List of offshore financial centres
Encyclopedia
Several countries and territories have been designated offshore financial centre
s by notable institutions namely, the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), the Financial Secrecy Index
(managed by the Tax Justice Network
) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD). Other jurisdictions however have not been designated by the such, but are known offshore financial centres as well::
Offshore financial centre
An offshore financial centre , though not precisely defined, is usually a small, low-tax jurisdiction specializing in providing corporate and commercial services to non-resident offshore companies, and for the investment of offshore funds....
s by notable institutions namely, the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF), the Financial Secrecy Index
Financial Secrecy Index
The Tax Justice Network’s Financial Secrecy Index highlights global financial secrecy, corruption and illicit financial flows. The index was calculated in 2011 and includes data from 73 countries and territories...
(managed by the Tax Justice Network
Tax Justice Network
The Tax Justice Network is a coalition of researchers and activists with a shared concern about what they argue are the harmful impacts of tax avoidance, tax competition and tax havens, which "corrupt national tax regimes and onshore regulation, and distort markets by rewarding economic...
) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade...
(OECD). Other jurisdictions however have not been designated by the such, but are known offshore financial centres as well::
| Country/Territory | | Designated as offshore financial centre Offshore financial centre An offshore financial centre , though not precisely defined, is usually a small, low-tax jurisdiction specializing in providing corporate and commercial services to non-resident offshore companies, and for the investment of offshore funds.... s |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMF International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world... |
FSI Financial Secrecy Index The Tax Justice Network’s Financial Secrecy Index highlights global financial secrecy, corruption and illicit financial flows. The index was calculated in 2011 and includes data from 73 countries and territories... |
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade... |
Others | |
 American Samoa |
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 Andorra |
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 Anguilla |
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 Aruba |
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 Austria |
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 The Bahamas |
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 Bahrain |
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 Barbados |
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 Belize |
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 Belgium |
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 Bermuda |
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 British Virgin Islands |
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 Brunei |
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 Cayman Islands |
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 Costa Rica |
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 Curaçao1 |
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 Cook Islands |
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 Cyprus |
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 Djibouti |
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 Dominica |
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 French Polynesia |
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 Gibraltar |
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 Grenada |
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 Guernsey |
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 Guatemala |
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 Hong Kong |
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 Hungary |
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 Isle of Man |
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 Republic of Ireland |
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 Israel |
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 Jersey |
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 Kiribati |
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 Latvia |
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 Lebanon |
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 Liberia |
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 Liechtenstein |
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 Luxembourg |
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 Macau |
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 Malaysia 3 |
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 Maldives |
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 Malta |
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 Marshall Islands |
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 Mauritius |
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 Monaco |
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 Montserrat |
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 Nauru |
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 Netherlands2 |
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 Niue |
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 Panama |
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 Philippines |
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 Pitcairn Islands |
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 Portugal4 |
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 Samoa |
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 San Marino |
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 Seychelles |
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 Singapore |
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 Sint Maarten1 |
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 Saint Kitts and Nevis |
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 Saint Lucia |
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 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
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 Switzerland |
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 Tonga |
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 Turks and Caicos Islands |
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 United Arab Emirates |
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 United Kingdom |
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 United States5 |
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 United States Virgin Islands |
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 Uruguay |
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 Vanuatu |
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 Vatican City |
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| Country/Territory | IMF International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world... |
FSI Financial Secrecy Index The Tax Justice Network’s Financial Secrecy Index highlights global financial secrecy, corruption and illicit financial flows. The index was calculated in 2011 and includes data from 73 countries and territories... |
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade... |
Others |
Footnotes
- 1 Used to be part of the former Netherlands AntillesNetherlands AntillesThe Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
which was dissolved in 2010 and now self-governing territories. - 2 Including the Caribbean Netherlands (formerly Netherlands AntillesNetherlands AntillesThe Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
) which was dissolved in 2010. - 3 Only the Federal Territory of LabuanLabuanLabuan is a federal territory in East Malaysia. It is an island off the coast of the state of Sabah. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support...
is designated. - 4 Only the Autonomous Region of MadeiraMadeiraMadeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
is designated. - 5 Notably the state of DelawareDelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
it is well-known as a corporate havenCorporate havenA corporate haven is a jurisdiction with laws friendly to corporationsthereby encouraging them to choose that jurisdiction as a legal domicile.- History :...
due to its business-friendly corporation law.