Offshore Asset Protection Trusts: Complete Legal Guide

An offshore asset protection trust is a trust that is established in a foreign jurisdiction. The trust’s assets are held outside of the United States, which can provide benefits in terms of asset protection and privacy. These jurisdictions have specific regulations that make it difficult for U.S. creditors to access the assets in the trust, giving it a higher level of protection than domestic trusts.

Creating an offshore asset protection trust requires you to (1) select a foreign trustee company, (2) pass a background check, (3) sign a formal trust agreement, and (4) transfer your assets to the foreign trust. The selection of the trustee is the most important step to ensure your assets will be safeguarded from U.S. creditors in a safe manner.

How to Move Assets Offshore

Offshore planning uses legal entities in favorable foreign jurisdictions under the control of trustees or managers who are neither United States citizens nor persons having a business presence in the United States. The purpose of offshore planning is to move creditors’ judgment collection to jurisdictions beyond the reach of the United States courts. Offshore planning promises asset protection because certain countries do not recognize judgments rendered by U.S. courts. For judgment creditors to reach assets in such jurisdictions, a creditor must start over and institute a lawsuit against the defendant to establish a new judgment in the foreign court system.

The second purported advantage of offshore planning is that favorable offshore jurisdictions have a relatively short statute of limitations on fraudulent transfer claims. Domestic asset protection is often vulnerable to a creditor’s allegations that the debtor has transferred assets, or has converted one type of asset to another asset, to defraud or delay the creditor’s collection. Most states have a four-year statute of limitations, which means that a creditor’s attorney can attack asset transfers or conversions up to four years after the transfers. In favorable offshore jurisdictions, the statute of limitations for fraudulent transfer is only two years. The shorter statute of limitations makes it easier for debtors to delay collection until after the statute of limitations has expired to challenge asset protection transfers.

The most popular offshore legal tool is the offshore asset protection trust. The offshore trust resembles a typical U.S. trust except that the offshore trust is a “self-settled trust” where the settlor and the beneficiary are the same person. In addition to asset protection benefits, self-settled offshore trusts transfer assets between generations free of probate.

A more cost-effective offshore asset protection vehicle is the Nevis limited liability company. The Nevis LLC is simpler and less costly than an offshore trust, but it provides comparable asset protection. Nevis LLC law permits the U.S. owner to serve as manager, although the owners will most likely resign in favor of a foreign manager if the owner perceives future legal liability.

Benefits

1. Asset Protection

One of the primary reasons individuals establish offshore trusts is for asset protection. Offshore jurisdictions like the Cook Islands have strong legal frameworks that make it extremely difficult for creditors to access assets held within the trust. These jurisdictions have laws that favor the trust’s beneficiaries over external creditors, requiring any lawsuit against the trust to be filed within the offshore jurisdiction itself. This creates a nearly impenetrable barrier for creditors, as pursuing legal action in these jurisdictions can be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming.

In many cases, establishing an offshore trust can deter creditors from even attempting to collect on a judgment, knowing that the chances of successfully accessing the trust’s assets are slim. For individuals in high-risk professions, such as doctors or business owners, this level of asset protection can be invaluable.

2. Privacy

Offshore trusts offer a higher level of privacy than domestic trusts. In many offshore jurisdictions, there are strict confidentiality laws that prevent the disclosure of information about the trust, its beneficiaries, or the assets it holds. This can particularly appeal to individuals who want to keep their financial matters private or protect their family’s wealth from prying eyes.

Unlike domestic trusts, which may require public filings or be subject to disclosure in legal proceedings, offshore trusts are generally shielded from such scrutiny. This level of privacy is one of the key reasons individuals choose to establish trusts in offshore jurisdictions known for their strong confidentiality laws.

3. Estate Planning Flexibility

Offshore trusts can offer more flexibility in estate planning than their domestic counterparts. Many offshore jurisdictions allow for multi-generational trusts, enabling individuals to protect and grow their assets for the benefit of future generations. This can be particularly useful in complex estate planning situations where a domestic trust may not offer the same level of flexibility.

Additionally, offshore trusts can be designed to accommodate the specific needs of international families or those with assets in multiple countries. This makes them a valuable tool for individuals with global estates who require a more comprehensive estate planning strategy.

4. Diversification of Assets

By establishing an offshore trust, individuals can diversify their assets beyond the U.S. financial system. Holding assets in a foreign jurisdiction can help mitigate risk and provide protection in the event of economic instability in the U.S. Offshore trusts often hold various assets, including cash, securities, real estate, and even life insurance policies, allowing for greater financial flexibility and control.

This diversification can be particularly appealing during times of financial uncertainty, offering a safeguard against domestic economic downturns or political instability.

