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Bahamas

We can help you incorporate in Bahamas

International Business Company (Company limited by shares)

The Bahamas is one of the industry veterans when it comes to offshore financial services. Since the 30s and 40s, the jurisdiction has been attracting foreign wealth due to its absence of taxation and its confidentiality policies. Although it lost popularity after its independence from Great Britain back in 1973, in favor of Cayman, BVI or Bermuda, it is still one of the go-to jurisdictions in terms of offshore corporate, trust and banking services.

The Commercial Entities (Substance Requirements) Act - financial and insurance services companies, shipping businesses, IP businesses, headquarters businesses, holdings and companies providing services to or trading with affiliates are required to meet economic substance requirements.

Bahamian International Business Companies are commonly used as holding companies, to hold bank accounts, financial and commercial titles, international trading, own movable and immovable properties, asset protection and estate and inheritance security, among others.

Taxes

Corporate income tax - Bahamas does not levy corporate income tax. 

There are no withholding taxes on dividends, interests, and royalties paid to non-residents.

IBCs in the Bahamas may trade with residents and they may own real estate within the territory, but exchange controls and stamp duties on capital will apply in these cases.

Other taxes - There are no personal direct taxes such as personal income tax or net worth tax.

The Bahamas levy a real property tax up to 2% for land and building owners, although several exemptions may apply. There is also a stamp duty on the transfer of certain assets and financial instruments.

Companies conducting business in the Bahamas may be subject to several indirect taxes such as import duties, hotel guest tax, passenger tax, casino tax, among others.

  • Offshore Income Tax Exemption
  • Offshore capital gains tax exemption
  • Offshore dividends tax exemption
  • CFC Rules
  • Thin Capitalisation Rules
  • Patent Box
  • Tax Incentives & Credits
  • Property Tax
  • Wealth tax
  • Estate inheritance tax
  • Transfer tax
  • Capital duties
  • 0% Offshore Income Tax Rate
  • 0% Corporate Tax Rate
  • 0% Capital Gains Tax Rate
  • 0% Dividends Received
  • 0% Dividends Withholding Tax Rate
  • 0% Interests Withholding Tax Rate
  • 0% Royalties Withholding Tax Rate
  • 0 Losses carryback (years)
  • 0 Losses carryforward (years)
  • 3.9% Social Security Employee
  • 5.9% Social Security Employer
  • 0% Personal Income Tax Rate
  • 7.5% VAT Rate
  • 31 Tax Treaties

Country details

Bahamas
BSD
Nassau
North America
en-BS
301,790

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas consists of more than seven hundred islands (of which 24 are inhabited and more than 700 uninhabited), cays and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, is located to the north of Cuba and Dominican Republic, northwest of Turks and Caicos Islands, to the southeast of the state Florida and east of the Florida Keys. Geographically the Bahamas form, along with the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Lucayan Archipelago, also denominated by extension Bahamas.

It has a population of almost 400,000 inhabitants. Its capital and the most populated city is Nassau, located on the island of New Providence. Its official language is English, although the Bahamian Creole is widely spoken. Its official currency is the Bahamian Dollar, pegged to the US Dollar at an exchange rate of 1:1.

The Bahamas is a hereditary constitutional monarchy belonging to the Commonwealth of Nations. The British monarch, as head of state, appoints his/her representative, the Governor General. Executive power is exercised by the Cabinet, headed by the prime minister, an institution that appears in 1955 with the first parliamentary elections in the archipelago.

Legislative power rests on a bicameral parliamentary system. It is composed of sixteen members of the Senate (appointed by the Governor General) and forty members of the House of Representatives, elected directly by the population.

The Bahamas has an economy based on imports, tourism, and banking. Tourism alone accounts for more than 60 percent of GDP and employs directly or indirectly half the workforce of the archipelago.

Financial services are the second most important sector of the economy: about 15% of GDP.

Industry and agriculture contribute about one-tenth of GDP.

Tax treaties

Country Type Date Signed
India TIEA 2011-02-11
Czech Republic TIEA 2014-03-06
Australia TIEA 2010-03-30
China TIEA 2009-12-01
Canada TIEA 2010-06-17
Monaco TIEA 2009-09-18
Denmark TIEA 2010-03-10
Finland TIEA 2010-03-10
Faroe Islands TIEA 2010-03-10
Germany TIEA 2010-04-09
Greenland TIEA 2010-03-10
Norway TIEA 2010-03-10
Guernsey TIEA 2011-08-08
United Kingdom TIEA 2009-10-29
Argentina TIEA 2009-12-03
Belgium TIEA 2009-12-07
Japan TIEA 2011-01-27
Spain TIEA 2010-03-11
Aruba TIEA 2011-08-08
Iceland TIEA 2010-03-10
San Marino TIEA 2009-09-24
South Africa TIEA 2011-09-14
Poland TIEA 2013-06-28
New Zealand TIEA 2009-11-18
Korea, Republic of TIEA 2011-08-04
Mexico TIEA 2010-02-23
United States TIEA 2002-01-25
Malta TIEA 2012-01-18
Netherlands TIEA 2009-12-04
Sweden TIEA 2010-03-10
France TIEA 2009-12-07

Tax treaties Map

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Services

We can help you incorporate a International Business Company (Company limited by shares) in Bahamas for $3,800.


Click here to incorporate your Bahamas IBC.

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