TABLE OF COMPARISONS – OFFSHORE COMPANY FEATURES
| JURISDICTIONS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FEATURES | BRITISH ANGUILLA | BAHAMAS | BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS | CYPRUS | PANAMA | SAMOA | SEYCHELLES |
| Incorporation time frame | 1 day | 3-4 days | 5-6 days | 5-6 days | 3-4 days | 2-3 days | 2-3 days |
| Shelf Companies availability | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Continuation Option | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shareholders / Minimum required Share Capital | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| (1) Minimum authorized | (1) No Minimum required | (1) No Minimum required | (1) No Minimum required | (1) No Minimum but EUR 1,000 is standard | (1) No Minimum required | (1) No Minimum required | (1) No Minimum required |
| (2) Bearer shares | (2) Yes, (subject to custodian through Registered Agent) | (2) No | (2) Yes, (subject to custodian through authorized custodian) | (2) No | (2) Yes | (2) Yes, (subject to custodian through Registered Agent) | (2) Yes |
| (3) Redeemable Shares | (3) Yes | (3) Yes | (3) Yes | (3) Yes with some restrictions | (3) Yes | (3) Yes | (3) Yes |
| Directors: | |||||||
| (1) Are they required? | (1) 1 | (1) 1 | (1) 1 | (1) 1 | (1) 3 | (1) 1 | (1) 1 |
| (2) Are Legal entities allowed? | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes |
| Officers: | |||||||
| (1) Are they required? | (1) No | (1) No | (1) No | (1) Secretary | (1) Yes | (1) Secretary | (1) No |
| (2) Are Legal entities allowed? | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes |
| Domicile requirements: | |||||||
| (1) Directors | (1) No | (1) No | (1) No | (1) Yes | (1) No | (1) No | (1) No |
| (2) Officers | (2) No | (2) No | (2) No | (2) No | (2) No | (2) No | (2) No |
| (3) Shareholders / Members | (3) No | (3) No | (3) No | (3) No | (3) No | (3) No | (3) No |
| (4) Registered Office | (4) Yes | (4) Yes | (4) Yes | (4) Yes | (4) Yes | (4) Yes | (4) Yes |
| (5) Registered / Resident Agent | (5) Yes | (5) Yes | (5) Yes | (5) Yes | (5) Yes | (5) Yes | (5) Yes |
| Annual Meeting requirements: | |||||||
| (1) Are they required? | (1) No | (1) No | (1) No | (1) Yes | (1) No | (1) Optional | (1) No |
| (2) Location restrictions | (2) N/A | (2) N/A | (2) N/A | (2) N/A | (2) N/A | (2) N/A | (2) N/A |
| Annual Accounts: | |||||||
| (1) Are they required? | (1) No | (1) No | (1) No | (1) Yes | (1) No | (1) No | (1) No |
| (2) Must they be submitted to the authorities? | (2) No | (2) No | (2) No | (2) Yes | (2) No | (2) No | (2) No |
| FEATURES | BRITISH ANGUILLA | BAHAMAS | BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS | CYPRUS | PANAMA | SAMOA | SEYCHELLES |
| Documnents / Information Kept at the companies’ Registry | |||||||
| (1) Memorandum & Articles of Association (M&AAs) or Articles of Incorporation (Arts of Inc.) and their amendments. | (1) Arts of Inc. | (1) M&AAs | (1) M&AAs | (1) M&AAs | (1) Arts of Inc. | (1) M&AAs | (1) M&AAs |
| (2) Registered / Resident Agent | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) N/A | (2) Yes | (2) Yes | (2) Yes |
| (3) Registered Office | (3) Yes | (3) Yes | (3) Optional | (3) Yes | (3) Domicile | (3) Yes | (3) Yes |
| (4) Registered of mortages and encumbrances | (4) Optional | (4) Optional | (4) Optional | (4) No | (4) Optional | (4) Optional | (4) No |
| (5) Shareholders / Members | (5) Optional | (5) Optional | (5) Optional | (5) Yes | (5) No | (5) Optional | (5) No |
| (6) Director(s) and Officer (s) | (6) Optional | (6) Mandatory (Through a register of directors and officers) | (6) No | (6) Yes | (6) Mandatory | (6) Optional | (6) No |
| (7) General Power of Attorney | (7) optional | (7) No | (7) No | (7) No | (7) Optional | (7) No | (7) No |
| (8) Financial Statements | (8) Optional | (8) No | (8) No | (8) Yes | (8) No | (8) No | (8) No |
| (9) General Pledge of assets | (9) Optional | (9) No | (9) No | (9) Yes | (9) Optional | (9) No | (9) No |
| Documents kept at registered | |||||||
| Office/ registered agent office | |||||||
| (1) Share Register | (1) Mandatory | (1) Mandatory | (1) Mandatory | (1) Mandatory | (1) No | (1) Mandatory | (1) Mandatory |
| (2) Register of Director(s) and Officer(s) | (2) Copy advisable | (2) Mandatory | (2) Mandatory | (2) Mandatory | (2) No | (2) Mandatory | (2) Mandatory |
| (3) Corporate seal (stamped) | (3) Mandatory | (3) Mandatory | (3) Mandatory | (3) Mandatory | (3) Optional | (3) Optional | (3) Optional |
| (4) M&Aas / Arts of Inc. | (4) copy of Arts of Inc. | (4) copy of M&AAs | (4) copy of M&AAs | (4) copy (Mandatory) | (4) copy Arts of Inc. (advisable) | (4) copy of M& AAs | (4) copy of M& AAs |
| (5) Letter of Consent to act as Dorector (s) | (5) copy (Mandatory) | (5) No | (5) (Mandatory) | (5) Yes | (5) No | (5) No | (5) No |
| (6) Holder of Bearer Share and Address | (6) N/A | (6) N/A | (6) N/A | (6) N/A | (6) Yes | (6) No | (6) Mandatory |
| (7) Activities of the Company | (7) Mandatory | (7) Mandatory | (7) Mandatory | (7) Yes | (7) Mandatory | (7) Advisable | (7) Advisable |
| (8) Identification document of the director | (8) No | (8) No | (8) Mandatory | (8) Mandatory | (8) Advisable | (8) No | (8) No |
| (9) Location of Registers | (9) No | (9) No | (9) Mandatory | (9) Mandatory | (9) No | (9) No | (9) No |
| Audit requirements | None | None | None | Yes | None | None | None |
| Are Annual Income tax returns required? | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Is foreign income taxed? | No | No | No | Yes, Amount depends on type of income |
No | No | No |
| Are there exchange controls? | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Tax Treaties | No | Yes, More than 20 | Yes, nearly 20. | Yes, more than 40 | Yes, more than 10 | Yes, more than 10 | Yes, with more than 20 |
| Mutual legal Assistance Treaties regarding criminal matters (no tax included) | Yes, with USA. | Yes, with Canada, USA and UK. | Yes, with Canada, USA and UK. | Yes | Yes, with USA, UK and several latin American countries | No | No, but a law on legal mutual assistance is locally in force< |
