How Does Offshore Banking Work?
For example, a resident from the United States can choose to deposit his money at a bank located in the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Normally, people choose to deposit their money in financial institutions offshore because their countries are unstable.
If your country is not stable economically or politically, offshore banking is a good option because it protects your assets from confiscation.
The authorities in countries with poor economy often confiscate the assets of the citizens when the economic collapse.
Many people from stable countries also invest in offshore banking because of the benefits it offers.
In offshore banking, the name of the account holder is revealed in a random number.
This means that no one will know who the actual owner of the account is.
If your wealth is increasing, you need to make sure that it is safe and protected.
Increasing wealth means nothing when your country is economically unstable.
Normally, the offshore bank is located in countries with loose regulations so your deposit is not subjected to tax.
The country of the offshore bank usually has a low inflation rate.
United States allow its citizens to open an account in a bank which is located abroad.
However, they are required to reveal their bank accounts if more than $10,000 USD are deposited overseas.
If you invest in the American securities, you have to declare it to the IRS.
On the other hand, if you invest in other forms of securities through the offshore bank account, you won't be subjected to paying tax.
There are several countries that offer offshore banking services including Dominica, Anguilla, Belize, Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Panama.
With offshore banking, your personal information will be kept private.
The bankers will not disclose the information about your account to other people.
If a banker reveals your information to a third party, you may file a lawsuit against him.
The banker can be imprisoned for up to 6 months.
In addition, the banker can be fined up to $50,000 USD depending on country where bank is established.
You can also sue the banker for the damages.
It is very rare for financial institutions which are located offshore to reveal personal information to a third party.
The banker is not supposed to reveal your personal information unless you commit a crime.
You can easily open a bank account online with any financial institution.
If you don't know the procedure of opening an account, you can hire an agent.
Normally the bank will require you to provide several documents such as passport, company documents, driving license.
If you want to open the account by mail, you need to get the application form from the bank which can be normally downloaded online.
The bank application form must be completed with your personal information and signed.
The authenticated passport must show the apostille.
The apostille is used to certify the authenticity of the passport.
Most of the time, the apostille can be obtained from the notary public.
The procedure to open a numbered account is difficult.
You will have to place a large deposit in the offshore bank account.
Normally, the offshore bank will require you to deposit minimum $10,000 USD or more.
The minimum deposit required for an account varies depending on what type of account you are opening.
Some offshore banks require a few thousand dollars as minimum deposit while others require a much larger amount.
There is also a fee of $300 or more clients have to pay in order to open the account.
Every time you withdraw money from the account, you will be charged $5 - $10 depending on location.