Liechtenstein - AG Limited Liability Company Incorporation

Company Type	Time to Incorporate	Cost
AG	1 week	£9575

Liechtenstein lies between Switzerland and Austria. The Swiss Franc is the currency and there are no exchange controls. eBanking and financial services are one of Liechtenstein's main industries and within this industry there are high levels of secrecy with heavy sanctions imposed for any breaches of confidentiality. On an international comparison Liechtenstein has very well protected bank confidentiality

We can incorporate several forms of company in Liechtenstein:

• The Anstalt: a company with no shareholders, which is like a foundation, and is often used to hold shares of companies outside Liechtenstein
• The simple limited liability company: called the Aktiengesellschaft or AG or a special category of limited liability company called the Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung - GmbH – which has no shareholders
•  Several types of Trust: the Stiftung (Foundation), the Treuunternehmen (Registered Trust) and the Treuhandschaft (Trust)

The Liechtenstein Family Foundation

The foundation is typically incorporated purely for family reasons, non profit and non commercial reasons since a foundation is not suitable for the pursuit of commercial business. A foundation is commonly used to hold assets, fixed property and shares in other companies. A Liechtenstein family foundation has the following characteristics:

Taxation

A Liechtenstein Foundation is not subject to any form of income tax, capital tax, transfer taxes or inheritance taxes in Liechtenstein.

Directors

The Liechtenstein nominated settlor is required to appoint a Board of Directors and these details appear on the public file at the Liechtenstein Registry. It is a legal requirement that there is at least one Liechtenstein individual board member however, additional directors are permitted and these may be of any nationality or residence and can either be individuals or corporate entities.

The Bylaws

The bylaws, better known as the wishes of the beneficiaries are normally drawn up with assistance by the Settlor and ICSL. These details are not available on public record and details of this document need only be held at the premises of the Registered Agent located in Liechtenstein. It is important that the bylaws clearly state what the wishes of the beneficiaries are and what should happen in the event of demise. The bylaws are perhaps the most important instrument and form an integral part of the Foundation. It is important that client's seek legal advice before the bylaws are finalised.

Annual Reporting

The registered agent is required to file the Capital tax to the Liechtenstein Registry every year, but a family foundation that does not actively trade is not required to file audited accounts.

Capitalisation

The minimum share capital is CHF 30,000 - and this amount can be banked in any currency. Before the Foundation is set up, the share capital should be paid into a bank in Liechtenstein. The Liechtenstein bank must give a certificate to the Liechtenstein Registry to verify that the required capital has been paid up for the purpose of creating a foundation.

Restrictions on Name Availability

Since the name of the Foundation must be registered with the Liechtenstein Registry we recommend that we receive a list of three names, since first choices may not always be available It is not permissible in Liechtenstein to use place names, state name, country names or well known international names.