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What are the Best Corporate Tax Havens?

One of the most significant expenses any business faces is tax. Find a way to legally reduce taxes, and you will be able to greatly increase profitability. 

Whether you own a small LLC or head up a large multi-national corporation, a primary consideration is where to establish your business so as to optimize corporate taxes. Corporate tax rules vary substantially from country to country, so it is important for business owners to familiarise themselves with the relevant tax regulations in the countries where they are considering incorporating. 

Fortunately, there are a number of countries that have extremely friendly corporate tax laws, along with other attractive benefits for businesses incorporated on their shores. These countries are regularly referred to as “corporate tax havens”. In this article, we will examine what exactly makes a country a corporate tax haven, the benefits they offer, as well as some of the best corporate tax havens in the world.

Table of Contents:

What Is a Corporate Tax Haven?

There is no one strict definition of what does and does not qualify a “corporate tax haven”. However, they can be loosely defined as jurisdictions that are especially attractive for companies and corporations to incorporate themselves in, primarily due to favourable tax regimes, as well as other common benefits such as privacy, asset protection, and affordability. 

Corporate tax havens are somewhat different to “traditional” tax havens, in that they often do not advertise having zero effective taxation. They are designed to be attractive to large multi-national corporations and therefore need to maintain good standards and reputation, and encourage other jurisdictions to enter into bilateral tax agreements. Instead, these jurisdictions might advertise a headline tax which appears quite normal (e.g. 10 – 20 %), but their tax regime allows for an effective tax of close to zero net of Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) tools. 

Examples include the Netherlands, UK, Singapore, and Ireland. 

 

  
 
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Benefits

The primary advantage of tax havens is that they offer favourable tax laws which allow businesses to significantly reduce their tax liability. This is either due to directly charging little or no corporate taxes, or through tax loopholes and BEPS tools which allow companies to legally reduce their taxes retrospectively. 

It is important to note that owning a company based in a corporate tax haven will not guarantee complete mitigation of taxes, as you may still be liable to pay taxes on income earned in your own jurisdiction in accordance with its income tax laws. However, it will provide an opportunity to greatly reduce taxes when structured correctly and used in conjunction with other tools. 

tax havens

There are other common benefits of corporate tax havens, including:

Privacy

More often than not, corporate tax havens are also renowned for a high level of secrecy and privacy to business owners. The names of beneficial owners are usually not disclosed or publicly available, there are reduced public reporting requirements, and confidentiality of personal information is enshrined in corporate law. 

Asset Protection

Corporate tax havens such as the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands (BVI) also offer significant asset protection to offshore companies incorporated on their shores. It is difficult for your local courts or creditors to make claims against assets held in companies in these foreign jurisdictions, and their corporate laws are protective by nature.

Ease of Incorporation

Corporate tax havens are designed to attract wealthy foreign investors who wish to incorporate offshore companies in their jurisdiction. As such, they tend to make the incorporation process as easy and straightforward as possible. It is usually extremely fast and affordable to incorporate an offshore company in a corporate tax haven, and there are little to no ownership restrictions. 

   

 
 
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Best Locations

  1. Netherlands
  2. Switzerland
  3. British Virgin Islands (BVI)
  4. Cayman Islands
  5. Singapore

Let us have a look at some of the best corporate tax havens (in no particular order) in terms of both favourable tax laws, as well as other factors such as reputation, privacy, and security.

Netherlands corporate tax havens.jpg

1. the Netherlands

The Netherlands is not often thought of as a typical tax haven, but it actually offers an incredibly favourable corporate tax environment. In fact, it is one of the most popular tax havens in the world for Fortune 500 companies. While it is not advertised as being a tax-free jurisdiction, it has significantly lower corporate taxes than other European nations. Its headline tax is listed at 25%, but it offers many ways for corporations to further reduce their taxes through deductions and BEPS tools. In addition, it has a stellar reputation as a fully tax compliant nation, which makes it attractive for large corporations who want to preserve their reputations. 

Swiss corporate tax havens.jpg

2. Switzerland

Switzerland has been renowned as an offshore financial haven for many decades. It used to be the go-to jurisdiction for offshore numbered bank accounts which provided their holders with total anonymity.

While such a high degree of confidentiality is no longer as easy to come by, Switzerland has still preserved many of its attractive tax and privacy policies, which still makes it one of the best corporate tax havens in the world. In addition, it is highly secure, economically and politically stable, and offers some of the best banking and finance services in the world. 

For more: Swiss Offshore Banking

bvi corporate tax haven.jpg

3. British Virgin Islands (BVI)

BVI is one of the “traditional” tax havens on this list. They are well-known for having basically zero taxes, both at the personal and corporate level. In fact, they are one of the most popular countries in the world for offshore company incorporation, with literally thousands of shell companies incorporated on their shores.

Even so, they have managed to maintain a good global reputation and are fully compliant with OECD anti-money laundering standards, making it an ideal place for companies to incorporate. There are no exchange controls in BVI, and privacy and security are both top priorities in this popular offshore jurisdiction. 

The cayman islands as a corporate tax havens.jpg

4. Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands is another well-known traditional tax haven that is beneficial for both businesses and individuals alike. It charges absolutely zero corporate taxes. This makes it an ideal location for an offshore company as part of a holistic tax reduction structure. 

In addition, the Island offers a wide range of top-quality financial services, upholds both privacy and security, and gives access to many new and interesting investment opportunities in the wealthy nation. 

For more: Cayman Islands Offshore Banking

Singapore corporate tax havens.jpg

5. Singapore

Singapore is not a “traditional” tax haven with zero tax, but its territorial tax regime along with friendly business policies make it an ideal corporate tax haven for offshore businesses. It is one of the top financial centres in the world with a booming economy.

Furthermore, incorporating an offshore business in Singapore is fast and straightforward, and provides many additional benefits such as world-class banking, investment, and economic opportunities. 

For more: Singapore Offshore Banking

Conclusion

Corporate tax havens are completely legal and effective tools to increase the profitability of your business by improving your tax efficiency. Furthermore, many of the top corporate tax havens come with additional advantages for incorporating your business on their shores, such as additional privacy, security, and access to a range of new investment and business opportunities. It is recommended that you consult with an expert who can help advise you on the ideal jurisdiction in which to incorporate your business while considering your specific situation and objectives.

   

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*Note for U.S. citizens: US citizens are limited in their tax reduction possibilities due to FATCA and CFC laws. Opening an offshore company can increase privacy and asset protection, but you can not eliminate your taxes without giving up your citizenship. If you are a US citizen you are obligated to pay taxes on all worldwide income. 

 

 


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