Viewpoints from Kaizen

SEYCHELLES – AN ALTERNATIVE CHINA INVESTMENT GATEWAY

While Hong Kong remains as the primary conduit for foreign investment into China, Seychelles is an attractive niche China investment gateway; with Seychelles companies increasingly being used as tax-efficient vehicles to hold equity investments in Chinese companies. The Seychelles / China Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (“DTA” provides for certain China tax relief which is not available under the Hong Kong / China DTA. While the Hong Kong / China DTA caps Chinese withholding tax at 5% if the Hong Kong company owns 25% or more of a Chinese company, it only caps Chinese withholding tax at 10% if the Hong Kong company owns less than 25% of a Chinese company. In contrast, under the Seychelles / China DTA, irrespective of whether a Seychelles company holds more or less than 25% of the issued shares in a Chinese company, Chinese withholding tax on dividends is capped at 5%. Therefore, the Seychelles […]

Samoa Offshore Industry

INTRODUCTION Samoa comprises of several islands situated approximately halfway on a line drawn between Hawaii and New Zealand. Apia is its capital. The population of the islands is approximately 160,000. Originally ruled by Germany from 1889 to 1914, Samoa was subsequently administered by New Zealand until it became the first South Pacific country to gain independence in 1962. Samoa was known as Western Samoa until 1997. Samoa has a parliamentary system of Government with elections every 5 years. There are 47 members of the Legislative Assembly who elect a Prime Minister who, with an eight-member Cabinet and the Head of State make up the Executive Council. Samoa’s legal system has its foundations in English and Commonwealth statutory law. The court system comprises the Magistrates Court, the High Court, and the Court of Appeal. THE OFFSHORE INDUSTRY In 1987 and 1988 Samoa (then known as Western Samoa) passed several enactments to […]

SAMOA INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES DUE DILIGENCE – BENEFICIAL OWNERS

SAMOA INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES DUE DILIGENCE – BENEFICIAL OWNERS Samoa has enacted laws to assist in the prevention of money laundering. Those laws require that background information be obtained in relation to the Company. We therefore require information on each Principal Beneficial Shareholder/Owner of the Company, meaning any person beneficially owning 10% or more of the shares in the Company. For each Principal Beneficial Shareholder of the Company we require the following information be sent to Kaizen by airmail or courier before commencement of company registration: 1. A clear certified* copy of the photograph page of their current valid passport, national identity photograph I.D. card or driver’s license that bears a photograph of the Principal Beneficial Shareholder. 2. A clear certified* copy of the residential address proof bearing the full name and full detailed residential address of the beneficial shareholder/owner. Residential address proof includes but not limited to bank statement, utility […]

SAMOA INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES AMENDMENT ACT 2014

SAMOA UPDATE – SAMOA INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES AMENDMENT ACT 2014 (“Amendment Act”) The Amendment Act regarding abolition of bearer shares and accounting records keeping for Samoa International Companies (the “International Companies? was enacted in 7 April 2014. The main amendments to the International Companies are as follows: – 1. Section 39 – Bearer shares and share warrants A memorandum of a grandfather bearer share company is deemed to be amended with effect from 27 January 2014 to state that the company is not authorized to issue bearer shares or share warrants to bearer, convert registered shares; and with effect from that date, the company shall cease to be a bearer share company. 2. Section 39A – Transitional provisions Any bearer shares or share warrants that have been issued by an international company to bearer prior to 27 January 2014 shall continue for a period of 12 months from the commencement of […]

Samoa Company Registration Fees and Registration Procedures (Readymade Company)

1. Samoa Company Registration Costs Our fees together with the first-year maintenance fee for a Samoa readymade (shelf) company are USD1,050 excluding delivery fee. In particular, our fees cover: (1) first year license fee (2) first year registered agent fee and year registered office fee (3) first year nominee company secretary fee (4) One complete company kit including the corporate documents and company seal (5) our incorporation service charges An extra USD200 will be charged if the shelf company chosen comes with a Chinese name. 2. Documents to be provided by client for the purpose of incorporation (1) Photocopy of passport of each of the shareholder and director (2) Residential address with proof, such as utility bills, telephone bills of each shareholder and director (3) Proposed name of the company (4) Amount of share capital (unless otherwise advised, all company will be incorporated with a standard share capital of USD1,000,000) […]

