What is an offshore company?

An offshore company can be defined as an entity incorporated in a jurisdiction different from where the company operates. This means that the company is incorporated and registered in a specific country outside its country of “origin”.

Often the arrangement is made for the purpose of financial, legal and tax advantages.

Why open an offshore company?

You can gain advantages like privacy, confidentiality, asset protection, and ownership diversification through an offshore company without being subject to certain taxation rules.

Taxes in Foreign Jurisdictions

Offshore companies are usually distinguished by being subject to a unique tax system, according to which benefits and tax privileges are gained.

For example, when an offshore company is registered in the Cayman Islands, it will not be subject to local corporate taxes. Every country has a unique set of rules, and popular jurisdictions become popular because of the benefits they offer entrepreneurs.

In terms of legal and asset protection

When you register an offshore company, you will be subject to a separate legal system which means you will be subject to different legal and asset protections. This often works to entrepreneurs' advantage as they are sometimes subjected to more lenient laws.

This is also often favorable if you are looking to attract investors, as investors usually want their portfolio companies to be located in countries whose legal system they are familiar with.

Low cost

Setting up an offshore company is cheaper than opening a traditional bank account. You do not need to open a checking account with a $10,000 minimum balance for example. Nevertheless, incorporating in most of these countries can be very expensive. Most of the time, the tax-free income alone makes it worthwhile to register in another country.

From the investors’ perspective

Along with the aforementioned reasons, in some countries, regulations restrict international investment opportunities for citizens. Many investors feel that such a restriction gets in the way of creating a truly diversified investment portfolio. Offshore accounts are more flexible, giving investors unlimited access to international markets and all major exchanges. Also, the shareholders agreement (SHA) specifies greater powers for the investor, unlike the Memorandum of Association, such, voting rights.

In conclusion, offshore incorporation is a straightforward process in all of the popular offshore financial centers and tax havens. They can provide a wide range of benefits to the company and company principals.