Do You Need an Offshore Bank Account

When you think of offshore bank accounts do you see shady characters carrying around bags full of money? Today’s modern bank legislation does not allow banks to accept cash deposits or transfers of US$ 10.000 and up without presenting proof of the source of funds.

All serious establishments will ask you to fill out forms known as KYC or know your customer. Find out more about KYC: see http://www.offshoreincorporation101.com/KYC.html This is not only to be able to give you better service but to protect themselves in case you are accused of money laundering. These forms also allow the bank to know your sources of income. Knowing your cash flow the bank will not ask you to prove the origin of the funds every time you make a transfer.

Even though you have filled out a KYC form the bank may or may not at its discretion allow you to start a relationship with them.

What’s the difference between your local bank and an offshore bank? Basically any service you will get locally will be available offshore. Then why open an offshore account.

Offshore banking is no longer a handy way to conceal income from illegal activities or unreported business profits.

There are many justifiable monetary reasons to open an offshore bank account. As a resident in a country with an unstable political and economic history, you want your money in a safe place. The government could impose foreign exchange restrictions or there may be a bank run. A coup d’etat may make your money inaccessible.

Non-residents usually pay minimal or no taxes on interest or profits from investments. Depending on your citizenship, country of residence and if you use an offshore company as the account holder you may still have to pay taxes.

Many large international banks have branches or are incorporated in tax havens. To be on the safe side, you would probably be better off not using a bank that has branches or is incorporated in your country of residence.

American citizens must file an annual tax return no matter where they live and include offshore holdings. Starting July 1st, 2005, tax havens which are British ‘dependant territories’, will apply the European Union’s Saving Tax Directive of 2005. Initially this is 15% on returns of savings paid to nationals of EU Member States. Corporations are exempt from this withholding tax.

Always consult a tax specialist who has experience with the jurisdictions involved before starting your offshore tax journey. You do not want any costly surprises after you open offshore company and bank account.

David Elefant is a freelance writer and world traveler who writes about the use of offhsore companies, finance and subjects in which he has apersonal interest. Offshore Banking

How to Apply for Bank Savings Account?

Financial stability is necessary in order to provide your family the future they deserve. The other side of the coin, which is spending all that you earn, will cause financial instability and the possibility of bankruptcy will surely knock on your door.

It is thus better that you keep some of your earnings in preparation for the good future of your family. Bank Savings Account is money reserved in the bank for future use. Although, it may be accessible when you need it, having enough on your bank savings accounts will be a good means to keep some of your money.

Bank savings account promotes the habit of savings. Aside from being able to save some of your money in reserve, your money may also earn interest depending on the time your money stays in the bank.

How to apply for Bank Savings Account?

Bank savings accounts or deposits accounts are considered assets. Thus, regulation in processing application for bank savings accounts are in place to assure proper handling of the money.

To apply for bank savings account, you will need the money for your deposit, aside from this you will also need to submit the following:

1. Two (2) passport size photographs for each of the individuals applying for bank savings account.

2. Completely filled up and signed application form for bank savings account.

3. Proof of identification such as passport or postal identification.

4. Your social security number is also a requirement.

A single individual, joint savings account or even a corporate savings account may apply for bank savings accounts. All the individual who will access the bank savings account may need to submit all of the above requirements.

How to withdraw from your Bank Savings Account?

As mentioned earlier, you may withdraw or use the money or parts of it when you need to. To avoid problems including illegal transactions, you will need to present your passbook upon withdrawal.

Taking care of your passbook will ensure that no one will be able to access your money without your express approval.

Aside from submitting your passbook upon withdrawal you may also need to present identification, the bank officers will verify your data and the signatures in the withdrawal form. This is a ceremonial procedure, which should not be bypassed.

Proper management of your bank savings account will ensure that the money you are keeping for the future will be kept safely and use of the fund will be managed in such a way that you will be able to make use of it only when it is necessary.

Keeping your money in a bank savings account will reduce the risk of spending in your heart’s desire. This will ensure that your bank savings account will be helpful in securing the future of your family.

What are deposit accounts?

Bank savings account is only one of the many deposit accounts that will help you manage your money properly. Other types of deposit accounts are:

• Money market deposit account

• Time Deposit

• Transaction deposit

Financial stability starts from the habit of saving and one sure way to ensure you will keep you money well managed is by keeping it in a Bank Savings Account.

Get more info on the topic of bank savings account

Understanding Your Bank Account Details Better

With so many different terms floating around, banking terminology can get really confusing. If you are someone who doesn’t know their AER from their APR and their PIN from their Chip, then this guide to common banking terms could enlighten you.

