Agile, secure and confidential. Welcome to St. Vincent – with its strong banking system and one of the world’s strictest privacy laws of information, it is small yet mighty.

Of all the decisions you make when starting a new business, choosing the right legal structure in the most suitable jurisdiction is one of the most important ones. This will impact how you pay taxes, your personal liability and your ability to raise money.

In this post we’ll explore why St. Vincent may just be the right jurisdiction for you.

Whether you are a solo entrepreneur or an established corporate group, look no further.

You are at the right place.

Here’s why St. Vincent is a cool option

One of the main reasons to choose this jurisdiction over other offshore jurisdictions comes down to the Preservation of Confidential Relationship Act of 1996, which is considered one of the strictest privacy laws in the world. This multi-island nation sits in the middle of the Caribbean ocean with an established banking sector and financial services standardized by the US Dollar. This characteristic alone makes it an attractive destination not only for US investors but also a range of different types of businesses from international trading to holding assets to franchising and licensing.

Another notable characteristic about St. Vincent is that it has no double taxation treaties between any other country in the world. This combined with its strict confidential information laws enables full anonymity of shareholders, beneficial owners and directors of the company from public records.

St. Vincent International Business Company

Not a resident? No worries, you don’t need to be. The St. Vincent offshore company we talk about in this article is legally recognized as the International Business Company or IBC. An entity type that offers foreigners a flexible and versatile legal structure that suits all types of industries with 0% corporate tax on all foreign sourced income.

Light and versatile legal structure

St. Vincent Companies are some of the lightest structures regarding mandatory annual reporting. Along with Seychelles, which we also offer, St. Vincent companies are not required to for annual audits and reporting as long as your company keeps its financial records straight.

Flexible and versatile as a structure with fast incorporation, this makes St. Vincent companies suitable for various use cases: holding entity for intangible assets such as trademarks and copyrights as well as franchising, licensing and intellectual property. This can be used to centralize otherwise distributed assets and digital rights under one legal structure. Other typical uses are in buying and selling goods, investment and trading and so on.

Robust banking sector

When talking about St. Vincent companies, the role of its banks are righteously on the table. Having played a fundamental role tracing back over the centuries, the banking systems of St. Vincent today represent some of the highest scored reasons why it attracts businesses from all over the world.

For international clients, both private and corporate, St. Vincent offers a range of offshore and onshore services with some of the highest bank secrecy laws and 100% anonymity in international banking services.

Zero corporate tax

St. Vincent has a Territorial Tax System which means that all corporate income sourced outside the borders of the country are subject to 0% corporate tax or duty on income or profits. Same exemption applies to stamp duties on any business transactions for 25 years from the date of registration.

In order to comply with the respective law and benefit from 0% corporate tax, make sure your company

• • does not carry business operations within the borders of St. Vincent
  • does not own property or real estate in St. Vincent
  • does not operate certain businesses without appropriate licences (e.g banking, insurance etc.)

However, it is important to remember that while your business may not be subject to St. Vincent corporate tax, you as a foreign citizen may be subject to resident taxes in your home country in accordance with your domestic tax regulations.

Privacy and confidentiality

This is certainly one of the things that sets St. Vincent apart from most other jurisdictions. As a former British Colony, this island nation’s legal frame is based on common law and one of the only jurisdictions in the world that has general financial privacy laws.

Along with its Preservation of Confidential Relationships Act of 1996, St. Vincent has no requirements for any disclosure of information of officers, directors of beneficial owners of its companies. Bearer shares are allowed and you can appoint nominee directors or foreign corporate bodies to be listed as your company directors.

On top of that, St. Vincent has signed the Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty which means even more privacy for your public records. Long story short, if confidentiality is one of your top criteria, this may just be the right one for you.

Requirements to open a St. Vincent Company

Have questions? Here are the mandatory requirements to start your St. Vincent company – and how we can help.