Offshore trusts have long been used by wealthy families seeking the highest degree of financial safety — families that are serious about staying wealthy.A trust that is properly designed and competently administered and that is located in the right country gives you:
Asset protection. Offshore trusts lawfully place assets beyond the reach of future creditors, including the winner of a lawsuit against you. No matter what happens at home, even if you become entangled in a controversy with a government agency, the trust fund is safe. It is available, whenever needed, to help and support you and your family or other designated beneficiaries.
Income tax planning advantages for you. By selecting a knowledgeable trustee, you gain access to legitimate tax-saving strategies and tax-advantaged investments that are not readily available in the U.S.
Big income tax advantages for generations to come. After your lifetime, your offshore trust will automatically “disconnect” from the U.S. tax system. Your beneficiaries will be free of all tax liability for investment earnings the trust accumulates. Neither they nor anyone else in the U.S. will have any legal obligation to file income tax reports for the trust. Earnings can compound free of current tax… which means the compounding will be faster.
Estate planning advantages. Offshore trusts rescue family wealth from estate taxes that otherwise would be imposed— again and again — every time property passes from one generation to the next. It can be the cornerstone of a permanent solution to estate tax problems.
An offshore trust lets you remove assets from your taxable estate while retaining control over how they are managed for the best returns. And you can remain eligible to receive those assets back if you ever need them for your own support. In addition, the trust (apart from the assets it contains) can be a financial planning instrument of incomparable power for your heirs, generations after generation.
Financial privacy. By locating your trust in a country where financial privacy is enforced by law and custom and respected as a matter of sound business practice, you create a zone of privacy for yourself and your family. After your lifetime, the privacy can be absolute, since none of your heirs will have any obligation to file tax or other reports on the trust’s activities.
Reliability. A well crafted offshore trust reconciles an investor’s financial goals with all legal requirements of his home country — so that it contributes to his peace of mind, not to controversy. Its tax planning strategy is as conservative as it is thorough and energetic. The trust is located in a proven, stable jurisdiction. And it is placed under the trusteeship of an experienced offshore trust company with a valued, international reputation.
Understanding how an offshore trust provides these advantages is the first step in gaining them for yourself and your family. Examining the Model Offshore Trust is an excellent way to gain that understanding.
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