The EB-5 visa program is fraught with fraud and under fire from Democrats in the U.S. Congress. I expect it to survive, but problems will continue to plague the program. Here’s why and what you can do to protect yourself. First, a brief review. The U.S. EB-5 visa program promises high net-worth foreigners a green […]
There have been big time changes in the offshore bank license industry over the last year. If you’re looking to form an international bank, here are the top 5 offshore bank license jurisdictions for 2017. In this post, I’m talking about countries where you can get a license… countries that will issue a license to […]
For top tier investors, hedge funds and foreign investments offer broad diversification and attractive returns. Because these returns are often taxed at ordinary rates, affluent investors turn to private placement life insurance for tax efficiency. The reason to invest using a private placement life insurance is to reduce or eliminate income and estate taxes. All […]
In this article, I’ll review the rules around PFIC investments and the Passive Foreign Investment Company statutes. Here’s everything you need to know about passive income in an offshore corporation. First let me define a few terms around PFIC. Passive Income: Income from interest, dividends, annuities, capital gains, and most rents and royalties. Passive […]
When you’re planning a move abroad, you need to consider the tax laws of your country of citizenship and your country of residence. The key to a solid expat move is to determine which countries tax worldwide income and avoid them whenever possible. There are four basic tax groupings of countries. I won’t consider the […]
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 […]
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, […]
An offshore trust owned by a U.S. person must file Form 3520-A and a variety of other reports to remain in compliance with the IRS. Here are the tax filing requirements for offshore trusts with U.S. owners. First, allow me to define a few terms around offshore trust tax reporting: Settlor or Grantor: The person […]
During the election,Trump claimed he’s paid “hundreds of millions of dollars” in taxes over the years. Yet, he probably didn’t pay any personal income taxes since 1995 because of a $916 million loss carryforward. How can both of these statements be true? Because most Americans pay more in payroll taxes than income tax! In this […]
If you want to receive client funds into your offshore account, you must have a license or set up a specially designed offshore structure. Whether you’re raising money or managing money, if you’re not the owner of the cash in your offshore bank account, you will need an offshore money management license. In this article, […]
Dear Readers, My interview with Barron’s was published this morning. You can find it here: Top Five Countries for Secondary Citizenship And here are links to detailed posts on the countries that made my top 5 list for 2017: Dominica (best value) St. Lucia (best investment option) Malta (when money’s no object) Austria (the gold […]
The lowest cost second passport is from the Dominican Republic… period. The program from the Dominican Republic is a fraction of the cost of competitors like St. Kitts, Dominica, St. Lucia, and Malta. If you’re looking for a low cost citizenship option, take a look at the Dominican Republic. If you want to maximize the […]
The most active low cost offshore bank license jurisdiction is Dominica. If you’re in the process of selecting a country to incorporate and license an offshore bank, give the Caribbean Island of Dominica a look. You’ll find that the capital required for a bank license in Dominica is a fraction of it’s competitors. You will […]
As of November 2016, most offshore jurisdictions have signed on to the Automatic Exchange Agreements demanded by European governments and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). All but Panama has agreed to share information with European tax authorities. On paper, the OECD defines itself as follows: “the mission of the Organisation for Economic […]
Affiliate marketers face unique asset protection, privacy, and tax planning challenges. This article will review your options and point out some of the pitfalls to watch out for. We’re specialists in offshore asset protection for affiliate marketers and can help you to grow your online business in an efficient and compliant manner. At the end […]
Puerto Rico has the best tax deals available to Americans… period. No offshore jurisdiction can compete with the US territory of Puerto Rico when it comes to cutting your taxes. This post will focus on Puerto Rico’s research and development and intangible property tax breaks. Act 73 is for those who develop licensed or patented […]
The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion for 2017 has finally been released and we expats get an increase of $800 this year. The U.S. government has increased the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion for 2017 to $102,100, up from $101,300 in 2016. You can attribute this big time increase of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion for […]
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 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 […]
Back in December I told you the IRS has the power to revoke your United States passport for past due debts. Now I’m telling you that the IRS has begun its attack on American expats… that the battle for your passport on… that the IRS has set the field and the first shots are about […]