Disadvantages

Bankruptcy

Offshore planning is less effective in bankruptcy than it is in state court collection cases. State courts have jurisdiction over assets located in their particular state. Bankruptcy courts have jurisdiction over assets worldwide. Transferring assets to foreign accounts owned by an offshore entity does not remove these assets from the reach of the bankruptcy trustee. The bankruptcy court may issue orders affecting title to assets located outside the U.S. A trustee may order the debtor to take affirmative steps to turn over the assets. The bankruptcy judge may hold a debtor in contempt subject to imprisonment if the debtor does not comply with the court’s turnover order.

Tax Avoidance

U.S. citizens are subject to income tax on income earned anywhere in the world. Taxpayers must report all income earned by assets held in offshore financial accounts. Offshore asset protection planning will not reduce, avoid, or defer any U.S. taxation. Some U.S. businesses obtain a legitimate tax advantage by conducting active businesses wholly outside the U.S. Still, these tax strategies do not apply to individuals’ passive income from investments held outside the U.S.

Divorce

In a divorce, both spouses must fully disclose, under oath, all their assets wherever located. Disclosure of U.S. financial accounts will reveal transfers of assets to offshore entities. All the spouse’s assets are considered in the court’s equitable distribution of marital assets. Therefore, whatever assets a spouse holds in an offshore jurisdiction will factor into the court’s division of U.S. assets. Generally, the more assets a spouse holds offshore, the fewer domestic assets will be awarded to that spouse in the equitable distribution of marital assets.

Secrecy

Many people believe that asset protection planning is based upon or involves hiding assets. They assume that creditors will not know about assets held in offshore entities run by offshore trustees. Because U.S. taxpayers report all offshore income, your tax returns will reveal offshore financial accounts which generate income. Offshore accounts may provide privacy and a lower “financial profile” in general business dealings. Still, once litigation commences, and certainly after a judgment is awarded, offshore accounts do not hide assets.

Tax Issues

Any offshore asset protection requires IRS tax filings to report and disclose the ownership of foreign entities and money held, directly or indirectly, in foreign bank accounts. The tax filings are informational, and offshore asset protection planning does not reduce or increase U.S. income tax liability.

Any type of offshore asset protection is complicated because of IRS reporting requirements applicable to foreign entities. People considering offshore asset protection should consult with a tax attorney or a CPA experienced in international tax law.

There are severe penalties for failure to comply with foreign entity reporting requirements. The tax reporting requirements are one of the reasons we usually try to accomplish asset protection with domestic tools under Florida exemptions before recommending more sophisticated offshore entities.

Limited Liability Companies

A single-member domestic limited liability company is by default a disregarded entity for tax purposes. The domestic LLC on the entity level reports nothing to the IRS and is not required to get a separate tax number. Any domestic LLC is a disregarded entity unless it elects a different tax status by filing Form 8832 with the IRS. A single-member foreign LLC established by a U.S. resident must file Form 8832 to claim a disregard entity status. If this form is not filed timely, the LLC may be treated as a C-corporation and subject to corporate taxation. In addition, after electing disregarded status, the offshore LLC must file information Form 8858. Offshore entities taxed as a partnership or corporation have different filing requirements.

Foreign Corporations

U.S. taxpayers, domestic trusts, or domestic corporations must report any transfers to a foreign corporation by filing IRS Form 926. A U.S. taxpayer who directly or indirectly owns any interest in certain foreign corporations may have to file IRS Form 5471.

Foreign Partnerships

Any U.S. taxpayer that controls a foreign partnership must file Form 8865. A person controls a partnership if they hold more than 50 percent of the partnership interests. If no partner has a controlling share, then all partners with more than 10 percent partnership interest must file Form 8865. In addition, U.S. taxpayers who acquire or dispose of partnership interests in a foreign partnership must disclose the transaction to the IRS. Most foreign LLCs with two or more persons are foreign partnerships for tax purposes.

Reporting Foreign Bank Accounts and Financial Accounts

Most people who create offshore entities have the entity maintain a bank account outside the U.S. The people are required to notify the IRS about their offshore financial accounts by filing a form TDF90-22.1. Plus, U.S. taxpayers must disclose all offshore financial accounts for which they have signatory authority or for which they have control over a third party who has signatory authority by filing Form TDF90-22.1. For example, if you appoint someone to be a manager of your foreign LLC, and the manager maintains a financial account offshore, you must file a tax reporting form. The TDF90-22.1 form is due on or before June 30 of each year, and there are no extensions. Offshore accounts also must be disclosed on your 1040 income tax return in Part III of Schedule B. Willful non-compliance is a criminal offense.