Special
Reports
Located in the Irish Sea between the North West of England and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man's economy rests solidly on the provision of offshore financial services to wealthy individuals and multinational corporatio...
Read
full report »
With its low tax, business friendly ‘E-Zone’ legislation, advanced telecommunications infrastructure, and sophisticated business environment, the Caribbean island of Curaao is now a very attractive proposition for e-comm...
Read
full report »
Major changes to the regulation of the gambling industry in the United Kingdom were brought about by the Gambling Act in 2007, and this report examines how yet more proposed changes to the legislation will affect remote ...
Read
full report »
With flexible and responsive regulatory systems and low or zero rates of taxation, it is not surprising that the internet gaming industry has a found its home offshore. Those jurisdictions which have invested in an appro...
Read
full report »
National tax systems, which have traditionally rested on the principles of jurisdiction and physical presence, have been slow to adapt to the nimble and borderless world of e-commerce, especially of the offshore variety....
Read
full report »
|
Special
Reports
by First Atlantic Commerce, Bermuda
|
KNOWLEDGEBASE
FACT
FILE
A thorough reference
file of up-to-date information compiled by our
expert editors and arranged in easily accessible
sections. The fact file covers taxation and regulation
of offshore e-commerce, the facilities and services
needed, and reviews the business sectors and functions
which can make use of offshore e-commerce
- Taxation
of Offshore E-commerce
- Regulation
of Offshore E-commerce
- Offshore
E-commerce Facilities
- Offshore
Professional and Financial Services
- Offshore
E-commerce Applications
JURISDICTIONS
The jurisdictions
section of Offshore-e-com.com has in-depth analyses
of e-commerce in three leading jurisdictions -
Bermuda, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man - and has
links to summaries of e-commerce development in
25 other offshore jurisdictions
- Jurisdictions
Menu
E-COMMERCE
GLOSSARY
The Offshore-e-com.com
glossary explains the meaning of many abbreviations
and technical terms met with in offshore e-commerce
- Full Glossary
BUSINESS
GUIDE
No-one likes to pay
too much tax, and the overall burden of tax in
the world's larger business jurisdictions is heavy
not just in itself, but also imposes substantial
and worsening administrative burdens on a business.
Regulation in general just gets more and more
complex, in addition.
Prior to the Internet, there was little that most
types of business could do to rduce tax and regulation,
although individual owners were often able to
go 'offshore' with the proceeds of their work,
and increasingly did so as tax levels rose. Individual
tax levels have fallen back to some extent, and
in some countries, but the taxman has become more
efficient, and the classical equation of working
onshore and enjoying offshore becomes ever harder
to sustain.
The Internet has
changed the equation, and this site attempts to
explain why and how almost all businesses can
substantially reduce their tax bills and preserve
wealth by taking advantage of offshore e-commerce.
This section in particular offers practical help
in choosing a jurisdiction and in setting up an
offshore e-commerce operation.
E-SHOP
BASICS
Describes how to
go about setting up an entry-level e-commerce
retailing operation, in case you want to do it
yourself.
LOCATION
Describes the criteria
that should be applied to choosing an offshore
jurisdiction.
GETTING
STARTED WITH OFFSHORE E-COMMERCE
Describes the criteria
that should be taken into consideration when starting
an offshore e-commerce operation.
CASE STUDIES
There are so many
variable factors in the situation of each company,
including business sector, ownership structure,
country of origin, size, capital structure and
level of profitability, to name just some, that
it is hardly possible to illustrate the principles
of offshore e-commerce in any general way. Still,
case studies can show typical sequences of steps
needing to be taken when going offshore, even
if the detail will be different in each case.
The six case studies
in this section cover six of the more likely business
situations in which offshore has a lot to offer;
but the truth is that the Internet has made it
possible for almost every business in a high-tax
country to get advantage offshore.
For direct assistance
with establishing an offshore e-commerce operation,
see our E-commerce Business Guide.
- Electronic
Products Business to Business Case Study
- Electronic
Products Consumer Case Study
- Physical
Products Business to Business Case Study
- Physical
Products Consumer case Study
- Offshore
Banking and Financial Services Case Study
- Offshore
Corporate Functions Case Study
SPECIAL REPORTS
Special Features
on E-Commerce in Guernsey & Ireland, Gibraltar
& Dubai, and Mauritius and Netherlands Antilles
are available in the Reports
Library along with other previous Special
Features.
|
 |
UK Parliamentary Committee Keeps Up Pressure on HMRC, By Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London
Last updated 26 hours ago | Monday, June 17, 2013
|
| A UK Parliamentary committee has once again accused HM Revenue and Customs of not doing enough to tackle corporation tax avoidance by multinationals, asking how it was that "a few journalists, whistleblowers and MPs" had uncovered details of which the tax body had been unaware.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
TPP Makes Progress On Tariff Packages, by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
|
| During the 17th round of Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, which were
held in Lima, Peru, and ended on May 24, it was reported that its negotiators
made progress across the agreement, including comprehensive tariff-reduction packages.
