With Andorra and Liechtenstein already written about, it’s time for the third and final principality: Monaco. Situated on the beautiful French riviera, Monaco is one of the most harshly criticised tax havens, for long having turned a blind eye to everything but the worst of crimes. While no coverage of…
The time has come to take a look at the three Caucasus republics and what banking there is like. Azerbaijan What do you get when you mix friendly relations with Russia, Iran, Turkey with oil, a totalitarian regime, a growing economy that seeks foreign investment, and one-time Eurovision winner? You get…
There are three sovereign, recognized principalities in the world. All three are in Europe. All three are tax havens. One is by the coast. The other two are tucked up in the mountains: Andorra and, today’s subject: Liechtenstein. (Monaco is coming; don’t worry.) Let’s find out what’s going on up…
“What’s up in X?” will be a series of more casual looks at jurisdictions that might not be proper, full-on offshore jurisdictions but are nonetheless interesting. The previous one was Djibouti. This article will not touch on Northern Cyprus. I am saving that for another day. Türkiye O Turkey. To…
The time has come to take on one of the most requested and most misunderstood jurisdictions: Panama. In this article I will tell you why incorporating in Panama is probably not what you thought it was and why you probably are going to need a lot of painkillers to get…
While Montserrat was our last British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean, there is a lot left to explore in these warm, shallow waters. Next on the agenda is the (in)famous archipelago of The Bahamas (or commonly just Bahamas), one of the true veterans in the offshore financial services sector. History…
This week, we are back in the Caribbean on our voyage across the British Overseas Territories. Second perhaps only to BVI in infamy and celebrity, it’s finally time to take a look at the Cayman Islands, from time to time referred to as the Americans’ preferred tax haven. But, as…
Time to spice things up a little. Today, we’ll take a look at Lebanon, its full Arabic name (الجمهورية اللبنانية) literally meaning the Lebanese Republic. Hated and loved for a banking secrecy so strict it makes Swiss bankers blush, its quasi-tax-haven status, and the tolerance for Hezbollah. This beautiful country is…
Today I will go through International Banking Acts (IBAs) and weigh some pros against some cons. What are banking acts? A normal banking act is a jurisdiction’s bank regulation or bank law, which governs a the banks of that jurisdiction. It usually covers all banks and bank-like companies and financial…
Today, we will take a look at one of my personal favourites: Switzerland. Sitting at the heart of Europe, this fiercely neutral country hosts everything from stunning nature to several of the world’s largest international organisations to fine watchmaking to punctual and clean trains. The chocolate isn’t too bad either…