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Legal Expert Board

JULY 2013

Offshore companies have long been a popular option for businesses to make the most of attractive tax and financial frameworks around the world. There have been several legislative attempts over the last couple of years aimed to limit the benefits that are available to companies looking to take advantage of such opportunities. However, despite these, as well as challenges such as FACTA, the offshore company continues to be widely popular when meeting the needs of international business and high- net-worth individuals.

O www.lawyer-monthly.com

ff all the possible offshore locations around the world,

research has

shown Jersey to be the favoured low-tax

jurisdiction for the subsidiaries of FTSE 100 companies.

Research by charity, ActionAid, and reported by the Telegraph in October, showed that out of the 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, 98 of them use tax haven-based subsidiaries

throughout the world, with Jersey hosting the majority. The report also showed that the Cayman Islands rank second and Luxembourg third.

Over the next few pages, as part of Lawyer Monthly’s Legal Expert Board feature on Offshore Companies, we speak to several legal professionals experienced in this sector. Here they discuss the issues affecting this area and how they navigate the legal challenges that arise. LM