Frequently asked questions
about going offshore
What
does it mean to “go offshore”?
Is
there minimum dollar amount necessary to go
offshore?
Is
going offshore only for people with business
assets?
What
does Heritage offer that other offshore providers
don’t?
Do
any regulations forbid foreign business or
banking?
Do
I have to travel to "go offshore"?
What
offshore country is the best to form an IBC
in?
What
is an acceptable name for an IBC?
Is
offshore banking safe?
Can
I bank online offshore?
Who
controls the offshore accounts?
How
do I bring money back from offshore?
What does it mean
to “go offshore”?
To “go offshore” simply means to place assets
(bank accounts, brokerage accounts, etc.) outside
of one’s home country. Going offshore also
includes forming an offshore structure such as a
company or trust, and placing domestic assets
(car, home, real estate, art collections, etc.)
into that structure.
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Is there
minimum dollar amount necessary to go offshore?
No. There is not a minimum amount
necessary to go offshore. It is possible to place
anywhere from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of
millions of dollars offshore.
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Is going offshore
only for people with business assets?
No. Offshore tools may be utilized to
protect personal assets (as well as restore
personal financial privacy and provide protection
from personal lawsuits) just as effectively as
they can be used to protect business assets.
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What does Heritage
offer that other offshore providers don’t?
1. Experience. Heritage has set up hundreds of
offshore companies,
hundreds of offshore bank accounts, etc. Put
simply: We’re not novices; we know what we’re
doing, and we use our experience and knowledge. We
take very good care of our clients. 2.
Multi-jurisdictional approach. We
use the best services offered in the best offshore
jurisdictions to insure that our clients get the
best of all worlds and have the strongest
protection and privacy to be had anywhere on the
planet. 3. Communication. Many of Heritage’s
competitors have little or no contact information
on their websites other than an email address. Not
so with Heritage. Visit the contact Heritage page and feel
free to contact us directly through the website,
call, send an email or fax.
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Do Any
Regulations Forbid Foreign Business Or Banking?
Absolutely not. Most countries encourage
international trade and investment. As such, there
are virtually no regulations forbidding citizens
from doing business or having bank accounts in
other countries. Should any major country ever
forbid foreign banking or investing, international
trade would quickly grind to a halt. This would
cripple the world economy. Therefore, major
countries will likely never forbid foreign
business, banking or investing. Rather,
sophisticated and knowledgeable individuals and
corporations all over the world have used and will
continue to use offshore tools.
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Do I Have To Travel
To "Go Offshore"?
No. Heritage interfaces with offshore institutions
to form IBC's, open bank and brokerage accounts, etc. so that clients don't
have to leave the office to go offshore.
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What Offshore
Country Is The Best to Form an IBC In?
First, the offshore
countries under consideration must have strictly
enforced privacy laws. Next, English must be the
main language or used extensively, the judicial system must be based
on British Common Law, the country must have a
long history of political stability and must be
completely independent from one's home country.
This narrows the field down to Belize, British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Panama. Each of these
jurisdictions forms completely private IBC's that
are authorized to do business worldwide (except in
the country of incorporation). An IBC formed in
one country is just as private and functional as
an IBC formed in any of the others. It is these three
countries that Heritage recommends to clients,
regardless of the client’s home country. An IBC in
any of these locations will be perfect for helping
clients regain privacy and protect personal and
business assets.
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What Is An
Acceptable Name for An IBC?
An IBC may be named nearly any name its founder
desires. There are very few restrictions. The name
of an IBC must end with "Incorporated", "Limited",
"Corporation" or the abbreviations "Inc.",
"Corp.", or "Ltd.". Names that include "trust",
"bank", "banc" or "insurance" require a government
license. Other than these limitations an IBC may
have virtually any name. An IBC name may include
numbers and symbols.
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Is Offshore Banking
Safe?
Absolutely. Heritage can recommend established,
reputable, rated (by Moody's and Standard &
Poors) banks that have been in existence for many
years, have billions in assets and
have proven themselves to be service oriented. As
long as accounts are opened at a bank Heritage
endorses, an individual's or corporation's money
will as safe offshore than it is onshore.
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Can I Bank
Online Offshore?
Yes. All of the banks that Heritage has
relationships with have complete online banking
services.
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Who
Controls The Offshore Accounts?
You do. The client is in complete and total
control of all accounts at all times. His/her
signature is the only one that appears on any bank
or brokerage accounts and no one but the signor
may use or access funds in the accounts. Heritage Interntional never has knowledge of your account information.
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How Do I Bring
Money Back From Offshore?
There are four ways to bring money back from
offshore:
1. Money may be wired directly from offshore
into a domestic account.
2. Offshore banks and brokerages issue
Visa/MasterCard debit cards and secured credit
cards to account holders. These cards may be used
to make purchases from merchants or to withdraw
cash from an ATM.
3. The foreign company (IBC) or trust may
purchase real estate, cars, businesses, etc.
Typically, the founder/client acts as an agent of
the IBC or trust to purchase assets on its behalf.
By this means, assets are held under a corporate
or trust name, thus helping to protect the
client's privacy.
4. The client may borrow funds from the
corporation or trust. The IBC or trust is a
separate legal entity from an individual and may
make loans to individuals or other entities.
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