Samoa Company Registration Fees and Registration Procedures (Custom Made Company)

1. Samoa Company Registration Fee Our services for handling the registration of a new Samoa international company together with the first-year maintenance fee are USD1,050 excluding delivery fee. In particular, the fee covers: (1) first year license fee (2) first year registered agent fee and year registered office fee (3) first year nominee company secretary (4) one complete company kit (5) our incorporation service charges An extra USD150 will be charged for addition of Chinese company name. 2. Documents to be provided by client for incorporation (1) Photocopy of passport of each of the shareholder and director (2) Residential address with proof, such as utility bills, telephone bills (3) Proposed name of the company (4) A brief description of the principal business activities of the proposed Samoa company (5) Amount of share capital (unless otherwise advised, all company will be incorporated with a standard share capital of USD1,000,000) and percentage […]

Establishing an RO or a WFOE

To set up a representative office (RO) in China used to be a common way for foreign investors that intend to enter into China. The main reason is that an RO is easy to establish. However, China has imposed more registration restrictions and tougher tax rules on ROs since 2010. The establishment and maintenance of ROs have been restricted and discouraged. And it is becoming much more expensive from a tax point of view. On the other hand, the establishment of wholly foreign owned enterprises (WFOEs) have become much simpler and more straightforward. Foreign investors may consider setting up a service type WFOE rather than an RO now. The main reasons are follows: 1. Scope of Business The biggest disadvantage with ROs is that they are not allowed to engage in any profit making activities except for those activities which China has agreed on in international agreements or treaties. An […]

Employee Recruitment, Payroll, Insurance and Welfare

Employee Recruitment As stated in LABOUR LAW OF PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA and A REGULATION FOR EMPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN-CAPITAL ENTERPRISES, foreign-capital enterprises have the right to decide for their company structures and employment needs as necessary of their operations. They also have the right to recruit their own employees by applying to a variety of legal agents including human resource organizations, recruitment fairs and advertising on the media. The recruitment of employees from foreign countries, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao requires permission and certificates from the labor office of the local government. Salary Under A TEMPORARY REGULATION OF SALARY AND INCOME IN THE FOREIGN-CAPITAL ENTERPRISES, the enterprise decides the Salary system, salary level and bonus and stipends in line with the national and local minimum salary standards. The increase of the average salary of the employees is based on the development of the enterprise. The company’s annual return, productive rate […]

Common Transactions in China

(I) Technology Transfer (a) Introduction China’s foreign investment policy has traditionally placed a strong emphasis on the transfer of technology to Chinese enterprises. Consequently, technology licensing has played and continues to play a major role in foreign investment projects in China. Applicable laws, regulations and administrative practices have also imposed some significant restrictions on the terms on which such technology can be licensed into China. (b) Applicable Regulations Prior technology transfer rules and regulations imposed certain onerous limitations on the contents of technology transfer contracts and required centralised government approvals. This approval/registration regime has been further streamlined post-WTO to the effect that many of the previously more onerous existing provisions and practices have been eliminated or further relaxed. (c) Prior Technology License Terms Under the prior technology licensing rules, without approval, a technology transfer contract was void. It was also not permitted to include any of the following restrictions or […]

Common Investment Vehicles in China

(I) Representative Office The most basic form of foreign business presence in China is the Resident Representative Office (RO). A China Representative Office provides a permanent base from which its resident personnel may conduct local sales and purchasing activities. As a practical matter, it is desirable, and in most cases necessary, to establish a formal Representative Office for a foreign company to do the following in China: – Open an office with company signage – Print company business cards showing local contact information – Open bank accounts – Import office equipment and supplies – Import personal effects of resident company representatives, and – Hire Chinese employees. Representative Offices are prohibited from engaging in “direct business operations” and violations may result in fines and the closure of the office. There is no precise definition of “direct business operations”. However, it is clear that the Representative Office may not directly enter into […]

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