Company registration

Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia west of Fiji and North of New Zealand, consisting of a chain of 13 principal and many smaller islands.

When it comes to offshore businesses and tax havens, Vanuatu ranks among the most popular. In fact, it features amongst the most sought out locations such as the BVI, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Jersey.

An Offshore or International Company, is commonly set up in an offshore financial centre like Vanuatu, where there are no corporate or personal income taxes, capital gains taxes, reporting requirements, or restrictions on company employment policies. As tax laws differ from country to country it is important to seek proper professional advice in your home country to ensure that any use of Vanuatu does not infringe the laws of another country.

The main restriction is that the company, being exempt from all local taxes and restrictions, may not conduct business within the Vanuatu itself.

International companies have several advantages; they can offer complete privacy, for instance if the company shares are held by a trust, the ownership is legally vested in the trustee, thus gaining the potential for even greater tax planning. International companies are widely used vehicles for holding various investments such as property, shares, patents, etc. and can also be useful in operating trading businesses. Both their tax free status and the secrecy provisions embodied in the legislation, makes this type of company attractive to individuals and established companies alike.