AER

AER stands for Annual Earnings Rate. AER is used to calculate the annual amount that you earn on an investment or savings account. The higher the AER, then the better the investment or savings account. If you are looking for a savings account then compare AER’s to work out where your money is going to make the most profit.

APR

APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate, and is the amount of interest that you pay each year on a loan or mortgage. The lower the APR then the less you will pay yearly on that item of borrowing. Items with high APR’s like credit cards have APR figures around 15-20% whereas mortgages have a low APR figure of about 5-7%. The quickest way to compare loans is to look at their APR values.

Chip and PIN

Chip and PIN is the current system used to pay for items or withdraw cash using a credit or debit card. The card has a 4-digit PIN, or personal identification number, that you enter into a cash machine or till machine in order to retrieve money or pay for goods. The chip on the card holds information that, combined with the PIN, allows the machine to identify you as the correct owner of the card. Chip and PIN is more secure than the previous magnetic strip and signature technology that was used a few years ago.

Overdraft

An overdraft is a sum of money that you are minus within an account. If you go beyond the amount of actual money you have in an account, then you go into the overdraft. Many accounts have a pre-arranged limit that allows you to go overdrawn, which can be useful, as unauthorised overdrafts will cost you a lot in interest and fees.

Phishing

If you use online banking, then Phishing is a term you might have heard of but you might not know what it means. Phishing is a form of scam or illegal attempt to get hold of your bank details online so that they can withdraw money from them. When online banking started this was a big problem, but with increased security measures the problem is getting better. Most Internet browsers include a Phishing filter to stop such practices from occurring.

Standing orders and Direct Debits

Standing orders and Direct Debits are similar in some ways, but different in others. Both involve a regular amount being transferred from one account to another. Standing orders are a regular, fixed amount that you pay to another person or company, usually monthly. Direct Debits are an amount of money, which can be fixed or varied, that is removed from your account at set intervals. One example of a Direct Debit is mortgage repayments.

Getting advice

If you are unsure about any other banking terms, then visiting your local bank branch or looking online might help. Never be afraid to ask about something, because if you don’t understand something that is part of your account policy, you could lose money or not be taking full advantages of the features on offer to you.

Peter Kenny is a writer for The Thrifty Scot. Please visit us at Best Current Accounts and Child Trust Funds Visit http://www.thriftyscot.co.uk

5 Steps To Opening An Offshore Bank Account

If you`re investing for the first time in an offshore account, it can be confusing. You must choose a reputable bank and handle the ins and outs of offshore accounting procedures. There are no first time investing procedures to follow. However, the following five simple steps will give you the information you need.

First, figure out how much you want to invest. If you can only invest $1,000, focus on the institutions that allow that minimum.

Next, which jurisdictions do you have access to? Keep in mind that the bank or institution must be authorized to deal with your particular country of residence. If jurisdictional issues prevent fund access, you may be required to use an appropriate structure; you can always use a mail redirection service as well to access to offshore investments without much problem.

Next, which specific fund do you want to invest in? To choose, search the Internet, read offshore investment guides and publications, or use an investment information provider.

Your research should focus on the fund's previous performance, its management and assets. Watch it for three to six months before you invest, and don't rush into anything.

Next, before you can invest, decide whether you want a broker or will do this yourself. If you choose a broker, you`ll next need to call the broker and have him or her make the needed arrangements. If you decide to do it yourself, request a current copy of the fund's prospectus and then begin the proper investment proceedings from there. To obtain a prospectus from the fund, fax a request for it. The following is a sample of how you might word it:

Dear XXXXXXXXX,

I am the investment administrator of a company domiciled in (insert tax haven here).

I would appreciate a current copy of your prospectus so that I may invest in your fund.

My mailing address is
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXX
XXXXX

Kind regards,

XXXXXXXX

I have used this type of letter often. Even when I used an Australian postal address, the fund still sent the prospectus, even though they also sent a letter stating that they were not authorized to deal with Australian residents, and therefore could not take my investment. They did give their account details, though, for my information.

Finally, if you`ve met all criteria and want to go ahead with the investment, a bank draft is the easiest payment method. Just attach the check to the completed prospectus and send it to the fund.

When you set up the bank draft, if you use a bank with an international essence, you`ll likely raise fewer questions. You also cannot post the prospectus from a country that the fund is not authorized to deal with.

