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Panama corporations are a means for interested people from
around the world to conduct international trade, to settle
foundations or trusts, to hold assets and to establish and
own bank accounts and brokerage
accounts. They offer the benefits of confidentiality, affordability,
convenience, tax minimization, asset protection and investment
diversification.
For a Panama corporation established as an off-shore entity
by non-residents, there are no requirements to report to the
Panama government. Also, there are no taxes imposed by the
Panama government on the corporation for business activities
that are carried out outside the country.
Non-resident Panama Corporations do not require a commercial
business license to operate business internationally.
Panama law ensures that all activities and accounts of the
corporation remain strictly confidential.
It is not necessary to have a paid-in capital, nor time limit
in which the authorized capital must be fully paid.
When registering a new Panama corporation, it is required
to have a legal physical address that is included in the articles
of incorporation.
Every Panama corporation requires 3 directors/officers (President,
Secretary and Treasurer). The directors/officers can be either
individuals or entities. Directors, officers and shareholders
may be of any nationality and residents of any country. The
names of directors and their identifications must be presented
in the public registry when the corporation is formed.
It is not necessary for the interested parties to be present
in Panama, for the purpose of organizing a Corporation. A
facility exists to form corporations through nominee incorporators
(directors) in Panama who execute the basic instrument for
the incorporation called Articles of Incorporation. The nominee
directors have no control over the corporation or funds and
only serve to fill in the blanks on the corporations articles
of incorporation at the Public Registry. The nominee directors
can also be used to sign contracts, agreements, or sign for
any other type of transaction that the owners wish to engage
them in.
Neither the directors nor the officers need to be shareholders
in the corporation.
Panama corporations are allowed to implement a system of anonymous
ownership in the form of nominative or bearer shares, with
or without par value. The shares of the corporation are not
registered to the owner, but to "The Bearer". In
other words, they are like cash and can be passed from one
person to the next without having to re-register them or report
it to anyone.
Annual general meetings of the shareholders or directors are
not mandated. Meetings of directors and shareholders may be
held in the Republic of Panama, or in any country by proxy
– via telephone, email or other electronic means. Any
resolutions passed in the meetings are valid regardless of
whether they are signed on different dates or in different
jurisdictions.
The accounting books of the corporation may be kept within
Panama or abroad. However, every corporation is required to
maintain a minute book and a stock register, which can be
kept anywhere in the world.
Non-resident Panama corporations are required to pay an annual
corporate franchise tax of US$150 to remain in good standing.
Corporations from other jurisdictions may be "re-domiciled"
to Panama, and vice-versa
For information or our fees for forming a Panama Corporation,
please lcik the link below, or contact
us for more information.
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