Companies incorporated in the BVI are, by most measures, the most popular offshore holding structure in the world. Whilst offshore vehicles are used for a wide variety of different purposes globally, there are a number of common factors which feed into the success of the BVI product. Whilst the most popular BVI vehicles are companies, BVI trusts and partnerships are also increasing in popularity.

Many of the BVI’s advantages are common to numerous other jurisdictions (English language, absence of currency exchange controls, US dollar as a currency, stable democracy, common law legal system with final appeal to the Privy Council in London). A number of other advantages are not:

Taxation
BVI has no income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax, wealth tax or similar fiscal laws. Whilst trading companies will normally pay taxation in the usual way in countries where they engage in business, using a BVI company as an intermediary holding company can create tax neutral layers in the corporate holding structure.

Speed
Subject to satisfying relevant KYC requirements, companies can be incorporated quickly by licensed registered agents via the BVI’s online electronic interface, usually within 2 days.

Names
BVI companies may be incorporated with foreign character names (eg a Chinese name) in addition to their English name.

Cost
BVI companies are still comparatively inexpensive compared to other premium jurisdictions such as Cayman and Bermuda, and most mid-shores such as Hong Kong or Singapore.

We act for leading global financial
institutions, investment managers
and corporate entities from start ups
to global household names.

– Robert Jonson