The above five steps should make your first offshore investment experience relatively easy and even fun. You should know that the fund may still deal with you even if all their criteria are not met, but following the steps above should be your easiest route to opening an offshore account.

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Should I Open a Business Bank Account?

When you are first starting your business it may seem an unnecessary hindrance to worry about how to manage your business transactions if you are starting off small. After all, it’s sales that matter, right?

However, it will be much simpler in the long run if you separate your personal finances from those of your business.

When you look back over time and need to analyse income and expenditure, it is much easier knowing that you only have to anaylse the transactions in one separate bank account. It certainly makes it less of a chore.

If you don’t separate business and personal items then you give yourself an extra job in that you have to identify and analyse each item into business or personal before you can assess your business cash flow. In short you give yourself an extra job.

Another benefit to separating business transactions comes if you decide to give the bookkeeping to someone else at a later date. That person would have a much harder time recognising which items were relevant business transactions because they are not as familiar with your transactions as you would be.

This would mean they would spend more time investigating transactions instead of carrying out the analysis. This of course would mean higher charges, not to mention a lot more questions to you regarding explanations of uncertain items.

Finally, you should be aware that the tax man takes a dim view when you mix business and personal items. After all, is it a business venture or merely a hobby that you are running?

You risk higher tax assessments if it is not clear what items are legitimate business expenses. It is silly to invite trouble when you can easily prove that you are in control of your business and have the relevant facts to hand. Separate bank accounts and records will achieve this for you.

Business bank account charges can be an issue, but currently in the UK there are a number of banks, particularly those operating online accounts, that will let you bank for free.

There are usually conditions however, namely trying to get as many of your transactions made by direct transfer (BACS, D/D etc.). It is just a matter of shopping around for the best deal.

Please don’t feel that you have to use the same bank as the one that runs your personal account. It is worth investigating if they will let you have a special deal, but don’t feel beholden to take it. Competition is rife in the banking industry and with a little persistence you should be able to secure a favourable deal.

A final word, if you do opt to open a separate bank account, then please make sure you put all business items through it. It is easy to pay for an item out of your personal account and then forget to allocate it to business expenditure.

Don’t forget that the item will more than likely be tax deductible and you want to make sure it is included in the accounts for your business.

Trevor Sadowski has worked in Accountancy for the past 23 years and has been a member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (ACCA) since 1994.

Trevor currently provides contract accountancy support through short-term placements or interim management in the UK. To find out more about his accountancy services, visit his web site at http://www.moveaheadonline.com

Do You Need an Offshore Bank Account

When you think of offshore bank accounts do you see shady characters carrying around bags full of money? Today’s modern bank legislation does not allow banks to accept cash deposits or transfers of US$ 10.000 and up without presenting proof of the source of funds.

All serious establishments will ask you to fill out forms known as KYC or know your customer. Find out more about KYC: see http://www.offshoreincorporation101.com/KYC.html This is not only to be able to give you better service but to protect themselves in case you are accused of money laundering. These forms also allow the bank to know your sources of income. Knowing your cash flow the bank will not ask you to prove the origin of the funds every time you make a transfer.

Even though you have filled out a KYC form the bank may or may not at its discretion allow you to start a relationship with them.

What’s the difference between your local bank and an offshore bank? Basically any service you will get locally will be available offshore. Then why open an offshore account.

Offshore banking is no longer a handy way to conceal income from illegal activities or unreported business profits.

There are many justifiable monetary reasons to open an offshore bank account. As a resident in a country with an unstable political and economic history, you want your money in a safe place. The government could impose foreign exchange restrictions or there may be a bank run. A coup d’etat may make your money inaccessible.

Non-residents usually pay minimal or no taxes on interest or profits from investments. Depending on your citizenship, country of residence and if you use an offshore company as the account holder you may still have to pay taxes.

Many large international banks have branches or are incorporated in tax havens. To be on the safe side, you would probably be better off not using a bank that has branches or is incorporated in your country of residence.

American citizens must file an annual tax return no matter where they live and include offshore holdings. Starting July 1st, 2005, tax havens which are British ‘dependant territories’, will apply the European Union’s Saving Tax Directive of 2005. Initially this is 15% on returns of savings paid to nationals of EU Member States. Corporations are exempt from this withholding tax.

Always consult a tax specialist who has experience with the jurisdictions involved before starting your offshore tax journey. You do not want any costly surprises after you open offshore company and bank account.

David Elefant is a freelance writer and world traveler who writes about the use of offhsore companies, finance and subjects in which he has apersonal interest. Offshore Banking