage the money for the benefit of your account, just as a professional advisor would (or should) do. This means you can’t borrow against it, use it for your personal expenses, buy home and live in it, etc.

You’ll find that the rules around offshore LLCs are simple. So long as you transact at arm’s length and act in the best interest of your IRA, you’ll stay out of trouble.

I hope you’ve found this article on how to enhance the protection of your IRA by moving it offshore to be helpful. For more information, and assistance in taking your retirement account offshore, please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call us at (619) 483-1708 for confidential consultation.

Offshore Trust or Panama Foundation

Offshore Trust or Panama Foundation?

The top two international asset protection structures are the offshore trust and the Panama foundation. These tools are very different from one another and I don’t think of them as competing solutions. Even so, I’m asked all the time, offshore trust or Panama foundation? In this article I’ll try to explain the differences.

A properly structured offshore trust formed in and managed from a tax free and max protect jurisdiction such as Belize or Cook Islands, provides the strongest asset protection. A foreign trust is more secure than a Panama foundation and offers a wider range of estate and tax planning options.

But these benefits come with limitations. In order to maximize the asset protection benefits, you must be willing to give up control of the assets. An offshore trust is best when a foreign trustee and a foreign investment advisor are making the decisions.

Likewise, the settlor (you) and any U.S. persons connected to the trust should not have the ability to replace the trustee nor the right to terminate the trust. If these rights rest in a U.S. person, a U.S. court can compel the trust be dissolved and the assets brought back to this country.

In most cases, both the offshore trust and the Panama foundation will be tax neutral. They’ll not increase nor decrease your U.S. taxes and all income and gains generated in the structure will be taxable to the settlor as earned.

A trust has additional advanced tax planning options not available to the foundation. For example, you can build a dynasty trust or multi generational trust that can eliminate gift, estate, and capital gains tax. In addition, a trust can hold a U.S. compliant offshore insurance policy which will operate as a massive tax free account, with no capital gains and estate tax due when the assets are distributed to your heirs.

For these reasons, an offshore trust is best for someone who wants to put a nest egg offshore for his or her heirs. A foreign trust will provide the highest level of protection and give you access to banks and investment options around the world typically closed to Americans. And it will accomplish this by bringing in foreign advisors and other professionals to make the trades, distancing itself from its American owner.

An offshore trust is not the structure for someone who wants to manage their own investments, is an active trader, or wants to protect an active business. A trust is meant to be static and stable over many years. It’s the castle behind whose walls you store your wealth… a castle that will stand the test of time and will prove impenetrable for decades and generations to come.  

If you prefer to balance flexibility with asset protection, then consider a Panama Foundation. While the offshore trust is about maximum protection, the foundation is about control and maximum privacy. If you need an estate planning and asset protection structure to hold an active business, look to a Panama foundation.

The Panama foundation is a hybrid foreign trust and holding company. It’s meant to hold both active businesses and investments (real estate, brokerage accounts, etc.). And it comes with many of the same asset protection benefits of a traditional offshore trust.

One reason I’m so high on the foundation is that it’s used by foreigners (Americans, Canadians, etc.), expats, and locals (Panamanians). Every wealthy family in Panama holds their local assets inside of a foundation. Also, the shares of most most banks, investment firms, and large businesses in the country are held inside of foundations.

Because Panama is a major financial center, and because the foundation is used by both locals and foreigners, it’s unlikely the laws will ever change. The Panamanian government will not reduce the protection or privacy of it’s foundations because to do so would go against their ruling class and entrepreneurs.

The bottom line is that both offshore trusts and foundations are sold asset protection and estate planning tools. Each has its strengths and weaknesses and each will give you access to a wide range of offshore banks and investment opportunities.  

So, should you go with an offshore trust or Panama foundation? That depends on your situation. If the above hasn’t answered this question yet, then consider the costs of each and compare that to amount of assets you need to protect.

The costs to form an offshore trust can range from $10,000 to $30,000 compared to $3,500 to $9,500 for a Panama foundation. Also, the costs to maintain an offshore trust will be much higher than a foundation because of the use of foreign trustees and advisors. Most foundations are managed by the founder / owner.

For this reason I recommend a trust when a client has $2 million or more in assets they wish to protect. More importantly, they have this amount in cash and want to hold it offshore to be managed by a Swiss, Cook Islands, or Belize investment advisor.

A Panama foundation can be formed for a variety of reasons. Most clients either hold $100,000 in assets or an active business. Because of it’s lower cost, the foundation is an excellent estate planning tool for anyone with foreign investments.

I hope you’ve found this article on the offshore trust vs Panama foundation to be helpful. For more information, and a confidential consultation, please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call us at (619) 483-1708. We will be happy to review your situation and devise a custom solution that fits your needs.

Best Lawsuit Protection

Best Lawsuit Protection

The best lawsuit protection is an offshore trust… period. No structure or plan, no matter how complex, can compete with the good old offshore trust for lawsuit protection. It’s the only way to move your assets out of the United States, out of our court system, out of the reach of creditors and U.S. judges, and behind an impenetrable barrier.

To come to the conclusion that the best lawsuit protection is an offshore trust, I start from the position that all U.S. structures are flawed. Domestic asset protection is governed by U.S. law and U.S. judges. So long as your assets are in this country, they’re subject to the whims of an American court.

The way to escape our creditor friendly country is to change the jurisdiction and venue of the fight. To move your assets to a country that values your rights of ownership and self determination. To a country whose laws were specifically designed to protect you and your family from civil creditors and to get the case heard by a judge who will uphold those laws.

The two most important components of building the best lawsuit protection trust offshore are timing and control.

Timing is everything when funding an offshore trust. You must setup your asset protection structure before you have a problem. Once the cause of action has arisen, you will be unable to transfer assets out of the United States.

For example, if you hit someone with your car today, and fund a trust tomorrow, your offshore trust won’t protect you. A U.S. judge will likely claim the transfer is a fraudulent conveyance and hold you in contempt until you bring the cash back under his or her control.

  • The cause of action arises when the harm occurs, not when a case is filed.

The second component of the best asset protection is that you should give up control over your assets once they’re in the trust. Professional investment advisors and a trustee should be hired to manage the trust per your written directives. These experts should be outside of the United States and, like your assets, out of the reach of the U.S. courts. No one with the authority to dissolve or modify the trust should be in the United States.

Not everyone who sets up an offshore trust gives up control. It’s possible to retain control through a variety of mechanisms. What I’m saying here is that, if you want maximum protection, and truly the best lawsuit protection, you must turn over the management of the trust to a third party.

What I’m describing is the Cadillac of asset protection structures – an offshore trust formed in the perfect jurisdiction managed by licensed and experienced professionals. This is not an off the shelf product for the masses. It’s not a cheap solution. It’s the best in lawsuit protection, not some offshore shelf company sold on the corner to anyone with a few grand to protect.

Not everyone can afford an offshore trust, nor does every situation call for a top of the line solution. For example, I would not recommend an offshore trust to anyone looking to protect less than $2 million.

If an international trust isn’t appropriate, then the best lawsuit protection is the offshore structure you can afford to build, maintain, and keep in compliance.

If the Cadillac is a foreign trust, then the Ford is a Panama Foundation. This will cost a fraction of a trust, allows you to maintain control of your investments, and is a solid deterrent. This structure will get you into some good banks, doesn’t require a foreign trustee or investment advisor, and has a strong world image (Panama Papers notwithstanding).

Another lower cost option is to move your retirement account offshore. Rather than a trust, you might form a single member LLC, owned by your IRA, and place that with an international bank… one with no branches or exposure to the United States.

The most important advice I can give you about the best lawsuit protection, and going offshore in general, is this: If you can’t afford to do it right, don’t do it at all.

Any American living, working, investing, or doing business offshore is a target. The IRS is waging war on those who move their cash out of the reach of their government, and the penalties for failing to comply are severe.

For example, failing to properly report an offshore trust can result in minimum penalties of $40,000 per year ($10,000 for each missed form, 3520, 3520-A, FBAR and 8938). Worse, the penalties for 3520 and 3520-A can be 10% of the trusts assets. If the trust has $5 million, your penalty could be $500,000 per year!

For these reasons, you must hire a U.S. expert to quarterback your offshore plan. If you’re a U.S. citizen, you need someone who understands the laws of your home country and how those interact with your country of formation.

Remember that 100% of your risk of liability is in the United States. Your offshore trust or other structure is a tool to protect your assets from U.S. creditors. Thus, only someone experienced in both jurisdictions is qualified to help you achieve your goals.

If you’re unable or unwilling to pay the fees charged by U.S. professionals, stick to domestic asset protection. If you’re going to go offshore, you need to do it right or not at all.

I hope this article on the best lawsuit protection has been helpful. For more information, please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call us at (619) 483-1708. 

offshore asset protection trust

Don’t Believe the Media Hype Around Offshore Asset Protection Trusts

Ever since the Panama Papers, bashing the offshore asset protection industry has been chic. Every publisher on the planet has put out articles on how the rich abuse the system, hide their assets in offshore asset protection trusts, and don’t pay their fair share of taxes. The problem is that very few writers truly understand the industry and the complex web of worldwide tax laws in play. They tend to focus on the laws of jurisdictions such as the Cook Islands and ignore how those laws interact with those of the client’s home country.

This results in one sided and naive articles by good writers who can’t get beyond the hype surrounding their subject matter. They see only the tip of the iceberg and miss the mountain lurking below the surface.

These articles create great risk for U.S. citizens who read them as “how to” guides rather than the tales of injustice and inequity they’re meant to be. They do harm to U.S. citizens who contact an offshore provider to “do as they read” and get crushed by the system.

I know this to be true because I get calls everyday from people who want to incorporate offshore. They want tax savings like Apple and Google or asset protection as described in The New York Times. They don’t want to do anything illegal, they just want to use these amazing trusts and corporations they read about.

In most cases, I tell them tax savings is impossible because their business is too small (unless they move out of the United States and qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion) and that it’s too late to protect their assets. That the horses have bolted, so there’s no need to lock the barn door.   

Had they called an offshore provider rather than a U.S. firm, the answer they would have received would’ve been very different. They would’ve likely been told that their business won’t be taxed in Panama or that no one has ever breached a Cook Island offshore asset protection trust. Both of these may be true, but they ignore the realities of how an offshore structure will interact with U.S. law.

My purpose here is to separate fact from fiction and explain some of the limitations of an offshore asset protection trust. My comments are in response to an October 15, 2016 post in Business Insider on offshore asset protection trusts. The title of the article is A sociologist trained to become a tax-avoidance expert — here’s what she learned about how the ultra wealthy keep their money by Brooke Harrington.

Let me start by saying that I’m not saying Ms. Harrington’s article is factually incorrect. Her post is well researched and expertly written from an offshore perspective. In fact, much of it would make great marketing collateral for a Cook Islands Trust provider (an idea she probably finds repugnant).

However, because her article fails to take into account how the laws of the Cook Island interact with those of the United States, it gives the impression that a U.S. person can move their assets offshore with impunity. The fact that this will create confusion in a small subset of her readers is an unintended consequence of a lay person writing on offshore asset protection and publishing to a global audience.

For example, an American going through a divorce might read her article, call up a Cook Islands agent, be told what they want to hear, and move their assets out of the reach of their spouse. This will create a world of pain in the United States, no matter how the trust is viewed under Cook Islands law.

The author is not giving legal advice nor advocating for offshore asset protection trusts. I assume her purpose is quite the opposite – to expose inequity and argue against the availability of these structures. Nor is she writing only for Americans, though one of her three examples is a U.S. case.

However, by publishing on major platforms like Business Insider and The Atlantic, her words will reach those who can act upon them. People who will believe the hype to their detriment.

Here’s a little background: Brooke Harrington is an associate professor of economic sociology at the Copenhagen Business School. The article referenced here is soon to be a book published by Harvard University Press about elite occupational groups within finance and their impact on international law and stratification.  

She’s spent 8 years researching the international wealth-management profession and was so committed that she trained to become a wealth manager. She wrote, “I spent weeks in hotel conference rooms in Switzerland and Liechtenstein learning about trust and corporate law, financial investment, and accounting. Ultimately, this earned me the “Trust and Estate Planner” qualification (TEP): an internationally recognized credential in wealth management, much like the CPA for accountants.”

  • A CPA requires a 4 year college degree, though most in the United States go 6 to earn a master’s degree. A CPA also requires passing a difficult exam and 500 hours of documented work experience (usually for free in service of a CPA firm).

Even with all of that training, none of which was in the United States, she misses the elephant in the room: the fact that the laws of the settlor’s or defendant’s home country will often control the tax and asset protection benefits of their offshore structure.

If someone with this many hours of training can’t see the forest for the trees, what chance do less committed lay writers have? This is why so many get it wrong.

Here are a few of the sections of the article that might mislead a U.S. citizen:

Quote: “Looking at a costly divorce? No problem—just hire a wealth manager to put your assets in an offshore trust. Then the assets are no longer in your name, and can’t be attached in a judgment. Even if a foreign court sought to break your trust, if you have a clever enough wealth manager, you can be made effectively judgment-proof. Consider the case of the Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, who has just settled what has been termed “the most expensive divorce in history.”

Although a Swiss court initially awarded half of Rybolovlev’s roughly $9 billion fortune to his ex-wife, Elena, an appeals court later ruled that most of those assets are untouchable in the divorce settlement because they are held in trust or are otherwise inscrutable to the law. (The amount of the agreed-upon settlement has not been disclosed.)

Answer: Americans, don’t get it twisted. You’re NOT Russian oligarchs free to do as you like. Putin doesn’t have your back (unless your name is Trump or Snowden).

You’re a U.S. citizen and subject to our laws first and foremost, no matter what your offshore estate planner tells you.  If you set up an offshore trust to cut out your current spouse, you’re more likely to end up behind bars than on a beach in the Cook Islands. Here’s why:

Anytime you convey an asset in order to delay a creditor, you’re engaging in fraudulent conveyance. If you’re aware that your assets are at risk and should be used to satisfy a legal obligation and you move that asset out of reach, you have NOT committed a crime. Exceptions would be if there is actual fraud or crimes related to hiding assets from a bankruptcy court.

However, moving community or joint property out of the United States without your spouse’s consent, or to prevent a court from administering a division of assets, can be a crime. You may be charged with theft, embezzlement, etc.

Rather than going through all the trouble of charging and convicting you of a crime, a judge can simply hold you in contempt until you return the assets.

In most divorce cases, the judge issues a “standing order” instructing each party not to do certain things, such as take each other’s money. If you violate that order by sending community / joint property offshore, you can be held in contempt of court, fined, and jailed.

And don’t think that the “impossibility defense” will save you from a contempt charge. While impossibility is a defense to civil claims, self-created impossibility is not a defense to fraudulent conveyance. Nor will a judge accept this defense in a divorce case. After a few weeks or months of cooling off in the local jail, you’ll probably see your way clear to instructing your offshore trustee to bring the cash back to the U.S.

Note that there are legitimate uses of offshore asset protection trusts in divorce cases. For example, to hold separate property that you came into the marriage with and both parties agree will remain separate. If you’re already married, you might use a transmutation agreement to separate your assets and then fund an offshore trust.

Quote: No litigant on earth has been able to break a Cook Islands trust, including the U.S. government, which has repeatedly been unable to collect on multi-million-dollar judgments against fraudsters convicted in federal court. These include infomercial king Kevin Trudeau, the author of a series of books on things “they” don’t want you to know, as well as an Oklahoma property developer who defaulted on his loans from Fannie Mae.

Since 2007, the two have owed Uncle Sam $37.5 million and $8 million respectively, and they have employed some clever wealth-management strategies to avoid paying those judgments. With their fortunes secure in Cook Islands trusts—on paper, at least—there is no way for the U.S. government to force payment unless it wants to send a legal team on the 15-hour journey to Rarotonga (capital of the Cook Islands), where the case would be argued under local laws.

Needless to say, those laws are not very favorable to foreigners seeking to access the assets contained in local trusts.”

Answer: The concept that “no litigant on earth has been able to break a Cook Islands trust,” is very dangerous. Going into battle with the U.S. government with that mindset will be disastrous. It may be true that your assets are safe in the Cook Islands, but your most important asset will likely be sitting in jail.

When I (a U.S. practitioner) write about the strength of an offshore asset protection trust, I say that the Cook Island Trust gives you maximum protection against future civil creditors. It’s not intended to protect you from the IRS, SEC, or other government creditors. Nor is it meant to protect against current or reasonably anticipated creditors.

Using the trust to protect assets from current or reasonably anticipated civil creditors creates the fraudulent transfer issue mentioned above. The quickest way to break an offshore trust is to hold the settlor in contempt until the money is returned to the U.S. The court doesn’t need to break the trust when it can break the defendant.

So long as you create and fund the offshore trust well before the cause of action or debt arises, you will avoid the fraudulent conveyance issues. That is to say, a fraudulent transfer is one that is made after the harm has occurred. If you’re proactive, you can avoid the issue and your trust will hold up against civil creditors.

Going to battle with the United States government is a different matter. Just about any case can be escalated to a criminal charge, which makes transferring assets offshore or using an offshore trust very high risk. Also, a judge is more likely to hit you with contempt of court for refusing to pay the U.S. government than the average civil creditor.

As noted in the article, Kevin Trudeau has about $37 million offshore and untouched by the U.S. government. The same goes for Mark Rich with $100 million in a Cook Island Trust and Allen Stanford with a “sizable” offshore asset protection trust on the island. Mr. Trudeau is serving 10 years, Mr. Stanford 110 years, and Mr. Rich was pardoned by Bill Clinton. All of them chose the Cook Islands to protect their assets.

Let’s focus on Ms. Harrington’s example of Kevin Trudeau. Mr. Trudeau was sentenced for criminal contempt for violation of multiple court orders and failure to pay a $37 million fine. The 10 years he got is extremely unusual for a contempt of court charge. Had he closed the trust and paid the bill he might have done a year or two, but certainly not 10.

Keep in mind that one of the primary reasons Mr. Trudeau is doing time is his Cook Island trust. He chose to do the time rather than pay the fine. I would never hold him out as the poster boy for the benefits of a Cook Islands asset protection trust!

You might be thinking that you’d trade $37 million for 10 years in a low security prison. Well, it’s unlikely Mr. Trudeau will ever see his money.

For example, all the revenues from his books and business are being taken by the court. As of October 2015, the trustee had collected $8 million in royalties from the sale of Mr. Trudeau’s books while he was incarcerated. It was used to give a partial refund to more than 820,000 people who bought his book, The Weight Loss Cure “They” Don’t Want You to Know About.

Assuming good behavior, he will do about 85% of the time, or 8.5 years. When he gets out, he’s looking at years of probation. He will not be allowed to travel internationally during this time and any money he makes will be paid to the U.S trustee overseeing his finances.  

Let’s say he’s off paper in 2023. Now the U.S. government has a few more tricks up their sleeve. They may refuse him a passport or file additional contempt charges for refusing to pay his debt. Prosecutors can also make his life hell while on probation, causing him to violate and be returned to jail.

  • A U.S. passport is a privilege and not a right. In 2016, the IRS and other government agencies have used passport revocations and refusals to renew as a weapon against tax debtors. If Mr. Trudeau can’t travel abroad, he won’t be able to spend his cash.
  • For an article on the topic, see: Warning: The IRS Can Now Revoke Your Passport

So, it’s true that a Cook Islands Trust will protect your assets from the U.S. government. These trusts have never been broken and the United States seems unwilling to litigate on the Island. However, many Americans have been broken by U.S. judges over the years.

Unless you’ve made a sizable donation to the Clinton Foundation (Mark Rich), or are willing to do 10 years for your principals, I don’t recommend going to battle with the U.S. government with an offshore asset protection trust. While the trust will remain intact, the government will make an example of you as they did and will continue to do with Mr. Trudeau.

When the options are pay up or go to jail, most pay. For this reason, offshore asset protection trusts are the best protection available against future civil creditors. Don’t let the hype confuse you into thinking they’re a magic bullet protecting you from the IRS, FTC, SEC, or any other three letter agency.

I’ll leave you with this: You must hire an attorney in your country to form your offshore trust. The key to a successful asset protection structure is combining the laws of your home country with those of a more favorable and defendant friendly offshore jurisdiction. Only a U.S. attorney can advise a U.S. citizen on how to work within the system and maximize the value of an offshore trust.

I hope you’ve found this article on the hype vs. the reality of offshore asset protection trusts to be helpful. Please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or (619) 483-1708 for a confidential consultation on this and other international asset protection and trust topics.

fraudulent transfers

The Law of Fraudulent Transfer in Offshore Trusts

The law of fraudulent transfer can trace it’s roots back to 1571 England  and the Statute of Elizabeth. This rule allowed courts to “undo” transfers of assets which were considered to be “fraudulent transfers.” Since its enactment, it has served as the basis for the fraudulent transfer laws in much of the civilized world.

The problem with the Statute of Elizabeth, and fraudulent transfer laws in general, is that they often do not include  a limitation period. Courts have interpreted fraudulent transfer laws very broadly and for the benefit of creditors, not for the protection of defendants.

Many courts have found a fraudulent transfer whenever a creditor is deprived of assets to pay his judgement that would have otherwise been available. Keep in mind that the mindset of UK and US courts is to make injured parties whole and not to protect the property or earnings of defendants.

Note: It’s important to distinguish between a fraudulent transfer and fraud. All too many writers confuse these two terms and fall into the trap of thinking that making a fraudulent transfer is the same as committing fraud. The law defines “fraud” as knowingly misrepresenting a material fact to induce someone to act or fail to act to his detriment – a crime. Completely different is a fraudulent transfer, which is defined as making a transfer of an asset with the intent to hinder, delay, or defeat the claim of a current or reasonably anticipated creditor – not a crime.

When we select a jurisdiction to form an offshore asset protection trust, we look for one that has a statute covering fraudulent transfers. Specifically, we look for countries with fraudulent transfer statutes with the shortest limitation period. If the country’s statute also includes specific standards of proof in order to establish that a particular transfer was fraudulent, all the better.

The most extensive and defendant friendly of the fraudulent transfer statutes is the offshore asset protection trust codes found in Section 13B of the Cook Islands law. The International Trusts Act of 1984 (as amended), is the original and still the strongest of the offshore trust laws.

The Cook Islands offshore trust statute requires each and every creditor to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt,” that the assets were transferred to the trust for the sole purpose of preventing that specific creditor from collecting. Thus, each creditor must prove the transfer was a fraudulent transfer as to him, and each such case must be brought in the Cook Islands.

Let’s break that down:

First, each creditor must hire an attorney in the Cook Islands and challenge the trust. They can’t combine their claims or hire the same attorney. Because the Island doesn’t allow for contingency cases, each and every creditor will need to spend big to even have their claim heard.

Second, beyond a reasonable doubt, is a high burden of proof. It require that no other logical explanation can be derived from the facts except that the transfer was fraudulent, thereby overcoming the presumption that the transfer was legitimate until proven otherwise. In the United States, this is our standard of proof for criminal convictions, no civil claims.

Third, if the defendant’s non-trust assets at the time the trust was created exceeded the amount in dispute, the plaintiff may not proceed against the trust. That is to say, Cook Islands will only allow the case to be heard if the defendant was insolvent at the time the trust was funded.

Fourth, §13(B)(4) of the Cook Islands trust law states that a transfer to the trust can never be fraudulent if the cause of action (harm to the plaintiff) occurred after the trust was funded. If you create a Cook Islands trust today and injure someone with your car tomorrow, they’ll never have a claim in the Cook Islands against your assets.

Fifth, if the plaintiff gets over all of these hurdles, the limitations period for fraudulent transfers in Cook Islands is two years. After the statute runs, transfers to the trust cannot be attacked on fraudulent transfer grounds. Because of the time it takes to litigate a case in the United States, and because the plaintiff must file in Cook Islands within two years of the trust being funded, it’s rare for a creditor to gain standing in the Cook Islands court.

The first and most important analysis before you create an offshore trust is to consider your exposure under the fraudulent transfer statute. And this analysis should be undertaken by an attorney in your home country, not in the Cook Islands.

This is because the fraudulent transfer law of your home country must be compared and coordinated with the law of your asset protection jurisdiction. Remember that your assets may be out of reach, but you are still under the authority of your country of citizenship.

Thus, if you’re a United States citizen, you must hire a US attorney to create your offshore trust. Likewise, if you’re a citizen of the United Kingdom, you should have a UK expert assist you.

I will end by noting that an offshore trust is typically funded with after tax money (personal savings). It’s also possible to move your United States IRA, 401K or other retirement account to the Cook Islands. We can form a Cook Islands LLC and secure many of the same benefits described above for your tax preferred retirement account.

For more on offshore IRA LLCs in the Cook Islands see my article, Protect Your IRA by Converting it into an Offshore Trust

I hope you have found this information on the law of fraudulent transfers in offshore trusts to be helpful. Please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call (619) 483-1708 for a confidential consultation.

asset protection puerto rico

Asset Protection for a Puerto Rico Act 20 Business

Once you have your Act 20 business in Puerto Rico up and running, you need to think about protecting its retained earnings or distributed profits. Asset protection for a Puerto Act 20 business  becomes urgent because of the amount of capital held in the company tax deferred.

There are two levels of asset protection for Puerto Rico Act 20 companies. The first is retained earnings within the Puerto Rico LLC or corporation and the second is asset protection of dividends taken out under Act 22.

When you operate an Act 20 business based in Puerto Rico from your home in the United States, you get tax deferral at 4%. That is to say, if the business owner is living in the US, you can hold  Puerto Rico sourced profits in the corporation tax deferred.

You will pay 4% tax on the net profits earned from work done in Puerto Rico. This cash must stay within the Puerto Rico corporate structure to continue to be tax deferred year after year. When you distribute those profits as a dividends to the US based owner, you will pay US tax on the qualified dividend at 20% to 23.5% + your state.

If you’re operating a business in Puerto Rico under Act 20, and living in Puerto Rico while qualifying for Act 22, then you can withdraw the corporate profits from the corporation each year. This is because residents of Puerto Rico pay zero tax on dividends from an Act 20 Puerto Rican business.

When it comes to protecting the assets of your company, remember that Puerto Rico is a US jurisdiction. Any US judgement will be enforceable in Puerto Rico just as it is in any other State. As a result, you must take steps to protect your cash without changing its status as tax deferred “offshore” profits.

The best asset protection for Puerto Rico Act 20 businesses is to move your cash out of Puerto Rico and into a safe and secure bank. We have relationships with a number of banks in Switzerland, Germany and Austria that will open accounts for your Act 20 company and allow you to hold retained earnings offshore and out of reach of civil creditors.

