Offshore Financial Services Handbook

Book excerpt: Reputable offshore financial centers play a legitimate role in international finance and trade, offering huge advantages in certain situations for both corporations and individuals. This book provides an informative and comprehensive survey of the legitimate uses of offshore financial services. It deals with both background and practice relating to offshore financial services, their provision and regulation, and assists prospective users by acting as a guide to the benefits and pitfalls they may encounter. The second edition has been thoroughly revised and includes a new chapter on offshore banking services. The first chapters cover offshore financial centers (OFCs) and matters of general relevance. The following chapters describe the principal services commonly available in OFCs. The last chapter looks at the future for these centers. The use of offshore financial services is not exclusive to the UK or the USA, but is global in nature.