JerseyCompany formation, tax and banking

Why people choose Jersey

• Mature trust law, with court judgments that carry weight internationally
• 0% standard company tax, no capital gains tax and no inheritance tax
• No tax kept back on payments to people abroad
• Jersey Private Fund: up to 50 professional investors, usually approved within 48 hours
• Every major UK and international bank is in Jersey

Where Jersey fits

• Family trusts
• Private equity funds
• Real estate holding

Where Jersey fits in a structure

Typical role · Trust, fund or property holder

Jersey usually holds rather than trades: a family trust, a private equity fund, or UK commercial property through a Jersey Property Unit Trust. It's chosen when the other side is an institution, such as a UK pension fund or a private bank's lending committee. It relies on licensed providers, real regulation and respected trust law, which is why costs are well above Caribbean options.

What it depends onCompanies doing activities like holding, financing or fund management must be run from Jersey with enough people and spending there, and banking is straightforward with a regulated trust company running the structure but harder and slower if you run it yourself.

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

Opening a bank account

Every major UK and international bank is in Jersey, including HSBC, Barclays, RBS International, Butterfield and Standard Bank. Banking is straightforward for companies and trusts run by a regulated trust company; opening accounts for structures you run yourself is harder and slower.

How tax works here

0% standard company tax, 10% for regulated financial services companies, and 20% for utilities and income from Jersey property. No capital gains tax, no inheritance tax and no tax kept back on payments to people abroad. Residents pay 20% personal tax, with a capped-tax route for wealthy new arrivals who qualify.

Real presence, and who can see the owners

Jersey's substance law means companies doing certain activities — head office, financing, IP, fund management, shipping, distribution and holding — must be run from Jersey, with enough people and spending there. The real owners are filed with the Registry, where authorities and regulated firms with a legitimate interest can see them; the public can't.

When to choose it

Choose Jersey when the other side is an institution — a UK property deal, a private equity fund with European investors, or a family trust that has to satisfy a London private bank.

You get a written comparison, not a sales pitch.

Every Jersey 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.