The next level of asset protection for a Puerto Rico Act 20 company is incorporating offshore subsidiaries. This is done to put a layer of insulation between the Puerto Rico company and the assets held offshore. We can form a corporation in Panama, Cook Islands, Cayman Islands, or any other solid asset protection jurisdiction to manage your corporate capital.

In order to maintain the tax benefits of tax deferral, these offshore companies must be wholly owned subsidiaries of the Puerto Rico Act 20 company. For example, we form a Panama Corporation owned by the Puerto Rico company. This gets us access to all of the banks and asset protection benefits of Panama and allows us to maintain our tax deferral status.

For this reason, we can’t use other more advanced techniques. It would not be possible for the owner of the Act 20 business to create a Cook Island Trust and fund the trust with retained earnings. Once those profits moved from the Puerto Rico company to the Cook Island Trust, they would become taxable in the United States as a distribution.

This limitation applies only to retained earnings. Residents of Puerto Rico operating under Act 22 may use any means necessary to protect their personal after tax assets from future civil creditors. Remember that, unlike a business based offshore, once you have paid your 4% corporate tax and withdrawn the dividends tax free, this is “after tax” money. You can invest and do with it whatever you like, just as you can with money taken from a US business after paying 40% in taxes.

If you’re new to the Puerto Rico tax holiday, and would like to compare it to traditional offshore tax plans, see Puerto Rico Tax Deal vs Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Move Your Internet Business to Cayman Islands Tax Free

One of the best asset protection systems is to have capital paid directly to a Cook Island Trust. This will maximize the asset protection afforded your dividend distribution and keep it out of the reach of any civil creditor.

We can make arrangements for the dividends to pass directly to the Trust and bypassing any risk of a civil creditor reaching them. We can also setup a subsidiary of the Puerto Rico company in the Cook Islands to facilitate this transfer and the related cash management.

Another offshore asset protection strategy for Puerto Rico Act 20 business will allow you to carry forward the tax benefits of Puerto Rico once you move away from the island and no longer qualify for Act 22.

Let’s say you’ve been operating your Act 20 business for 5 years and have been living in Puerto Rico all of this time. You’ve taken out $10 million in tax free dividends, with the only tax paid being 4% to the government of Puerto Rico.

You’ve had enough of island life, your business has run its course, and are want to return to the United States. Once you make the move, all capital gains, dividends and passive income earned on that $10 million will become taxable by the IRS and your State.

One option is to invest this money into an offshore single pay premium life insurance policy. Money held in the policy will be protected from future civil creditors as well as the US taxing authorities.

This is because capital gains earned within the US compliant offshore life insurance policy are tax deferred. You only pay US tax on the gains if you close out the policy or otherwise remove the cash. Of course, you are free to borrow against the life policy with no tax cost.

If you hold the policy until your death, then the total value will transfer to your heirs tax free (or with a step-up in basis). If you put in $10 million, and it’s grown to $20 million, you’re heirs get $20 million tax free… and the only tax you ever paid on any of that cash is the 4% to Puerto Rico. Quite an amazing tax play.

I hope you’ve found this article on asset protection for a Puerto Rico Act 20 business helpful. Please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call (619) 483-1708 for more information on setting up your business in Puerto Rico or on protecting your retained earnings within that structure.

risks to your IRA

Top 5 Risks to Your IRA

Most Americans think that their IRA is safe… and they would be wrong. Our IRAs and retirement accounts face risks from all sides. Here are the top 5 risks to your IRA and what you can do to protect your savings.

1. IRS Levy of your IRA or other retirement account.

The Federal government and the Internal Revenue Service can size your IRA for any tax debt. If you owe the great collector, or the computer says you do, then your retirement account is at risk.

Note that the IRS doesn’t need to go to court or otherwise prove you owe back taxes. In fact, none of the debtor protection laws apply the the Service. Quite frankly, then can do whatever they like… or whatever the computer tells them to do.

This is true even if you didn’t file a tax return. Let’s say you’re living in Panama and earning $30,000 a year. This is well below the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, so you figure you won’t bother file your US returns. You won’t owe any money, so why go through the hassle and expense?

Here’s one of the reasons why: The IRS will get information from your foreign banks and brokerages. They will also receive information from US firms (Form 1099). The computer will interpret 100% of this as income and prepare a Substitute For Return on your behalf.

The SFR won’t consider the FEIE nor any other deductions or adjustments. Once in the system, a tax debt will be created. The IRS will send out a few letters by standard mail, which you probably won’t receive, and then the debt becomes final.

The fun starts when a collection agent is assigned to your case. He will seize any cash he can find in US banks. When that fails, he’ll go after any offshore bank that has a branch in the US.

When those lines come up dry, he’ll issue a levy against your retirement account. He can take 100% of your retirement savings up to the amount of the tax debt. He need not leave you a penny to pay your bills or support yourself.

And it gets worse. When the IRS takes your IRA, it’s a taxable distribution to you. Yes, you get to pay tax on the money the IRS seizes as if you voluntarily took it out. At least the IRS waives the 10% early withdrawal penalty on levys.

Fyi… if you voluntarily withdraw money from your IRA to pay the IRS, the 10% penalty will apply (in addition to it being a taxable distribution). If your IRA is stuck in the US and at risk, you may be better off telling the government to levy the account rather than you taking a distribution.

2. Missed Child Support Payments

If you owe back child support, Child Services can seize your IRA using a Qualified Domestic Relations Order. This is a court order that requires the plan administrator (US custodian) to transfer funds to your ex / baby mama / baby daddy.

You might also like to know that the IRS and child support agencies can revoke your US passport. A passport is not a right, it’s a privilege bestowed on us Americans from on high. For more on this, see Warning: The IRS Can Now Revoke Your Passport.

3. Obama

Obama laid the groundwork for the takeover of your retirement accounts by creating a test program that required IRAs be invested in US treasuries. myRA, launched in 2012 and was “upgraded” in 2016. It’s a retirement plan for new savers that allows them to invest in safe treasuries… because they are obviously not capable of choosing their own investments.

Take a read through the government website. You’ll find all kinds of references to safety, security and protecting the American worker.

Expect these talking points to come into focus in the next two years in an all out push to move your IRA to treasuries.

Note that this is not a partisan issue. I believe that both Republicans and Democrats will be forced to convert our IRAs to treasuries in the near future. Soon enough, it will be Trump or Hillary telling us how the government needs to protect its citizens by taking over management of our retirement accounts.

4. Civil Creditors

If you get sued, your IRA is at risk. The US bankruptcy statute allows you to protect about $1.1 million of retirement assets from creditors. But, that requires you to qualify for and go through bankruptcy. As a part of this process, your creditors will be able to breach multiple domestic asset protection structures and get paid… maybe not from your IRA, but they will collect.

Any time a US judge is making decisions about your finances, expect her to side with the plaintiff. The US system is focused on making the injured party whole. Very little is done to protect your rights (the defendant’s rights).

Proper planning will move your IRA out of the reach of creditors without requiring you go through bankruptcy.

5. Currency and Stock Market Risks

China and every other country is dumping US treasuries and selling off US stocks fast. China’s stash of American stocks sank by $126 billion, or 38 percent, from the end of July through March of this year. China also sold off about 20% of their US treasuries.

Combine this with the fact that gold is on a tear, and the writing’s on the wall for the US dollar. Whether you think we are in for a correction or a catastrophe, it’s time to diversify your retirement savings.

What can you do to protect your retirement account from a government looking to shore up its treasuries, IRS seizure and civil creditors, and diversify out of the dollar?

Take your IRA offshore before it’s too late.

I suggest that the first step in implementing the myRa plan on a larger scale is to block future IRA transfers offshore. The US is likely to eliminate the loophole that allows you to take control of your retirement account and move it out of their grasp in the next year.

Most experts agree that those who are already offshore when the hammer comes down will be safe. It would be nearly impossible to reach offshore IRAs that are invested in immovable assets like real estate and hardwoods (one of the most popular investments offshore today).

However, it will be very easy for the government to close the door. One rule change by the IRS and no more offshore IRA LLC transfers. And, once that door shuts, I guarantee it won’t be opened again.

If you’d like more information on protecting your retirement account, please see my Offshore IRA LLC page.  We will be happy to assist you in structuring your retirement account offshore and opening bank and brokerage accounts for that structure.

If you believe your IRA is at significant risk from civil creditors, you might also take a read through Protect Your IRA by Converting it into an Offshore Trust. This is a specialized asset protection structure we have developed for high risk clients.

I hope you have found this post on the top 5 risks to your IRA to be helpful. Please drop me a line to info@premieroffshore.com or call (619) 483-1708 for a confidential consultation on taking your retirement account offshore.

asset protection trust

Maximum Security with a Cook Islands Asset Protection Trust

The Cook Islands asset protection trust is the Fort Knox of asset protection. An offshore trust from the Cook Islands is the ultimate in personal privacy and protection – often imitated but never duplicated. If you want to build an impregnable fortress offshore, you want a Cook Island asset protection trust.

The Cook Islands asset protection trust is the best available because it works. Every time a well designed Cook Islands trust has been tested in court by a civil creditor, it has protected our clients assets.

Note that I said civil creditors. The Cook Island trust is not intended to keep out the US government. If you’re a US citizen, you must report your offshore trust and offshore bank account to the IRS. Also, you must usually pay taxes on the gains within the trust.

Another reason a Cook Islands trust is the best available is because it’s flexible. You, the settlor, can manage the assets of the trust until a “bad thing” happens. If you come under attack by a creditor, you will turn over this responsibility to your offshore trustee.

When you come under duress, your licensed, bonded and insured trustee in the Cook Islands will step in and assume the management of your trust. They will captain the ship until you have dispatched your foe in the courts. If you need cash, the trustee will send it to you. If you want to buy a property overseas or invest in gold, your trustee can facilitate that on your behalf.

This is why the Cook Islands asset protection trust is the best of both worlds – you have 100% control of the assets unless and until you come under attack. If that occurs, a trusted and professional trustee steps in to your shoes and manages the trust per your prior instructions.

Note that this max protect offshore trust is meant to secure your assets from future civil creditors. If someone sues you after you funded your offshore trust, there is nothing he or she can do to reach your assets. If they sue you before you fund your trust, they can probably knock down your walls and breach the castle.

The Cook Islands is located due south, near Australia and New Zealand in the same time zone as Hawaii. The trustees and other professionals, with whom we’ve worked for over 10 years, are lawyers, CPAs and other licensed professionals from New Zealand.

With the Cook Islands, you’ll be working with top veteran attorneys from reputable jurisdictions. These are high level professionals and not the typical paper pushers you meet in the banana republics around the Caribbean.

Another benefit of the Cook Islands is that, should a creditor bring suit against the trust, they’ll need to do it in New Zealand. Legal cases are heard in New Zealand courts who apply Cook Islands law. You know that the process will be fair and that the laws will be administered properly… another feature often missing in less reputable Caribbean jurisdictions.

The next feature of the Cook Island offshore asset protection trust is “portability.” You can move the trust and its assets out of the Cook Islands at any time. That’s right, a Cook Islands Trust can be moved to another jurisdiction if you come under attack.

Let’s say a creditor has won their case in US and is attempting to enforce their judgement in Cook Island. Assuming the statute of limitations hasn’t run out, and it appears the creditor is making headway, you can pick up the assets of the trust and move them to another country such as Belize or Cayman Islands. The creditor might spend many thousands of dollars bringing an action in Cook Islands to find an empty treasure trove when he finally makes it past the gates.

Remember, when the statute of limitations clock runs out, New Zealand will refuse to hear any cases against your Cook Island trust.

Beating that statute of limitations is a very difficult thing to do for a civil creditor, especially one from the United States. Thus, it’s rare for a creditor to even get the right to have their case against a Cook Islands offshore asset protection trust heard.

This is because the Cooks Islands statute of limitations is one year from the date the trust is funded or two years from the cause of action (the date the harm occurred).

Because US litigation usually takes years, by the time the case is complete in the US, and the creditor has a civil judgment they want to enforce in Cook Islands, the clock has run out. That is to say, by the time the creditor gets a judgement in the US, they will be barred by the statute of limitations in the Cook Islands from collecting on that judgement.

Of course, we hope you never need to use your Cook Island asset protection trust. Maybe trouble never finds you and your structure sits unused as an insurance policy. Maybe creditors decide not to sue because your assets are out of their reach. Often the case is never brought because the US lawyer refuses to take the case on contingency because the probability of collection is low.

If you do need your asset protection trust, and it’s within the 1 or 2 year window, the Cook Island law is still there to support you. The only way the creditor can enforce a judgement against you in Cook Islands is to prove beyond a reasonable doubt (a very high legal standard) that the sole reason you setup the offshore trust was to transfer assets away from that particular creditor.

Of course, there are many reasons to set up an offshore asset protection trust. For example, to facilitate your international investments, international estate planning, general protection (not related to one particular creditor), etc. Each of these reasons should be documented during the formation phase to support your use of a Cook Island trust.

So long as the trust is used to protect against future civil creditors, and not the US government, your offshore structure will provide an impenetrable barrier through which no creditor may pass.

I hope you have found this post on offshore asset protection trusts in the Cook Islands helpful. Please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call (619) 483-1708 for a confidential consultation.

The Panama Foundation for Asset Protection

The Panama Foundation provides the best asset protection and estate planning available… hands down, no questions asked.  Here’s why the Panama Foundation is the ticket for those wanting to diversify abroad and protect their savings.

While the offshore trust, especially the Cook Island Trust, has a longer history, the modern Panama Foundation costs less to set up and maintain, and you don’t need to pay a professional trustee or protector. This can save you thousands of dollars a year. The Panama Foundation is the most efficient advanced asset protection structure available… and it’s just as effective as its high cost cousin.

With a Panama Foundation, you can appoint anyone you like to handle your estate should you become incapacitated. Also, unlike a Belize trust, you can be the manager of the Foundation, controlling its investments for the benefits of your heirs.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning…

Panama Foundation Overview

First, let me take a moment to summarize the Panama Foundation as an asset protection tool.  The Foundation, as defined in the Panama law in 1995, and as updated and improved over the years, is a separate and distinct entity from its owners.  As a result, the Panama Foundation is now recognized, not only by Panama,  but by the United States and other countries, as one of the most efficient asset protection tools.

For example, the Panama Foundation is one of the very few foreign structures approved in the Cayman Islands.  The very conservative country of Cayman (regardless of what you see in the movies, Cayman is extremely conservative) has approved the Panama Foundation to open accounts in its banks without any extra due diligence required.  Try to open an account under a Nevis corporation here and you will be shown the door or told to form a local company.

  • Being recognized around the world gives you access to more foreign banks, currencies and investments.  It also means you can move quickly out of Panama if sued there.

Also, the Panama Foundation does not require members or shareholders.  All that is needed is the Founder (you, the settlor), the Foundation council (we or you provide), and a beneficiary.  You may act as both the Founder and the beneficiary and may appoint any three people or any one company as the counsel.  It is usually this counsel that manages the assets should you become unable or unwilling to do so (such as if you are in litigation or otherwise incapacitated).

That’s the basic structure.  I usually recommend that larger Panama Foundations 1) don’t list the settlor as the beneficiary and 2) appoint an asset manager as the protector or foundation counsel.  If the primary purpose of the Foundation is asset protection, taking these steps early can save you in the long run.  Of course, you can add the protector or investment manager later if an attack on your assets becomes likely.

Benefits of a Panama Foundation

There are many benefits of a Panama Foundation for asset protection and I’ll take them in turn here.  The first is that the Foundation won’t be taxed in Panama… and no local accounting or audit will be required.  I never recommend a jurisdiction for asset protection that requires audited financials, the filing of tax forms, or any other compliance.  For example, Hong Kong requires audited financial statements be filed each year, and thus an expensive CPA is required, so I avoid that country.

  • So long as the Foundation’s income is from outside of Panama, it will be tax free.  Of course, if you open a business (such as a bar) in Panama, you will pay Panamanian tax on the profits.

Next, the Panama Foundation is a hybrid entity in between a trust and a corporation.  Therefore, it may act as an offshore trust, but it is far more cost effective to form and operate than other international trust arrangements.

For example, the Panama Foundation is about 1/2 the cost of a Cook Island Trust and you need not pay for a Protector or asset manager unless you elect to have one.  Most trusts require one of these two persons and charge a few points on the assets of the trust (assets under management) to provide them.

  • I helped a CI trust that was spending $6,000+ per year in maintenance and management move to Panama. We cut these costs down to about $950 p.a.

Of course, if you desire advanced investment management services, they are available in Panama, Cayman Islands, or elsewhere.  All of the major financial service providers are in Panama and we can arrange bank and brokerage accounts at all levels.

Next, the Panama Foundation is a separate entity and, as such, may enter in to contracts and agreements on behalf of its Founder (you).  The Foundation’s ability to contract and operate as a company separate and distinct from its owner is why we call the Panama Foundation a hybrid structure.  While a trust is one with its settlor, a Panama Foundation is a legal entity like a corporation or LLC (which is why I refer to it as a company).

The only limitation is that a Panama Foundation may not operate an active business.  If you want to hold a business in a Panama structure, your Foundation may form a Panama corporation, but may not own the business directly.

I note that real estate is usually not an active business… unless you own many units or buy land, divide it, and sell parcels.  Your Panama Foundation may own a rental or two, or you may decide to purchase the condo in a corporation for maximum local asset protection… if something happens to the condo, liability in Panama won’t reach the assets of the Foundation.

A Panama Foundation may be established for the benefit of any third party. Alternately, the Founder/settlor may be the beneficiary.  As stated above, I don’t recommend the Founder be the beneficiary, but it is possible.  You may also list anyone or any company as the beneficiary.

  • Beneficiaries may be any person(s) or company(ies).  Beneficiaries are not public record.

In fact, your estate plan may be as simple or complex as you like.  You might decide to work with the U.S. gift tax exclusion, or the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion for a business in Panama, create a charitable remainder structure, a generation skipping Foundation, or any variation thereof.

The bottom line is that you may control the disposition of assets by lodging a simple or complex list of instructions with the Foundation council.  This “letter of wishes” will tell the banks, brokerages, and property managers what to do with your assets upon your passing and may be changed or updated as often as you like… usually at no cost.

Also, the Panama Foundation requires no annual meeting or formalities.  With a U.S. structure, if you fail to keep up appearances, creditors may pierce the corporate veil and get to your assets.  In Panama, no such laws apply and your assets are secure.  As stated above, no audit, accounting, or tax filing will be required in Panama.

Conventions of the Panama Foundation

A Panama Foundation may use any name available.  You’re not required to use your last name, as is the custom with a trust.  Though, you do need to include the word “Foundation” in the name.  So, The Reeves Private Interest Foundation, Reeves Foundation, or Great Panama Foundation would all be acceptable names.

A Panama Foundation must have a local address and local agent for service of process.  Just as when you form an out of state company or LLC in the US, you need to have a local representative to receive legal correspondence.  We provide this for you at no cost.

The Founder of a Panama Foundation may be any person or entity (a foreign or domestic corporation, trust, LLC, etc.).

Uses for a Panama Foundation

The most common uses of a Panama Foundation are:

  • To hold shares, patents, collect royalties, manage trademarks and other passive activities;
  • Offshore asset protection for those who want to diversify out of the U.S.;
  • Moving assets out of your US estate to minimize US estate tax;
  • Investment management and private asset management by firms or outside of the United States, especially where the provider is unwilling to do business with a U.S. person directly.

Panama Foundation Council

As I’ve said, a Panama Foundation may be as simple or complex as necessary.  One of the reasons for this flexibility is the Foundation Council, which is unique to Panama.  It is this council that allows you to maximize asset protection and, should you come under duress, allows you to separate yourself from the structure and the assets.

  • You may manage the Panama Foundation directly until or unless you have an issue (come under attack by a creditor).

You may elect to retain a professional trust company or lawyer to act as your trustee/protector.  This person would be appointed by your foundation council and act at your direction.

We provide your foundation council at no additional charge.  You may then add an investment manager or lawyer as you see fit.  Alternatively, you can manage your Panama Foundation and then seek professional assistance only if you come under duress or litigation becomes likely. Of course, you can provide the Foundation council.

Your Panama Foundation Council may consist of three or more persons or one legal entity (a corporation or LLC).  These people or company may be from any country… they need not be Panamanians.  Though, I don’t recommend U.S. persons or companies as council members. This would reduce the asset protection benefits of the Panama Foundation.  U.S. persons are subject to the control and whims of a U.S. court.

So, if you want to create an advanced structure, we can provide a Panama attorney, or an offshore LLC to act as the Foundation Council… maybe a limited liability company from Belize to maximize privacy and diversify or plant flags in multiple jurisdictions, taking the best from each and combining it into a worldwide asset protection plan.

U.S. Taxation of a Panama Foundation

As I said above, foreign source and passive income are not taxable in Panama.  So long as the foundation is not operating a business in Panama, you’ll pay no local tax.

Of course, if you do operate a business or sell local real estate you will pay tax to Panama.

If you are living in the United States, you (the Founder) are the beneficial owner of the assets of the Foundation for U.S. tax purposes.  In other words, the Founder is the owner of the assets for US tax purposes (but not litigation purposes) held by the Foundation. Any income generated therefrom will be taxable in the U.S.

As you know, the U.S. taxes its citizens on our worldwide income.  The fact that you are using a Panama Foundation for asset protection does not change the tax code.  The U.S. will want its cut of passive income so long as you hold a blue passport and its share of business income so long as you are living in the U.S.

There are a number of U.S. tax planning options with a Panama Foundation that are outside of the scope of this article.  For example, you might hold an active business in a Panama corporation owned by the Foundation, qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, and draw a salary from that corporation of up to $100,800 for 2015 free of U.S. income tax (husband and wife might each take $100,000 for a total of $200,000). Then, you may retain earnings over this amount and defer U.S. tax for as long as you like. See my articles on the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion for more information.

You might also decide to create sub-Foundations and transfer portions of the assets in your primary Panama Foundation to your heirs over time using the gift tax exclusion.  This may reduce your U.S. tax and have other estate planning benefits.

You might decide to purchase precious metal or physical gold within your Panama Foundation.  This can be done in Panama by leasing a local vault and we can introduce you to reputable sources for bouillon if you like.

Or you might invest in an offshore life insurance policy through your Panama Foundation.  These investments usually require $2 million or more and, assuming they are U.S. compliant, may allow you to reduce or eliminate U.S. tax on passive income.

  • These are complex topics and I have just touched on them here.

Conclusion

To recap, the major benefits of a Panama Foundation over other asset protection vehicles are:

  • Exemption from all Panamanian taxes on profits generated outside of Panama
  • Relatively Inexpensive to maintain
  • Separate legal entity with capacity to execute agreements and acquire obligations and property.
  • No shareholders,  members, directors, or officers required
  • Any person or company may create a foundation for the benefit of any third party
  • Assets transferred to the Foundation in a timely manner are out of reach of civil creditors
  • Accounting and audited financials are not required
  • No foreign exchange controls

If you would like to form a Panama Foundation, please give us a call or send an email to info@premieroffshore.com.  We will be happy to work with you to structure your affairs in a tax efficient and compliant manner.

Articles on Panama and the Panama Foundation:

IRA Gold

IRA Gold Rules

Yes, you can take your IRA offshore and buy IRA gold… so long as you follow the rules and buy the right kind of gold.  If you will invest in IRA gold, this brief post is a must read.

Here are the basics of buying IRA Gold:

First, if you wish to hold IRA gold outside of the United States, you should form an Offshore LLC, invest your retirement account in to that structure, and then make your investments.  This give you control of your retirement account(s) and you are the only signor on that foreign bank/investment account.

Next, you must follow all of the same rules as an onshore IRA manager.  Luckily, the rules for IRA gold are quite simple.

Your offshore IRA may invest in physical gold.  This means, you can buy gold bullion, nuggets, or any other type of precious metal allocation you like.  IRA GOLD DOES NOT INCLUDE COLLECTIBLE GOLD COINS!

If you buy IRA gold, you must buy physical gold that is valued on its gold content.  You may not buy coins that have value over and above their gold content.  IRA gold does not include collectibles.

The only gold coins that I am aware of which you can purchase in an IRA are American Golden Eagles.  These are priced at around $140 for their gold content and have no value as a collectible.

Of course, my recommendation is to hold physical gold, not coins, in an offshore vault in Panama or Switzerland.  I also suggest you avoid paper gold, which provides very little protection (hedge) against catastrophic events.

I hope this post on IRA Gold is helpful.  We do not sell gold, but will be happy to direct you to offshore experts.  For more information, please send me an email to info@premieroffshore.com.

Panama foundation IRA Tax

Panama Foundation IRA Tax Review

The Panama Foundation has been approved as the “owner” of a U.S. retirement account in Panama.  This means that, those who want to invest in Panama, have access to banks or brokerage services in Panama, or hold their retirement account n the most advanced asset protection and estate planning tool available, may now move their IRA to a Panama Foundation.

This article is a review of the U.S. and Panama tax laws as applicable to holding an IRA in a Panama Foundation.  I’ve included cites for those who want to delve in to the U.S. tax code or the ERISA statutes.

I begin by noting that the U.S. code sections that allow you to move your U.S. retirement account in to a domestic or foreign LLC are the same ones used to support the Panama Foundation.  The Foundation is conveyed in to a disregarded entity for U.S. tax purposes, just like an LLC, but retains its estate planning and asset protection components in Panama.

The Panama Foundation IRA structure we have created is designed around the U.S. domestic business trust IRA and the offshore IRA LLC.  In a business trust, the IRA makes an investment in to the trust by acquiring the “beneficial interest” of the trust.  Often the IRA will purchase 100% of the “beneficial interests” of the trust, much like it will acquire 100% of the “membership interest” of a limited liability company or shares of a corporation.  Essentially, the term “beneficial interest” is the title for “equity interests” in the business trust.

Using IRC § 4975 (e)(2)(G) and ERISA Reg 2510.3-101(b)(1), we have applied these rules to the Panama Foundation, which is a hybrid trust and corporate entity.  In the case of the Panama Foundation, the IRA account is the trustor or settler of the Foundation (i.e., the party who transferred assets to the Foundation) and the beneficiary (the party that holds the beneficial interest of the Panama Foundation).  Therefore, the IRA account is both the trustor/settlor and the only beneficiary of the Panama Foundation.

Limitations! 

In a traditional asset protection structure, we don’t usually recommend the Founder be the same “person” as the beneficiary.  In the case of a Panama Foundation IRA, this is required to maintain the tax preferred status of the retirement account under U.S. law.

Also, the Panama Foundation IRA we have created may not act as both the owner of your retirement account and as an asset protection trust for your after tax (non – IRA) money.  You may not mix after tax cash with your retirement savings.

