Taxation of Isle of Man Companies from April 2006
At the present time a company incorporated in the Isle of Man, owned by non-residents and which complies with the other statutory requirements, is not liable to Isle of Man taxation. Whilst locally trading companies pay tax at 18%, a qualifying offshore company pays a flat annual tax of Ł475 or Ł1,000.
The Isle of Man is however required to comply with the E.U. Code of Conduct on Business Taxation and other international initiatives designed to eliminate discrimination between taxpayers. This means, essentially, that the tax treatment of local and offshore companies should be the same. The Island decided some time ago that it would meet its obligations by introducing a zero rate of taxation for all companies except those engaged in certain finance sector activities and the Government has now issued a consultation paper outlining how it is proposed that the new system will operate.
From April 2006 the distinction between offshore and locally resident companies will disappear and companies will be classified as distributing or non-distributing. A distributing company will be one of the following,
? Where the whole of the distributable profit has been charged to tax at the rate of 10% or
? Where the company has distributed a specified minimum of its distributable profit, expected to be 60% for a trading company and 100% for an investment company or
? A company owned wholly by non- residents, regardless of what percentage of profit is actually distributed.
It is this third category of qualification, which is the most important, as it means that companies, incorporated on the Isle of Man but wholly owned by non-residents, will continue to enjoy tax- free status.
Companies will have to apply for distributing status but the exact means by which they will do so has not as yet been decided. The Government has however indicated that companies which have successfully claimed such status may not be required to submit accounts with every tax return providing sufficient information is provided on the return to support the claim.
There are further rules which apply to companies which are wholly or partly owned by Isle of Man residents and these companies will be obliged to calculate the tax payable on that part of the profits applicable to local shareholders and to pay it over to the Treasury.
The new system will accord with the international obligation for the Isle of Man not to discriminate between onshore and offshore companies and enable it to escape the sanctions, which may be invoked against some of the other offshore centres.
The Chesterfield Group provides a full range of trustee, and corporate advisory, formation and management services and invites enquiries. More particulars can be found on our web-site http://www.chesterfield-management.com REF=CH5EZ
MORE RESOURCES:
Tax Tips - Which Tax Form Is Right For Me?
IRS Tax forms can be confusing.Am I a 1099 or a W-2.
Tax Help Secret: Avoiding the Entreprenuers Curse
Your days as an entrepreneur and businessperson are consumed with one primary activity; making money. Whether you think in terms of growing your business, getting the word out there, or some fancy new marketing technique, your days and weeks and months in business are focused on that one group of activities.
Tax Jokes and Quotes
Do you realize that some tax forms ask you to check a box if you are BLIND?Quote: "Two years ago it was impossible to get through on the phone to the IRS. Now it's just hard to get through.
Tax Trap #5 -- Ignoring The IRS (and the 5 best ways to contact them!)
We all love to criticize the IRS, don't we? And I'm just as guilty as anyone. It's easy to ridicule a huge organization of government bureaucrats who often seem to be Public Enemy #1.
Euro Tax Haven Threat
Media reporting of a new EU savings tax directive has left many people wondering whether European tax havens could soon become obselete.The July directive requires banks throughout Europe, including low and no tax areas such as Gibraltar, Monaco, Malta and Andorra, to disclose bank account owner information to their home country's tax authority.
IRS Reports Tax Gap of $300 Billion
The Internal Revenue Service is reporting that the difference between what U.S.
Save Money on Taxes - Let Uncle Sam Pay for Your Fun!
"Deducting Meals and Entertainment"O.K.
Tax Investigation - What You Need To Do
The knock on the door from a Tax Inspector is something that every taxpayer fears. Your immediate thoughts will be "Have I been honest with my tax returns or not".
Tax Reform, My Way
We need real tax reform and we need it now. Previous attempts have been made at tax reform, but they have only provided band-aid solutions that have still left us with too many quirks, complication, and read tape.
Need an Offshore Sales Office in a Tax Free Environment?
The 100 year old investment-banking firm of Warburg, Dillon Read (on Park Ave. N.
What You Need To Know About Taxes If You're Getting Married
It may not be high on the list of wedding planning activities, but there are a few simple steps that can help keep tax issues from interrupting your newly wedded bliss. If you recently married, check out your new tax situation.
The Implications of Income Tax Charge on Estate Planning
OverviewIn the Pre-Budget Report of December 2003 the Chancellor Gordon Brown announced proposals to levy an Income Tax charge from 6th April 2005 in those circumstances where the transferor of an asset retains and interest or continues to benefit from that asset. In the instance of real property, the 'benefit' envisaged is the transferor continuing to reside in the property he/she has allegedly given away.
IRS Lock-In Letters - What's An Employer To Do?
Employers often ask employees to designate the amount of tax withholdings for paychecks. Occasionally, employees will fail to withhold a sufficient amount in the eyes of the IRS.
Tax Time Tune Up
Excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain" TMThe complete article with pictures and sample Auto Log is available at www.organize.
Requirements To Produce Tax Information (Whats Up With That?)
"What we've got here is a failure to communicate." --Strother Martin in Cool Hand Luke Statutory Law Governments pass laws, it's what they do.
Electronic Commerce Taxation and Pakistan
Assume a buyer in Pakistan downloads software from the Internet for a 30-day trial. If he likes the software, he submits his credit card information and receives an authorization code that allows him unrestricted use of the software.
Taxing Overseas Firms for SOX Compliance
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, also called the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002 was signed into law on July 30, 2002 by President Bush. In the aftermath of Enron, Arthur Andersen, Global Crossing, and WorldCom, SOX promises greater corporate accountability and transparency.
Seven Key Tax Deductions for the Self Employed
As a sole proprietor, it's wise to familiarize yourself with the some key deductions that may reduce your tax bill for 2004.Small-business consultants generally recommend that you hire an accountant to prepare your tax returns, payroll and financial statements.
Deducting Points On Home Refinances
Deduction of Refinance PointsAny points that you pay in the refinancing of your residence are tax deductible over the length of the loan in question. The deduction is allowable only if the residence is your primary home and the new mortgage replaces a previous one and/or is used to improve the residence.
Six Urban Myths About Taxation
Six Urban Myths - Taxation"I am proud to be paying taxes? I could be just as proud for half the money." - Arthur Godfrey Temporary Taxation in Canada In 1917, the Income War Tax Act (7-8 George V, Chap.