[
FULL STORY ] |
|
Google Faces Renewed UK Tax Scrutiny, By Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
|
| Google faces fresh scrutiny of its tax affairs by a UK Parliamentary committee, after Reuters analyzed job adverts and staff social media profiles which the news agency claims give the impression that members of Google's sales team are based in the UK rather than in Ireland.
[
FULL STORY ] |
|
Google Head Defends UK Tax Arrangements, By Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
|
| In an interview with the BBC, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has defended the company against criticisms that it pays too little tax in the UK.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Bahamas Adapting To New Tax Transparency Landscape, by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London
Monday, April 15, 2013
|
| The Bahamas' Minister for Financial Services Ryan Pinder has said that the local financial services industry must be prepared to accept and adapt to automatic information exchange under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, and similar regimes, as it becomes the "new normal."
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
US Online Sales Tax Bill Tagged Onto Senate Budget, by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
|
| A bipartisan group of 75 Democrat and Republican United States lawmakers have shown their support
for the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, which would require online retailers
to collect sales tax for state and local Governments, by voting to add an amendment
summarizing the bill to the Democrat–led Senate's 2014 Budget.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Argentinian Tax Audit Flags 285,000 Taxpayers, by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington
Monday, March 25, 2013
|
| Ricardo Echegaray, head of Argentina's Federal Administration of Public Revenue
has reported that the tax agency has identified inconsistencies in the tax returns
of 285,000 companies and individuals through the use of its electronic audit system,
which aims to detect when taxpayers have failed to declare assets, expenses or
income.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
EU Online Dispute Resolution Is Approved, by Ulrika Lomas, LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels
Thursday, March 14, 2013
|
| The European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, Tonio Borg, has welcomed
the positive vote on Alternative Dispute Resolution and Online Dispute Resolution in the European Parliament on March 12, 2013.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Do-Not-Track Legislation Reintroduced Into US Senate , by Glen Shapiro, LawAndTax-News.com, New York
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
|
| Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, John
D. Rockefeller IV, and Senator Richard Blumenthal have introduced the Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2013 to give United States consumers
the ability to control their personal information and allow them to prevent online
companies from collecting and using that information for profit.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Five US ISPs Begin Anti-Piracy Scheme, by Glen Shapiro, LawAndTax-News.com, New York
Friday, March 01, 2013
|
| After some delay, but given the failure of the United States Congress to introduce
legislation to reduce the incidence of online piracy, a voluntary initiative by
five internet service providers, called the Copyright Alert System or the ‘Six Strikes’ response program, was implemented on February
25, 2013.
[
FULL STORY ] |
|
Parliament Supports EU Common European Sales Law, by Ulrika Lomas, LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels
Friday, February 22, 2013
|
| The European Commission has welcomed a draft report from the Legal Affairs
Committee of the European Parliament that backs optional European
Union-wide rules for businesses and consumers who conclude contracts
in the Single Market.
[
FULL STORY ] |
|
US Congressmen Reintroduce Online Sales Tax Bill, by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
|
| A bipartisan group of 53 Democrat and Republican lawmakers have re-introduced
a bill – the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 – in both the United
States Senate and House of Representatives, which would require online retailers
to collect sales tax for state and local governments, even though they lack a
physical presence in the state.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
US Justice Dept Settles In e-Books Case, by Glen Shapiro, LawAndTax-News.com, New York
Thursday, February 14, 2013
|
| The Department of Justice has announced that it has reached a settlement
with Holtzbrinck Publishers, which does business as Macmillan, but will continue
to litigate against Apple Inc. for conspiring with Macmillan and four of the other
largest book publishers in the United States to raise e-book prices to consumers.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
IoM To Appoint Business Development Experts, by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London
Thursday, February 14, 2013
|
| The Isle of Man's Department for Economic Development has proposed the appointment
of a Head of e-Gaming and two new Business Development managers specializing in
financial services, to drive the growth of the local economy.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Bahamians Shun Taxed Gambling Proposals, by Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London
Friday, February 01, 2013
|
| Plans to legalize the provision of taxed gambling services to residents of The Bahamas through so-called 'web shops,' and to launch a national state-run lottery, have been rejected following a public referendum held on January 28.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Philippines Looks To Tax Online Traders, by Mary Swire, Tax-News.com, Hong Kong
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
|
| Within its efforts to meet an increased budget in 2013, in particular from improved tax compliance, the Philippines Bureau of Internal Revenue has indicated that it will put part of its focus on online traders and the websites that they use.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
UK Zero-Rate VAT On Print Under Threat, by Robert Lee, Tax-News.com, London
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
|
| A member of the VAT Practitioners Group has warned that Britain's zero-rate
value-added tax on books, newspapers, and magazines may be at threat following a European Commission consultation on reduced VAT rates, and that the European Union needs a precise and narrow definition of an "e-book."