U.S. Tax Classification of a Panama Foundation IRA

When you take your retirement account offshore, the objective is to (legally) eliminate all Federal and States filing obligations.  To accomplish this, the Panama Foundation IRA must have only one member/founder and be considered a disregarded entity for U.S. tax purposes.  This is quite different than a typical trust used for estate planning purposes or a Panama Foundation used for asset protection.

Specifically, a typical U.S. trust is governed under Subchapter J of the U.S. tax code § 641.  The Panama Foundation’s tax status is determined under the “check-the-box” Treasury Regulations.

Under Treasury Reg. 301.7701-4(b), a foreign entity is treated as a business entity and classified for under Treasury Reg. 301.7701-2.  Under this section, a business entity with two or more members is classified as either a corporation or a partnership.  A corporation is then defined to mean a business entity organized under a state or international statute which refers to the entity as “incorporated” or as a “corporation.”  For example, a Panama corporation is by default a foreign corporation, and not a partnership or trust, because it is “incorporated” under the relevant Panama code sections.  Likewise, any entity ending in Inc., A.G., Corp., Ltd., or a similar designation is assured to be a corporation for U.S. tax purposes.

Now that your Panama Foundation is classified as a disregarded entity, because it has only one owner of the beneficial interests and/or submitted the form to be classified as a disregarded entity, it will not have to file federal or state income tax returns.

State tax:  For example, every corporation doing business in California is subject to the minimum franchise tax of $800.  The same goes for any LLC formed in California.  But other entities, such as trusts formed outside of the State, are not required to pay this tax.  For more information, see the California Revenue and Taxation code and related regulations (§ 23038 and CA Admin Code Title 18 § 23038(a), (b)-1 and (b)-2.  As to the disregarded entity status in California, see Rev and Tax Code § 17942(a) and (b).

Plan Asset Rule

Once your retirement account has been moved to a Panama Foundation, and you are the manager of that Foundation, you’ll be required to follow the various Plan Assest Rules as defined in the ERISA Regulations at 2510.3-101(a)(2).  As the plan manager, you become a fiduciary of the IRA and must always act in the best interest of the account and the Panama Foundation IRA.

As a fiduciary, you are prohibited from borrowing from the plan, using the funds for your personal benefit, making certain prohibited investments, and engaging in any transaction at less than fair market value.  Basically, you are to manage the Panama Foundation for the benefit of the retirement account as a professional investment advisor would.  You should act as if the funds belong to someone other than you… which, in fact, they do… cash belongs to the IRA.

I would like to point out here that these rules apply to Panama Foundations and LLCs that hold a U.S. retirement account.  They are not applicable to a Panama Foundation used to protect after tax money (personal savings).

For more information on your rights and responsibilities, as well as a discussion of what you may and may not invest in, please see my Self Directed IRA page (top right of the menu).

Documents of the Panama Foundation

Where a typical Panama Foundation consists of a Foundation Charter and a Letter of Wishes, a Panama Foundation IRA is built upon a similar Charter and an Operating Agreement.  The Charter sets forth the purpose of the Foundation in general terms and the Operating Agreement (which is a private document not filed with the government) describes the IRA structure in detail.

The Foundation Charter is public record and filed in Panama.  The Operating Agreement is essentially a contract between you and the U.S. custodian detailing each party’s rights and obligations with regards to the IRA Foundation.  Collectively, these are referred to as the Foundation documents.

The Foundation documents work together to set forth the purpose of the Foundation, which is to make appropriate investments and manage the IRA funds it controls.  As such, these documents give the manager (you) the authority to open bank and brokerage accounts, purchase property, and spend money to improve or add to that property.

It is the Foundation Charter that gives the Founder the ability to enter in to the Operating Agreement with the retirement account administrator.  Then it is these documents together that allow you, the beneficial owner of the retirement account, to be appointed as the manager.

As the manager of the Panama Foundation IRA, you have the right to make investment decisions, as well as any changes to the Foundation Charter and Operating Agreement.  As such, you are taking the right and responsibility to make decisions away from the U.S. administrator.

The administrator agrees to transfer this authority to you, and you agree to indemnify him from any actions you take as the manager of the Panama Foundation.  In other words, the Operating Agreements says you must follow all applicable rules (such as the plan asset rule), and can make any permitted investment you like.  If you lose money, or break a rule and the IRA is penalized by the IRS, that’s on you… the administrator has no liability.  His job is to 1) invest the IRA in to the Panama Foundation and 2) file annual forms with the IRS.  For this, he will charge a few hundred dollars a year.  He doesn’t get to charge a fee or make a commission on any of your investments and has no liability if you make a bad deal.

As such, you will be the only signatory on the bank accounts.  The U.S. administrator will have no right to force the assets of the Panama Foundation be returned to the United States.  If you come under attack (litigation), then you decide how to handle those offshore accounts.

Finally, you are not required to seek the administrator’s permission for any investment.  You have total control over the check book of the Panama Foundation… and that’s how the administrator wants it.

Active Business in a Panama Foundation IRA

The Panama Foundation, as defined in Law No 25, Private Interest Foundations, issued on June 25, 1995, may not operate an active business.  So, while it is legal for a U.S. IRA to operate a business, it is not possible to do so if you move the retirement account in to a Panama Foundation.

However, I don’t see this as much of a drawback… an offshore IRA should not be operating a business anyway.  Any business owned and operated by a retirement account will generate Unrelated Business Income in the United States, which will be taxed at 35%.  That’s right, active business income earned in a retirement account is taxable.

To eliminate this tax, an offshore IRA structure may form a UBIT blocker corporation to hold the business.  Then, the corporation passes interest and dividends up to the Foundation/IRA.  This converts the UBI in to traditional investment income and avoids the UBIT.

For more information on UBIT and blocker structures, please see my various posts on this topic.  Suffice it to say, any active business owned by the Panama Foundation IRA should be in a Panama corporation.

I hope you have found this review of the Panama Foundation IRA structure helpful.  For more information, please call us or send an email to info@permieroffshore.com.  We will be happy to work with you and answer any questions you may have.

Note that we are the creators of the Panama Foundation IRA structure.  As such, we are uniquely qualified to help you move your retirement account to Panama.

IRA to Panama

Move Your IRA to Panama

We have been working for months with lawyers, banks, and government agencies in Panama and are finally ready to announce some great news for those seeking asset protection.  You may now move your IRA or other retirement account to Panama and in to the best protection and estate planning tool available… the Panama Private Interest Foundation.

This represents the culmination of a great deal of negotiation and a titanic shift in the offshore IRA industry.  While you were previously required to form an offshore LLC, you may now utilize a U.S. compliant Panama Foundation to hold your retirement account.  This means you have access to all of the investment service providers, banks, and investment opportunities in Panama without being required to add a Panama corporation to your offshore LLC or getting your LLC licensed to do business in Panama… which is a major hassle costing thousands of dollars to complete.

This also means your IRA is in a Category III entity, which is much more advantageous for larger accounts and gives you access to a wider range of jurisdictions.

Let me explain.  Before we created the Panama Foundation IRA, you were required to place your IRA in to an offshore LLC.  This is because you needed to move it in to a disregarded entity for U.S. tax purposes to maintain the tax benefits of being a U.S. compliant retirement account.  If you wanted to invest in a country that doesn’t have an LLC statute, you needed to create a subsidiary corporation under your offshore LLC.  This increased the formation costs and maintenance, as well as the U.S. compliance required to move your IRA offshore.  Most notably, the offshore corporation is required to file a U.S. tax return, IRS Form 5471, which creates too many headaches to list here.

* The only countries offering compatible offshore LLCs are Anguilla, Nevis, Belize, and the Cook Islands.  Obviously, this limits your investment options unless you form an offshore corporation owned by the LLC.

Being what is referred to as a Category III entity, the Panama Foundation may open accounts and make investments in Panama (obviously) and other countries that have agreements with Panama.  This includes Hong Kong and Cayman Islands.  Cayman is universally regarded as the most advanced offshore banking jurisdictions for larger investors, but has no LLC statute.  Structures from Anguilla, Belize, Nevis and Cook Islands are (basically) prohibited from opening accounts in Cayman, but a Panama Foundation has the same legal standing as a domestic entity… which is a major advantage.

* For more on Cayman, please see my article on this topic.

Also, when designing an offshore IRA structure, you want to ensure you are not required to file any U.S. tax forms.  Eliminating filing requirements will save you thousands in compliance costs and greatly reduce the probability of being audited.

Moving your IRA in to the Panama Foundation structure we have created eliminates all U.S. filing obligations.  Both an offshore LLC and our Panama Foundation structure are classified as disregarded entities for U.S. tax purposes and therefore not required to file a return… again, unless you add a corporation to the structure.

* There are times when a corporation and filing Form 5471 can be a major advantage.  See my articles on UBIT blockers for more information.

I also note that the Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR) is not required for a bank or brokerage account owned by a retirement account.

The above description covers just the basics of moving your retirement account in to a Panama Foundation.  I will be releasing a detailed analysis of the structure and its legal basis in the U.S. in the next few days.

Please understand that the Panama Foundation IRA has a different objective than our typical asset protection structure.  As this Foundation must meet all U.S. requirements for a retirement account, and we wish to prevent the need to file U.S. returns, it uses a different legal system than a Panama Foundation for protecting after tax income.  That is to say, not all my comments and articles on the Panama Foundation apply to a Foundation which holds an IRA.

Basically, what we have done is take those aspects of the Panama Foundation that maximize asset protection and estate planning for U.S. persons, and convert them in to a structure that can support your retirement account.  Once the account is inside the Panama Foundation, you are the manager and have complete control over the investments and the checkbook of the Foundation.

As the manager of the Foundation, and the fiduciary of the retirement account, it’s your job to manage the assets of the Foundation for the benefit of the retirement account, and not for your own gain.  I will address this in more detail in my next post.

Our design also incorporates legal components from the U.S. business trust (which is quite different from a U.S. grantor trust) and the offshore LLC structures we have offered for the last several years.

The Panama Foundation IRA may hold any investment permitted under the U.S. IRA statutes.  This includes physical gold, bank and brokerage accounts, and real estate.  In fact, the Panama Foundation may hold land or other property to be improved by the Foundation, or a rental where the Foundation is to collect rents and pay expenses.

So, moving your IRA in to a Panama Foundation rather than an offshore LLC, will allow you to invest in and open accounts in Panama without a corporation or other expensive maneuvers.  If Panama is where you would like to keep your investments, or you need access to other advanced markets (such as Cayman), you should consider forming a Panama Foundation IRA.

Please send an email to info@premieroffshore.com for additional information.  We will be happy to review this unique structure with you.

Stay tuned for my tax and legal analysis of the Panama Foundation IRA…

Panama Foundation Scam

The Panama Foundation Scam

Just about every week someone calls asking about using a Panama Foundation as a charity.  This is known in tax circles as the Panama Foundation scam and the internet is filled with it.  Avoid the Panama Foundation scam at all costs.  It will lead you down a very bad path with the IRS.

Here’s how the call goes:  “Hey there, I’ve been reading on the internet and came across your site.  What I’d like to do is…”

By this time I already know what’s coming, but let them proceed anyway.  Just about any call which is prefaced by, “I was reading on the internet” is leading nowhere good.  There are very few sites that provide both asset protection or formation services and U.S. tax compliance.  If a company is based offshore, they can tell you whatever they want to make a sale.  If they are in the U.S. and have U.S. licensed professionals, then they follow the law first and look to make the sale second.

Ok, enough pontificating.  Back to the Panama Foundation scam.

“I want to form a Panama Foundation and operate it like a charity.  I want to make donations to this charity and deduct them on my U.S. taxes…” or something like that.

Here’s the bottom line on the Panama Foundation scam:  The Panama Foundation is not a charitable entity and can’t be turned in to a charity.  All of the websites and marketing brochures talking about this are scammers… or, worse, they believe the cr*p they are selling and are tax protestors.

The U.S. tax code is very clear.  Only donations to a U.S. licensed charity may be deducted on your personal income tax return.  That is to say, only donations to a charitable organization licensed under 501 (c) (3) of the U.S. Tax Code are deductible.  Your Panama Foundation won’t get a 501 (c) (3) license, so you can’t deduct transfers to it.  If you were to spend the time, money and effort to get a license, there would be no reason to use a Panama structure… you would incorporate in the U.S.

Even if you wanted to donate to a church or legitimate charity in Panama or elsewhere, such a donation is only deductible if that entity is licensed in the U.S.  Of course, you are free to give to anyone or any organization you like.  You just don’t get to deduct that payment on tax returns.

For example, the Red Cross is incorporated in Switzerland, as are most of the major charities.  These organizations then form corporations in the United States and apply for charitable status before taking donations.

Sometimes the Panama Foundation scam relies on the private interest foundation tax rules rather than the charity code section.  A private foundation in the U.S. allows you to donate property (usually appreciated assets) to your personal foundation.  You get to deduct the fair market value of the donation in the year given (which is why appreciated property is recommended) and then transfer a small percentage of that property to a licensed charity over a number of years.  This allows you to maintain control over the property, manage it for the benefit of a charity, and give up only a portion over time.

So, the Panama Foundation scam often takes verbiage and rules from the private interest foundation sections and applies them to the Panama Foundation.  Unfortunately, there is nothing legitimate to this analysis.  The Panama Foundation is not a private interest foundation as defined in the U.S. code and this is just a scam to sell Panamanian entities to those looking for a tax loophole.

Just last week I came across someone who took the Panama Foundation scam to a new level.  He would form the Foundation and file the charitable tax return in the United States for that entity.  This was done with the intent of confusing the U.S. IRS computers into thinking it was a legitimate charity.

He would then sell this “licensed” foundation for many thousands of dollars to someone who fell for the scam and thought they were getting a charity or private interest foundation.  Of course, the sham will be discovered some day and all the donations will be reversed.  This will mean big time tax, interest and penalties will be assessed against the buyer… and criminal charges brought against the scammer… if he can be found on the day of reckoning.

Don’t fall for the Panama Foundation scam.  The Panama Foundation is not a charitable organization as defined by any section of the U.S. tax code.  This is one of the many reasons you should only form offshore structures with a firm that provides U.S. tax compliance.

Panama Foundation

The Panama Foundation for Asset Protection

The Panama Foundation provides the best asset protection and estate planning available… hands down, no questions asked.  Here’s why the Panama Foundation is the ticket for those wanting to move assets out of the United States and eliminate the U.S. estate tax.

First, let me take a moment to summarize the Panama Foundation as an asset protection tool.  The Foundation, as defined in the Panama law in 1995, and as updated and improved over the years, is now a separate and distinct entity from its owners.  As a result, the Panama Foundation is now recognized, not only by Panama, but by the United States and other countries as one of the most efficient tools out there.

For example, the Panama Foundation is one of the very few foreign structures approved in the Cayman Islands, and is a recommended vehicle for holding investments there.  The very conservative country of Cayman (regardless of what you see in the movies, Cayman is extremely conservative) has approved the Panama Foundation to open accounts in its banks and funds without any extra due diligence required.  Try to open an account under a Belize corporation and you will be shown the door or told to form a local company.

* Being recognized around the world gives you better access to foreign banks, currencies and investments.  It also means you can move quickly out of Panama if sued there.

I also note that the Panama Foundation does not require members or shareholders.  All that is needed is the Founder (settlor), the Foundation council, and a beneficiary.  You may act as both the Founder and the beneficiary, and may appoint any three people or any one company as the counsel.  It is usually this counsel that manages the assets should you become unable or unwilling to do so (such as if you are in litigation or your assets are otherwise under attack).

This is the basic structure.  I usually recommend that larger Panama Foundations 1) don’t list the settlor as the beneficiary and 2) appoint an asset manager as the protector or foundation counsel.  While it is not required, if the primary purpose of the Foundation is asset protection, taking these steps early can save you in the long urn.  Of course, you can add the protector or investment manager later if an attack on your assets is not imminent.

Benefits of a Panama Foundation

There are many benefits of a Panama Foundation for asset protection and I will take many of them in turn here.  The first is that the Foundation won’t be taxed in Panama… and no local accounting or audit will be required.  I never recommend a jurisdiction for asset protection that requires audited financials, the filing of tax forms, or any other compliance.  For example, Hong Kong has a number of these rules so I avoid that jurisdiction.

*So long as the income is from outside of Panama, it will be tax free.  Of course, if you open a business (such as a bar) in Panama, you will pay Panama tax on the profits.

Next, the Panama Foundation is a hybrid entity in between a trust and a corporation.  Therefore, it may act as an offshore trust, but it is far more cost effective to form and operate than many international trust arrangements.

For example, the Panama Foundation is about 1/3 the cost of a Cook Island Trust and you need not pay for a Protector or asset manager unless you elect to have one.  Most trusts require one of these two persons and charge a few percentage points on the assets of the trust (assets under management) to provide them.  I’ve seen a CI trust that cost $6,000+ to maintain per year move to Panama and cut these costs down to about $950.

Of course, if you desire advanced fund management services, they are available to you in Panama, Cayman Islands, or elsewhere.  All of the major financial service providers are in Panama and we can make introductions to banks and brokerages at all account sizes.

Next, the Panama Foundation is a separate entity and, as such, may enter in to contracts and agreements on behalf of its Founder (you) and as the manager of its underlying assets.  The ability to contract and operate as a company separate and distinct from its owner, is why we call the Panama Foundation a hybrid structure.  While a trust is one with its settlor, a Panama Foundation is a legal entity like a corporation or LLC (which is why I refer to it as a company).

The only limitation is that a Panama Foundation may not own an active business.  If you want to hold a business in a Panama structure, your Foundation may incorporate a Panama corporation, but may not own the business directly.

I note that real estate is usually not an active business… unless you own many units or buy land, divide it, and sell parcels.  Your Panama Foundation may own a rental, or you may decide to purchase the condo in a corporation for maximum local asset protection… if something happens to the condo, liability in Panama won’t reach the assets of the Foundation.

A Panama Foundation may be established for the benefit of any third party, or the Founder/settlor may be the beneficiary.  As stated above, I don’t recommend the Founder be the beneficiary, but it is possible.  You may also list anyone or any company as the beneficiary.  If you want to leave your estate to the Red Cross, no problem.

*Beneficiaries may be any person or company.  They are not public information.

In fact, your estate plan may be as simple or complex as you like.  You might decide to work with the U.S. gift tax exclusion, or the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion for a business in Panama, create a charitable remainder structure, a generation skipping Foundation, or any variation thereof.

The bottom line is that you may control the disposition of assets by lodging a simple or complex list of instructions with the Foundation council.  This “letter of wishes” will tell the banks, brokerages, and property managers what to do with your assets upon your passing and may be changed or updated as often as you like… usually at no cost.

Also, the Panama Foundation requires no annual meeting or formalities.  With a U.S. structure, if you fail to keep up appearances, creditors may pierce the corporate veil and get to your assets.  In Panama, no such laws apply and your assets are secure.  As stated above, no audit, accounting, or tax filing will be required.

Structure of the Panama Foundation

A Panama Foundation may use any name available.  You’re not required to use your last name, as is the custom with a trust.  Though, you do need to include the name “Foundation” in the name.  So, The Reeves Private Interest Foundation, Reeves Foundation, or Great Panama Foundation would all be acceptable names.

A Panama Foundation must have a local address and local agent for service of process.  Just as when you form an out of state company or LLC, you need to have a local representative to receive legal correspondence.  We provide this for you at no cost.

The Founder of a Panama Foundation may be any person or entity (a foreign or domestic corporation, trust, LLC, etc.).  In fact, it can be your U.S. retirement account.

* We are currently working on a U.S. compliant IRA Panama Foundation structure, to be released in the next few months.

The most common uses of a Panama Foundation are:

–  To hold shares, patents, collect royalties, manage trademarks and other passive activities;

–   Offshore asset protection for those who want to diversify out of the U.S.;

–   Offshore estate planning for those with more than $5 million in assets (assuming the estate tax amount doesn’t go down, as it has in decades past… then, anyone at risk of qualifying for the U.S. estate tax);

–   Investment management and private asset management by firms or outside of the United States, especially where the provider is unwilling to do business with a U.S. person directly.

Panama Foundation Council

As I’ve said, your Panama Foundation may be as simple (cost effective) or complex as necessary.  One of the reasons for this flexibility is the Foundation Council, which is unique to Panama.  It is this council that allows you to maximize asset protection and, should you come under duress, allows you to separate yourself from the structure and the assets.

* You may manage the Panama Foundation directly until or unless you have an issue (come under attack by a creditor).

You may elect to retain a professional trust company or lawyer to act as your trustee/protector.  This person would be appointed by your foundation council and act at your direction.

We provide your foundation council at no additional charge.  You may then add an investment manager or lawyer as you see fit.  Alternatively, you can manage your Panama Foundation and then seek additional council if you come under duress or litigation becomes likely.

Your Panama Foundation Council may consist of three or more persons or one legal entity (a corporation or LLC).  These people or company may be from any country… they need not be Panamanians.  Though, I would not use U.S. persons or a U.S. company, as this would eliminate the asset protection benefits of the Panama Foundation.  U.S. persons would be subject to the control of or whims of a U.S. court.

So, if you want to create an advanced structure, we can provide a Panama attorney, or an offshore LLC to act as the Foundation Council… maybe a limited liability company from Belize, for example, so as to maximize privacy.

Taxation of a Panama Foundation

As I said above, foreign source and passive income are not taxable to a Panama Foundation owned by a U.S. person.  So long as the foundation is not operating a business in Panama, you will pay no local tax.

Of course, if you do operate a business, or sell local real estate, you will pay tax to Panama.  The Foundation does not affect local transactions.

If you are living in the United States you (the Founder) are the beneficial owner of those assets for U.S. tax purposes.  In other words, the Founder is the owner of the assets which are held by the Foundation and any income generated there from will be taxable in the U.S.

As you know, the U.S. taxes its citizens on their world wide income.  The fact that you are using a Panama Foundation for asset protection purposes does not change the tax rule.  The U.S. will want its cut of passive income so long as you hold a blue passport and its share of business income so long as you are living in the U.S.

There are a number of tax planning options with a Panama Foundation that are outside of the scope of this article.  For example, you might hold an active business in a Panama corporation owned by the Foundation, qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, and draw a salary from that corporation of up to $99,200 each (husband and wife) free of U.S. income tax.  Then, you may retain earnings over this amount and defer U.S. tax for as long as you like.

You might also decide to create sub-Foundations and transfer portions of the assets in your primary Panama Foundation to your heirs over time using the gift tax exclusions.  This may reduce your U.S. tax and have other estate planning benefits.

You may decide to purchase precious metal or physical gold within your Panama Foundation.  This can be done in Panama by leasing a local vault and we can introduce you to reputable sources for bouillon if you like.

Finally, you might invest in an offshore life insurance policy through your Panama Foundation.  These investments usually of $2 million or more and assuming they are U.S. compliant, may allow you to avoid U.S. tax on passive income and then obtain a step-up in basis upon transfer to the beneficiaries of the Panama Foundation.

For more information on offshore life insurance, the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, or how to acquire gold in a Panama Foundation, please see my various articles.  These are complex topics and I have just touched on them here.

If you would like to form a Panama Foundation, please give us a call or send an email to info@premieroffshore.com.  We will be happy to work with you to structure your affairs in a tax efficient and compliant manner.

Retire Abroad

Retire abroad with Maximum Privacy

If you are thinking about retiring abroad, here is how to maximize your privacy. We start with the premise that the U.S. government wants you to disclose all assets, holdings, transactions, and investments. We then look for exceptions to those rules to find the legal loopholes that will allow you to retire with maximum privacy.

As you know, U.S. persons must pay tax on their worldwide income no matter where they live. Even if you retire outside of America, the IRS wants theirs. To enforce these laws, the U.S. requires you to disclose your assets each and every year on the Foreign Bank Account Report form and the Foreign Asset Report. Both of these force you to tell the U.S. what you have and where they can find it.

Well, there are a few … and I mean a very few … exceptions to these reporting requirements. In this article, I will describe each to give you an idea on how to retire abroad with maximum privacy.

My favorite tool to maximize privacy offshore is physical gold held in your name. You are not required to report physical gold on the FBAR or the Foreign Asset statement. Physical gold is gold bars or bullion, and not gold stocks. Paper gold must be reported while physical gold is exempt.

So, you may hold gold in Panama or Switzerland, in a vault in your name, and you are not required to report it to the U.S. I suggest gold is an excellent hedge if you have any concerns about the U.S. economic system or the USD.

Two quick sidebars:

  1. When I say something is held in your name, I mean that you are the owner. If gold is held in a corporation, trust, or foundation, you need to report the entity on the appropriate form and the asset on that entity’s balance sheet. If no structure is used to hold the exempted asset, then no reporting is required.
  2. I am talking about living abroad with maximum privacy, not reducing or eliminating U.S. tax. I will leave that topic for another day. Suffice it to say, if you buy physical gold, you are not required to report its existence. However, when you sell that gold, it is a capital gain, taxable on your U.S. return unless it is inside a U.S. compliant retirement account.

The next best way to retire overseas with maximum privacy is to invest in foreign real estate and hold that property in your name … again, not an offshore company. So long as you live in it, or it is vacant, you have no reporting obligations on foreign real estate.

If you decide to rent it out, then it is reported on your IRS Form 1040, Schedule E, just as a U.S. property. Though, there is nothing that necessarily denotes it as an offshore property. If it is your primary or vacation home, there is no reporting until you sell it. Then it goes on Form 1040, Schedule D as a capital gain. Because you will probably pay significant tax on the sale in the country where the property is located, you usually don’t have any tax due to the U.S. You will find several detailed articles on this site discussing offshore real estate transactions.

The best way around the FBAR form is to open your offshore bank accounts in the name of an offshore IRA LLC. The LLC is owned by your U.S. compliant retirement account and thus exempt from the various reporting requirements. While all savings accounts must be reported if you have more than $10,000 offshore, a bank account owned by your retirement account is excluded.

And if you think about it, that makes sense (a rare convergence of law and logic). When you take your IRA offshore, it is the IRA that owns the offshore LLC, and you act as the manager or fiduciary of that structure. Because the account is owned by an IRA, and not a person, it would be confusing at best to require an FBAR.

If you have questions on this, or would like proof of my claim, search FBAR at IRS.gov. You will see that accounts held by an IRA are exempt.

The same goes for an IRA account inside of a Panama Foundation. This structure allows for maximum asset protection, as well as offshore estate planning, and remains exempt from the FBAR form. Please see my recent posts on the Panama Foundation IRA structure for more information.

Another option for avoiding the FBAR is to invest in an offshore life insurance. If it’s a U.S. compliant policy, a single pay policy will usually allow your income to grow tax free and won’t be reported.

