Multi-Currency Offshore Account

In general the banks we work with seek to provide services to private banking clients, expatriates, and clients with international commercial activities, such as trading.
These services are provided from both offshore banking and international locations.
Private Banking Clients
Although private banking is not a simple business, there is a very simple business model to keep in mind: “keeping rich people happy”. The definition of “private banking” varies from bank to bank but is generally taken to mean investment management offered on a personalised basis by a bank to an individual with disposable wealth of more than $100,000 (although some banks do not offer private banking services to clients with disposable wealth less than US$ 500,000 or US$ 1 million). Private banking is obviously not synonymous with “offshore”, but the costs of a personalised relationship begin to be worthwhile at the $100,000 + level in the light of the superior gains to be realised from offshore investment. Private bankers probably prefer themselves to be approached and considered as objective financial advisers rather than as an investment-provider, and consequently private banks may not be the most effective choice for a reasonably sophisticated investor who wants to play an active role in the management of his investments.
Expatriates
Numerous offshore banks have sought to specialise in the provision of banking services to expatriates as they perceive such business as being relatively risk free, easy to “systemise” and profitable. In essence, expatriate services encompass managing accounts for people resident outside their home countries who may or may not be employed. The focus of expatriate banking providers is online banking, call-centres, relatively low levels of expertise and the provision of “packaged” investment and protection products, such as life insurance. Whilst the service offered should be professional and “smooth”, the relationship between an expatriate client and his expatriate banking provider could not be characterised as personal or in any way similar to the relationship between a client and a top-flight private bank.
International Commercial Activities
Many of our clients utilise the companies we administer for commercial purposes, such as trading. In such circumstances an offshore bank that specialises in private banking or expatriates will be unsuitable. Our commercial clients seek similar services to an onshore commercial bank and will require access to some or all of the following services:
Cash management
Foreign exchange and treasury services
International trade – letters of credit, documentary collections, cross-border guarantees and global banking services at locations around the world
Risk management: foreign exchange, interest rate, equity and energy price risk management tools
Financing
Payment, receivables and payroll solutions
Selling solutions: point of sale, e-commerce and merchant programmes
Speciality solutions, such as dealer, shareowner and fund services
Expertise in matters such as energy, aviation, shipping or real estate

Once an offshore account is opened it is important to keep the offshore bank briefed and current with the affairs of a client company or trust. We do not react well to unexplained account activity, so if a company’s trading pattern is set to change or a large or unusual transaction is about to occur it always wise to pre-warn the bank and provide documentation such that the bank can understand and maintain evidence of the wholesomeness and reason for the proposed transaction.
Maintaining an efficient relationship with a bank is a two-way process. When Standard Global InternationalWorldwide provides Directors, Managers and officers to a client company or when Standard Global InternationalWorldwide provides trustee services, its officers must control any underlying bank accounts.
The reason for this is that there are various legislative and regulatory requirements and precedents relating to the duties of directors and trustees relating to their obligations to exercise effective management and control over a company’s or trust’s assets and affairs. Put more simply, would any reasonable businessperson, aware of the duties and liabilities of directors or trustees, be prepared to act as a director of a company or act as a trustee, if they did not control the company’s or trust’s bank account?
If our clients were to exercise control over bank accounts it could be perceived that they are controlling the affairs of the company or trust even though they may not be officers or trustees. Statutory authorities in high tax and other areas often seek to apply “the management and control test” to assess whether the profits/income earned by an entity controlled in a low tax area should be taxed as if they were resident in the high tax area.
There is an inherent possibility that if we allowed clients to control bank accounts, then a regulatory authority may deem that our clients are effectively managing and controlling the company or trust in their countries of residence or more radically may seek to pierce the corporate veil or judge a trust to be a “sham”.

Please contact any of our offices or submit an enquiry to the office of your choice and a consultant will shortly be in touch to arrange a free consultation.