British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is arguably the world's most successful offshore centre. The  International Business Corporation (IBC) has become the template for offshore companies the world over and the BVI also enjoys highly successful fund and maritime sectors. For many the BVI is the destination of choice for offshore companies and trusts whilst others feel that their success has made them overly expensive (by comparison with other Caribbean countries) and overly bureaucratic, and as inclined to reject business as to accept it. In any case the BVI is a reliable (if somewhat slow) world-class offshore country. Because of its success the BVI is strongly and immediately associated with tax planning and the use of BVI companies can attract unwanted attention in many cases. Demontford Bell generally discourages the use of purely offshore solutions for EU clients as being short-sighted, for more information please see our main article on offshore structures. BVI funds do not attract the same stigma as companies and trusts and it remains a popular choice for Caribbean fund registration (though second to the Bahamas).