Though, there are many variations of offshore life insurance. I suggest you talk with your insurance provider and confirm that the structure you are considering does not require you to report the account on the FBAR and is exempt from all other U.S. filing obligations.

The last option I will offer on how to retire abroad and maximize privacy is to hold any business interests or projects in joint venture structures where your partner is not a U.S. person. If the other owner of the offshore company is neither a U.S. citizen nor a U.S. resident, you will have a lot more freedom.

For example, if you own and/or control 50% or less of an offshore company, then you need only report the formation of the structure on IRS Form 5471. You are not required to report the company each year … just when you incorporate it and when you sell it.

Likewise, if you are not a signatory on the offshore company’s bank account, you will not need to file the FBAR. In that situation, you could be a partner in an investment company for decades and have no U.S. reporting obligations until the company is sold.

I hope you have found this article on how to retire abroad with maximum privacy helpful. Please call or send an email to info@premieroffshore.com for additional information. We will be happy to work with you to structure your retirement abroad to keep you compliant with the IRS.

Jim Rickards – Threats to Our Dollar

A conversation with Jim Rickards by Christian Reeves on February 6, 2015.

Our currency and our financial system are under attack from all sides. Here’s what you can do to protect your wealth and your family.

Jim Rickards is the best selling author of Currency Wars and Death of the dollar. He has been cited on to on the floor as the senate by Rand Paul and is an adviser to both the Pentagon and the CIA on financial warfare.

Please click here to listen to the recording.

Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction

Which is the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction?

Want to know which is the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for your business or your assets?  Are you considering living, working or investing abroad?  Then this offshore company guide is a must read.

Please note that, when I refer to the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction, I mean the best jurisdiction for your offshore structure.  An offshore company can be a corporation, LLC, Foundation, or the manager of an offshore trust.  Please see www.premieroffshore.com for a detailed article on whether an offshore corporation or offshore LLC is better for your situation.  “Offshore Company” is a general term while “Offshore Corporation” and “Offshore LLC” refer to specific types of entities with specific uses and benefits.

In order to determine the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction, you should consider a number of factors, including:  (1) privacy and protection, (2) professional services and investment management options available, (3) international banking options, (4) for a business, available work force, (5) tax filing and payment obligation, (6) locals audit or reporting requirements, (7) world image/perception, and (8) countries that offer specialized structures (niche markets).  I will consider each of these in turn.

Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for Privacy and Protection

When new clients ask me which is the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction, they usually mean which is the most secure – which offers the most privacy and protection for their assets.  As you will see throughout this article, privacy and protection are important, but certainly not the only consideration.

After 10+ years in the industry, it’s my opinion that Belize and Nevis offer the best offshore company laws for the basic corporation or LLC.  Both of these countries have one year look-back statutes, so, after the year is up, it becomes near impossible to attack a structure in these jurisdictions.

Belize and Nevis both have laws which are “client” or “business” friendly rather than “creditor” friendly.  In the U.S. legal system, the emphasis is on paying any creditor who can come up with the most basic excuse to separate you from your savings.  In Belize and Nevis, laws protect you from all claims except those where the transfer is deemed fraudulent.

  • A fraudulent conveyance is when you transfer money or assets out of the U.S. to keep them out of the reach of an existing or reasonably anticipated creditor.  If you injure someone with your car today, and send all of your assets out of the U.S. tomorrow, that is probably a fraudulent conveyance.  If you setup and fund an offshore company in Belize today, and injure someone six months from now, that transfer should be respected/protected.

I say Belize and Nevis are the Best Offshore Company Jurisdictions for basic formations because nominee directors and other advanced planning are not required.  You can form an offshore corporation or LLC in these countries with one person – the beneficial owner.  This makes them perfect for single member offshore companies, as well as for LLCs owned by U.S. IRAs or other types of retirement accounts.  This also means these formations are less expensive to form and maintain lower government fees and no nominees to pay.

The benefit Nevis has over Belize is that anyone wanting to sue a Nevis company must put up a $30,000 bond before they can get in to court.  If the plaintiff loses, this is used to pay the defendant’s legal fees.

While Belize doesn’t require a bond, they have the most modern corporation, LLC and trust statutes available.  Also, lawyers are not allowed to work cross on contingency (getting paid only when they collect from the defendant).  High retainers and legal fees in Belize have much the same chilling effect on litigation as bonds do in Nevis.

Another advantage Belize has over Nevis is a quality offshore banking sector, lead by Caye Bank and Belize Bank.  While it is often recommended that you plant multiple flags offshore, and thus use a bank in a country other than where you are incorporated, I prefer to begin with a structure and bank from Belize and then expand from there.  This is especially true of IRA LLCs and structures owned by U.S. persons because the laws and banks of Belize are very experienced in these areas.

Note that I said Belize and Nevis provide the best in basic privacy and protection without the use of nominees.  If you require max privacy regardless of cost, then I prefer a Panama corporation owned by a Panama foundation.  Both the corporation and foundation may have nominee directors and the beneficial owner (you) is not listed in any public registry.  The only people who know your identity are your incorporation (premier) and your banker.

An added benefit of the Panama corporation/foundation hybrid is that the foundation may act as a trust to deal with any estate planning, bequests and charitable giving you wish to do with your foreign assets.  Depending on your age and the size of your estate, this may provide significant estate tax benefits and giving options.

One drawback of Panama is that it does not have an LLC statute.  This means U.S. retirement accounts can’t incorporate these.  However, you may form an IRA LLC in Belize and then invest in to a Panama corporation.  This corporation now can open accounts or buy rental real estate in Panama.

Best Professional Services for Offshore Companies

If you are looking for more than a checking account offshore, quality professional services may be important and often hard to find.  Here is how I divide up the offshore investment management industry:

The best low risk higher return CD rates are in Panama.  So are some of the best real estate, gold storage and mid-market investment management services.  CDs at 3.25% are common from solid banks and loans are readily available to facilitate real estate investment.

In most cases, banks in Panama offer private banking services to accounts of over $500,000.  I call this mid-market because other jurisdictions like Cayman start these accounts at $2.5 to $5m.

Don’t get me wrong.  Panama does have some excellent high dollar private banks.  In my opinion, the best of these is Andbanc where accounts begin at $2.5m and, while the parent bank is in Andora, the trading desk is in Panama, and thus provides maximum diversification and protection.

For the rest of us non-millionaires, Belize offers a wide range of investment products, multi-currency accounts, gold and metals, as well as investments that lead to residency in a variety of countries.

I’ve found the best of these is Caye Bank and Georgetown Trust.  This bank does not have a minimum account size and Georgetown has investments at all price points.  I suggest managed accounts should begin at $250,000, but some of their best returns are on items like Teak that requires about $15,000 to get in the game.

At the other end of the spectrum is Cayman Islands.  Banks and investment advisors in this jurisdiction focus on the largest trusts, hedge funds, and high dollar private wealth management/family offices.  I won’t take up space here rambling on about Cayman, but I can assure you they offer the best offshore investment management services.  Please see my recent article on Cayman for additional information and baking information.

I note that not all banks and countries treat companies from other jurisdictions fairly.  For example, I believe that the best offshore company jurisdiction in most situations is Belize.  Well, Cayman makes it very difficult for offshore companies from Belize to open accounts at its banks.  Preference is given to countries who make it into Cayman’s “Category III” list.  This includes the U.S., U.K., and Cayman companies (obviously), along with Panama.  While other countries make the list, I’ve found that, if you don’t want to pay the fees to incorporate in Cayman, the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction to do business in Cayman is Panama.

Other countries have taken similar steps to protect their incorporation industries from low cost competitors like Nevis and Belize.  For example, the make a Belize LLC eligible to do business in Panama costs thousands of dollars and requires a lot of effort.  For this reason, Belize LLCs usually form Panama corporations if they wish to do business there.  (IRAs require and LLC, so the Belize/Panama combo is common for retirement accounts).

Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for Businesses with Employees

When selecting the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction from which to operate a business, give very careful consideration to the cost, quality and availability of labor.  I’ve seen many set up in beautiful tax havens or in the very lowest cost markets available only to find out it isn’t the right place for them.

Let me start with an example of what not to do:

I once had a high net worth client who wanted to start an offshore call center business.  Money was no object and he was debating between Cayman Islands and Panama.  He chose Cayman because it’s one of the most beautiful places on earth (certainly true).  I advised him in the strongest terms possible that this was the wrong offshore company jurisdiction for a call center but he decided to go his own way.

After buying a home for $1.5m, leasing expensive office space, investing significant money in IT, and hiring a few employees, he began to understand how difficult it is to open a business in Cayman as a foreigner.  First, the employment laws require a certain number of Cayman citizens per foreign employee.  These locals come at a high cost and, in my client’s experience, low productivity.  Next, he found that the cost of labor in Cayman was higher than the equivalent hire in Los Angeles.  Finally, he quickly learned that lower cost call center sales people are just NOT available.

Combine this with requirements to have local partners and that operating costs turned out to be 35% higher than in California, and he was back at my door licking his wounds within six months of opening his doors in Cayman.

At the other end of the spectrum, several large and experienced companies in the offshore world have found it more efficient to move out of the lower cost regions, such as India, and in to Panama.  For example, Dell, a pioneer in outsourcing tech support, has moved much of its operation to Panama Pacifico, which is about 40 miles outside of Panama City.

While wages are higher in Panama (call center workers earn about $13,000 per year), Panama offers a number of tax incentives to cover the difference.  Also, it’s very easy to get work visas for foreign workers, qualified local labor is plentiful, and you get to operate in the same time zone as your U.S. clients.  Gone are the days of working until 3AM only to have Americans get angry when they hear an Indian accent on the other end of the tech support line.

As you’ve probably figured out by now, I believe Panama is the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for a new business with employees.  And I’m not alone in this opinion.  Companies like Citibank, HSBC, MasterCard, and too many bio-tech firms to count, have all made the same choice – move to Panama City for quality lower cost labor, business friendly laws, and tax incentives.

Of course this influx of jobs has pushed up the cost of labor.  What would cost you $800 per month two years ago is now about $1,000 per month (with an annual bonus of one month’s salary, this becomes $13,000 per year).  You will be also find that office space in the best parts of the city will cost about the same as a large U.S. market.  In fact, rents in Panama are higher than in my home city of San Diego.

Even with these higher rents, the cost of operating in Panama can be 50% or less than in the U.S.  One client of mine, also in Panama Pacifico, traded U.S. salaries of $135,000 per year for high-end computer programmers in Los Angeles for Panamanians earning $4,500 per month or $58,000 per year.  After running the Panama office for a year, he tells me his quality and efficiency is the same or better than it was in Los Angeles.

Tax Issues for Offshore Company Formations

When looking for the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction, a country with low or no tax should be at the top of your checklist.  For U.S. tax purposed, it matters little where you incorporate, where you hold your investments, and where you operate your business from.

The bottom line on U.S. taxation is:

  • If you are living in the U.S., offshore company formations are generally tax neutral.  They should not increase nor decrease your U.S. taxes.
  • If you move an IRA offshore, profits should be tax free (ROTH) or deferred (traditional), just as they would be in the U.S.  For advanced IRA investors, a VBIT blocker corporation may provide significant planners opportunities.
  • If you live outside of the U.S., qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, and operate a business through and offshore corporation, you may be able to defer or eliminate all U.S. tax on active business profits.  Significant planning is required.

So if you’re living in the U.S. and investing abroad, you want the most efficient structure that will ensure you pay no local (non U.S.) tax on profits.  As I’ve said before, I believe Belize and Nevis provide the best protection with zero tax and the most efficiency available in an offshore company.

  • If you do pay tax in your country of incorporation or country where you are investing, the U.S. Foreign Tax Credit should eliminate any double tax.

If you are buying real estate in an offshore company, you probably require a company where the property is located.  Want to buy land in Columbia?  Trying to do this with a Belize LLC can be a nightmare… you need a Columbian company.

If you want to invest abroad with your IRA, you must use an LLC.  The only countries I know of with compatible LLC statutes are Nevis, Belize, Anquilla, and Cook Islands.  Of these, Belize is the best suited to the management of retirement accounts.

What if you want to buy real estate in Columbia with your offshore IRA?  You will need both an offshore IRA LLC from Belize and a corporation from Columbia.

This extra entity will make life much easier and provides other benefits.  For example, you can distribute out the share of the Columbian companies, rather than the underlying real estate, when you hit age 70 ½.  This can reduce U.S. tax on a traditional IRA in an offshore LLC.  Please see my various offshore IQA LLC articles for more detailed information on this, as well as how the corporation can act as a UBIT Blocker if you buy the property with IRA money and a non-recourse mortgage.

For the active business, I’ve made the case for Panama.  However, the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for a business in Panama, especially one with employees, might not be Panama.  (Confused yet?)

Let’s say you are running a website in Panama that sells books to people living in the U.S.  We can call this business Amazonian.com.  If all the income and profits come in to a company incorporated in Panama, local tax authorities may want to tax your business income.

To eliminate tax in Panama, form an offshore company in Belize and a company in Panama.  The Belize IBC will bill your Amazonian clients and earn most of the profits.  The Panama company will invoice the Belize IBC for its expenses such that it breaks even in Panama and minimizes taxes there.  Of course the Belize IBC will pay no tax in Belize.

Now you are maximizing the benefits of both of the Best Offshore Company Jurisdictions… one for zero tax (Belize) and another to the best business laws and quality lower cost labor (Panama).  You have also maximized the U.S. tax benefits of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and the ability to retain profits over and above the Exclusion in a tax free country (Belize).

Local Reporting Requirements

When I plan structures in the Best Offshore Company Jurisdictions, I try to avoid those with local reporting requirements.  For example, all companies in Hong Kong must file audited financial statements each year.  While this is an easy source of revenue for local accounting firms, I don’t see any benefit to the client.  Therefore, I only incorporate in Hong Kong if I need an account on that island, want to do business in China, or to trade in RMB.

In most countries, such as Panama, Cayman and Belize, you are only required to file local (tax) returns if you have employees or are otherwise running a local business.  Of course, of you open a bar on the beach in Belize, or operate a corporation in Panama with 20 employees, you will have local filing obligations.  Otherwise, as an offshore company, you have no reporting requirements.

I note that, as an American living and working abroad, if you are using the residency test to qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (as defined in various articles on this site), you should be filing a tax return in your country of residence.  That doesn’t mean you need to pay tax, but you should be filing something.

World Image

There are times when the world image of your offshore company makes a difference.  For example, someone doing business in Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, might find their clients are more comfortable with a Hong Kong corporation than with a Nevis entity.  This is especially true when the jurisdiction of your offshore corporation must be disclosed in contracts or marketing materials.

The same principles apply in the asset protection industry to large family trusts.  Because of the availability of high-end asset managers, the largest and most complex trusts are created in Cayman Islands.  Because Cayman does not have the strongest privacy and protection laws, many of these trusts have a “flight clause” that allows them to escape Cayman for a more secure jurisdiction, such as the Cook Islands, should they come under attack.

For those of us not in the 1%, not named Romney, and not running a business where world image matters to our clients, I again suggest that the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction in which to plant that first flag offshore is Belize.  If you are concerned that Belize may limit your choices for banking and investment advisors, I suggest that a Panama corporation owned by a Panama Foundation provides maximum privacy and is the most cost effective of the Category III countries.  I also believe the Panama Foundation is the best asset protection entity available.

Offshore Company Specialists

A number of offshore company jurisdictions have become specialists in one niche or another of the incorporation industry.  For example, the offshore asset protection trust, at least for Americans, was “invented” by the Cook Islands.  This tiny country, just off of New Zealand, started the move offshore and out of the reach of U.S. judges who gave such deference to allegedly injured creditors.

To this day, the Cook Islands are the preeminent jurisdiction for asset protection trusts… not the largest in trusts by dollar value, but the best offshore trust jurisdiction for those focused on asset protection.

Side note:  I’ve been working with Cook Islands Trusts for a decade and hold them in the highest regard.  They’ve been thoroughly vetted through the U.S. legal system and are best for those expecting trouble or litigation.  One reason for this assessment is that Cook Islands cases are heard in New Zealand courts.  Therefore, you have legal experts and systems applying Cook Islands law, which means better quality legal representation and processes.

For those not anticipating imminent legal action, a Panama Foundation or Belize Trust may offer similar levels of protection at about half the formation cost and 1/3rd the annual maintenance.

In the niche of Offshore Foundations, the only options are Panama and Liechtenstein.  Of these, Panama offers many advantages in term of banking, privacy and protection.

The Panama Foundation is a hybrid asset protection tool that provides many of the same benefits as a trust, including estate planning, privacy tools, such as the nominee foundation council, and of a corporation, such as the ability to open bank accounts and manage assets directly.  Especially when combined with a Panama Corporation for further diversification and risk segmentation, the Panama Foundation is one of the best offshore company options for after tax investing abroad – I say “after tax” because a U.S. retirement account or IRA can’t be placed in a Foundation, only an offshore LLC.

Another offshore company niche is the captive insurance company.  These are usually based in the Bahamas (the largest) or Cayman, and basically allow a U.S. business to self insure and deduct up to $1.2m per year on their U.S. taxes.

Offshore captives are a complex topic and are best suited to doctors or other self-employed high-net worth individuals who can put away at least $800,000 per year.  If you would like more information on Offshore Captives, please send us a message to info@premieroffshore.com.  All consultations are confidential and free.

Another niche is the Offshore Hedge Fund.  In this vertical, the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction is the British Virgin Islands (BVI) followed by Cayman.

An offshore hedge fund is setup to allow foreigners (non U.S. persons) and tax preferred investors (IRAs, retirement accounts, pension funds, etc.) to invest in the United States without paying tax here.

For example, if a German citizen and resident were to invest in a U.S. fund or a small business, he would likely need to file and pay U.S. taxes as a result.  If that same person invests in a fund structured in BVI, and the fund invests in the U.S. business, the foreign individual has no U.S. tax obligations.

The same is true of U.S. pension funds and retirement accounts.  If they invest directly in U.S. funds, they will probably have to pay U.S. taxes on the profits.  If they invest in a Cayman hedge fund that then invests in the U.S. business, they can eliminate these tax headaches.

  • If you are wondering how big these “niche” segments are in dollar volume, take a read through my Cayman Islands business guide.

The last niche market segment I will mention is credit card processing and merchant services.  By far, the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for merchant accounts is the United Kingdom.  If you form a U.K. corporation, you will be able to access a much larger pool of credit card processors, including those in Europe and Australia, than you will with a Belize or Panama entity.

  • If your business is based in Panama, and you have employees there, you will have access to many local merchant account options.  If you have no presence in Panama, you will be limited to a few rather expensive providers, such as Multibank.

Of course, no one can compete with the low cost providers, including Pay Pal, of the United States.  It might be said that the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for credit card processing is right here in America.

Yes, an account in the U.S. can be “offshore.”  Let’s say you are living and working in Panama.  Your parent company for billing purposes is in Belize (to minimize taxes in Panama).  If you are a U.S. citizen with decent credit, have a U.S. mailing address and a U.S. bank account, you should be able to open a U.S. merchant account for about 1/2 or 1/3  of the cost of the same service offshore.

The proceeds of the credit card transactions will flow in to your U.S. bank account.  You then invoice the U.S. Corporation that holds this account from your Belize IBC and wire the funds each month or quarter to Belize.

  • Note that a U.S. corp. is required for the system above because no one will open an account in the U.S. for a foreign entity.

So long as the U.S. company has zero profits at the end of the year, you file your U.S. corporate return, you qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, and you have no employees in the U.S. or other issues which create U.S. sourced income, this merchant account is basically an offshore tool.  For additional information see my article on offshore merchant accounts.

I hope you have found this guide to the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction to be helpful.  Feel free to call or email for a confidential consultation on moving your assets or business offshore.

Tag Archive for: Asset Protection

IRS Targets Bitcoin

The US Government is Targeting Bitcoin

The US government has launched an all out war on Bitcoin and battles are raging on several fronts. The purpose of this war is to either kill Bitcoin so that the dollar remains dominant or, failing that, to control Bitcoin such that the government maximized taxable income and eliminates your ability to transact in private.

It’s early days yet in the war on Bitcoin. But, the writing’s on the wall. The only way for you to salvage some level of privacy is to move your Bitcoin offshore. Set up an offshore company and hold your crypto account in the name of the company.

Here are the 4 primary lines of attack the US government has on Bitcoin today. You can rest assured that new agencies will jump into the fray once they find a way to take what’s yours.

  1. IRS taxing bitcoin as a capital asset and not a monetary instrument.
  2. The SEC treating bitcoin as cash so they can regulate ICOs.
  3. Applying civil asset forfeiture rules to Bitcoin.
  4. Requiring you to report your Bitcoin every time you enter or exit the United States.

Let’s start with the IRS. The Service recently declared that Bitcoin and cryptocurrency are assets, not cash and not currency. This means that, when you exchange Bitcoin for FIAT currency, you must pay tax on the gain.

If you held the Bitcoin for less than a year, you pay short term capital gains tax at your standard rate. This is probably around 35%. If you held the Bitcoin for more than a year, you pay the long term capital gains rate on your profit, which is probably 23.5% (20% if Trump repeals Obamacare taxes). These are the Federal rates and your State will also tax the gain.

Had the IRS classified Bitcoin as a currency, they wouldn’t be able to tax you when you convert Bitcoin to dollars. By calling Bitcoin an asset, the IRS can tax the conversion (or more properly, the sale of the asset).

  • Only currency investments are taxable, such as FX traders, and not basic conversions. That is to say, if you buy foreign currency as an investment, then the gains are taxable.

Then there’s the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). If the regulator had determined Bitcoin to be an asset, rather than a cash or cash equivalent, they might not have had jurisdiction to control ICOs. For the reasons why this might have been the case, see: Crowd Sale vs ICO – What’s Legal?

Suffice it to say, if Bitcoin were an asset, all ICOs might have been considered crowd sales and thus outside the purview of the SEC. Of course, this is unacceptable… all investments must be watched over and controlled by our government – so, Bitcoin is cash to the SEC.

To those of us who write on these topics, both of these lines of attack were obvious. Each US agency will define Bitcoin in whatever way allows them to exert control and levy fines to generate more income. That’s the nature of the beast… to a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Here’s the regulation of Bitcoin that no one saw coming:

Introduced last month, the Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Counterfeiting Act of 2017, will force you to report your Bitcoin each time you leave or enter the United States. That’s right, you will be required to fill out a form telling the government how much Bitcoin and cryptocurrency you have each and every time you cross our border.

When I first saw comments on this legislation, I didn’t believe it. I’ve been writing about government overreach since 2000 and still thought this must be an error. It took me days, and a lot of research, to accept that this level of insanity was possible.

When you cross a US border with $10,000 or more in cash or cash equivalents (diamonds, coins, checks, letters of credit, etc), you must report to the government by filling out a form. Of course, filing this form will likely subject you to scrutiny at the airport and unwanted attention from the IRS later.

In most cases, the government has been reasonable in applying this rule. For example, if you’re traveling with collectable coins, you only report if the face value of those coins is over $10,000. So, reporting was generally for those transporting cash and very rarely intruded into the lives of everyday Americans.

The new rules targeting Bitcoin basically allege that cryptocurrency is always with you. Unlike an offshore bank account, where cash is held outside of the US and must be reported once a year, Bitcoin is literally travels with you inside of your laptop. Regulators believe that Bitcoin is stored in your laptop, phone, hard drive, or USB storage device, and is thus crossing the border with you.

This claim that Bitcoin is always with you is key to the government’s attempt to force reporting. If Bitcoin, which is cash or cash equivalent and not an asset in this case, travels with you, the government can force you to report. If it’s cash sitting on the blockchain, and all you have on your laptop are the codes to access that “cash,” no reporting can be required.

That is to say, you don’t need to report how much you have in your bank accounts simply because you’re username and password to access those accounts is stored on the laptop. You can only be required to report what you are physically carrying with you carrying when you cross the border.

And the same law that requires you to report your Bitcoin allows the government to take it from you. Bitcoin will become subject to the asset forfeiture laws. The government can seize your Bitcoin if 1) you fail to report it, or 2) you report it and they believe you obtained it illegally.

Note that I said, they “believe.” The government can take your Bitcoin and then force you to prove how you earned it. The burden of proof falls on you in a civil asset forfeiture case (YouTube video by John Oliver)… and you must be willing to spend big money on lawyers to have any chance of success.

What can you do to protect your Bitcoin?

These are all the ways the US government is targeting Bitcoin. And the only thing you can do to protect your coins is to move them out of the United States and out of the government’s reach. Remember that the US government can seize any cryptocurrency “stored” in a US exchange by issuing a levy or seizure order.

The US government can’t easily seize assets held outside it’s borders. For example, the IRS can levy any bank or brokerage in the US, and any institution that has a branch in the US. So, if you have cash in a bank in Panama, and that bank has a branch in the US, you’re at risk.

The solution is to form an offshore corporation or trust to hold your wallet. Then use only Bitcoin firms located out of the United States… those without ANY ties to the US and can’t be intimidated by Uncle Sam.

The same goes for buying Bitcoin in your retirement account. First, form an offshore IRA LLC. Then move your account into an international bank that doesn’t have a branch in the United States. Then setup an offshore wallet and buy your coins.

I should point out that buying Bitcoin in your IRA is one way to beat the IRS at their own game. Because crypto is an asset, you pay capital gains tax on each and every transaction. However, if you buy Bitcoin in your IRA, you defer or eliminate capital gains tax. Because cryptocurrency is an asset, you can buy and sell it inside an IRA.  For more, see How to move your IRA offshore in 2017.

The fact that Bitcoin is an asset also means you can take advantage of the tax benefits available in the US territory of Puerto Rico. Basically, if you move to Puerto Rico, spend 183 days a year on the island, and qualify for Act 22, all crypto gains on coins acquired after you become a resident will be tax free. See: Move to Puerto Rico and Pay Zero Capital Gains Tax.

I hope you’ve found this article on how the government is targeting Bitcoin to be helpful. For more information on taking your IRA offshore, setting up an asset protection structure, or moving to Puerto Rico, please contact us at info@premieroffshore.com or call (619) 483-1708. We’ll be happy to assist you to protect your coins and keep more of those crypto profits.

asset protection for defined benefit plan

Maximum Asset Protection for a Defined Benefit Plan

Defined benefit plans are excellent tools to put a lot of pre-tax money away quickly. Because of they don’t have the same contribution limits as IRAs, they allow the business owner to build up savings and reduce taxes efficiently.

Because defined benefit plans build cash quickly, they’re big time targets of lawyers and civil creditors. In this article I’ll show you how to provide maximum asset protection for a defined benefit plan.

