BahamasCompany formation, tax and banking

Why people choose Bahamas

• No company tax, income tax, capital gains tax or inheritance tax
• Real private banks and trust companies with offices in Nassau
• Modern trust law, and Nassau is fifty minutes from Miami
• Owners go on a private register that authorities can access
• On the EU's list of cooperating countries

Where Bahamas fits

• Private trusts
• Family offices
• Fund vehicles

Where Bahamas fits in a structure

Typical role · Family trust or fund holder

A Bahamas trust or family office holds the family's wealth, run by a real trustee with real bankers on the ground in Nassau. The Bahamas has no income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax or company tax, and funds itself through VAT and stamp duty instead. It's also used for funds serving investors with US connections.

What it depends onBanks want your full ownership chart and proof of where your wealth came from, companies doing activities like fund management must show real presence there, and where each family member lives still decides their own tax.

A simplified picture to explain the idea, not a recommendation. General information, not tax or legal advice.

Opening a bank account

Butterfield, Scotiabank, CIBC FirstCaribbean and private banks including Julius Baer, UBS and Pictet operate in Nassau. Private banking usually starts at around USD 1m. Business accounts for international companies (IBCs) need the full ownership chart, proof of where your wealth came from and, usually, a licensed local agent involved.

How tax works here

No company tax, no personal income tax, no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax and no tax kept back on payments abroad. The government is funded by 10% VAT, customs duty, stamp duty and yearly company fees. The Bahamas has brought in a top-up tax for large multinational groups that fall under the global 15% minimum.

Real presence, and who can see the owners

Companies doing certain activities — banking, insurance, fund management, lending, head office, distribution, shipping and IP — must show real presence there. Companies that only own shares get a lighter test. The real owners are filed on a secure private register that authorities can access; there is no public register.

When to choose it

Choose the Bahamas for a private trust or family office that needs a real trustee and real bankers in a zero-tax place, or for a fund serving investors with US connections.

You get a written comparison, not a sales pitch.

Every Bahamas recommendation comes as a written comparison with the alternatives — whether the setup will stand up to scrutiny, how easy banking will be, which tax treaties apply, who can see the owners, what it costs to run each year and the risk to your reputation — so you can see the trade-offs before you commit.