Wealth International, Limited

Offshore News Digest for Week of January 14, 2002


THE MOST 'GLOBALIZED' NATIONS

IRELAND is tops, SWITZERLAND is 2nd, PANAMA 28th, US 12th, among 62 nations in this year's Globalization Index.

More on this story here and here and here.

LIECHTENSTEIN STILL SECRETIVE

Countering news reports, insiders tell us that to satisfy FATF pressures Liechtenstein simply adopted Switzerland's 'client identification rules' requiring non-public records of true beneficial trust ownership. But the Principality remains preoccupied with stopping dirty cash.

More on this story here and here.

HAS JOHN BULL STRUCK THE FLAG IN GIBRALTAR?

Jitters on The Rock continue as the Union Jack disappears.

More on this story here.

Here's the historic background on colonial Gibraltar.

More on this story here.

SWISS POLS PUSH UNITED NATIONS MEMBERSHIP

In 1986 the Swiss voted 3-1 against UN membership. Another vote is being pushed as polls suggest possible approval.

More on this story here.

ACCUSED SWISS FIRM FOLDS

LUGANO. A Swiss company investigated for alleged financial transactions with 9-11 terror suspects shuts down.

More on this story here.

ITALY SEEKS U.K. ALLIANCE TO BLOCK E.U. SUPER STATE

PM Berlusconi wants British help to resist a European super state.

More on this story here.

A good reason to resist - the EU Tax Misery Index

More on this story here.

MAJOR FRENCH BANK ACCUSED OF DIRTY CASH

PARIS. Societe Generale SA, the 3rd biggest bank, is investigated.

More on this story here.

INDIAN OCEAN HAVEN

Moody's gives MAURITIUS a good economic report card.

More on this story here.

PACIFIC HAVENS

Why NEW ZEALAND may be dragged down by Big Government.

More on this story here.

A 'Sammy Davis Jr. Net Casino' will operate from FATF blacklisted VANUATU.

More on this story here.

THE MYTH OF EURO CREEP

The idea the euro will become a natural part of British life is widely held but, The Economist, says it is dead wrong.

More on this story here.

GERMAN TAX CHANGE HAS MAJOR IMPACT

Ending the capital gains tax may cut massive corporate cross ownership.

More on this story here.

WASHINGTON WHISPERS: U.S. TREASURY HEAD MAY GO

The Financial Times thinks Sec. O'Neill may be on the way out.

More on this story here.

CANADA RICH ESCAPE BIG TAXES

Alleged secret deal using US trusts saves US$700 million.

More on this story here.

SWISS CANTONS COMPETE WITH LOW TAXES

It's Zurich vs. Zug and quality of life vs. lower taxes.

More on this story here.

PARTNERS IN CRIME: GREED & FRAUD

Two recent cases - millions bilked from greedy thousands who easily fell for unreasonable promises of high profits.

More on this story here and here.

YES! WEALTH CAN BUY HAPPINESS

Confirming what you already knew, scientific proof that the richer, the happier.

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IN ROUGH TIMES, THE RICH GO YACHTING

In an age of terror we definitely are not all in the same boat.

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BIG BROTHER'S KNOCK ON THE DOOR

In today's America political dissent can bring federal agents to your door.

More on this story here.

DRIVER'S LICENSES MORPH INTO NATIONAL I.D.s

States and feds are turning motor vehicle operators licenses into a national system of electronic identification.

More on this story here and here.

A POLICE WIRETAP IN EVERY AMERICAN HOME

State governors and local pols jump on the anti-terror surveillance bandwagon as personal freedom suffers.

More on this story here and here.

FOXES GUARD HEN HOUSE

WASHINGTON. The US Dept. of Justice says just phone us if you get hassled by police under the US PATRIOT Act.

More on this story here.

ONTARIO LAWYERS WON'T HAVE TO RAT ON CLIENTS

Court suspends new federal law forcing solicitors to report suspect financial transactions; British Columbia status the same.

More on this story here.

U.S. - PANAMA TAX TREATY UNDER DISCUSSION

WASHINGTON. US Treasury is talking with the government of Panama about a tax information exchange agreement, something the US has long wanted and never gotten. Our sources in Panama say an agreement, if any, will be far less expansive than the recent US-Caymans tax info treaty.

More on this story here.

U.S. CONGRESSMAN QUESTIONS TAX INFO ACCORDS

Rep. Phil Crane (R-Ill) questions US Treasury tax info negotiations.

More on this story here.

ARGENTINA SLIPS DOWN HILL

A wrong turn? Argentina's crisis may get much worse.

More on this story here.

SECOND PASSPORTS IN DEMAND IN ARGENTINA

BUENOS AIRES. Thousands line up at consulates seeking second passports based on Spanish or Italian ancestry.

More on this story here and here.

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS NEW F.S.C.

ROAD TOWN. The BVI tows the UK Foreign Office line and establishes it very own Financial Services Commission (FSC).

More on this story here.

RUFFLED FRENCH BANK EXECS UNDER ARREST

French bankers upset by detentions in multi-million fraud.

More on this story here and here.

E.U. TAX CARTEL WANTS U.S. TO COLLECT TAXES

The EU wants US financial institutions and banks to serve as proxy tax collectors for Europe's welfare states.

More on this story here.

W.T.O. NIXES U.S. CORPORATE OFFSHORE TAX BREAKS

BRUSSELS World Trade Organization panel rules against granting multibillion dollar tax breaks to US businesses operating offshore.

More on this story here and here.

HOW U.S. OFFSHORE CORPORATIONS AVOID TAXES

Structuring exemptions for foreign income of US corporations.

More on this story here.

VIRGIN.NET'S OFFSHORE TAX HAVEN

Sir Richard Branson uses an offshore tax haven to cut UK VAT and corporate taxes for his new Internet service.

More on this story here.

U.S. ACCOUNTANTS ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING RULES

Under new US anti-ML rules, it's not only your accountant who knows!

More on this story here.

U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE COSTS BILLIONS

In 2001 US persons spent 4.6 billion hours & $140 billion on tax preparation.

More on this story here.

$593 MILLION PONZI FRAUD CATCHES CELEBRITIES

Earthlink founder bilks TV, movie stars, others for 15 years.

More on this story here and here.

U.S. TREASURY RULES UNDER 'USA PATRIOT' ACT

Four sets of new rules to make financial life and banking miserable.

More on this story here.

MERE SUSPICION NETS FROZEN MILLIONS

US government freezes US Muslim foundation funds, but feds admit they have no pro-terrorist evidence, only secret suspicions.

More on this story here.

CANADA: RIGHTS vs. TERRORISM LAW

Canadians are not so cowed by threats to their security that they accept police state tactics in fighting terror.

More on this story here.

COMING SOON: IDENTITY BY DNA?

A government-issue ID card with your very own DNA on it.

More on this story here.

JUST SAY 'NO' TO THE POLICE

Many US persons don't understand that they have a right to refuse police demands for permission to search without a warrant.

More on this story here.
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