The best asset protection for a defined benefit plan is to move it offshore and inside a “trust like” structure. Get it out of the reach of creditors and judges by moving it out of the US and behind the walls of an advanced asset protection structure.

The first step in moving a defined benefit plan is to figure out if it’s eligible to go offshore. In most cases, a plan from a previous employer with a cash value can be protected. If it’s a defined benefit plan from your current employer, and the plan documents allow for a conversion or to be invested abroad, then it too can be placed inside an international asset protection structure.

Sometimes DB plans are in subsidiary companies, or can otherwise be separated from the main business. If this sub can be closed down, the plan might then vest and be eligible to go offshore.

The way you get a defined benefit plan offshore is to convert it into an IRA (either a ROTH or traditional). Then you place that into an offshore IRA LLC. I’ll explain how to do this below. First, you need to find out if your plan can be converted into an IRA.

The bottom line is that you’ll need to ask your plan administrator if your DB plan can be converted into an IRA. They might not know how to take it offshore, but, if they can advise you how to convert it into an IRA, that’s all you need from them.

Assuming you get a positive answer, you need to ask your administrator to convert the defined benefit plan into an IRA.

  • If your administrator says it’s impossible to convert to an IRA, and he’s making money managing your investments, you might seek out a second opinion. I’ve seen many cases where DB plan administrators put their financial well being ahead of their clients.

Once the cash is an IRA, you can move that account or accounts from your current custodian to one that allows for foreign structures and investments. Not all IRA custodians allow for offshore LLCs and international investments. This is a very specialized area.

Now you can finally get the defined benefit plan offshore. We setup an offshore IRA LLC, open an international bank account, and the custodian transfers the money into this structure. As the manager of the LLC, you will have checkbook control of the account. You’ll make all transfers and be responsible for all investment decisions.

All of the above gets you basic offshore asset protection of your defined benefit plan. If you want maximum protection, we can customize your LLC with features you would normally find in an offshore asset protection trust.

You can’t put an IRA or defined benefit plan into a trust, but we can create an LLC that acts like a trust.

The way we do this is by forming the IRA LLC in the Cook Islands, the top offshore asset protection trust jurisdiction. We then build an LLC operating agreement molded after a Cook Islands asset protection trust.

For example, an offshore trust uses an independent trustee, a protector, and has clauses that make it impossible for the trustee to make payments to creditors. Even if one gets a judgement against you in the United States, there’s no way for them to collect on it in the Cook Islands.

To copy these protection elements, we install an independent LLC manager in the Cook Islands LLC. We also set up a protector who takes over should you (the beneficial owner, similar to a settlor) comes under duress.

To support these professional advisors, the LLC operating agreement includes terms that prohibit the manager from transferring money to the custodian or owner if they’re under duress. The agreement basically creates the defense of impossibility in the Cook Islands to protect the assets of the LLC.

I should point out here that setting up this maximum asset protection structure for a defined benefit plan means that you must also follow the same rules that apply to international trusts. For example, rules around fraudulent conveyance.

In its most basic form, a fraudulent conveyance is when you send money out of the United States to keep it away from a current or reasonably anticipated creditor. If you injure someone today and fund an offshore trust or IRA LLC tomorrow, you’ve probably fraudulently conveyed money into the structure.

Thus, your defined benefit plan must be moved offshore well before you have any legal problems. In a perfect world, it is moved offshore 1 or 2 years before a dispute arises. That is, 1 or 2 years before the harm occurs, not before the plaintiff files a claim against you.

I hope you’ve found this article on how to max protect your defined benefit plan by moving it offshore to be helpful. For more information, please send me an email at info@premieroffshore.com or call us at (619) 483-1708. 

protect IRA

Enhanced Protection for Your IRA

Many people think that IRAs are protected from civil creditors and the IRS… many people are wrong. Here’s how to get enhanced protection for your IRA and take control of your investments.

IRA assets are protected to varying degrees by each of the states and under the federal bankruptcy law. In order to secure 100% protection from all creditors and the IRS, you need an enhanced protection plan for your IRA. Remove your retirement account from the United States and get it away from US judges and creditors.

First, let’s look at what protection your IRA has. I’ll focus on California here, knowing that many states have similar rules.

In California, 401(k)s and profit-sharing plans are protected from civil creditors but not the IRS. IRAs are not as protected as 401(k)s because they are not covered by federal statutes. Therefore, a civil creditor’s ability to get your retirement account in California will depend on what type of account you have and how much you have in it.

401(k) accounts have better protection is because federal law prohibits civil creditors from going after pension plans that were set up under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Examples of ERISA-qualified pension plans and benefit plans:

  • 401(K) accounts
  • pension and profit-sharing plans
  • group health and life insurance plans
  • dental and vision plans, and
  • HRAs, HSAs, and accidental death or disability plans

Plans not covered by ERISA include IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEPs, and SIMPLE IRAs. These are covered by state law only, which offers far less protection than federal law.

California protects only that portion of your IRA which a judge believes you need to survive. This is the amount necessary for the support of you and your dependents at the time you retire. Yes, standard of living you’ll be allowed in your old age is at the discretion of the judge.

In deciding how much to “allow” you to keep from your IRA, the judge will consider the following questions:

  • Do you need the retirement funds now, and if so, how much?
  • Will you be able to replenish your retirement account if it’s awarded to a creditor?

Bottom line is, if you have a job and are under age 65, the court is likely to take all of your retirement savings. If you’re retired and in poor health, they’ll leave you enough to support yourself… not necessarily enough to maintain your current standard of living, but enough to keep you alive (think welfare recipient lifestyle without all of the Obama benefits).

Keep in mind that none of these plans are protected from IRS levy!

The most efficient way to enhance the protection of your IRA is to move it offshore. Get your retirement account away from US judges while maintaining the tax benefits. Take it offshore and out of the reach of future civil creditors and IRS levy.

It’s important to note that your IRA will retain its tax deferred (traditional) or tax free (ROTH) status. So long as you follow the rules, you can invest your IRA as you see fit, which includes  offshore. The fact that this enhances your protection is a side benefit of investing abroad, not the sole motivating factor.

Here’s how to take your IRA offshore…

We first move your account from your current custodian to one that allows for international investments. Most custodians, such as Vanguard, Fidelity, and Chase don’t allow foreign investments. They want you to buy their bonds and those products on which they earn the highest commission. When you go offshore, your custodian gets no commission and has no control over your investments.

Note that changing custodians is done by transferring your account. It doesn’t involve a roll over and has no limitations.

Next, we form an offshore LLC in a max security jurisdiction like Cook Islands, Belize, Nevis, etc. This LLC is owned by your retirement account and you’re named as the manager of this company.

Then the LLC opens an offshore bank account and your custodian invests your account into the LLC by transferring cash to this foreign bank account. You’re the signer on the account and the one in control over all transfers and investments originating from it. That is to say, you have checkbook control over your IRA once it’s in an offshore LLC.

Tip: The IRS can levy your foreign account if your bank has a branch in the United States. For this reason, I recommend international banks that don’t have branches in the US.

Once your IRA is offshore, it’s your responsibility to manage the money for the benefit of your account, just as a professional advisor would (or should) do. This means you can’t borrow against it, use it for your personal expenses, buy home and live in it, etc.

You’ll find that the rules around offshore LLCs are simple. So long as you transact at arm’s length and act in the best interest of your IRA, you’ll stay out of trouble.

I hope you’ve found this article on how to enhance the protection of your IRA by moving it offshore to be helpful. For more information, and assistance in taking your retirement account offshore, please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call us at (619) 483-1708 for confidential consultation.

Offshore Trust or Panama Foundation

Offshore Trust or Panama Foundation?

The top two international asset protection structures are the offshore trust and the Panama foundation. These tools are very different from one another and I don’t think of them as competing solutions. Even so, I’m asked all the time, offshore trust or Panama foundation? In this article I’ll try to explain the differences.

A properly structured offshore trust formed in and managed from a tax free and max protect jurisdiction such as Belize or Cook Islands, provides the strongest asset protection. A foreign trust is more secure than a Panama foundation and offers a wider range of estate and tax planning options.

But these benefits come with limitations. In order to maximize the asset protection benefits, you must be willing to give up control of the assets. An offshore trust is best when a foreign trustee and a foreign investment advisor are making the decisions.

Likewise, the settlor (you) and any U.S. persons connected to the trust should not have the ability to replace the trustee nor the right to terminate the trust. If these rights rest in a U.S. person, a U.S. court can compel the trust be dissolved and the assets brought back to this country.

In most cases, both the offshore trust and the Panama foundation will be tax neutral. They’ll not increase nor decrease your U.S. taxes and all income and gains generated in the structure will be taxable to the settlor as earned.

A trust has additional advanced tax planning options not available to the foundation. For example, you can build a dynasty trust or multi generational trust that can eliminate gift, estate, and capital gains tax. In addition, a trust can hold a U.S. compliant offshore insurance policy which will operate as a massive tax free account, with no capital gains and estate tax due when the assets are distributed to your heirs.

For these reasons, an offshore trust is best for someone who wants to put a nest egg offshore for his or her heirs. A foreign trust will provide the highest level of protection and give you access to banks and investment options around the world typically closed to Americans. And it will accomplish this by bringing in foreign advisors and other professionals to make the trades, distancing itself from its American owner.

An offshore trust is not the structure for someone who wants to manage their own investments, is an active trader, or wants to protect an active business. A trust is meant to be static and stable over many years. It’s the castle behind whose walls you store your wealth… a castle that will stand the test of time and will prove impenetrable for decades and generations to come.  

If you prefer to balance flexibility with asset protection, then consider a Panama Foundation. While the offshore trust is about maximum protection, the foundation is about control and maximum privacy. If you need an estate planning and asset protection structure to hold an active business, look to a Panama foundation.

The Panama foundation is a hybrid foreign trust and holding company. It’s meant to hold both active businesses and investments (real estate, brokerage accounts, etc.). And it comes with many of the same asset protection benefits of a traditional offshore trust.

One reason I’m so high on the foundation is that it’s used by foreigners (Americans, Canadians, etc.), expats, and locals (Panamanians). Every wealthy family in Panama holds their local assets inside of a foundation. Also, the shares of most most banks, investment firms, and large businesses in the country are held inside of foundations.

Because Panama is a major financial center, and because the foundation is used by both locals and foreigners, it’s unlikely the laws will ever change. The Panamanian government will not reduce the protection or privacy of it’s foundations because to do so would go against their ruling class and entrepreneurs.

The bottom line is that both offshore trusts and foundations are sold asset protection and estate planning tools. Each has its strengths and weaknesses and each will give you access to a wide range of offshore banks and investment opportunities.  

So, should you go with an offshore trust or Panama foundation? That depends on your situation. If the above hasn’t answered this question yet, then consider the costs of each and compare that to amount of assets you need to protect.

The costs to form an offshore trust can range from $10,000 to $30,000 compared to $3,500 to $9,500 for a Panama foundation. Also, the costs to maintain an offshore trust will be much higher than a foundation because of the use of foreign trustees and advisors. Most foundations are managed by the founder / owner.

For this reason I recommend a trust when a client has $2 million or more in assets they wish to protect. More importantly, they have this amount in cash and want to hold it offshore to be managed by a Swiss, Cook Islands, or Belize investment advisor.

A Panama foundation can be formed for a variety of reasons. Most clients either hold $100,000 in assets or an active business. Because of it’s lower cost, the foundation is an excellent estate planning tool for anyone with foreign investments.

I hope you’ve found this article on the offshore trust vs Panama foundation to be helpful. For more information, and a confidential consultation, please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call us at (619) 483-1708. We will be happy to review your situation and devise a custom solution that fits your needs.

Best Lawsuit Protection

Best Lawsuit Protection

The best lawsuit protection is an offshore trust… period. No structure or plan, no matter how complex, can compete with the good old offshore trust for lawsuit protection. It’s the only way to move your assets out of the United States, out of our court system, out of the reach of creditors and U.S. judges, and behind an impenetrable barrier.

To come to the conclusion that the best lawsuit protection is an offshore trust, I start from the position that all U.S. structures are flawed. Domestic asset protection is governed by U.S. law and U.S. judges. So long as your assets are in this country, they’re subject to the whims of an American court.

The way to escape our creditor friendly country is to change the jurisdiction and venue of the fight. To move your assets to a country that values your rights of ownership and self determination. To a country whose laws were specifically designed to protect you and your family from civil creditors and to get the case heard by a judge who will uphold those laws.

The two most important components of building the best lawsuit protection trust offshore are timing and control.

Timing is everything when funding an offshore trust. You must setup your asset protection structure before you have a problem. Once the cause of action has arisen, you will be unable to transfer assets out of the United States.

For example, if you hit someone with your car today, and fund a trust tomorrow, your offshore trust won’t protect you. A U.S. judge will likely claim the transfer is a fraudulent conveyance and hold you in contempt until you bring the cash back under his or her control.

  • The cause of action arises when the harm occurs, not when a case is filed.

The second component of the best asset protection is that you should give up control over your assets once they’re in the trust. Professional investment advisors and a trustee should be hired to manage the trust per your written directives. These experts should be outside of the United States and, like your assets, out of the reach of the U.S. courts. No one with the authority to dissolve or modify the trust should be in the United States.

Not everyone who sets up an offshore trust gives up control. It’s possible to retain control through a variety of mechanisms. What I’m saying here is that, if you want maximum protection, and truly the best lawsuit protection, you must turn over the management of the trust to a third party.

What I’m describing is the Cadillac of asset protection structures – an offshore trust formed in the perfect jurisdiction managed by licensed and experienced professionals. This is not an off the shelf product for the masses. It’s not a cheap solution. It’s the best in lawsuit protection, not some offshore shelf company sold on the corner to anyone with a few grand to protect.

Not everyone can afford an offshore trust, nor does every situation call for a top of the line solution. For example, I would not recommend an offshore trust to anyone looking to protect less than $2 million.

If an international trust isn’t appropriate, then the best lawsuit protection is the offshore structure you can afford to build, maintain, and keep in compliance.

If the Cadillac is a foreign trust, then the Ford is a Panama Foundation. This will cost a fraction of a trust, allows you to maintain control of your investments, and is a solid deterrent. This structure will get you into some good banks, doesn’t require a foreign trustee or investment advisor, and has a strong world image (Panama Papers notwithstanding).

Another lower cost option is to move your retirement account offshore. Rather than a trust, you might form a single member LLC, owned by your IRA, and place that with an international bank… one with no branches or exposure to the United States.

The most important advice I can give you about the best lawsuit protection, and going offshore in general, is this: If you can’t afford to do it right, don’t do it at all.

Any American living, working, investing, or doing business offshore is a target. The IRS is waging war on those who move their cash out of the reach of their government, and the penalties for failing to comply are severe.

For example, failing to properly report an offshore trust can result in minimum penalties of $40,000 per year ($10,000 for each missed form, 3520, 3520-A, FBAR and 8938). Worse, the penalties for 3520 and 3520-A can be 10% of the trusts assets. If the trust has $5 million, your penalty could be $500,000 per year!

For these reasons, you must hire a U.S. expert to quarterback your offshore plan. If you’re a U.S. citizen, you need someone who understands the laws of your home country and how those interact with your country of formation.

Remember that 100% of your risk of liability is in the United States. Your offshore trust or other structure is a tool to protect your assets from U.S. creditors. Thus, only someone experienced in both jurisdictions is qualified to help you achieve your goals.

If you’re unable or unwilling to pay the fees charged by U.S. professionals, stick to domestic asset protection. If you’re going to go offshore, you need to do it right or not at all.

I hope this article on the best lawsuit protection has been helpful. For more information, please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call us at (619) 483-1708. 

offshore asset protection trust

Don’t Believe the Media Hype Around Offshore Asset Protection Trusts

Ever since the Panama Papers, bashing the offshore asset protection industry has been chic. Every publisher on the planet has put out articles on how the rich abuse the system, hide their assets in offshore asset protection trusts, and don’t pay their fair share of taxes. The problem is that very few writers truly understand the industry and the complex web of worldwide tax laws in play. They tend to focus on the laws of jurisdictions such as the Cook Islands and ignore how those laws interact with those of the client’s home country.

This results in one sided and naive articles by good writers who can’t get beyond the hype surrounding their subject matter. They see only the tip of the iceberg and miss the mountain lurking below the surface.

These articles create great risk for U.S. citizens who read them as “how to” guides rather than the tales of injustice and inequity they’re meant to be. They do harm to U.S. citizens who contact an offshore provider to “do as they read” and get crushed by the system.

I know this to be true because I get calls everyday from people who want to incorporate offshore. They want tax savings like Apple and Google or asset protection as described in The New York Times. They don’t want to do anything illegal, they just want to use these amazing trusts and corporations they read about.

In most cases, I tell them tax savings is impossible because their business is too small (unless they move out of the United States and qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion) and that it’s too late to protect their assets. That the horses have bolted, so there’s no need to lock the barn door.   

Had they called an offshore provider rather than a U.S. firm, the answer they would have received would’ve been very different. They would’ve likely been told that their business won’t be taxed in Panama or that no one has ever breached a Cook Island offshore asset protection trust. Both of these may be true, but they ignore the realities of how an offshore structure will interact with U.S. law.

My purpose here is to separate fact from fiction and explain some of the limitations of an offshore asset protection trust. My comments are in response to an October 15, 2016 post in Business Insider on offshore asset protection trusts. The title of the article is A sociologist trained to become a tax-avoidance expert — here’s what she learned about how the ultra wealthy keep their money by Brooke Harrington.

Let me start by saying that I’m not saying Ms. Harrington’s article is factually incorrect. Her post is well researched and expertly written from an offshore perspective. In fact, much of it would make great marketing collateral for a Cook Islands Trust provider (an idea she probably finds repugnant).

However, because her article fails to take into account how the laws of the Cook Island interact with those of the United States, it gives the impression that a U.S. person can move their assets offshore with impunity. The fact that this will create confusion in a small subset of her readers is an unintended consequence of a lay person writing on offshore asset protection and publishing to a global audience.

For example, an American going through a divorce might read her article, call up a Cook Islands agent, be told what they want to hear, and move their assets out of the reach of their spouse. This will create a world of pain in the United States, no matter how the trust is viewed under Cook Islands law.

The author is not giving legal advice nor advocating for offshore asset protection trusts. I assume her purpose is quite the opposite – to expose inequity and argue against the availability of these structures. Nor is she writing only for Americans, though one of her three examples is a U.S. case.

However, by publishing on major platforms like Business Insider and The Atlantic, her words will reach those who can act upon them. People who will believe the hype to their detriment.

Here’s a little background: Brooke Harrington is an associate professor of economic sociology at the Copenhagen Business School. The article referenced here is soon to be a book published by Harvard University Press about elite occupational groups within finance and their impact on international law and stratification.  

She’s spent 8 years researching the international wealth-management profession and was so committed that she trained to become a wealth manager. She wrote, “I spent weeks in hotel conference rooms in Switzerland and Liechtenstein learning about trust and corporate law, financial investment, and accounting. Ultimately, this earned me the “Trust and Estate Planner” qualification (TEP): an internationally recognized credential in wealth management, much like the CPA for accountants.”

  • A CPA requires a 4 year college degree, though most in the United States go 6 to earn a master’s degree. A CPA also requires passing a difficult exam and 500 hours of documented work experience (usually for free in service of a CPA firm).

Even with all of that training, none of which was in the United States, she misses the elephant in the room: the fact that the laws of the settlor’s or defendant’s home country will often control the tax and asset protection benefits of their offshore structure.

If someone with this many hours of training can’t see the forest for the trees, what chance do less committed lay writers have? This is why so many get it wrong.

Here are a few of the sections of the article that might mislead a U.S. citizen:

Quote: “Looking at a costly divorce? No problem—just hire a wealth manager to put your assets in an offshore trust. Then the assets are no longer in your name, and can’t be attached in a judgment. Even if a foreign court sought to break your trust, if you have a clever enough wealth manager, you can be made effectively judgment-proof. Consider the case of the Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, who has just settled what has been termed “the most expensive divorce in history.”

Although a Swiss court initially awarded half of Rybolovlev’s roughly $9 billion fortune to his ex-wife, Elena, an appeals court later ruled that most of those assets are untouchable in the divorce settlement because they are held in trust or are otherwise inscrutable to the law. (The amount of the agreed-upon settlement has not been disclosed.)

Answer: Americans, don’t get it twisted. You’re NOT Russian oligarchs free to do as you like. Putin doesn’t have your back (unless your name is Trump or Snowden).

You’re a U.S. citizen and subject to our laws first and foremost, no matter what your offshore estate planner tells you.  If you set up an offshore trust to cut out your current spouse, you’re more likely to end up behind bars than on a beach in the Cook Islands. Here’s why:

Anytime you convey an asset in order to delay a creditor, you’re engaging in fraudulent conveyance. If you’re aware that your assets are at risk and should be used to satisfy a legal obligation and you move that asset out of reach, you have NOT committed a crime. Exceptions would be if there is actual fraud or crimes related to hiding assets from a bankruptcy court.

However, moving community or joint property out of the United States without your spouse’s consent, or to prevent a court from administering a division of assets, can be a crime. You may be charged with theft, embezzlement, etc.

Rather than going through all the trouble of charging and convicting you of a crime, a judge can simply hold you in contempt until you return the assets.

In most divorce cases, the judge issues a “standing order” instructing each party not to do certain things, such as take each other’s money. If you violate that order by sending community / joint property offshore, you can be held in contempt of court, fined, and jailed.

And don’t think that the “impossibility defense” will save you from a contempt charge. While impossibility is a defense to civil claims, self-created impossibility is not a defense to fraudulent conveyance. Nor will a judge accept this defense in a divorce case. After a few weeks or months of cooling off in the local jail, you’ll probably see your way clear to instructing your offshore trustee to bring the cash back to the U.S.

Note that there are legitimate uses of offshore asset protection trusts in divorce cases. For example, to hold separate property that you came into the marriage with and both parties agree will remain separate. If you’re already married, you might use a transmutation agreement to separate your assets and then fund an offshore trust.

Quote: No litigant on earth has been able to break a Cook Islands trust, including the U.S. government, which has repeatedly been unable to collect on multi-million-dollar judgments against fraudsters convicted in federal court. These include infomercial king Kevin Trudeau, the author of a series of books on things “they” don’t want you to know, as well as an Oklahoma property developer who defaulted on his loans from Fannie Mae.

Since 2007, the two have owed Uncle Sam $37.5 million and $8 million respectively, and they have employed some clever wealth-management strategies to avoid paying those judgments. With their fortunes secure in Cook Islands trusts—on paper, at least—there is no way for the U.S. government to force payment unless it wants to send a legal team on the 15-hour journey to Rarotonga (capital of the Cook Islands), where the case would be argued under local laws.

Needless to say, those laws are not very favorable to foreigners seeking to access the assets contained in local trusts.”

Answer: The concept that “no litigant on earth has been able to break a Cook Islands trust,” is very dangerous. Going into battle with the U.S. government with that mindset will be disastrous. It may be true that your assets are safe in the Cook Islands, but your most important asset will likely be sitting in jail.

When I (a U.S. practitioner) write about the strength of an offshore asset protection trust, I say that the Cook Island Trust gives you maximum protection against future civil creditors. It’s not intended to protect you from the IRS, SEC, or other government creditors. Nor is it meant to protect against current or reasonably anticipated creditors.

Using the trust to protect assets from current or reasonably anticipated civil creditors creates the fraudulent transfer issue mentioned above. The quickest way to break an offshore trust is to hold the settlor in contempt until the money is returned to the U.S. The court doesn’t need to break the trust when it can break the defendant.

So long as you create and fund the offshore trust well before the cause of action or debt arises, you will avoid the fraudulent conveyance issues. That is to say, a fraudulent transfer is one that is made after the harm has occurred. If you’re proactive, you can avoid the issue and your trust will hold up against civil creditors.

Going to battle with the United States government is a different matter. Just about any case can be escalated to a criminal charge, which makes transferring assets offshore or using an offshore trust very high risk. Also, a judge is more likely to hit you with contempt of court for refusing to pay the U.S. government than the average civil creditor.

As noted in the article, Kevin Trudeau has about $37 million offshore and untouched by the U.S. government. The same goes for Mark Rich with $100 million in a Cook Island Trust and Allen Stanford with a “sizable” offshore asset protection trust on the island. Mr. Trudeau is serving 10 years, Mr. Stanford 110 years, and Mr. Rich was pardoned by Bill Clinton. All of them chose the Cook Islands to protect their assets.

Let’s focus on Ms. Harrington’s example of Kevin Trudeau. Mr. Trudeau was sentenced for criminal contempt for violation of multiple court orders and failure to pay a $37 million fine. The 10 years he got is extremely unusual for a contempt of court charge. Had he closed the trust and paid the bill he might have done a year or two, but certainly not 10.

Keep in mind that one of the primary reasons Mr. Trudeau is doing time is his Cook Island trust. He chose to do the time rather than pay the fine. I would never hold him out as the poster boy for the benefits of a Cook Islands asset protection trust!

You might be thinking that you’d trade $37 million for 10 years in a low security prison. Well, it’s unlikely Mr. Trudeau will ever see his money.

For example, all the revenues from his books and business are being taken by the court. As of October 2015, the trustee had collected $8 million in royalties from the sale of Mr. Trudeau’s books while he was incarcerated. It was used to give a partial refund to more than 820,000 people who bought his book, The Weight Loss Cure “They” Don’t Want You to Know About.

Assuming good behavior, he will do about 85% of the time, or 8.5 years. When he gets out, he’s looking at years of probation. He will not be allowed to travel internationally during this time and any money he makes will be paid to the U.S trustee overseeing his finances.  

Let’s say he’s off paper in 2023. Now the U.S. government has a few more tricks up their sleeve. They may refuse him a passport or file additional contempt charges for refusing to pay his debt. Prosecutors can also make his life hell while on probation, causing him to violate and be returned to jail.

  • A U.S. passport is a privilege and not a right. In 2016, the IRS and other government agencies have used passport revocations and refusals to renew as a weapon against tax debtors. If Mr. Trudeau can’t travel abroad, he won’t be able to spend his cash.
  • For an article on the topic, see: Warning: The IRS Can Now Revoke Your Passport

So, it’s true that a Cook Islands Trust will protect your assets from the U.S. government. These trusts have never been broken and the United States seems unwilling to litigate on the Island. However, many Americans have been broken by U.S. judges over the years.

Unless you’ve made a sizable donation to the Clinton Foundation (Mark Rich), or are willing to do 10 years for your principals, I don’t recommend going to battle with the U.S. government with an offshore asset protection trust. While the trust will remain intact, the government will make an example of you as they did and will continue to do with Mr. Trudeau.

