Offshore Bank Accounts

**To BI or not to BI?** · 3 January 2007, 17:19

Originally posted by jeremytaxman

Nothing to do with tax avoidance ....

I need to deposit some cheques into a bank account which needs to be hidden from my wife, her solicitor or private investigator ?

Where would be a good place to set one up ? ie money safe and secrecy assured.

I understand some countries aren't as secret as one would imagine !

Thanks in advance

Lots of banks in Nigeria.....

**PerlOfWisdom** · 3 January 2007, 17:23

Originally posted by jeremytaxman

Nothing to do with tax avoidance ....

I need to deposit some cheques into a bank account which needs to be hidden from my wife, her solicitor or private investigator ?

Where would be a good place to set one up ? ie money safe and secrecy assured.

I understand some countries aren't as secret as one would imagine !

Thanks in advance

Pay it to the taxman, then when divorced, tell the taxman you accidentally overpaid him.

**Buffoon** · 3 January 2007, 18:26

Originally posted by PerlOfWisdom

Pay it to the taxman, then when divorced, tell the taxman you accidentally overpaid him.

Luv it

Yes, since the the European directive, there are few places that wont grass you up to Eurotaxman. Thing is, there is always going to be an exit trail from your bank in the UK. It's got to go somewhere, so they just follow the money. It's hard to hide it, not that I've ever done such a thing you understand.

**kirk** · 3 January 2007, 18:45

Take out the huge wad and travel over to Nigeria with it in your suitcase

**jenever** · 3 January 2007, 19:03

Found this which may be of help:

offshore banking

Austria has strict bank secrecy laws calling for the prosecution of any bank employee who divulges any information on a client’s account, and its banking tradition is more than 200 hundred years old.

Liechtenstein has some of the strongest bank secrecy laws in existence. Since Liechtenstein is one of the five richest countries in the world in per capita income and personal wealth, it is unlikely to be swayed away from privacy by promises or threats.

Luxembourg is one of the fastest growing financial centers in the world and has seen a massive influx of capital in the last decade due to its liberal banking and tax laws. Although its secrecy laws only date back to the early 1980s, it has maintained a long tradition of banking confidentiality. Information will only be released to foreign governments if the depositor has been charged with a crime that is related to the account that is also a crime in Luxembourg.

Switzerland has been economically and politically stable for centuries, enjoys a low rate of inflation and the Swiss franc is one of the strongest currencies in the world. It remains the model from which all other financial centers are compared. Although Switzerland has succumbed to the pressure of the U.S. government to loosen its strict secrecy laws, for safe banking it still rates as one of the top havens.

**Buffoon** · 3 January 2007, 19:12

Originally posted by jenever

Found this which may be of help:

offshore banking

Austria has strict bank secrecy laws calling for the prosecution of any bank employee who divulges any information on a client’s account, and its banking tradition is more than 200 hundred years old.

Liechtenstein has some of the strongest bank secrecy laws in existence. Since Liechtenstein is one of the five richest countries in the world in per capita income and personal wealth, it is unlikely to be swayed away from privacy by promises or threats.

Luxembourg is one of the fastest growing financial centers in the world and has seen a massive influx of capital in the last decade due to its liberal banking and tax laws. Although its secrecy laws only date back to the early 1980s, it has maintained a long tradition of banking confidentiality. Information will only be released to foreign governments if the depositor has been charged with a crime that is related to the account that is also a crime in Luxembourg.

Switzerland has been economically and politically stable for centuries, enjoys a low rate of inflation and the Swiss franc is one of the strongest currencies in the world. It remains the model from which all other financial centers are compared. Although Switzerland has succumbed to the pressure of the U.S. government to loosen its strict secrecy laws, for safe banking it still rates as one of the top havens.

EU Savings Directive Notes from Andersens

**jenever** · 3 January 2007, 19:17

"The European Union Savings Tax Directive (STD), which came into effect on 1st July, 2005, in fact forms merely one part of a major tax reform package launched by the European Commission in 1997. "

So I can tell the missus I got STD from my bank account? Well worth the 15% I say (beats 50% any day).

**cojak** · 3 January 2007, 20:43

Switzerland has been economically and politically stable for centuries, enjoys a low rate of inflation and the Swiss franc is one of the strongest currencies in the world.

And you need to be a resident to open an account...

HTH

**bobhope** · 4 January 2007, 06:52

Can't you just go to one of those cheque cashing places that pay out directly in cash?

Offshore Bank Accounts