Bowman Offshore Bank Transfers on How to Open and Access an Offshore Bank Account

Bowman Offshore Bank Transfers on How to Open and Access
an Offshore Bank Account

Offshore banking is often associated with a high level of financial sophistication and, sometimes,
chicanery. However, the reality is that the average person can open an offshore bank account with just a
few hours of work. Each offshore bank and foreign jurisdiction has its own requirements, so you'll have to
do some research to find the specifics relevant to your situation. The following is an overview of what you
can expect, based on common offshore banking centers such as Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, and the
Channel Islands.
The Basic Requirements
The basics of opening an offshore bank account are similar to opening a bank account in your home
country. Offshore banks will ask for your personal information, such as your name, date of birth, address,
citizenship and occupation.
To verify your personal information, you can expect to submit a copy of your passport, driver's license or
other identifying documents issued by a governmental agency. Additionally, banks are concerned with
verifying your residence or physical address since this may affect taxation issues. This requirement may
be satisfied by presenting a utility bill or similar documents.
Due to the wide range of different identification documents that may be presented to offshore banks,
additional assurance of a document's authenticity is often required. A notarized copy of certain
documents may suffice in some cases. Other offshore centers prefer an "apostilles" stamp, which is a
special type of certification mark that is used internationally. Where this is the case, you will need to visit
the government office that is authorized to issue this stamp for your state or nation. (For a general
overview, also see taking a Look at Tax Havens.)
Additional Verification Documents
While the basics are similar, there are often considerable additional requirements to open the account.
These requirements are in place to discourage money laundering, tax fraud or other illegal activities that
are often associated with offshore banking.
First, offshore banks may ask for financial reference documents from your current bank, indicating
average balances and a "satisfactory relationship." Most commonly, this is satisfied by bank statements
for the last six to 12 months.

Second, many offshore banks ask about the nature of transactions expected to take place through the
account. This may seem overly intrusive, but offshore banking centers have been under increasing
pressure to stop illegal activity. For this purpose, many offshore banks want additional documentation,
noting the source of the funds you are depositing in the bank.

If the money is from your job, a wage slip from your employer will likely suffice. To verify your investment
income, an offshore bank may ask for information about your investments and where they are held.

If you have significant funds from a business or real estate transaction, you may need to provide sales
contracts or other relevant documents. If you are depositing funds from an insurance contract, you may
need to provide a letter from your insurance company. If your money comes from an inheritance, the
bank may ask for a letter from the executor of the estate testifying to this effect.

Choosing a Currency for Your Offshore Bank Account

Unlike domestic accounts, offshore bank accounts offer an option of which currency to hold the funds in.
This can be a highly valuable feature of an offshore account, especially if one's domestic currency is
unstable or expected to depreciate.

It is important to understand the consequences of holding your account in different currencies. For
example, holding funds in certain currencies may allow you to earn interest on your deposits, but it can
also result in foreign tax liability. Also, you may need to exchange currencies to make deposits and
withdrawals, which could be a significant expense depending on the fee structure and exchange rates
offered (see 6 Factors That Influence Exchange Rates.)

Depositing to an Offshore Bank Account

Offshore bank accounts are most often funded electronically through international wire transfers.
Unfortunately, the systems that enable free electronic transfers common in domestic banking are typically
not able to transfer money internationally.

Sending a wire transfer is a simple operation, but almost all banks charge international wire transfer fees
to send or receive funds. Pricing for wire transfers varies from bank to bank, so be sure to look for deals.
Unfortunately, there are few good alternatives. Domestic checks are generally not accepted in foreign
jurisdictions, and depositing funds in person on a regular basis is impractical.

Withdrawing from an Offshore Bank Account

Offshore banks offer a variety of ways to withdraw funds to maximize the convenience of using their
services. Many offshore banks issue a normal debit/ATM card that allows you to easily access your funds
worldwide. You will want to look into the fees for using this method, since they can be expensive.
Withdrawing larger amounts of cash at one time may help to minimize these fees.

Some offshore banks offer checks. However, this is usually not a preferred method– primarily, because
confidentiality is often desired in offshore accounts. Problems may also arise since checks drawn on
foreign accounts are not always accepted locally.

The best option may be to use two accounts: one offshore, one domestic. In this way, electronic wire
transfers can be used to transfer larger amounts of offshore funds to a domestic account where they can
be easily accessed. This method offers greater privacy and security, while also providing the convenience
of local banking services.

The Bottom Line

Despite the mystique surrounding offshore banking, it is relatively simple to open an account. Often all it
takes is filling out the paperwork, supplying some basic identifying documents and providing additional
information to show that you are not planning to use the account for illegal activity.

Choosing the best currency and optimizing deposits and withdrawals are slightly more complicated, but
the best choices should become clearer as you study the various options. When using offshore bank
accounts and receiving international wire transfers, it is important to consult with a tax professional to
ensure you are following all the tax regulations at home and abroad.