When the options are pay up or go to jail, most pay. For this reason, offshore asset protection trusts are the best protection available against future civil creditors. Don’t let the hype confuse you into thinking they’re a magic bullet protecting you from the IRS, FTC, SEC, or any other three letter agency.

I’ll leave you with this: You must hire an attorney in your country to form your offshore trust. The key to a successful asset protection structure is combining the laws of your home country with those of a more favorable and defendant friendly offshore jurisdiction. Only a U.S. attorney can advise a U.S. citizen on how to work within the system and maximize the value of an offshore trust.

I hope you’ve found this article on the hype vs. the reality of offshore asset protection trusts to be helpful. Please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or (619) 483-1708 for a confidential consultation on this and other international asset protection and trust topics.

fraudulent transfers

The Law of Fraudulent Transfer in Offshore Trusts

The law of fraudulent transfer can trace it’s roots back to 1571 England  and the Statute of Elizabeth. This rule allowed courts to “undo” transfers of assets which were considered to be “fraudulent transfers.” Since its enactment, it has served as the basis for the fraudulent transfer laws in much of the civilized world.

The problem with the Statute of Elizabeth, and fraudulent transfer laws in general, is that they often do not include  a limitation period. Courts have interpreted fraudulent transfer laws very broadly and for the benefit of creditors, not for the protection of defendants.

Many courts have found a fraudulent transfer whenever a creditor is deprived of assets to pay his judgement that would have otherwise been available. Keep in mind that the mindset of UK and US courts is to make injured parties whole and not to protect the property or earnings of defendants.

Note: It’s important to distinguish between a fraudulent transfer and fraud. All too many writers confuse these two terms and fall into the trap of thinking that making a fraudulent transfer is the same as committing fraud. The law defines “fraud” as knowingly misrepresenting a material fact to induce someone to act or fail to act to his detriment – a crime. Completely different is a fraudulent transfer, which is defined as making a transfer of an asset with the intent to hinder, delay, or defeat the claim of a current or reasonably anticipated creditor – not a crime.

When we select a jurisdiction to form an offshore asset protection trust, we look for one that has a statute covering fraudulent transfers. Specifically, we look for countries with fraudulent transfer statutes with the shortest limitation period. If the country’s statute also includes specific standards of proof in order to establish that a particular transfer was fraudulent, all the better.

The most extensive and defendant friendly of the fraudulent transfer statutes is the offshore asset protection trust codes found in Section 13B of the Cook Islands law. The International Trusts Act of 1984 (as amended), is the original and still the strongest of the offshore trust laws.

The Cook Islands offshore trust statute requires each and every creditor to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt,” that the assets were transferred to the trust for the sole purpose of preventing that specific creditor from collecting. Thus, each creditor must prove the transfer was a fraudulent transfer as to him, and each such case must be brought in the Cook Islands.

Let’s break that down:

First, each creditor must hire an attorney in the Cook Islands and challenge the trust. They can’t combine their claims or hire the same attorney. Because the Island doesn’t allow for contingency cases, each and every creditor will need to spend big to even have their claim heard.

Second, beyond a reasonable doubt, is a high burden of proof. It require that no other logical explanation can be derived from the facts except that the transfer was fraudulent, thereby overcoming the presumption that the transfer was legitimate until proven otherwise. In the United States, this is our standard of proof for criminal convictions, no civil claims.

Third, if the defendant’s non-trust assets at the time the trust was created exceeded the amount in dispute, the plaintiff may not proceed against the trust. That is to say, Cook Islands will only allow the case to be heard if the defendant was insolvent at the time the trust was funded.

Fourth, §13(B)(4) of the Cook Islands trust law states that a transfer to the trust can never be fraudulent if the cause of action (harm to the plaintiff) occurred after the trust was funded. If you create a Cook Islands trust today and injure someone with your car tomorrow, they’ll never have a claim in the Cook Islands against your assets.

Fifth, if the plaintiff gets over all of these hurdles, the limitations period for fraudulent transfers in Cook Islands is two years. After the statute runs, transfers to the trust cannot be attacked on fraudulent transfer grounds. Because of the time it takes to litigate a case in the United States, and because the plaintiff must file in Cook Islands within two years of the trust being funded, it’s rare for a creditor to gain standing in the Cook Islands court.

The first and most important analysis before you create an offshore trust is to consider your exposure under the fraudulent transfer statute. And this analysis should be undertaken by an attorney in your home country, not in the Cook Islands.

This is because the fraudulent transfer law of your home country must be compared and coordinated with the law of your asset protection jurisdiction. Remember that your assets may be out of reach, but you are still under the authority of your country of citizenship.

Thus, if you’re a United States citizen, you must hire a US attorney to create your offshore trust. Likewise, if you’re a citizen of the United Kingdom, you should have a UK expert assist you.

I will end by noting that an offshore trust is typically funded with after tax money (personal savings). It’s also possible to move your United States IRA, 401K or other retirement account to the Cook Islands. We can form a Cook Islands LLC and secure many of the same benefits described above for your tax preferred retirement account.

For more on offshore IRA LLCs in the Cook Islands see my article, Protect Your IRA by Converting it into an Offshore Trust

I hope you have found this information on the law of fraudulent transfers in offshore trusts to be helpful. Please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call (619) 483-1708 for a confidential consultation.

asset protection puerto rico

Asset Protection for a Puerto Rico Act 20 Business

Once you have your Act 20 business in Puerto Rico up and running, you need to think about protecting its retained earnings or distributed profits. Asset protection for a Puerto Act 20 business  becomes urgent because of the amount of capital held in the company tax deferred.

There are two levels of asset protection for Puerto Rico Act 20 companies. The first is retained earnings within the Puerto Rico LLC or corporation and the second is asset protection of dividends taken out under Act 22.

When you operate an Act 20 business based in Puerto Rico from your home in the United States, you get tax deferral at 4%. That is to say, if the business owner is living in the US, you can hold  Puerto Rico sourced profits in the corporation tax deferred.

You will pay 4% tax on the net profits earned from work done in Puerto Rico. This cash must stay within the Puerto Rico corporate structure to continue to be tax deferred year after year. When you distribute those profits as a dividends to the US based owner, you will pay US tax on the qualified dividend at 20% to 23.5% + your state.

If you’re operating a business in Puerto Rico under Act 20, and living in Puerto Rico while qualifying for Act 22, then you can withdraw the corporate profits from the corporation each year. This is because residents of Puerto Rico pay zero tax on dividends from an Act 20 Puerto Rican business.

When it comes to protecting the assets of your company, remember that Puerto Rico is a US jurisdiction. Any US judgement will be enforceable in Puerto Rico just as it is in any other State. As a result, you must take steps to protect your cash without changing its status as tax deferred “offshore” profits.

The best asset protection for Puerto Rico Act 20 businesses is to move your cash out of Puerto Rico and into a safe and secure bank. We have relationships with a number of banks in Switzerland, Germany and Austria that will open accounts for your Act 20 company and allow you to hold retained earnings offshore and out of reach of civil creditors.

The next level of asset protection for a Puerto Rico Act 20 company is incorporating offshore subsidiaries. This is done to put a layer of insulation between the Puerto Rico company and the assets held offshore. We can form a corporation in Panama, Cook Islands, Cayman Islands, or any other solid asset protection jurisdiction to manage your corporate capital.

In order to maintain the tax benefits of tax deferral, these offshore companies must be wholly owned subsidiaries of the Puerto Rico Act 20 company. For example, we form a Panama Corporation owned by the Puerto Rico company. This gets us access to all of the banks and asset protection benefits of Panama and allows us to maintain our tax deferral status.

For this reason, we can’t use other more advanced techniques. It would not be possible for the owner of the Act 20 business to create a Cook Island Trust and fund the trust with retained earnings. Once those profits moved from the Puerto Rico company to the Cook Island Trust, they would become taxable in the United States as a distribution.

This limitation applies only to retained earnings. Residents of Puerto Rico operating under Act 22 may use any means necessary to protect their personal after tax assets from future civil creditors. Remember that, unlike a business based offshore, once you have paid your 4% corporate tax and withdrawn the dividends tax free, this is “after tax” money. You can invest and do with it whatever you like, just as you can with money taken from a US business after paying 40% in taxes.

If you’re new to the Puerto Rico tax holiday, and would like to compare it to traditional offshore tax plans, see Puerto Rico Tax Deal vs Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Move Your Internet Business to Cayman Islands Tax Free

One of the best asset protection systems is to have capital paid directly to a Cook Island Trust. This will maximize the asset protection afforded your dividend distribution and keep it out of the reach of any civil creditor.

We can make arrangements for the dividends to pass directly to the Trust and bypassing any risk of a civil creditor reaching them. We can also setup a subsidiary of the Puerto Rico company in the Cook Islands to facilitate this transfer and the related cash management.

Another offshore asset protection strategy for Puerto Rico Act 20 business will allow you to carry forward the tax benefits of Puerto Rico once you move away from the island and no longer qualify for Act 22.

Let’s say you’ve been operating your Act 20 business for 5 years and have been living in Puerto Rico all of this time. You’ve taken out $10 million in tax free dividends, with the only tax paid being 4% to the government of Puerto Rico.

You’ve had enough of island life, your business has run its course, and are want to return to the United States. Once you make the move, all capital gains, dividends and passive income earned on that $10 million will become taxable by the IRS and your State.

One option is to invest this money into an offshore single pay premium life insurance policy. Money held in the policy will be protected from future civil creditors as well as the US taxing authorities.

This is because capital gains earned within the US compliant offshore life insurance policy are tax deferred. You only pay US tax on the gains if you close out the policy or otherwise remove the cash. Of course, you are free to borrow against the life policy with no tax cost.

If you hold the policy until your death, then the total value will transfer to your heirs tax free (or with a step-up in basis). If you put in $10 million, and it’s grown to $20 million, you’re heirs get $20 million tax free… and the only tax you ever paid on any of that cash is the 4% to Puerto Rico. Quite an amazing tax play.

I hope you’ve found this article on asset protection for a Puerto Rico Act 20 business helpful. Please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call (619) 483-1708 for more information on setting up your business in Puerto Rico or on protecting your retained earnings within that structure.

risks to your IRA

Top 5 Risks to Your IRA

Most Americans think that their IRA is safe… and they would be wrong. Our IRAs and retirement accounts face risks from all sides. Here are the top 5 risks to your IRA and what you can do to protect your savings.

1. IRS Levy of your IRA or other retirement account.

The Federal government and the Internal Revenue Service can size your IRA for any tax debt. If you owe the great collector, or the computer says you do, then your retirement account is at risk.

Note that the IRS doesn’t need to go to court or otherwise prove you owe back taxes. In fact, none of the debtor protection laws apply the the Service. Quite frankly, then can do whatever they like… or whatever the computer tells them to do.

This is true even if you didn’t file a tax return. Let’s say you’re living in Panama and earning $30,000 a year. This is well below the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, so you figure you won’t bother file your US returns. You won’t owe any money, so why go through the hassle and expense?

Here’s one of the reasons why: The IRS will get information from your foreign banks and brokerages. They will also receive information from US firms (Form 1099). The computer will interpret 100% of this as income and prepare a Substitute For Return on your behalf.

The SFR won’t consider the FEIE nor any other deductions or adjustments. Once in the system, a tax debt will be created. The IRS will send out a few letters by standard mail, which you probably won’t receive, and then the debt becomes final.

The fun starts when a collection agent is assigned to your case. He will seize any cash he can find in US banks. When that fails, he’ll go after any offshore bank that has a branch in the US.

When those lines come up dry, he’ll issue a levy against your retirement account. He can take 100% of your retirement savings up to the amount of the tax debt. He need not leave you a penny to pay your bills or support yourself.

And it gets worse. When the IRS takes your IRA, it’s a taxable distribution to you. Yes, you get to pay tax on the money the IRS seizes as if you voluntarily took it out. At least the IRS waives the 10% early withdrawal penalty on levys.

Fyi… if you voluntarily withdraw money from your IRA to pay the IRS, the 10% penalty will apply (in addition to it being a taxable distribution). If your IRA is stuck in the US and at risk, you may be better off telling the government to levy the account rather than you taking a distribution.

2. Missed Child Support Payments

If you owe back child support, Child Services can seize your IRA using a Qualified Domestic Relations Order. This is a court order that requires the plan administrator (US custodian) to transfer funds to your ex / baby mama / baby daddy.

You might also like to know that the IRS and child support agencies can revoke your US passport. A passport is not a right, it’s a privilege bestowed on us Americans from on high. For more on this, see Warning: The IRS Can Now Revoke Your Passport.

3. Obama

Obama laid the groundwork for the takeover of your retirement accounts by creating a test program that required IRAs be invested in US treasuries. myRA, launched in 2012 and was “upgraded” in 2016. It’s a retirement plan for new savers that allows them to invest in safe treasuries… because they are obviously not capable of choosing their own investments.

Take a read through the government website. You’ll find all kinds of references to safety, security and protecting the American worker.

Expect these talking points to come into focus in the next two years in an all out push to move your IRA to treasuries.

Note that this is not a partisan issue. I believe that both Republicans and Democrats will be forced to convert our IRAs to treasuries in the near future. Soon enough, it will be Trump or Hillary telling us how the government needs to protect its citizens by taking over management of our retirement accounts.

4. Civil Creditors

If you get sued, your IRA is at risk. The US bankruptcy statute allows you to protect about $1.1 million of retirement assets from creditors. But, that requires you to qualify for and go through bankruptcy. As a part of this process, your creditors will be able to breach multiple domestic asset protection structures and get paid… maybe not from your IRA, but they will collect.

Any time a US judge is making decisions about your finances, expect her to side with the plaintiff. The US system is focused on making the injured party whole. Very little is done to protect your rights (the defendant’s rights).

Proper planning will move your IRA out of the reach of creditors without requiring you go through bankruptcy.

5. Currency and Stock Market Risks

China and every other country is dumping US treasuries and selling off US stocks fast. China’s stash of American stocks sank by $126 billion, or 38 percent, from the end of July through March of this year. China also sold off about 20% of their US treasuries.

Combine this with the fact that gold is on a tear, and the writing’s on the wall for the US dollar. Whether you think we are in for a correction or a catastrophe, it’s time to diversify your retirement savings.

What can you do to protect your retirement account from a government looking to shore up its treasuries, IRS seizure and civil creditors, and diversify out of the dollar?

Take your IRA offshore before it’s too late.

I suggest that the first step in implementing the myRa plan on a larger scale is to block future IRA transfers offshore. The US is likely to eliminate the loophole that allows you to take control of your retirement account and move it out of their grasp in the next year.

Most experts agree that those who are already offshore when the hammer comes down will be safe. It would be nearly impossible to reach offshore IRAs that are invested in immovable assets like real estate and hardwoods (one of the most popular investments offshore today).

However, it will be very easy for the government to close the door. One rule change by the IRS and no more offshore IRA LLC transfers. And, once that door shuts, I guarantee it won’t be opened again.

If you’d like more information on protecting your retirement account, please see my Offshore IRA LLC page.  We will be happy to assist you in structuring your retirement account offshore and opening bank and brokerage accounts for that structure.

If you believe your IRA is at significant risk from civil creditors, you might also take a read through Protect Your IRA by Converting it into an Offshore Trust. This is a specialized asset protection structure we have developed for high risk clients.

I hope you have found this post on the top 5 risks to your IRA to be helpful. Please drop me a line to info@premieroffshore.com or call (619) 483-1708 for a confidential consultation on taking your retirement account offshore.

asset protection trust

Maximum Security with a Cook Islands Asset Protection Trust

The Cook Islands asset protection trust is the Fort Knox of asset protection. An offshore trust from the Cook Islands is the ultimate in personal privacy and protection – often imitated but never duplicated. If you want to build an impregnable fortress offshore, you want a Cook Island asset protection trust.

The Cook Islands asset protection trust is the best available because it works. Every time a well designed Cook Islands trust has been tested in court by a civil creditor, it has protected our clients assets.

Note that I said civil creditors. The Cook Island trust is not intended to keep out the US government. If you’re a US citizen, you must report your offshore trust and offshore bank account to the IRS. Also, you must usually pay taxes on the gains within the trust.

Another reason a Cook Islands trust is the best available is because it’s flexible. You, the settlor, can manage the assets of the trust until a “bad thing” happens. If you come under attack by a creditor, you will turn over this responsibility to your offshore trustee.

When you come under duress, your licensed, bonded and insured trustee in the Cook Islands will step in and assume the management of your trust. They will captain the ship until you have dispatched your foe in the courts. If you need cash, the trustee will send it to you. If you want to buy a property overseas or invest in gold, your trustee can facilitate that on your behalf.

This is why the Cook Islands asset protection trust is the best of both worlds – you have 100% control of the assets unless and until you come under attack. If that occurs, a trusted and professional trustee steps in to your shoes and manages the trust per your prior instructions.

Note that this max protect offshore trust is meant to secure your assets from future civil creditors. If someone sues you after you funded your offshore trust, there is nothing he or she can do to reach your assets. If they sue you before you fund your trust, they can probably knock down your walls and breach the castle.

The Cook Islands is located due south, near Australia and New Zealand in the same time zone as Hawaii. The trustees and other professionals, with whom we’ve worked for over 10 years, are lawyers, CPAs and other licensed professionals from New Zealand.

With the Cook Islands, you’ll be working with top veteran attorneys from reputable jurisdictions. These are high level professionals and not the typical paper pushers you meet in the banana republics around the Caribbean.

Another benefit of the Cook Islands is that, should a creditor bring suit against the trust, they’ll need to do it in New Zealand. Legal cases are heard in New Zealand courts who apply Cook Islands law. You know that the process will be fair and that the laws will be administered properly… another feature often missing in less reputable Caribbean jurisdictions.

The next feature of the Cook Island offshore asset protection trust is “portability.” You can move the trust and its assets out of the Cook Islands at any time. That’s right, a Cook Islands Trust can be moved to another jurisdiction if you come under attack.

Let’s say a creditor has won their case in US and is attempting to enforce their judgement in Cook Island. Assuming the statute of limitations hasn’t run out, and it appears the creditor is making headway, you can pick up the assets of the trust and move them to another country such as Belize or Cayman Islands. The creditor might spend many thousands of dollars bringing an action in Cook Islands to find an empty treasure trove when he finally makes it past the gates.

Remember, when the statute of limitations clock runs out, New Zealand will refuse to hear any cases against your Cook Island trust.

Beating that statute of limitations is a very difficult thing to do for a civil creditor, especially one from the United States. Thus, it’s rare for a creditor to even get the right to have their case against a Cook Islands offshore asset protection trust heard.

This is because the Cooks Islands statute of limitations is one year from the date the trust is funded or two years from the cause of action (the date the harm occurred).

Because US litigation usually takes years, by the time the case is complete in the US, and the creditor has a civil judgment they want to enforce in Cook Islands, the clock has run out. That is to say, by the time the creditor gets a judgement in the US, they will be barred by the statute of limitations in the Cook Islands from collecting on that judgement.

Of course, we hope you never need to use your Cook Island asset protection trust. Maybe trouble never finds you and your structure sits unused as an insurance policy. Maybe creditors decide not to sue because your assets are out of their reach. Often the case is never brought because the US lawyer refuses to take the case on contingency because the probability of collection is low.

If you do need your asset protection trust, and it’s within the 1 or 2 year window, the Cook Island law is still there to support you. The only way the creditor can enforce a judgement against you in Cook Islands is to prove beyond a reasonable doubt (a very high legal standard) that the sole reason you setup the offshore trust was to transfer assets away from that particular creditor.

Of course, there are many reasons to set up an offshore asset protection trust. For example, to facilitate your international investments, international estate planning, general protection (not related to one particular creditor), etc. Each of these reasons should be documented during the formation phase to support your use of a Cook Island trust.

So long as the trust is used to protect against future civil creditors, and not the US government, your offshore structure will provide an impenetrable barrier through which no creditor may pass.

I hope you have found this post on offshore asset protection trusts in the Cook Islands helpful. Please contact me at info@premieroffshore.com or call (619) 483-1708 for a confidential consultation.

The Panama Foundation for Asset Protection

The Panama Foundation provides the best asset protection and estate planning available… hands down, no questions asked.  Here’s why the Panama Foundation is the ticket for those wanting to diversify abroad and protect their savings.

While the offshore trust, especially the Cook Island Trust, has a longer history, the modern Panama Foundation costs less to set up and maintain, and you don’t need to pay a professional trustee or protector. This can save you thousands of dollars a year. The Panama Foundation is the most efficient advanced asset protection structure available… and it’s just as effective as its high cost cousin.

With a Panama Foundation, you can appoint anyone you like to handle your estate should you become incapacitated. Also, unlike a Belize trust, you can be the manager of the Foundation, controlling its investments for the benefits of your heirs.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning…

Panama Foundation Overview

First, let me take a moment to summarize the Panama Foundation as an asset protection tool.  The Foundation, as defined in the Panama law in 1995, and as updated and improved over the years, is a separate and distinct entity from its owners.  As a result, the Panama Foundation is now recognized, not only by Panama,  but by the United States and other countries, as one of the most efficient asset protection tools.

For example, the Panama Foundation is one of the very few foreign structures approved in the Cayman Islands.  The very conservative country of Cayman (regardless of what you see in the movies, Cayman is extremely conservative) has approved the Panama Foundation to open accounts in its banks without any extra due diligence required.  Try to open an account under a Nevis corporation here and you will be shown the door or told to form a local company.

  • Being recognized around the world gives you access to more foreign banks, currencies and investments.  It also means you can move quickly out of Panama if sued there.

Also, the Panama Foundation does not require members or shareholders.  All that is needed is the Founder (you, the settlor), the Foundation council (we or you provide), and a beneficiary.  You may act as both the Founder and the beneficiary and may appoint any three people or any one company as the counsel.  It is usually this counsel that manages the assets should you become unable or unwilling to do so (such as if you are in litigation or otherwise incapacitated).

That’s the basic structure.  I usually recommend that larger Panama Foundations 1) don’t list the settlor as the beneficiary and 2) appoint an asset manager as the protector or foundation counsel.  If the primary purpose of the Foundation is asset protection, taking these steps early can save you in the long run.  Of course, you can add the protector or investment manager later if an attack on your assets becomes likely.

Benefits of a Panama Foundation

There are many benefits of a Panama Foundation for asset protection and I’ll take them in turn here.  The first is that the Foundation won’t be taxed in Panama… and no local accounting or audit will be required.  I never recommend a jurisdiction for asset protection that requires audited financials, the filing of tax forms, or any other compliance.  For example, Hong Kong requires audited financial statements be filed each year, and thus an expensive CPA is required, so I avoid that country.

  • So long as the Foundation’s income is from outside of Panama, it will be tax free.  Of course, if you open a business (such as a bar) in Panama, you will pay Panamanian tax on the profits.

Next, the Panama Foundation is a hybrid entity in between a trust and a corporation.  Therefore, it may act as an offshore trust, but it is far more cost effective to form and operate than other international trust arrangements.

For example, the Panama Foundation is about 1/2 the cost of a Cook Island Trust and you need not pay for a Protector or asset manager unless you elect to have one.  Most trusts require one of these two persons and charge a few points on the assets of the trust (assets under management) to provide them.

  • I helped a CI trust that was spending $6,000+ per year in maintenance and management move to Panama. We cut these costs down to about $950 p.a.

Of course, if you desire advanced investment management services, they are available in Panama, Cayman Islands, or elsewhere.  All of the major financial service providers are in Panama and we can arrange bank and brokerage accounts at all levels.

Next, the Panama Foundation is a separate entity and, as such, may enter in to contracts and agreements on behalf of its Founder (you).  The Foundation’s ability to contract and operate as a company separate and distinct from its owner is why we call the Panama Foundation a hybrid structure.  While a trust is one with its settlor, a Panama Foundation is a legal entity like a corporation or LLC (which is why I refer to it as a company).

The only limitation is that a Panama Foundation may not operate an active business.  If you want to hold a business in a Panama structure, your Foundation may form a Panama corporation, but may not own the business directly.

I note that real estate is usually not an active business… unless you own many units or buy land, divide it, and sell parcels.  Your Panama Foundation may own a rental or two, or you may decide to purchase the condo in a corporation for maximum local asset protection… if something happens to the condo, liability in Panama won’t reach the assets of the Foundation.

A Panama Foundation may be established for the benefit of any third party. Alternately, the Founder/settlor may be the beneficiary.  As stated above, I don’t recommend the Founder be the beneficiary, but it is possible.  You may also list anyone or any company as the beneficiary.

  • Beneficiaries may be any person(s) or company(ies).  Beneficiaries are not public record.

In fact, your estate plan may be as simple or complex as you like.  You might decide to work with the U.S. gift tax exclusion, or the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion for a business in Panama, create a charitable remainder structure, a generation skipping Foundation, or any variation thereof.

The bottom line is that you may control the disposition of assets by lodging a simple or complex list of instructions with the Foundation council.  This “letter of wishes” will tell the banks, brokerages, and property managers what to do with your assets upon your passing and may be changed or updated as often as you like… usually at no cost.

Also, the Panama Foundation requires no annual meeting or formalities.  With a U.S. structure, if you fail to keep up appearances, creditors may pierce the corporate veil and get to your assets.  In Panama, no such laws apply and your assets are secure.  As stated above, no audit, accounting, or tax filing will be required in Panama.

Conventions of the Panama Foundation

A Panama Foundation may use any name available.  You’re not required to use your last name, as is the custom with a trust.  Though, you do need to include the word “Foundation” in the name.  So, The Reeves Private Interest Foundation, Reeves Foundation, or Great Panama Foundation would all be acceptable names.

A Panama Foundation must have a local address and local agent for service of process.  Just as when you form an out of state company or LLC in the US, you need to have a local representative to receive legal correspondence.  We provide this for you at no cost.

The Founder of a Panama Foundation may be any person or entity (a foreign or domestic corporation, trust, LLC, etc.).

Uses for a Panama Foundation

The most common uses of a Panama Foundation are:

  • To hold shares, patents, collect royalties, manage trademarks and other passive activities;
  • Offshore asset protection for those who want to diversify out of the U.S.;
  • Moving assets out of your US estate to minimize US estate tax;
  • Investment management and private asset management by firms or outside of the United States, especially where the provider is unwilling to do business with a U.S. person directly.

Panama Foundation Council

As I’ve said, a Panama Foundation may be as simple or complex as necessary.  One of the reasons for this flexibility is the Foundation Council, which is unique to Panama.  It is this council that allows you to maximize asset protection and, should you come under duress, allows you to separate yourself from the structure and the assets.

  • You may manage the Panama Foundation directly until or unless you have an issue (come under attack by a creditor).

