NevisCompany formation, tax and banking
Strong asset-protection LLCs and flexible foundations.
Nevis is the go-to place for asset-protection LLCs and 'multiform' foundations. Its LLC law is written to defeat creditors: only two years to challenge a transfer as fraudulent, foreign creditors must post a bond before suing, and a court can only take a share of payouts (a 'charging order'), not the assets — all designed to make attacking a Nevis LLC not worth the cost.
It isn't a place to run a business. It's an asset-protection wrapper, used inside a bigger structure that handles the trading, banking and tax elsewhere.
Why people choose Nevis
- Creditors have only two years to challenge a transfer as fraudulent
- Foreign creditors must post a bond before they can sue
- A court can only take a share of payouts, not the assets
- Multiform foundations can be treated as a trust, company, partnership or foundation
- 0% company tax on Nevis LLCs and foundations
Where Nevis fits
- Asset protection LLCs
- Foundations
- Trusts
Where Nevis fits in a structure
Typical role · Asset-protection wrapper
The Nevis LLC or foundation holds assets as a protective wrapper inside a bigger structure, while the trading, banking and tax are handled elsewhere. Its law makes attacking it slow and costly: two years to challenge a transfer, a bond before suing, and only a charging order, a share of payouts, for a creditor who wins. It relies on the rest of the structure being sound, because Nevis is the wrapper, not the whole structure.
What it depends onWhat you pay depends entirely on where you live and how the overall structure is designed, and the assets are usually banked elsewhere, since banking in Nevis is limited.
A simplified picture to explain the idea, not a recommendation. General information, not tax or legal advice.
Opening a bank account
Banking in Nevis is limited and specialised. Most assets held through a Nevis LLC or foundation are banked elsewhere — Switzerland, the UAE, Singapore.
How tax works here
0% company tax on Nevis LLCs and foundations. No capital gains tax and no tax kept back on payments. What the owner pays depends entirely on where they live and how the overall structure is designed.
Real presence, and who can see the owners
Nevis has brought in the OECD's standard real-presence rules for certain activities. Holding and asset-protection structures get a lighter test. Real presence is coordinated with the countries where the business actually operates.
When to choose it
Choose Nevis as part of a wider asset-protection plan for wealthy people with a real risk of being sued — founders after a sale, doctors, property developers, and families expecting inheritance disputes. It's the wrapper, not the whole structure.
You get a written comparison, not a sales pitch.
Every Nevis 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.
Considering Nevis? Get a written comparison first.
Answer six questions and our team will come back with a shortlist, rough costs and where you could bank.
Questions we hear on every Nevis intake.
- Are Nevis LLCs recognised in US courts?
- US courts will generally recognise a Nevis LLC as a legal entity, but Nevis courts apply the Nevis 'charging order only' rule. Enforcing against it means suing in Nevis — which is the point.
- How is a Nevis multiform foundation different from a trust?
- A multiform foundation can choose to be treated as a trust, company, partnership or ordinary foundation for legal purposes — giving flexibility across different legal systems.
- Is Nevis on any blacklist?
- Nevis is compliant, takes part in international tax-information exchange (CRS) and has tax-information agreements with major economies, and isn't on the OECD or FATF blacklists.
More Caribbean jurisdictions & related insights
Every engagement begins with a twenty-minute advisory call. The fee is in writing before any work begins. No hourly billing.