December 04, 2024

The B.V.I., Cayman Islands, and Bermuda – Current Practice, Enforcement, and Emerging Trends

December 04, 2024/ Ruchelman P.L.L.C.

These three leading Caribbean international financial centers are members of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and have consistently implemented O.E.C.D. initiatives and E.U. requirements. They pride themselves in following international best practices. None of the regimes discussed below is a taxing regime. Consequently, their compliance focus is on information exchange, increased transparency and economic substance. Joshua Mangeot, a partner of the B.V.I. office of Harneys Celeste Aubee, an associate in the B.V.I. office of Harneys, explain the hurdles that have been overcome to remain in good standing with Europe and the U.S.

May 30, 2023

Economic Substance: Views From the U.S., Europe, and the B.V.I., Cayman, and Nevis

May 30, 2023/ Ruchelman P.L.L.C.

Like concepts of beauty, the presence or absence of economic substance in the tax context often is in the eye of the beholder. More importantly, economic substance means different things to tax authorities in different jurisdictions and the approaches in taxpayer obligations varies widely. This article looks at the concept of economic substance in three separate localities. Stanley C. Ruchelman and Wooyoung Lee look at the U.S., addressing case law establishing the requirement and the 2010 codification of the concept into the tax code. Werner Heyvaert, a partner in the Brussels Office of AKD Benelux Lawyers, and Vicky Sheik Mohammad, an associate in the Brussels Office of AKD Benelux Lawyers, look at the Danish Cases that establish an abuse of rights view for aggressive tax planning – the taxpayer abused rights granted to it by E.U. law – and the Unshell Directive designed to remove certain tax benefits from shell companies. David Payne, Global Head of Governance for Bolder Group, looks at the self-certification rules that have been adopted in the B.V.I., Cayman, and Nevis.

April 30, 2019

It’s Time for Cayman Shell Entities to Come Out of Their Shells and Show Economic Substance

April 30, 2019/ Ruchelman P.L.L.C.

· It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The same can be said about economic substance. In a step to adopt a standardized definition in the context of business arrangements that are typical for Cayman Islands companies, the country enacted the International Tax Cooperation (Economic Substance) Law, 2018 (“E.S. Law”) on December 27, 2018, and issued supplemental guidance on February 22, 2019. Neha Rastogi and Galia Antebi address relevant aspects of the new rules, including (i) entities that fall within the ambit of the E.S. Law, (ii) entities that are exempt, (iii) identified business activities under the E.S. Law, and (iv) steps that may be taken to meet the economic substance test.

May 23, 2017

Insights Vol. 4 No. 5: Updates & Other Tidbits

May 23, 2017/ Ruchelman P.L.L.C.

This month, Astrid Champion and Nina Krauthamer look briefly at several timely issues, including (i) a novel claim of treaty residence in Ireland by a nonresident Irish domiciled individual subject to the domicile levy under Irish law and (ii) the introduction of a beneficial ownership register regime in the Cayman Islands regarding certain Cayman Islands corporations.

January 26, 2017

Insights Vol. 4 No. 1: Updates & Other Tidbits

January 26, 2017/ Ruchelman P.L.L.C.

This month, we look briefly at several timely issues, including (i) the termination of foreign acceptance agent agreements used to confirm copies of passports outside the U.S. when a non-U.S. individual obtains an I.T.I.N., (ii) a court order in Canada upholding a demand for disclosure of client names and documentation relating to participation in a discredited tax shelter, (iii) E.U. steps that identify potentially blacklisted low-tax or no-tax countries, and (iv) worsening relations between the U.S. and the E.U. stemming from widening differences in tax policies.