You may elect to retain a professional trust company or lawyer to act as your trustee/protector.  This person would be appointed by your foundation council and act at your direction.

We provide your foundation council at no additional charge.  You may then add an investment manager or lawyer as you see fit.  Alternatively, you can manage your Panama Foundation and then seek professional assistance only if you come under duress or litigation becomes likely. Of course, you can provide the Foundation council.

Your Panama Foundation Council may consist of three or more persons or one legal entity (a corporation or LLC).  These people or company may be from any country… they need not be Panamanians.  Though, I don’t recommend U.S. persons or companies as council members. This would reduce the asset protection benefits of the Panama Foundation.  U.S. persons are subject to the control and whims of a U.S. court.

So, if you want to create an advanced structure, we can provide a Panama attorney, or an offshore LLC to act as the Foundation Council… maybe a limited liability company from Belize to maximize privacy and diversify or plant flags in multiple jurisdictions, taking the best from each and combining it into a worldwide asset protection plan.

U.S. Taxation of a Panama Foundation

As I said above, foreign source and passive income are not taxable in Panama.  So long as the foundation is not operating a business in Panama, you’ll pay no local tax.

Of course, if you do operate a business or sell local real estate you will pay tax to Panama.

If you are living in the United States, you (the Founder) are the beneficial owner of the assets of the Foundation for U.S. tax purposes.  In other words, the Founder is the owner of the assets for US tax purposes (but not litigation purposes) held by the Foundation. Any income generated therefrom will be taxable in the U.S.

As you know, the U.S. taxes its citizens on our worldwide income.  The fact that you are using a Panama Foundation for asset protection does not change the tax code.  The U.S. will want its cut of passive income so long as you hold a blue passport and its share of business income so long as you are living in the U.S.

There are a number of U.S. tax planning options with a Panama Foundation that are outside of the scope of this article.  For example, you might hold an active business in a Panama corporation owned by the Foundation, qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, and draw a salary from that corporation of up to $100,800 for 2015 free of U.S. income tax (husband and wife might each take $100,000 for a total of $200,000). Then, you may retain earnings over this amount and defer U.S. tax for as long as you like. See my articles on the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion for more information.

You might also decide to create sub-Foundations and transfer portions of the assets in your primary Panama Foundation to your heirs over time using the gift tax exclusion.  This may reduce your U.S. tax and have other estate planning benefits.

You might decide to purchase precious metal or physical gold within your Panama Foundation.  This can be done in Panama by leasing a local vault and we can introduce you to reputable sources for bouillon if you like.

Or you might invest in an offshore life insurance policy through your Panama Foundation.  These investments usually require $2 million or more and, assuming they are U.S. compliant, may allow you to reduce or eliminate U.S. tax on passive income.

  • These are complex topics and I have just touched on them here.

Conclusion

To recap, the major benefits of a Panama Foundation over other asset protection vehicles are:

  • Exemption from all Panamanian taxes on profits generated outside of Panama
  • Relatively Inexpensive to maintain
  • Separate legal entity with capacity to execute agreements and acquire obligations and property.
  • No shareholders,  members, directors, or officers required
  • Any person or company may create a foundation for the benefit of any third party
  • Assets transferred to the Foundation in a timely manner are out of reach of civil creditors
  • Accounting and audited financials are not required
  • No foreign exchange controls

If you would like to form a Panama Foundation, please give us a call or send an email to info@premieroffshore.com.  We will be happy to work with you to structure your affairs in a tax efficient and compliant manner.

Articles on Panama and the Panama Foundation:

IRA Gold

IRA Gold Rules

Yes, you can take your IRA offshore and buy IRA gold… so long as you follow the rules and buy the right kind of gold.  If you will invest in IRA gold, this brief post is a must read.

Here are the basics of buying IRA Gold:

First, if you wish to hold IRA gold outside of the United States, you should form an Offshore LLC, invest your retirement account in to that structure, and then make your investments.  This give you control of your retirement account(s) and you are the only signor on that foreign bank/investment account.

Next, you must follow all of the same rules as an onshore IRA manager.  Luckily, the rules for IRA gold are quite simple.

Your offshore IRA may invest in physical gold.  This means, you can buy gold bullion, nuggets, or any other type of precious metal allocation you like.  IRA GOLD DOES NOT INCLUDE COLLECTIBLE GOLD COINS!

If you buy IRA gold, you must buy physical gold that is valued on its gold content.  You may not buy coins that have value over and above their gold content.  IRA gold does not include collectibles.

The only gold coins that I am aware of which you can purchase in an IRA are American Golden Eagles.  These are priced at around $140 for their gold content and have no value as a collectible.

Of course, my recommendation is to hold physical gold, not coins, in an offshore vault in Panama or Switzerland.  I also suggest you avoid paper gold, which provides very little protection (hedge) against catastrophic events.

I hope this post on IRA Gold is helpful.  We do not sell gold, but will be happy to direct you to offshore experts.  For more information, please send me an email to info@premieroffshore.com.

Panama foundation IRA Tax

Panama Foundation IRA Tax Review

The Panama Foundation has been approved as the “owner” of a U.S. retirement account in Panama.  This means that, those who want to invest in Panama, have access to banks or brokerage services in Panama, or hold their retirement account n the most advanced asset protection and estate planning tool available, may now move their IRA to a Panama Foundation.

This article is a review of the U.S. and Panama tax laws as applicable to holding an IRA in a Panama Foundation.  I’ve included cites for those who want to delve in to the U.S. tax code or the ERISA statutes.

I begin by noting that the U.S. code sections that allow you to move your U.S. retirement account in to a domestic or foreign LLC are the same ones used to support the Panama Foundation.  The Foundation is conveyed in to a disregarded entity for U.S. tax purposes, just like an LLC, but retains its estate planning and asset protection components in Panama.

The Panama Foundation IRA structure we have created is designed around the U.S. domestic business trust IRA and the offshore IRA LLC.  In a business trust, the IRA makes an investment in to the trust by acquiring the “beneficial interest” of the trust.  Often the IRA will purchase 100% of the “beneficial interests” of the trust, much like it will acquire 100% of the “membership interest” of a limited liability company or shares of a corporation.  Essentially, the term “beneficial interest” is the title for “equity interests” in the business trust.

Using IRC § 4975 (e)(2)(G) and ERISA Reg 2510.3-101(b)(1), we have applied these rules to the Panama Foundation, which is a hybrid trust and corporate entity.  In the case of the Panama Foundation, the IRA account is the trustor or settler of the Foundation (i.e., the party who transferred assets to the Foundation) and the beneficiary (the party that holds the beneficial interest of the Panama Foundation).  Therefore, the IRA account is both the trustor/settlor and the only beneficiary of the Panama Foundation.

Limitations! 

In a traditional asset protection structure, we don’t usually recommend the Founder be the same “person” as the beneficiary.  In the case of a Panama Foundation IRA, this is required to maintain the tax preferred status of the retirement account under U.S. law.

Also, the Panama Foundation IRA we have created may not act as both the owner of your retirement account and as an asset protection trust for your after tax (non – IRA) money.  You may not mix after tax cash with your retirement savings.

U.S. Tax Classification of a Panama Foundation IRA

When you take your retirement account offshore, the objective is to (legally) eliminate all Federal and States filing obligations.  To accomplish this, the Panama Foundation IRA must have only one member/founder and be considered a disregarded entity for U.S. tax purposes.  This is quite different than a typical trust used for estate planning purposes or a Panama Foundation used for asset protection.

Specifically, a typical U.S. trust is governed under Subchapter J of the U.S. tax code § 641.  The Panama Foundation’s tax status is determined under the “check-the-box” Treasury Regulations.

Under Treasury Reg. 301.7701-4(b), a foreign entity is treated as a business entity and classified for under Treasury Reg. 301.7701-2.  Under this section, a business entity with two or more members is classified as either a corporation or a partnership.  A corporation is then defined to mean a business entity organized under a state or international statute which refers to the entity as “incorporated” or as a “corporation.”  For example, a Panama corporation is by default a foreign corporation, and not a partnership or trust, because it is “incorporated” under the relevant Panama code sections.  Likewise, any entity ending in Inc., A.G., Corp., Ltd., or a similar designation is assured to be a corporation for U.S. tax purposes.

Now that your Panama Foundation is classified as a disregarded entity, because it has only one owner of the beneficial interests and/or submitted the form to be classified as a disregarded entity, it will not have to file federal or state income tax returns.

State tax:  For example, every corporation doing business in California is subject to the minimum franchise tax of $800.  The same goes for any LLC formed in California.  But other entities, such as trusts formed outside of the State, are not required to pay this tax.  For more information, see the California Revenue and Taxation code and related regulations (§ 23038 and CA Admin Code Title 18 § 23038(a), (b)-1 and (b)-2.  As to the disregarded entity status in California, see Rev and Tax Code § 17942(a) and (b).

Plan Asset Rule

Once your retirement account has been moved to a Panama Foundation, and you are the manager of that Foundation, you’ll be required to follow the various Plan Assest Rules as defined in the ERISA Regulations at 2510.3-101(a)(2).  As the plan manager, you become a fiduciary of the IRA and must always act in the best interest of the account and the Panama Foundation IRA.

As a fiduciary, you are prohibited from borrowing from the plan, using the funds for your personal benefit, making certain prohibited investments, and engaging in any transaction at less than fair market value.  Basically, you are to manage the Panama Foundation for the benefit of the retirement account as a professional investment advisor would.  You should act as if the funds belong to someone other than you… which, in fact, they do… cash belongs to the IRA.

I would like to point out here that these rules apply to Panama Foundations and LLCs that hold a U.S. retirement account.  They are not applicable to a Panama Foundation used to protect after tax money (personal savings).

For more information on your rights and responsibilities, as well as a discussion of what you may and may not invest in, please see my Self Directed IRA page (top right of the menu).

Documents of the Panama Foundation

Where a typical Panama Foundation consists of a Foundation Charter and a Letter of Wishes, a Panama Foundation IRA is built upon a similar Charter and an Operating Agreement.  The Charter sets forth the purpose of the Foundation in general terms and the Operating Agreement (which is a private document not filed with the government) describes the IRA structure in detail.

The Foundation Charter is public record and filed in Panama.  The Operating Agreement is essentially a contract between you and the U.S. custodian detailing each party’s rights and obligations with regards to the IRA Foundation.  Collectively, these are referred to as the Foundation documents.

The Foundation documents work together to set forth the purpose of the Foundation, which is to make appropriate investments and manage the IRA funds it controls.  As such, these documents give the manager (you) the authority to open bank and brokerage accounts, purchase property, and spend money to improve or add to that property.

It is the Foundation Charter that gives the Founder the ability to enter in to the Operating Agreement with the retirement account administrator.  Then it is these documents together that allow you, the beneficial owner of the retirement account, to be appointed as the manager.

As the manager of the Panama Foundation IRA, you have the right to make investment decisions, as well as any changes to the Foundation Charter and Operating Agreement.  As such, you are taking the right and responsibility to make decisions away from the U.S. administrator.

The administrator agrees to transfer this authority to you, and you agree to indemnify him from any actions you take as the manager of the Panama Foundation.  In other words, the Operating Agreements says you must follow all applicable rules (such as the plan asset rule), and can make any permitted investment you like.  If you lose money, or break a rule and the IRA is penalized by the IRS, that’s on you… the administrator has no liability.  His job is to 1) invest the IRA in to the Panama Foundation and 2) file annual forms with the IRS.  For this, he will charge a few hundred dollars a year.  He doesn’t get to charge a fee or make a commission on any of your investments and has no liability if you make a bad deal.

As such, you will be the only signatory on the bank accounts.  The U.S. administrator will have no right to force the assets of the Panama Foundation be returned to the United States.  If you come under attack (litigation), then you decide how to handle those offshore accounts.

Finally, you are not required to seek the administrator’s permission for any investment.  You have total control over the check book of the Panama Foundation… and that’s how the administrator wants it.

Active Business in a Panama Foundation IRA

The Panama Foundation, as defined in Law No 25, Private Interest Foundations, issued on June 25, 1995, may not operate an active business.  So, while it is legal for a U.S. IRA to operate a business, it is not possible to do so if you move the retirement account in to a Panama Foundation.

However, I don’t see this as much of a drawback… an offshore IRA should not be operating a business anyway.  Any business owned and operated by a retirement account will generate Unrelated Business Income in the United States, which will be taxed at 35%.  That’s right, active business income earned in a retirement account is taxable.

To eliminate this tax, an offshore IRA structure may form a UBIT blocker corporation to hold the business.  Then, the corporation passes interest and dividends up to the Foundation/IRA.  This converts the UBI in to traditional investment income and avoids the UBIT.

For more information on UBIT and blocker structures, please see my various posts on this topic.  Suffice it to say, any active business owned by the Panama Foundation IRA should be in a Panama corporation.

I hope you have found this review of the Panama Foundation IRA structure helpful.  For more information, please call us or send an email to info@permieroffshore.com.  We will be happy to work with you and answer any questions you may have.

Note that we are the creators of the Panama Foundation IRA structure.  As such, we are uniquely qualified to help you move your retirement account to Panama.

IRA to Panama

Move Your IRA to Panama

We have been working for months with lawyers, banks, and government agencies in Panama and are finally ready to announce some great news for those seeking asset protection.  You may now move your IRA or other retirement account to Panama and in to the best protection and estate planning tool available… the Panama Private Interest Foundation.

This represents the culmination of a great deal of negotiation and a titanic shift in the offshore IRA industry.  While you were previously required to form an offshore LLC, you may now utilize a U.S. compliant Panama Foundation to hold your retirement account.  This means you have access to all of the investment service providers, banks, and investment opportunities in Panama without being required to add a Panama corporation to your offshore LLC or getting your LLC licensed to do business in Panama… which is a major hassle costing thousands of dollars to complete.

This also means your IRA is in a Category III entity, which is much more advantageous for larger accounts and gives you access to a wider range of jurisdictions.

Let me explain.  Before we created the Panama Foundation IRA, you were required to place your IRA in to an offshore LLC.  This is because you needed to move it in to a disregarded entity for U.S. tax purposes to maintain the tax benefits of being a U.S. compliant retirement account.  If you wanted to invest in a country that doesn’t have an LLC statute, you needed to create a subsidiary corporation under your offshore LLC.  This increased the formation costs and maintenance, as well as the U.S. compliance required to move your IRA offshore.  Most notably, the offshore corporation is required to file a U.S. tax return, IRS Form 5471, which creates too many headaches to list here.

* The only countries offering compatible offshore LLCs are Anguilla, Nevis, Belize, and the Cook Islands.  Obviously, this limits your investment options unless you form an offshore corporation owned by the LLC.

Being what is referred to as a Category III entity, the Panama Foundation may open accounts and make investments in Panama (obviously) and other countries that have agreements with Panama.  This includes Hong Kong and Cayman Islands.  Cayman is universally regarded as the most advanced offshore banking jurisdictions for larger investors, but has no LLC statute.  Structures from Anguilla, Belize, Nevis and Cook Islands are (basically) prohibited from opening accounts in Cayman, but a Panama Foundation has the same legal standing as a domestic entity… which is a major advantage.

* For more on Cayman, please see my article on this topic.

Also, when designing an offshore IRA structure, you want to ensure you are not required to file any U.S. tax forms.  Eliminating filing requirements will save you thousands in compliance costs and greatly reduce the probability of being audited.

Moving your IRA in to the Panama Foundation structure we have created eliminates all U.S. filing obligations.  Both an offshore LLC and our Panama Foundation structure are classified as disregarded entities for U.S. tax purposes and therefore not required to file a return… again, unless you add a corporation to the structure.

* There are times when a corporation and filing Form 5471 can be a major advantage.  See my articles on UBIT blockers for more information.

I also note that the Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR) is not required for a bank or brokerage account owned by a retirement account.

The above description covers just the basics of moving your retirement account in to a Panama Foundation.  I will be releasing a detailed analysis of the structure and its legal basis in the U.S. in the next few days.

Please understand that the Panama Foundation IRA has a different objective than our typical asset protection structure.  As this Foundation must meet all U.S. requirements for a retirement account, and we wish to prevent the need to file U.S. returns, it uses a different legal system than a Panama Foundation for protecting after tax income.  That is to say, not all my comments and articles on the Panama Foundation apply to a Foundation which holds an IRA.

Basically, what we have done is take those aspects of the Panama Foundation that maximize asset protection and estate planning for U.S. persons, and convert them in to a structure that can support your retirement account.  Once the account is inside the Panama Foundation, you are the manager and have complete control over the investments and the checkbook of the Foundation.

As the manager of the Foundation, and the fiduciary of the retirement account, it’s your job to manage the assets of the Foundation for the benefit of the retirement account, and not for your own gain.  I will address this in more detail in my next post.

Our design also incorporates legal components from the U.S. business trust (which is quite different from a U.S. grantor trust) and the offshore LLC structures we have offered for the last several years.

The Panama Foundation IRA may hold any investment permitted under the U.S. IRA statutes.  This includes physical gold, bank and brokerage accounts, and real estate.  In fact, the Panama Foundation may hold land or other property to be improved by the Foundation, or a rental where the Foundation is to collect rents and pay expenses.

So, moving your IRA in to a Panama Foundation rather than an offshore LLC, will allow you to invest in and open accounts in Panama without a corporation or other expensive maneuvers.  If Panama is where you would like to keep your investments, or you need access to other advanced markets (such as Cayman), you should consider forming a Panama Foundation IRA.

Please send an email to info@premieroffshore.com for additional information.  We will be happy to review this unique structure with you.

Stay tuned for my tax and legal analysis of the Panama Foundation IRA…

Panama Foundation Scam

The Panama Foundation Scam

Just about every week someone calls asking about using a Panama Foundation as a charity.  This is known in tax circles as the Panama Foundation scam and the internet is filled with it.  Avoid the Panama Foundation scam at all costs.  It will lead you down a very bad path with the IRS.

Here’s how the call goes:  “Hey there, I’ve been reading on the internet and came across your site.  What I’d like to do is…”

By this time I already know what’s coming, but let them proceed anyway.  Just about any call which is prefaced by, “I was reading on the internet” is leading nowhere good.  There are very few sites that provide both asset protection or formation services and U.S. tax compliance.  If a company is based offshore, they can tell you whatever they want to make a sale.  If they are in the U.S. and have U.S. licensed professionals, then they follow the law first and look to make the sale second.

Ok, enough pontificating.  Back to the Panama Foundation scam.

“I want to form a Panama Foundation and operate it like a charity.  I want to make donations to this charity and deduct them on my U.S. taxes…” or something like that.

Here’s the bottom line on the Panama Foundation scam:  The Panama Foundation is not a charitable entity and can’t be turned in to a charity.  All of the websites and marketing brochures talking about this are scammers… or, worse, they believe the cr*p they are selling and are tax protestors.

The U.S. tax code is very clear.  Only donations to a U.S. licensed charity may be deducted on your personal income tax return.  That is to say, only donations to a charitable organization licensed under 501 (c) (3) of the U.S. Tax Code are deductible.  Your Panama Foundation won’t get a 501 (c) (3) license, so you can’t deduct transfers to it.  If you were to spend the time, money and effort to get a license, there would be no reason to use a Panama structure… you would incorporate in the U.S.

Even if you wanted to donate to a church or legitimate charity in Panama or elsewhere, such a donation is only deductible if that entity is licensed in the U.S.  Of course, you are free to give to anyone or any organization you like.  You just don’t get to deduct that payment on tax returns.

For example, the Red Cross is incorporated in Switzerland, as are most of the major charities.  These organizations then form corporations in the United States and apply for charitable status before taking donations.

Sometimes the Panama Foundation scam relies on the private interest foundation tax rules rather than the charity code section.  A private foundation in the U.S. allows you to donate property (usually appreciated assets) to your personal foundation.  You get to deduct the fair market value of the donation in the year given (which is why appreciated property is recommended) and then transfer a small percentage of that property to a licensed charity over a number of years.  This allows you to maintain control over the property, manage it for the benefit of a charity, and give up only a portion over time.

So, the Panama Foundation scam often takes verbiage and rules from the private interest foundation sections and applies them to the Panama Foundation.  Unfortunately, there is nothing legitimate to this analysis.  The Panama Foundation is not a private interest foundation as defined in the U.S. code and this is just a scam to sell Panamanian entities to those looking for a tax loophole.

Just last week I came across someone who took the Panama Foundation scam to a new level.  He would form the Foundation and file the charitable tax return in the United States for that entity.  This was done with the intent of confusing the U.S. IRS computers into thinking it was a legitimate charity.

He would then sell this “licensed” foundation for many thousands of dollars to someone who fell for the scam and thought they were getting a charity or private interest foundation.  Of course, the sham will be discovered some day and all the donations will be reversed.  This will mean big time tax, interest and penalties will be assessed against the buyer… and criminal charges brought against the scammer… if he can be found on the day of reckoning.

Don’t fall for the Panama Foundation scam.  The Panama Foundation is not a charitable organization as defined by any section of the U.S. tax code.  This is one of the many reasons you should only form offshore structures with a firm that provides U.S. tax compliance.

Panama Foundation

The Panama Foundation for Asset Protection

The Panama Foundation provides the best asset protection and estate planning available… hands down, no questions asked.  Here’s why the Panama Foundation is the ticket for those wanting to move assets out of the United States and eliminate the U.S. estate tax.

First, let me take a moment to summarize the Panama Foundation as an asset protection tool.  The Foundation, as defined in the Panama law in 1995, and as updated and improved over the years, is now a separate and distinct entity from its owners.  As a result, the Panama Foundation is now recognized, not only by Panama, but by the United States and other countries as one of the most efficient tools out there.

For example, the Panama Foundation is one of the very few foreign structures approved in the Cayman Islands, and is a recommended vehicle for holding investments there.  The very conservative country of Cayman (regardless of what you see in the movies, Cayman is extremely conservative) has approved the Panama Foundation to open accounts in its banks and funds without any extra due diligence required.  Try to open an account under a Belize corporation and you will be shown the door or told to form a local company.

* Being recognized around the world gives you better access to foreign banks, currencies and investments.  It also means you can move quickly out of Panama if sued there.

I also note that the Panama Foundation does not require members or shareholders.  All that is needed is the Founder (settlor), the Foundation council, and a beneficiary.  You may act as both the Founder and the beneficiary, and may appoint any three people or any one company as the counsel.  It is usually this counsel that manages the assets should you become unable or unwilling to do so (such as if you are in litigation or your assets are otherwise under attack).

This is the basic structure.  I usually recommend that larger Panama Foundations 1) don’t list the settlor as the beneficiary and 2) appoint an asset manager as the protector or foundation counsel.  While it is not required, if the primary purpose of the Foundation is asset protection, taking these steps early can save you in the long urn.  Of course, you can add the protector or investment manager later if an attack on your assets is not imminent.

Benefits of a Panama Foundation

There are many benefits of a Panama Foundation for asset protection and I will take many of them in turn here.  The first is that the Foundation won’t be taxed in Panama… and no local accounting or audit will be required.  I never recommend a jurisdiction for asset protection that requires audited financials, the filing of tax forms, or any other compliance.  For example, Hong Kong has a number of these rules so I avoid that jurisdiction.

*So long as the income is from outside of Panama, it will be tax free.  Of course, if you open a business (such as a bar) in Panama, you will pay Panama tax on the profits.

Next, the Panama Foundation is a hybrid entity in between a trust and a corporation.  Therefore, it may act as an offshore trust, but it is far more cost effective to form and operate than many international trust arrangements.

For example, the Panama Foundation is about 1/3 the cost of a Cook Island Trust and you need not pay for a Protector or asset manager unless you elect to have one.  Most trusts require one of these two persons and charge a few percentage points on the assets of the trust (assets under management) to provide them.  I’ve seen a CI trust that cost $6,000+ to maintain per year move to Panama and cut these costs down to about $950.

Of course, if you desire advanced fund management services, they are available to you in Panama, Cayman Islands, or elsewhere.  All of the major financial service providers are in Panama and we can make introductions to banks and brokerages at all account sizes.

Next, the Panama Foundation is a separate entity and, as such, may enter in to contracts and agreements on behalf of its Founder (you) and as the manager of its underlying assets.  The ability to contract and operate as a company separate and distinct from its owner, is why we call the Panama Foundation a hybrid structure.  While a trust is one with its settlor, a Panama Foundation is a legal entity like a corporation or LLC (which is why I refer to it as a company).

The only limitation is that a Panama Foundation may not own an active business.  If you want to hold a business in a Panama structure, your Foundation may incorporate a Panama corporation, but may not own the business directly.

I note that real estate is usually not an active business… unless you own many units or buy land, divide it, and sell parcels.  Your Panama Foundation may own a rental, or you may decide to purchase the condo in a corporation for maximum local asset protection… if something happens to the condo, liability in Panama won’t reach the assets of the Foundation.

A Panama Foundation may be established for the benefit of any third party, or the Founder/settlor may be the beneficiary.  As stated above, I don’t recommend the Founder be the beneficiary, but it is possible.  You may also list anyone or any company as the beneficiary.  If you want to leave your estate to the Red Cross, no problem.

*Beneficiaries may be any person or company.  They are not public information.

In fact, your estate plan may be as simple or complex as you like.  You might decide to work with the U.S. gift tax exclusion, or the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion for a business in Panama, create a charitable remainder structure, a generation skipping Foundation, or any variation thereof.

The bottom line is that you may control the disposition of assets by lodging a simple or complex list of instructions with the Foundation council.  This “letter of wishes” will tell the banks, brokerages, and property managers what to do with your assets upon your passing and may be changed or updated as often as you like… usually at no cost.

Also, the Panama Foundation requires no annual meeting or formalities.  With a U.S. structure, if you fail to keep up appearances, creditors may pierce the corporate veil and get to your assets.  In Panama, no such laws apply and your assets are secure.  As stated above, no audit, accounting, or tax filing will be required.

Structure of the Panama Foundation

A Panama Foundation may use any name available.  You’re not required to use your last name, as is the custom with a trust.  Though, you do need to include the name “Foundation” in the name.  So, The Reeves Private Interest Foundation, Reeves Foundation, or Great Panama Foundation would all be acceptable names.

A Panama Foundation must have a local address and local agent for service of process.  Just as when you form an out of state company or LLC, you need to have a local representative to receive legal correspondence.  We provide this for you at no cost.

The Founder of a Panama Foundation may be any person or entity (a foreign or domestic corporation, trust, LLC, etc.).  In fact, it can be your U.S. retirement account.

* We are currently working on a U.S. compliant IRA Panama Foundation structure, to be released in the next few months.

