Frequently Asked Questions

• Who are you?
• Who are the nominees?
• How safe are the structures?
• How safe are my assets and money?
• How do I access my money?
• What security do I have against you?
• Is the company bank account private & confidential?
• What is the difference between the jurisdictions you favour?
• Do you "manage" on-shore companies?
• If its that easy, why isn’t everyone doing it?
• Do you ever refuse business?

Q: Who are you?

A: We are Corporate Service Providers and business people, originally established over 15 years ago on the Isle of Man, now with offices in, UK, Canary Islands, Nevis, Delaware and our head office in Gibraltar- Now known as the Octopus Group.

Our Chairman and founders’ background is mainly in property and land development and is actually a Chartered Surveyor by profession. Our experiences in the offshore world have all been attained personally, as our key personnel have all had their own profitable businesses.

" Our team are able to chat on a one to one basis with our clients, rather than dictate scripted, unfounded or un-challenged structures. Our team are here to help discuss your business problems both on-shore and offshore. We can then draw from our personal business experiences to advise you of the possible ways forward."

We are not accountants or solicitors, and neither would we wish to be, as those backgrounds may restrict some of the structures that we can help you with. However, we do have at our disposal a vast array of internationally qualified accountants, lawyers, solicitors and professional people that we work closely with on a day-to-day basis.

Q: Who are the nominees?

A: The Nominees in all cases are Offshore Companies. The jurisdiction of those companies will usually be different to the jurisdiction in which your company would be registered. Therefore creating a “significant” paper trail. Our Nominee companies are ultimately controlled by our Board of Directors, who again are in various jurisdictions around the world.

Q: How safe are the structures?

A: We are always careful to match the right jurisdiction for registration of your company to your worldwide needs and your location. Therefore ensuring that you, your company bank account, your company or your client base are not in the same country.

This creates a very secure uncompromising structure. In other words, if any official were trying to trace your ownership they would have many courts around the world to apply to before they established that the company had nominees as its Shareholders, Directors and Secretary.

Q: How safe are my assets and money?

A: In other words you want to know if the company can run away with your money or the properties that you have brought in the company name?

Don’t worry every client gets around to this one eventually!

We have a responsibility to you as our client to ensure that once introduced to the banks, you would be sole signatory (if that is your preference, and it is in most cases). By being sole signatory, it means that we, although directors in a nominee capacity, cannot even obtain as much as a balance for you. You interact with the bank on a one to one basis, and it is very confidential. However, if you are requiring more of a trading facility, some of our banks prefer “managed” accounts, meaning that a directors signature is needed on any paper transaction. That does not however mean that we can access your funds, as we would always require your signature to do so.

As for any properties or other assets that belong to your company or foundation, you would always retain all the necessary paperwork and deeds of the properties, to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that those ultimately belong to you.

Corporate Service Providers who advocate the use of Trusts, where the client has absolutely no access to their assets or bank account without going through the trustees are the ones that put the clients at risk!

Q: How do I access my money?

A: With any of our recommended bank accounts you can have an internationally recognized credit/debit card.

Most have on-line banking. All have fax indemnity instruction for electronic transfers. And additionally you can chat to the bank using telephone banking as you would any on-shore account.

Q: What security do I have against you?

A: Good question, and again, one that everyone comes to in the end.

We work for you. That’s the basis of it. We have a contract with you, as the anonymous beneficial owner.

We also provide you with signed but undated resignation letters on behalf of the nominee companies. The contract protects both you and ourselves. At anytime that you wish to dispense with our services you simply date the resignation letters and send us a copy. You would then appoint yourself or another company or person, in the place of director and secretary.

Remember, ultimately, we are your employees, paid for on an annual basis. During our “employed” period, we can never gain control of your assets or access your bank accounts, but a little trust on both sides always goes a long way!

Q: Is the company bank account private & confidential?

A: Absolutely.

Which is why we put your company and bank account in different jurisdictions. For example, if you have a Nevis company, with a bank account in Cyprus, neither government holds jurisdiction over the other. Therefore any authorities approaching the Cyprus bank for information would not be successful without an international court order first applied for in Nevis, then executed through the Cyprus courts. As you can imagine a very lengthy business. However, because the nominees are neither Nevis or Cyprus based, they also cannot be forced to release information.

We can also assure you that we only recommend established and internationally recognized banks. We do not work with banks that are at risk of disappearing over night.

Q: What is the difference between the jurisdictions you favour?

A: There are over 200 tax efficient jurisdictions around the world, but some are more favourable than others at certain times.

In the beginning, our staff are trained to learn a little about you and your company needs, in order to recommend the most suitable jurisdiction for you. This information is vital, as some tax havens do not have the right double taxation treaties for all clients international needs.

Gibraltar and Delaware for example are excellent for general trading, Nevis and Gibraltar are particularly safe for property as is a Panamanian Foundation, which is the only structure that you can “gift” an unencumbered asset into, at NIL value, but still retain it!

From time to time there are changes within the offshore industry and we will advise clients, usually at the time of renewal that there may be a more favourable jurisdictions for them to change to. It can be common business practice to have a company with us for twenty years but have moved its location 3 or 4 times.

Q: Do you "manage" on-shore companies?

A: Dependent on which countries, but yes. We can provide full nominee services for a range of onshore companies.

We provide full accountancy, PAYE, and director/secretary services, as well as correspondence addresses.

Q: If its that easy, why isn’t everyone doing it?

A: Ahh, yes! How do you know that they are not??

In all honesty, many people used to think that having an offshore company, trust or foundation was only for the rich.

But how do you think they amassed their wealth in the first place, or hung on to it when they got it?

Many more people every year are looking at offshore options. From your millionaires, politicians, TV stars, highflying business people right down to the little man making a few thousand selling handbags on the Internet, they are all doing it.

And why? Because, if there is a legal way to reduce your tax burden, no matter where you are in the world, you have the right to pursue those methods.

If you are paying the equivalent of £2,000 to £3,000 in tax every year we can help you save !!

Q: Do you ever refuse business?

A: Yes, we do.

We have the right to refuse business in any circumstances. However, the main reasons would normally be because the client is not prepared to convince us of their real business activities and we may then feel that they are involved in a business that we would not be happy to represent i.e. drugs, terrorism or child pornography.

On occasions we also have had potential clients who are not prepared to comply with our due diligence procedures. i.e.; they will not provide us with a certified copy of their passport and utility bills in the last three months showing their home address. As you can imagine, since Sept 11th 2001 we all have to be on our guard and without knowing who we are representing and what their business activities are we are not prepared to take that risk. However, I will say that all information we hold is kept very confidential and not in your country, or that of your company.