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, we return to our adventure across the seas to another British Overseas Territories: the British Virgin Islands (BVI). This jurisdiction is the grandfather of all IBCs and continues to play an important and controversial role in the international financial services sector. History As with much of the Caribbean, history…
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…
Today, we will continue our adventure across British Overseas Territories and – in this case – a British Crown Dependency, namely the Isle of Man. Tucked between the islands of Britain and Ireland in the middle of the Irish Sea, this little island has a lot to offer the international financial…
Lacking any significant oil reerves, the Kingdom of Bahrain has been forced to find other sources of income. It has built up sturdy tourism and financial services sector. Bahrain’s strength as a financial center and strong Islamic banking tradition has enabled it to become a major petroleum producer. History The islands that…
Part nine of the Jurisdiction Spotlight series will focus on Gibraltar, or as it’s affectionately called – The Rock. A thorn in the side of Spain and a shining beacon among offshore financial jurisdictions. But just exactly why are the Spanish authorities so grumpy when it comes to Gibraltar? Let’s…
Today, we will take a look at the jurisdiction to which Hong Kong is perhaps most often compared: Singapore. History Singapore, with its strategically important location, has a rich history as an important trading hub connecting Europe and Asia. Recorded history starts around the very end of the 1200s. The…
Time to take a look at another British Overseas Territory: Anguilla. History Anguilla was likely settled as early as 2000 BC, when settlers from the Orinoco basin in modern-day Brazil explored the Caribbean islands. The name Anguilla is attributed to a French explorer, who likely landed in the island in 1565, naming…
Part eight of the Jurisdiction Spotlight series will focus on Labuan, which has grown significantly in the last couple of years. Labuan is a rather complex offshore jurisdiction with cleverly written laws and tax codes. This post is by no means exhaustive, but should serve as a good primer on…
Time to take a look at a British Overseas Territory: Turks and Caicos Islands (often just Turks and Caicos, or shortened TCI), a group of eight large and several smaller islands south of The Bahamas. Turks and Caicos have quite an interesting history which sheds light on the history of The…