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
French Report Advocates Internet Tax, by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
|
| The French finance ministry has recently unveiled details of a report on taxation of the digital economy, submitted by state councilor Pierre Collin and government auditor Nicolas Colin.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Hollande Pledges Intervention In 'Google Tax' Dispute, by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels
Monday, January 21, 2013
|
| French President François Hollande has recently confirmed plans to draft
a "legislative or fiscal measure" ensuring that Internet giants such
as Google contribute to the media for benefiting from and using information produced
by them, in the event that negotiations between the two parties break down.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Mexico Participates In APEC Cross-Border Privacy System, by Mary Swire, LawAndTax-News.com, Hong Kong
Thursday, January 17, 2013
|
| Mexico has become the second participant, after the United States, in the Cross-Border
Privacy Rules system of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, boosting
efforts to protect consumers in the region and their privacy in electronic commerce.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Google Settles US Anti-Trust Investigation with FTC, by Glen Shapiro, LawAndTax-News.com, New York
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
|
| In contrast to orders imposed on Google Inc. over the past two years concerning
its privacy policy in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission has
closed its 19-month antitrust investigations, without the company having to make
any major concessions on how it runs its internet search engine.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
France Advances On Internet Tax Plans, by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
|
| Tasked by the government with examining the issue of digital taxation,
French state councillor Pierre Collin and finance inspector Nicolas Colin have
recently submitted their initial proposals to French Budget Minister Jérôme
Cahuzac and French Junior Minister responsible for the digital economy Fleur Pellerin.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
EU Online Dispute Resolution Rules Move A Step Closer, by Ulrika Lomas, LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels
Thursday, December 20, 2012
|
| The European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, Tonio Borg, has welcomed the
positive vote on Alternative Dispute Resolution and Online Dispute Resolution
in the Internal Market and Consumers Committee of the European Parliament.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Amazon Reaches Sales Tax Deal With Massachusetts, by Leroy Baker, Tax-News.com, New York
Monday, December 17, 2012
|
| Internet retailer Amazon will collect and remit sales tax in the US state of Massachusetts from November, 2013, under an agreement announced by Governor Deval Patrick.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
US Bill To Modernize US Customs, Boost Duty Enforcement, by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington
Friday, December 14, 2012
|
| The House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman
Kevin Brady has introduced the Customs Trade Facilitation and Enforcement
Act of 2012, which aims to streamline the United States Bureau of Customs and
Border Protection and boost the enforcement of trade laws governing import
duties.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
UK Legislates For Remote Gambling Overhaul, by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London
Monday, December 10, 2012
|
| The UK government has published long-anticipated draft legislation which will introduce new licensing requirements on offshore gambling operators and regulate gambling services provided to UK consumers on a point of consumption basis, rather than on the current place of supply basis. Offshore operators will also be expected to contribute to the cost of regulating gambling in the UK by paying more tax.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Dunne Explains NZ’s Tax Approach To Multinationals, by Mary Swire, Tax-News,com, Hong Kong
Monday, December 10, 2012
|
| New Zealand Revenue Minister Peter Dunne has addressed issues around the tax treatment of large multinational companies, stressing that the country is pursuing international projects and agreements as the answer to such problems.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
Data Security Paramount In Channel Islands' Asia Push, by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London
Monday, December 03, 2012
|
| Channel Islands financial services providers must ensure that they have robust
information security safeguards in place to attract more business from emerging
markets, particularly in Asia, after a recent survey found that businesses globally
are over-estimating the strength of their security frameworks.
[
FULL STORY ] |
|
Google UK Boss Hits Back At Politicians Over UK Tax Bill, by Robert Lee, Tax-News.com, London
Friday, November 30, 2012
|
| Google's vice-president in northern and central Europe Matt Brittin has defended the company against UK lawmakers' accusations of 'immoral' accounting practices.
[
FULL STORY ] |
 |
EU Urged To Challenge Greek Gambling Legislation, by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels
Friday, November 30, 2012
|
| The Remote Gambling Association and the European Gaming and Betting Association have asked the European Commission to investigate whether Greek legislation governing Greece's online gambling sector contravenes European Union law.
[
FULL STORY ] |
|
|
OFFSHORE-E-COM.COM
