Offshore structuring is legal tax planning — designing a compliant multi-entity structure that uses the interaction between different jurisdictions' tax laws, treaties and corporate regimes to reduce the overall tax burden, protect assets and create operational flexibility. CompanyVista designs, forms and maintains structures across 50+ jurisdictions. Substance-compliant. BEPS-aware.
The optimal holding jurisdiction depends on the countries of the operating subsidiaries, treaty requirements, the nature of income (dividends, royalties, capital gains) and the residency of ultimate shareholders. CompanyVista maps these factors during the structuring consultation.
Following the OECD BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) action plan, simply incorporating in a low-tax jurisdiction is no longer sufficient to claim tax benefits there. Every legitimate offshore structure must have genuine economic substance in the jurisdiction where profits are booked. CompanyVista designs structures with substance from the outset — not as an afterthought.
BVI (Economic Substance Act 2018), Cayman Islands (International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Act 2018) and Bahamas (Commercial Entities (Substance Requirements) Act 2018) have all enacted mandatory economic substance legislation. Companies incorporated in these jurisdictions that conduct "relevant activities" (banking, insurance, fund management, finance & leasing, headquarters, intellectual property, distribution & service centres, holding company activities) must demonstrate adequate economic substance or face significant penalties and automatic reporting to the relevant tax authority in the jurisdiction of the ultimate beneficial owner. CompanyVista advises on substance requirements for every BVI and Cayman entity in a structure.
CompanyVista reviews your business model, revenue sources and geography, IP ownership, current legal structure, ultimate shareholder residency and home country tax position. This baseline determines what the structure needs to achieve — tax efficiency, asset protection, operational flexibility, exit readiness or a combination. Free initial consultation.
⏱ Free — typically 45–60 minutesCompanyVista designs the optimal multi-entity structure — identifying the holding jurisdiction, operating entities, IP holding vehicle (if applicable), inter-company flow of dividends/royalties/management fees, treaty positions and substance requirements. A written structure diagram with full rationale, estimated tax savings, substance requirements and ongoing compliance cost is provided before any commitment. Where formal tax opinions are required, specialist tax advisors are identified.
⏱ Written proposal within 5–7 business daysA complete written quote covers: formation fees for each entity (govt fees at exact cost, CV professional fee), registered office and agent annual fees, nominee director (where required), banking introduction fees, annual compliance fees per entity, accounting retainer per entity and tax return fees per entity. Total ongoing annual cost of the structure is stated clearly — structures that cost more than they save are not recommended.
⏱ Written quote within 24 hours of structure design approvalCompanyVista forms all entities in the structure simultaneously where possible — BVI, Singapore, HK, UAE, Estonia, US, UK and others. Shareholder agreements, inter-company agreements (IP licence, management service agreement) prepared in coordination with specialist lawyers. Company secretarial, registered office and registered agent established in every jurisdiction. All entities formed within one coordinated engagement.
⏱ 2–8 weeks depending on jurisdictions — most done in parallelBanking arranged for each entity — traditional bank or fintech depending on jurisdiction and use case. KYC documentation prepared and coordinated for all entities simultaneously. Payment flows between entities (royalty payments, dividends, management fees) established and tested. Accounting software configured for each entity with the correct chart of accounts and inter-company transaction codes.
⏱ Banking: 2–6 weeks per jurisdictionCompanyVista maintains annual compliance for every entity in the structure — annual returns, registered office renewals, government fees, economic substance filings (BVI/Cayman), accounting, tax returns and nominee director renewals. One compliance calendar tracks every deadline across all entities. One invoice covers all entities. Annual review of the structure to ensure it remains optimal as the business grows and regulations evolve.
⏱ Ongoing — annual compliance managed proactivelyCompanyVista handles the full lifecycle — structure design, entity formation in all jurisdictions, banking, accounting, annual compliance and tax returns. No coordinating between a BVI agent, a Singapore accountant, an HK compliance firm and a US tax agent. One team manages the entire structure — with one consolidated compliance calendar and one annual invoice.
CompanyVista designs substance into every structure from day one — not as an afterthought. Every entity's substance requirements are identified upfront, nominee directors provided where required, registered offices in real addresses, and board meeting documentation maintained. Structures that cannot demonstrate genuine substance are not recommended — they create more risk than they eliminate.
Some structures that were effective 10 years ago are no longer viable post-BEPS. CompanyVista does not recommend letterbox structures, treaty shopping arrangements without substance or royalty stripping schemes. We recommend structures that are legally defensible today and sustainable — not ones that may be unwound by a tax authority tomorrow.
For formal tax opinions, transfer pricing studies and complex cross-border legal advice, CompanyVista works with trusted specialist tax lawyers and Big 4 advisors in the relevant jurisdictions. We coordinate the engagement and manage the relationship — you work with one team rather than coordinating multiple specialist firms directly.
Offshore structures have significant ongoing costs — registered office, registered agent, nominee director, annual government fees, accounting, tax returns. CompanyVista provides a complete annual cost projection for the full structure before any entity is formed. Structures that cost more in ongoing compliance than they save in tax are not recommended — the numbers must work.
Every structure CompanyVista designs is built on the assumption that the beneficial owner's home country tax authority will receive full information under CRS — because they will. Offshore structures in 2025 work through legal tax efficiency, not concealment. If a structure only works if hidden from your tax authority, it is not a structure CompanyVista will advise on.
CompanyVista designs, forms and maintains offshore and international structures across 50+ jurisdictions. Substance-compliant. BEPS-aware. CRS-transparent. Legal tax efficiency — not concealment. Free initial consultation, written proposal and complete cost projection before any commitment.
CompanyVista designs and implements multi-jurisdiction corporate structures for international businesses, e-commerce sellers, SaaS companies, IP-rich businesses and relocating founders. Core structure types: holding company structures (Netherlands participation exemption, Singapore one-tier system, Hong Kong no capital gains tax, UAE 0% qualifying income, Ireland 12.5% + EU parent-subsidiary directive, Luxembourg participation exemption, BVI/Cayman zero tax without treaty access); IP holding structures (Netherlands Innovation Box 9%, Ireland Knowledge Development Box 6.25%, Cyprus IP Box 2.5%, UK Patent Box 10% — all requiring genuine economic substance post-BEPS); international trading companies (Singapore 17% with exemptions, HK territorial 8.25%/16.5%, Georgia 0% Virtual Zone, Estonia 0% retained profits, UAE FZ 0% qualifying); offshore trusts and foundations (BVI, Cayman, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Liechtenstein) for asset protection and succession planning.
Economic substance is non-negotiable post-BEPS — BVI Economic Substance Act 2018, Cayman International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Act 2018 and Bahamas Commercial Entities (Substance Requirements) Act 2018 require relevant activities to demonstrate genuine substance or face automatic reporting to the beneficial owner's home country tax authority. The Common Reporting Standard (CRS) enables automatic exchange of financial information between 100+ countries — offshore structures cannot conceal income or assets from home country tax authorities; they work through legal tax efficiency, full disclosure and genuine substance. Transfer pricing documentation is required for all inter-company payments — royalties, management fees, intragroup sales. CompanyVista is not a law firm — formal tax opinions, transfer pricing studies and legal opinions require qualified tax lawyers and specialist advisors.
Offshore Structuring · 50+ Jurisdictions · Holding · IP · Trading · BEPS-compliant · Substance-first
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