PanamaCompany formation, tax and banking

Why people choose Panama

• A private-interest foundation built for passing on wealth and protecting assets
• A foundation council manages the assets under the founder's charter
• Foundations pay no tax on their assets
• Panama companies pay 0% on income earned abroad
• Can hold gold in custody, or crypto through licensed custodians

Where Panama fits

• Foundations
• Trading cos
• Gold custody

Where Panama fits in a structure

Typical role · Family wealth holder

The Panama foundation sits between you and your family, holding assets such as gold in custody and passing them on under your charter. It has a founder and a council but no beneficiaries in the trust sense, and pays no tax on its assets in Panama, which doesn't settle what you or your family pay where you live. It relies on strong banking elsewhere, usually in Switzerland, the UAE or Singapore.

What it depends onSince the Panama Papers, banks are selective: the foundation needs clean paperwork and proof of where the money came from, or it can't bank.

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

Opening a bank account

Panama's banks are competent but selective since the Panama Papers. Structures with clean paperwork and proof of where the money came from can bank; vague or poorly documented ones can't. More and more, Panama-owned assets bank in Switzerland, the UAE or Singapore.

How tax works here

0% on income earned abroad for Panama companies. 25% on income earned in Panama. No capital gains tax on foreign assets. Foundations pay no tax on their assets.

Real presence, and who can see the owners

Panama has brought in real-presence rules for regulated and financial-services businesses. Holding foundations and personal wealth structures face lighter tests than active financial firms.

When to choose it

Choose Panama for a private-interest foundation to pass on wealth, for owning gold held in custody, or for international trading companies that genuinely earn their income abroad. Pair it with strong banking elsewhere.

You get a written comparison, not a sales pitch.

Every Panama 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.