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Our Frequently Asked Questions
The formation of an offshore company can raise many questions, the ones that are most commonly asked have been grouped here to allow you find the answers you need. We have taken care to respond as clearly and accurately as possible to demonstrate the high quality of our support and technical knowledge.
An offshore company is a company based in a country other than the one where it operates. The purpose of setting up an offshore company is to benefit from its host country’s tax advantages, while continuing to do business in other countries. Generally offshore companies cannot operate in their own country without risking becoming a “resident corporation” and being subject to local taxation.
An offshore company can increase your profits because it is subject to lower (or even zero) taxation. In addition, administrative procedures, including accounting, are often more flexible and light-touch. The offshore solution also offers a high level of data confidentiality and anonymity of company management and ownership.
Using MBS Corporate Services for the formation of your offshore company gives you the guarantee of high-quality assistance and the professional expertise that comes from 15 years’ experience. It also ensures there will be no nasty surprises: with MBS Corporate Services, there are no hidden fees and the prices displayed on our website are the only ones we apply.
There is no single answer to this question since the choice of jurisdiction depends on many factors, in particular the activity that will be carried out there. Our country fact sheets provide the advantages and disadvantages of each offshore and onshore destination.
As a general rule it is advisable to settle in a jurisdiction with good infrastructure, a stable economy and political system, a favourable tax system for the company’s activities, a good relationship with your own country and a good reputation internationally.
In general, yes. Very many jurisdictions require offshore companies to keep their accounts in accordance with specific standards which may also need to be audited. Nevertheless, some countries, such as Belize, the Seychelles and Mauritius have no such formal accounting requirements and merely require the directors to maintain records sufficient to understand the financial position of the company.
The timescale depends on the jurisdiction. Some have extremely short formation times (around 24-48 hours) while others may take a month. The number of documents required and formalities also vary from one jurisdiction to the other. The time required to create a company is specified in each of our country fact sheets. However, it is also possible to obtain a pre-established company very quickly and simplify the steps required to acquire it through
A ready-made or shelf company is a dormant company purchased by a client who then becomes the owner. An investor may then decide to buy it: he takes over ownership of the company and can do business using the company name already established or he may wish to change the company name. This method avoids having to create the company from scratch and shows some company history, which is often advantageous.
A UK agency company is a reputable offshore structure which facilitates business activities and enables a company to benefit from low taxation. The principle is simple: An offshore company creates an entity in the United Kingdom which acts as an agent to do business on your behalf. This allows you to benefit from the country’s good reputation and income made by this British company is ‘passed on’ to an offshore entity, which applies its low (or zero) tax rate. Please consult our special page on the
While both positions are important in a company, they are quite different. A director runs the company, makes decisions and signs contracts. It is possible to have several directors who may be individuals or even companies and who are generally appointed by the shareholders. Shareholders, by comparison, own the company but do not manage it on a day to day basis. There may be a single shareholder or several. Shareholders may also be either natural or legal persons.
Yes, almost all locations accept this. It is commonplace to have a company with a sole shareholder who is also the director.
A Declaration of Trust (DOT) is a document that specifies that the nominee shareholder holds shares on behalf of a client and also specifies the percentage of the holding.
No: the creation of an offshore jurisdiction does not necessarily mean the absence of taxation for companies. Although many countries indeed offer 0% tax others just offer lower taxation. Others may also require setting-up fees or other charges. Examine the specific taxation system of the country you have selected by visiting the relevant country page on our website.
We will open a bank account only if you ask for this when placing your order for a company. If this is not the case then we will not open any account on behalf of your company. However, be advised that opening a bank account depends ultimately on the bank’s discretion. If your bank does not have an appetite for your type of business it may refuse to open an account for you. Dealing through us ensures the opening of an account with our network of banking partners whereas approaching the bank directly is more uncertain..
We will open a bank account only if you ask for this when placing your order for a company. If this is not the case then we will not open any account on behalf of your company. However, be advised that opening a bank account depends ultimately on the bank’s discretion. If your bank does not have an appetite for your type of business it may refuse to open an account for you. Dealing through us ensures the opening of an account with our network of banking partners whereas approaching the bank directly is more uncertain..
Of course, we can open a second account for your personal use if you wish.
The fees are set and charged by the banks, they usually vary between €50 and €100 per year.
This is a service used to preserve the privacy of the management of the company. A contract is signed between the ultimate beneficiary (the client) and the person who will assume the role of nominee director. The latter can sign all the administrative and official documents, thus protecting the director’s true identity. For an optimal level of protection the nominee director cannot sign documents unless they are referred to him by the customer under the Power of Attorney (POA) contract.
As with any bank account, it is possible to use an offshore account with a credit card, online payment or by directly withdrawing money at the bank.
This is an anonymous credit card only distributed by Swiss banks. No name is printed on it (neither your name nor your company name) and this allows you to make withdrawals and purchases without leaving an audit trail. Any offshore company with an account in Switzerland may obtain this kind of card.
You are free to choose the name that seems the most appropriate for your offshore company and we will check its availability in your chosen country. Alternatively, we can offer you a list of available names that you can choose from, or we can offer a ready-made (or shelf)
Fees must be paid on the company anniversary rather than at the end of each calendar year. To give you reasonable room for us to receive fees and make disbursements our invoice will be sent to you two months prior to the date of renewal.
Notarization is the verification by a notary public of all your company’s documents, verifying their full legality. An apostille is the next level of certification in which a Government in a country which has signed The Hague Convention on the Legalisation of Documents verifies the document.