Tax Haven

Introduction

• A tax haven is a country or location with extremely low “effective” tax rates for overseas investors. 
• Tax havens do not typically require residency or business presence for individuals and businesses to benefit from their tax policies. 
• A list of some of the popular tax haven countries includes the Bahamas, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Lichtenstein, Monaco, Panama, St. Kitts, and Nevis.

Characteristics of Tax Haven

• Tax havens also share only a limited amount of financial data with foreign tax authorities, if any at all.
• Tax havens encourage foreign depositors by offering tax advantages to corporations and the wealthy.
• Depositing money in a tax haven is legal as long as the depositor pays the taxes required by the home jurisdiction.
• Tax havens may also be used illegally to hide money from tax authorities at home. 

Offshore Tax Haven

• From the viewpoint of an Indian, “offshore” is anywhere outside the Indian jurisdiction.
• Offshore tax havens benefit from the capital their countries draw into their economies. The funds flow in from individuals and businesses with accounts at banks and other financial institutions.