PROFILE
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) are a group of approximately 40 small islands situated in the Eastern Caribbean. The largest of the islands is Tortola. The Islands are a British Crown Colony and their legal system is broadly based on English Common Law and local statutes.

Company Formation
The approval of a name usually takes one day and incorporation can normally be arranged in one further day. Documents are then sent by courier which means that the complete company pack is usually in our office within 7 working days. Ready-made companies are available for immediate trading and without even those few extra days wait.

Taxation of IBC Companies
The International Business Companies Ordinance of 1984 ("IBC) created a special class of company to conduct "offshore business". Provided the company remains non-resident in the BVI, the company's only liability to BVI taxes will be an annual licence fee which currently stands at US$300 for an authorised capital of less than US$50,000.

Exchange Control
The BVI has no exchange control regulations so that a BVI company is free to trade in any currency and bank in any part of the world.

Officers
An IBC need have only one director and one shareholder who may be a private individual or a company and may be the same person.

Anonymity
No public record is maintained as to the identity of the directors or shareholders. This information is held at the Registered Office, but is not on public record. An IBC therefore provides the perfect vehicle should the beneficial owners of a company wish to remain anonymous.

Corporate Endings
Your company name may end with the words: Limited, Incorporated, Corporation, Société Annonyme, Sociedad Anónima, or abbreviations such as Ltd., Inc. or S.A.

Share Capital
The company will be set up with an authorised share capital of US$50,000 (unless otherwise requested) and either bearer or registered shares may be issued.

Accounts
An IBC is not required to file accounts with the BVI Government.

Nominees
Where required and subject to the satisfactory completion of our due diligence procedures, we are able to provide nominee directors and shareholders to act on behalf of the beneficiaries. The names of the nominees only will appear on the official register which is kept at the Registerd Office. Nominee papers are drawn up to ensure that the beneficiaries retain control over the company.

LONDON REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE
Though your tax haven company is located outside the UK, it is still possible to give the impression that your company is a regular UK registered company, for you are able to use our address (along with eMail, telephone and fax lines) as your 'UK representative office'. This does not make your company subject to UK taxes, for the use of this address is for administrative purposes only. Correspondence and messages that arrive here will be forwarded immediatley on receipt.