What is an Onshore company, with many advantages of an Offshore company?

Today the Offshore world includes the expert implementation of specific tax advantageous structures domiciled in high tax onshore countries as diverse as the UK, Portugal, Singapore, Greece, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Companies incorporated in the many onshore countries which have tax regimes that are by statute tax advantageous for specific international purposes.

Offshore business consists not only of tax havens but also of onshore high tax countries competing fiercely to attract international companies and individuals with all manner of tax planning regulations and opportunities. These tax advantageous regulations are used for a wide variety of tax planning business, such as:

• Double tax treaty planning relating to dividends, interest and royalty payments.
• The establishment of holding, international headquarter treasury and finance operations.
• Specialist business, for example, leasing.
• Personal and family wealth management and tax planning.

In fact, almost all countries offer tax regulations of one kind or another to encourage inward investment.

International tax advisers have long been aware of the opportunities which exist for improving overall tax efficiency by using the special low tax regimes offered by high tax countries seeking to encourage international business. However, successful implementation of such structures is dependent on a wide variety of issues, often relating to matters such as anti-avoidance provisions, double tax avoidance, controlled foreign company and management and control tests and provisions, transfer pricing, thin capitalisation, participation exemptions, capital gains tax and a myriad of other ever changing tax regulation.