The most common uses of a Panama Foundation are:

–  To hold shares, patents, collect royalties, manage trademarks and other passive activities;

–   Offshore asset protection for those who want to diversify out of the U.S.;

–   Offshore estate planning for those with more than $5 million in assets (assuming the estate tax amount doesn’t go down, as it has in decades past… then, anyone at risk of qualifying for the U.S. estate tax);

–   Investment management and private asset management by firms or outside of the United States, especially where the provider is unwilling to do business with a U.S. person directly.

Panama Foundation Council

As I’ve said, your Panama Foundation may be as simple (cost effective) or complex as necessary.  One of the reasons for this flexibility is the Foundation Council, which is unique to Panama.  It is this council that allows you to maximize asset protection and, should you come under duress, allows you to separate yourself from the structure and the assets.

* You may manage the Panama Foundation directly until or unless you have an issue (come under attack by a creditor).

You may elect to retain a professional trust company or lawyer to act as your trustee/protector.  This person would be appointed by your foundation council and act at your direction.

We provide your foundation council at no additional charge.  You may then add an investment manager or lawyer as you see fit.  Alternatively, you can manage your Panama Foundation and then seek additional council if you come under duress or litigation becomes likely.

Your Panama Foundation Council may consist of three or more persons or one legal entity (a corporation or LLC).  These people or company may be from any country… they need not be Panamanians.  Though, I would not use U.S. persons or a U.S. company, as this would eliminate the asset protection benefits of the Panama Foundation.  U.S. persons would be subject to the control of or whims of a U.S. court.

So, if you want to create an advanced structure, we can provide a Panama attorney, or an offshore LLC to act as the Foundation Council… maybe a limited liability company from Belize, for example, so as to maximize privacy.

Taxation of a Panama Foundation

As I said above, foreign source and passive income are not taxable to a Panama Foundation owned by a U.S. person.  So long as the foundation is not operating a business in Panama, you will pay no local tax.

Of course, if you do operate a business, or sell local real estate, you will pay tax to Panama.  The Foundation does not affect local transactions.

If you are living in the United States you (the Founder) are the beneficial owner of those assets for U.S. tax purposes.  In other words, the Founder is the owner of the assets which are held by the Foundation and any income generated there from will be taxable in the U.S.

As you know, the U.S. taxes its citizens on their world wide income.  The fact that you are using a Panama Foundation for asset protection purposes does not change the tax rule.  The U.S. will want its cut of passive income so long as you hold a blue passport and its share of business income so long as you are living in the U.S.

There are a number of tax planning options with a Panama Foundation that are outside of the scope of this article.  For example, you might hold an active business in a Panama corporation owned by the Foundation, qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, and draw a salary from that corporation of up to $99,200 each (husband and wife) free of U.S. income tax.  Then, you may retain earnings over this amount and defer U.S. tax for as long as you like.

You might also decide to create sub-Foundations and transfer portions of the assets in your primary Panama Foundation to your heirs over time using the gift tax exclusions.  This may reduce your U.S. tax and have other estate planning benefits.

You may decide to purchase precious metal or physical gold within your Panama Foundation.  This can be done in Panama by leasing a local vault and we can introduce you to reputable sources for bouillon if you like.

Finally, you might invest in an offshore life insurance policy through your Panama Foundation.  These investments usually of $2 million or more and assuming they are U.S. compliant, may allow you to avoid U.S. tax on passive income and then obtain a step-up in basis upon transfer to the beneficiaries of the Panama Foundation.

For more information on offshore life insurance, the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, or how to acquire gold in a Panama Foundation, please see my various articles.  These are complex topics and I have just touched on them here.

If you would like to form a Panama Foundation, please give us a call or send an email to info@premieroffshore.com.  We will be happy to work with you to structure your affairs in a tax efficient and compliant manner.

Retire Abroad

Retire abroad with Maximum Privacy

If you are thinking about retiring abroad, here is how to maximize your privacy. We start with the premise that the U.S. government wants you to disclose all assets, holdings, transactions, and investments. We then look for exceptions to those rules to find the legal loopholes that will allow you to retire with maximum privacy.

As you know, U.S. persons must pay tax on their worldwide income no matter where they live. Even if you retire outside of America, the IRS wants theirs. To enforce these laws, the U.S. requires you to disclose your assets each and every year on the Foreign Bank Account Report form and the Foreign Asset Report. Both of these force you to tell the U.S. what you have and where they can find it.

Well, there are a few … and I mean a very few … exceptions to these reporting requirements. In this article, I will describe each to give you an idea on how to retire abroad with maximum privacy.

My favorite tool to maximize privacy offshore is physical gold held in your name. You are not required to report physical gold on the FBAR or the Foreign Asset statement. Physical gold is gold bars or bullion, and not gold stocks. Paper gold must be reported while physical gold is exempt.

So, you may hold gold in Panama or Switzerland, in a vault in your name, and you are not required to report it to the U.S. I suggest gold is an excellent hedge if you have any concerns about the U.S. economic system or the USD.

Two quick sidebars:

  1. When I say something is held in your name, I mean that you are the owner. If gold is held in a corporation, trust, or foundation, you need to report the entity on the appropriate form and the asset on that entity’s balance sheet. If no structure is used to hold the exempted asset, then no reporting is required.
  2. I am talking about living abroad with maximum privacy, not reducing or eliminating U.S. tax. I will leave that topic for another day. Suffice it to say, if you buy physical gold, you are not required to report its existence. However, when you sell that gold, it is a capital gain, taxable on your U.S. return unless it is inside a U.S. compliant retirement account.

The next best way to retire overseas with maximum privacy is to invest in foreign real estate and hold that property in your name … again, not an offshore company. So long as you live in it, or it is vacant, you have no reporting obligations on foreign real estate.

If you decide to rent it out, then it is reported on your IRS Form 1040, Schedule E, just as a U.S. property. Though, there is nothing that necessarily denotes it as an offshore property. If it is your primary or vacation home, there is no reporting until you sell it. Then it goes on Form 1040, Schedule D as a capital gain. Because you will probably pay significant tax on the sale in the country where the property is located, you usually don’t have any tax due to the U.S. You will find several detailed articles on this site discussing offshore real estate transactions.

The best way around the FBAR form is to open your offshore bank accounts in the name of an offshore IRA LLC. The LLC is owned by your U.S. compliant retirement account and thus exempt from the various reporting requirements. While all savings accounts must be reported if you have more than $10,000 offshore, a bank account owned by your retirement account is excluded.

And if you think about it, that makes sense (a rare convergence of law and logic). When you take your IRA offshore, it is the IRA that owns the offshore LLC, and you act as the manager or fiduciary of that structure. Because the account is owned by an IRA, and not a person, it would be confusing at best to require an FBAR.

If you have questions on this, or would like proof of my claim, search FBAR at IRS.gov. You will see that accounts held by an IRA are exempt.

The same goes for an IRA account inside of a Panama Foundation. This structure allows for maximum asset protection, as well as offshore estate planning, and remains exempt from the FBAR form. Please see my recent posts on the Panama Foundation IRA structure for more information.

Another option for avoiding the FBAR is to invest in an offshore life insurance. If it’s a U.S. compliant policy, a single pay policy will usually allow your income to grow tax free and won’t be reported.

Though, there are many variations of offshore life insurance. I suggest you talk with your insurance provider and confirm that the structure you are considering does not require you to report the account on the FBAR and is exempt from all other U.S. filing obligations.

The last option I will offer on how to retire abroad and maximize privacy is to hold any business interests or projects in joint venture structures where your partner is not a U.S. person. If the other owner of the offshore company is neither a U.S. citizen nor a U.S. resident, you will have a lot more freedom.

For example, if you own and/or control 50% or less of an offshore company, then you need only report the formation of the structure on IRS Form 5471. You are not required to report the company each year … just when you incorporate it and when you sell it.

Likewise, if you are not a signatory on the offshore company’s bank account, you will not need to file the FBAR. In that situation, you could be a partner in an investment company for decades and have no U.S. reporting obligations until the company is sold.

I hope you have found this article on how to retire abroad with maximum privacy helpful. Please call or send an email to info@premieroffshore.com for additional information. We will be happy to work with you to structure your retirement abroad to keep you compliant with the IRS.

Jim Rickards – Threats to Our Dollar

A conversation with Jim Rickards by Christian Reeves on February 6, 2015.

Our currency and our financial system are under attack from all sides. Here’s what you can do to protect your wealth and your family.

Jim Rickards is the best selling author of Currency Wars and Death of the dollar. He has been cited on to on the floor as the senate by Rand Paul and is an adviser to both the Pentagon and the CIA on financial warfare.

Please click here to listen to the recording.

Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction

Which is the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction?

Want to know which is the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for your business or your assets?  Are you considering living, working or investing abroad?  Then this offshore company guide is a must read.

Please note that, when I refer to the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction, I mean the best jurisdiction for your offshore structure.  An offshore company can be a corporation, LLC, Foundation, or the manager of an offshore trust.  Please see www.premieroffshore.com for a detailed article on whether an offshore corporation or offshore LLC is better for your situation.  “Offshore Company” is a general term while “Offshore Corporation” and “Offshore LLC” refer to specific types of entities with specific uses and benefits.

In order to determine the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction, you should consider a number of factors, including:  (1) privacy and protection, (2) professional services and investment management options available, (3) international banking options, (4) for a business, available work force, (5) tax filing and payment obligation, (6) locals audit or reporting requirements, (7) world image/perception, and (8) countries that offer specialized structures (niche markets).  I will consider each of these in turn.

Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for Privacy and Protection

When new clients ask me which is the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction, they usually mean which is the most secure – which offers the most privacy and protection for their assets.  As you will see throughout this article, privacy and protection are important, but certainly not the only consideration.

After 10+ years in the industry, it’s my opinion that Belize and Nevis offer the best offshore company laws for the basic corporation or LLC.  Both of these countries have one year look-back statutes, so, after the year is up, it becomes near impossible to attack a structure in these jurisdictions.

Belize and Nevis both have laws which are “client” or “business” friendly rather than “creditor” friendly.  In the U.S. legal system, the emphasis is on paying any creditor who can come up with the most basic excuse to separate you from your savings.  In Belize and Nevis, laws protect you from all claims except those where the transfer is deemed fraudulent.

  • A fraudulent conveyance is when you transfer money or assets out of the U.S. to keep them out of the reach of an existing or reasonably anticipated creditor.  If you injure someone with your car today, and send all of your assets out of the U.S. tomorrow, that is probably a fraudulent conveyance.  If you setup and fund an offshore company in Belize today, and injure someone six months from now, that transfer should be respected/protected.

I say Belize and Nevis are the Best Offshore Company Jurisdictions for basic formations because nominee directors and other advanced planning are not required.  You can form an offshore corporation or LLC in these countries with one person – the beneficial owner.  This makes them perfect for single member offshore companies, as well as for LLCs owned by U.S. IRAs or other types of retirement accounts.  This also means these formations are less expensive to form and maintain lower government fees and no nominees to pay.

The benefit Nevis has over Belize is that anyone wanting to sue a Nevis company must put up a $30,000 bond before they can get in to court.  If the plaintiff loses, this is used to pay the defendant’s legal fees.

While Belize doesn’t require a bond, they have the most modern corporation, LLC and trust statutes available.  Also, lawyers are not allowed to work cross on contingency (getting paid only when they collect from the defendant).  High retainers and legal fees in Belize have much the same chilling effect on litigation as bonds do in Nevis.

Another advantage Belize has over Nevis is a quality offshore banking sector, lead by Caye Bank and Belize Bank.  While it is often recommended that you plant multiple flags offshore, and thus use a bank in a country other than where you are incorporated, I prefer to begin with a structure and bank from Belize and then expand from there.  This is especially true of IRA LLCs and structures owned by U.S. persons because the laws and banks of Belize are very experienced in these areas.

Note that I said Belize and Nevis provide the best in basic privacy and protection without the use of nominees.  If you require max privacy regardless of cost, then I prefer a Panama corporation owned by a Panama foundation.  Both the corporation and foundation may have nominee directors and the beneficial owner (you) is not listed in any public registry.  The only people who know your identity are your incorporation (premier) and your banker.

An added benefit of the Panama corporation/foundation hybrid is that the foundation may act as a trust to deal with any estate planning, bequests and charitable giving you wish to do with your foreign assets.  Depending on your age and the size of your estate, this may provide significant estate tax benefits and giving options.

One drawback of Panama is that it does not have an LLC statute.  This means U.S. retirement accounts can’t incorporate these.  However, you may form an IRA LLC in Belize and then invest in to a Panama corporation.  This corporation now can open accounts or buy rental real estate in Panama.

Best Professional Services for Offshore Companies

If you are looking for more than a checking account offshore, quality professional services may be important and often hard to find.  Here is how I divide up the offshore investment management industry:

The best low risk higher return CD rates are in Panama.  So are some of the best real estate, gold storage and mid-market investment management services.  CDs at 3.25% are common from solid banks and loans are readily available to facilitate real estate investment.

In most cases, banks in Panama offer private banking services to accounts of over $500,000.  I call this mid-market because other jurisdictions like Cayman start these accounts at $2.5 to $5m.

Don’t get me wrong.  Panama does have some excellent high dollar private banks.  In my opinion, the best of these is Andbanc where accounts begin at $2.5m and, while the parent bank is in Andora, the trading desk is in Panama, and thus provides maximum diversification and protection.

For the rest of us non-millionaires, Belize offers a wide range of investment products, multi-currency accounts, gold and metals, as well as investments that lead to residency in a variety of countries.

I’ve found the best of these is Caye Bank and Georgetown Trust.  This bank does not have a minimum account size and Georgetown has investments at all price points.  I suggest managed accounts should begin at $250,000, but some of their best returns are on items like Teak that requires about $15,000 to get in the game.

At the other end of the spectrum is Cayman Islands.  Banks and investment advisors in this jurisdiction focus on the largest trusts, hedge funds, and high dollar private wealth management/family offices.  I won’t take up space here rambling on about Cayman, but I can assure you they offer the best offshore investment management services.  Please see my recent article on Cayman for additional information and baking information.

I note that not all banks and countries treat companies from other jurisdictions fairly.  For example, I believe that the best offshore company jurisdiction in most situations is Belize.  Well, Cayman makes it very difficult for offshore companies from Belize to open accounts at its banks.  Preference is given to countries who make it into Cayman’s “Category III” list.  This includes the U.S., U.K., and Cayman companies (obviously), along with Panama.  While other countries make the list, I’ve found that, if you don’t want to pay the fees to incorporate in Cayman, the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction to do business in Cayman is Panama.

Other countries have taken similar steps to protect their incorporation industries from low cost competitors like Nevis and Belize.  For example, the make a Belize LLC eligible to do business in Panama costs thousands of dollars and requires a lot of effort.  For this reason, Belize LLCs usually form Panama corporations if they wish to do business there.  (IRAs require and LLC, so the Belize/Panama combo is common for retirement accounts).

Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for Businesses with Employees

When selecting the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction from which to operate a business, give very careful consideration to the cost, quality and availability of labor.  I’ve seen many set up in beautiful tax havens or in the very lowest cost markets available only to find out it isn’t the right place for them.

Let me start with an example of what not to do:

I once had a high net worth client who wanted to start an offshore call center business.  Money was no object and he was debating between Cayman Islands and Panama.  He chose Cayman because it’s one of the most beautiful places on earth (certainly true).  I advised him in the strongest terms possible that this was the wrong offshore company jurisdiction for a call center but he decided to go his own way.

After buying a home for $1.5m, leasing expensive office space, investing significant money in IT, and hiring a few employees, he began to understand how difficult it is to open a business in Cayman as a foreigner.  First, the employment laws require a certain number of Cayman citizens per foreign employee.  These locals come at a high cost and, in my client’s experience, low productivity.  Next, he found that the cost of labor in Cayman was higher than the equivalent hire in Los Angeles.  Finally, he quickly learned that lower cost call center sales people are just NOT available.

Combine this with requirements to have local partners and that operating costs turned out to be 35% higher than in California, and he was back at my door licking his wounds within six months of opening his doors in Cayman.

At the other end of the spectrum, several large and experienced companies in the offshore world have found it more efficient to move out of the lower cost regions, such as India, and in to Panama.  For example, Dell, a pioneer in outsourcing tech support, has moved much of its operation to Panama Pacifico, which is about 40 miles outside of Panama City.

While wages are higher in Panama (call center workers earn about $13,000 per year), Panama offers a number of tax incentives to cover the difference.  Also, it’s very easy to get work visas for foreign workers, qualified local labor is plentiful, and you get to operate in the same time zone as your U.S. clients.  Gone are the days of working until 3AM only to have Americans get angry when they hear an Indian accent on the other end of the tech support line.

As you’ve probably figured out by now, I believe Panama is the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for a new business with employees.  And I’m not alone in this opinion.  Companies like Citibank, HSBC, MasterCard, and too many bio-tech firms to count, have all made the same choice – move to Panama City for quality lower cost labor, business friendly laws, and tax incentives.

Of course this influx of jobs has pushed up the cost of labor.  What would cost you $800 per month two years ago is now about $1,000 per month (with an annual bonus of one month’s salary, this becomes $13,000 per year).  You will be also find that office space in the best parts of the city will cost about the same as a large U.S. market.  In fact, rents in Panama are higher than in my home city of San Diego.

Even with these higher rents, the cost of operating in Panama can be 50% or less than in the U.S.  One client of mine, also in Panama Pacifico, traded U.S. salaries of $135,000 per year for high-end computer programmers in Los Angeles for Panamanians earning $4,500 per month or $58,000 per year.  After running the Panama office for a year, he tells me his quality and efficiency is the same or better than it was in Los Angeles.

Tax Issues for Offshore Company Formations

When looking for the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction, a country with low or no tax should be at the top of your checklist.  For U.S. tax purposed, it matters little where you incorporate, where you hold your investments, and where you operate your business from.

The bottom line on U.S. taxation is:

  • If you are living in the U.S., offshore company formations are generally tax neutral.  They should not increase nor decrease your U.S. taxes.
  • If you move an IRA offshore, profits should be tax free (ROTH) or deferred (traditional), just as they would be in the U.S.  For advanced IRA investors, a VBIT blocker corporation may provide significant planners opportunities.
  • If you live outside of the U.S., qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, and operate a business through and offshore corporation, you may be able to defer or eliminate all U.S. tax on active business profits.  Significant planning is required.

So if you’re living in the U.S. and investing abroad, you want the most efficient structure that will ensure you pay no local (non U.S.) tax on profits.  As I’ve said before, I believe Belize and Nevis provide the best protection with zero tax and the most efficiency available in an offshore company.

  • If you do pay tax in your country of incorporation or country where you are investing, the U.S. Foreign Tax Credit should eliminate any double tax.

If you are buying real estate in an offshore company, you probably require a company where the property is located.  Want to buy land in Columbia?  Trying to do this with a Belize LLC can be a nightmare… you need a Columbian company.

If you want to invest abroad with your IRA, you must use an LLC.  The only countries I know of with compatible LLC statutes are Nevis, Belize, Anquilla, and Cook Islands.  Of these, Belize is the best suited to the management of retirement accounts.

What if you want to buy real estate in Columbia with your offshore IRA?  You will need both an offshore IRA LLC from Belize and a corporation from Columbia.

This extra entity will make life much easier and provides other benefits.  For example, you can distribute out the share of the Columbian companies, rather than the underlying real estate, when you hit age 70 ½.  This can reduce U.S. tax on a traditional IRA in an offshore LLC.  Please see my various offshore IQA LLC articles for more detailed information on this, as well as how the corporation can act as a UBIT Blocker if you buy the property with IRA money and a non-recourse mortgage.

For the active business, I’ve made the case for Panama.  However, the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for a business in Panama, especially one with employees, might not be Panama.  (Confused yet?)

Let’s say you are running a website in Panama that sells books to people living in the U.S.  We can call this business Amazonian.com.  If all the income and profits come in to a company incorporated in Panama, local tax authorities may want to tax your business income.

To eliminate tax in Panama, form an offshore company in Belize and a company in Panama.  The Belize IBC will bill your Amazonian clients and earn most of the profits.  The Panama company will invoice the Belize IBC for its expenses such that it breaks even in Panama and minimizes taxes there.  Of course the Belize IBC will pay no tax in Belize.

Now you are maximizing the benefits of both of the Best Offshore Company Jurisdictions… one for zero tax (Belize) and another to the best business laws and quality lower cost labor (Panama).  You have also maximized the U.S. tax benefits of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and the ability to retain profits over and above the Exclusion in a tax free country (Belize).

Local Reporting Requirements

When I plan structures in the Best Offshore Company Jurisdictions, I try to avoid those with local reporting requirements.  For example, all companies in Hong Kong must file audited financial statements each year.  While this is an easy source of revenue for local accounting firms, I don’t see any benefit to the client.  Therefore, I only incorporate in Hong Kong if I need an account on that island, want to do business in China, or to trade in RMB.

In most countries, such as Panama, Cayman and Belize, you are only required to file local (tax) returns if you have employees or are otherwise running a local business.  Of course, of you open a bar on the beach in Belize, or operate a corporation in Panama with 20 employees, you will have local filing obligations.  Otherwise, as an offshore company, you have no reporting requirements.

I note that, as an American living and working abroad, if you are using the residency test to qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (as defined in various articles on this site), you should be filing a tax return in your country of residence.  That doesn’t mean you need to pay tax, but you should be filing something.

World Image

There are times when the world image of your offshore company makes a difference.  For example, someone doing business in Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, might find their clients are more comfortable with a Hong Kong corporation than with a Nevis entity.  This is especially true when the jurisdiction of your offshore corporation must be disclosed in contracts or marketing materials.

The same principles apply in the asset protection industry to large family trusts.  Because of the availability of high-end asset managers, the largest and most complex trusts are created in Cayman Islands.  Because Cayman does not have the strongest privacy and protection laws, many of these trusts have a “flight clause” that allows them to escape Cayman for a more secure jurisdiction, such as the Cook Islands, should they come under attack.

For those of us not in the 1%, not named Romney, and not running a business where world image matters to our clients, I again suggest that the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction in which to plant that first flag offshore is Belize.  If you are concerned that Belize may limit your choices for banking and investment advisors, I suggest that a Panama corporation owned by a Panama Foundation provides maximum privacy and is the most cost effective of the Category III countries.  I also believe the Panama Foundation is the best asset protection entity available.

Offshore Company Specialists

A number of offshore company jurisdictions have become specialists in one niche or another of the incorporation industry.  For example, the offshore asset protection trust, at least for Americans, was “invented” by the Cook Islands.  This tiny country, just off of New Zealand, started the move offshore and out of the reach of U.S. judges who gave such deference to allegedly injured creditors.

To this day, the Cook Islands are the preeminent jurisdiction for asset protection trusts… not the largest in trusts by dollar value, but the best offshore trust jurisdiction for those focused on asset protection.

Side note:  I’ve been working with Cook Islands Trusts for a decade and hold them in the highest regard.  They’ve been thoroughly vetted through the U.S. legal system and are best for those expecting trouble or litigation.  One reason for this assessment is that Cook Islands cases are heard in New Zealand courts.  Therefore, you have legal experts and systems applying Cook Islands law, which means better quality legal representation and processes.

For those not anticipating imminent legal action, a Panama Foundation or Belize Trust may offer similar levels of protection at about half the formation cost and 1/3rd the annual maintenance.

In the niche of Offshore Foundations, the only options are Panama and Liechtenstein.  Of these, Panama offers many advantages in term of banking, privacy and protection.

The Panama Foundation is a hybrid asset protection tool that provides many of the same benefits as a trust, including estate planning, privacy tools, such as the nominee foundation council, and of a corporation, such as the ability to open bank accounts and manage assets directly.  Especially when combined with a Panama Corporation for further diversification and risk segmentation, the Panama Foundation is one of the best offshore company options for after tax investing abroad – I say “after tax” because a U.S. retirement account or IRA can’t be placed in a Foundation, only an offshore LLC.

Another offshore company niche is the captive insurance company.  These are usually based in the Bahamas (the largest) or Cayman, and basically allow a U.S. business to self insure and deduct up to $1.2m per year on their U.S. taxes.

Offshore captives are a complex topic and are best suited to doctors or other self-employed high-net worth individuals who can put away at least $800,000 per year.  If you would like more information on Offshore Captives, please send us a message to info@premieroffshore.com.  All consultations are confidential and free.

Another niche is the Offshore Hedge Fund.  In this vertical, the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction is the British Virgin Islands (BVI) followed by Cayman.

An offshore hedge fund is setup to allow foreigners (non U.S. persons) and tax preferred investors (IRAs, retirement accounts, pension funds, etc.) to invest in the United States without paying tax here.

For example, if a German citizen and resident were to invest in a U.S. fund or a small business, he would likely need to file and pay U.S. taxes as a result.  If that same person invests in a fund structured in BVI, and the fund invests in the U.S. business, the foreign individual has no U.S. tax obligations.

The same is true of U.S. pension funds and retirement accounts.  If they invest directly in U.S. funds, they will probably have to pay U.S. taxes on the profits.  If they invest in a Cayman hedge fund that then invests in the U.S. business, they can eliminate these tax headaches.

  • If you are wondering how big these “niche” segments are in dollar volume, take a read through my Cayman Islands business guide.

The last niche market segment I will mention is credit card processing and merchant services.  By far, the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for merchant accounts is the United Kingdom.  If you form a U.K. corporation, you will be able to access a much larger pool of credit card processors, including those in Europe and Australia, than you will with a Belize or Panama entity.

  • If your business is based in Panama, and you have employees there, you will have access to many local merchant account options.  If you have no presence in Panama, you will be limited to a few rather expensive providers, such as Multibank.

Of course, no one can compete with the low cost providers, including Pay Pal, of the United States.  It might be said that the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction for credit card processing is right here in America.

Yes, an account in the U.S. can be “offshore.”  Let’s say you are living and working in Panama.  Your parent company for billing purposes is in Belize (to minimize taxes in Panama).  If you are a U.S. citizen with decent credit, have a U.S. mailing address and a U.S. bank account, you should be able to open a U.S. merchant account for about 1/2 or 1/3  of the cost of the same service offshore.

The proceeds of the credit card transactions will flow in to your U.S. bank account.  You then invoice the U.S. Corporation that holds this account from your Belize IBC and wire the funds each month or quarter to Belize.

  • Note that a U.S. corp. is required for the system above because no one will open an account in the U.S. for a foreign entity.

So long as the U.S. company has zero profits at the end of the year, you file your U.S. corporate return, you qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, and you have no employees in the U.S. or other issues which create U.S. sourced income, this merchant account is basically an offshore tool.  For additional information see my article on offshore merchant accounts.

I hope you have found this guide to the Best Offshore Company Jurisdiction to be helpful.  Feel free to call or email for a confidential consultation on moving your assets or business offshore.