Wealth International, Limited

Offshore News Digest for Week of August 20, 2001


SWISS BASED TAX EVADERS DECLINE

GENEVA. The number of offshore tax evaders using Switzerland's private banks reportedly is in decline. How do they really know?

More on this story here.

LIECHTENSTEIN CHIEF PROSECUTOR TALKS

VADUZ. Robert WALLNER says they're cleaning out the dirty money.

More on this story here and here.

PRINCIPALITY OF SEALAND

Sealand has citizens, currency, and a government. It issues passports and postage stamps. It enforces its own laws and defends its own borders. Does all that make Sealand a country?

More on this story here.

Sealand's site, history, pictures, here.

HavenCo, the Sealand Internet server here.

"Welcome to Sealand, Now Bugger Off". Story here.


THE WORLD'S SMALLEST 'NATIONS'

Sealand claims it is the world's tiniest sovereign state, but it doesn't make the lists of the world's smallest countries.

More on this story here.

LATVIA TO CURB OFFSHORE DEALS

RIGA, Latvia. Trying to clean up their offshore financial sector, this Baltic government drafts proposals for more transparency. Interesting facts and figures on a 'could be' offshore haven.

More on this story here.

HONG KONG SLIPS

The Economist says Hong Kong is expected to slip from third to 10th place as a business center over the next five years.

More on this story here.

PACIFIC HAVEN NATIONS MEET

OECD pressure on Pacific Island tax havens is discussed this week during the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru.

More on this story here and here.

LIVE TAX FREE IN CANADA

David LESPERANCE explains how new immigrants to Canada can save big on taxes.

More on this story here.

PANAMA HIGH TECH WORLD CROSSROADS

A new information technology center is dedicated where five international broad band fiber optic cables pass through this leading Central American nation.

More on this story here.

U.K. DIRTY MONEY LAW IN HIGH COURT

LONDON. Attempts to trace money stolen by the Nigerian dictator, Gen. Sani ABACHA, seriously tests UK money laundering laws.

More on this story here.

THERE IS A GOOD CASE FOR GLOBALIZATION

World's leaders fail to address legitimate questions raised by protesters about the effects of global capitalism.

More on this story here.

ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES REFORMS

KINGSTOWN. The government plans major changes in financial secrecy and beneificial ownership laws, under pressure from FATF.

More on this story here.

GERMAN BORDER ARRESTS SOAR

DÜSSELDORF. Fighting 'tax evasion,' German 'mobile customs controllers' arrest thousands at borders with Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg.

More on this story here and here.

CANADA KILLS FREEDOM

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan. The Minister of what passes for 'Justice' in Canada says her version of the 'public interest' takes precedence over lawyer-client confidentiality. Lawyers will not be exempt from a draconian new anti-money laundering bill.

More on this story here and here.

EMERGING MARKETS INVESTMENT FADES

Volatile foreign markets have scared off some investors.

More on this story here and here.

Analysts think MEXICO may no longer be 'emerging,' but has entered an asset class of top quality world investments.

More on this story here.

INSATIABLE ASPIRATIONS OF THE RICH

The mental link between income growth and happiness has big implications for economists -- and for the wealthy.

More on this story here.

TENOR'S TAX TROUBLES

Italian tax hounds are still fighting over Luciano PAVAROTTI's tax residence. Is it Modena or Monaco? $20 million at stake.

More on this story here.

NEW E.U. CASH CAUSES NERVES

BRUSSELS. As the European Central Bank gets set to change over to euro coins and notes on Jan. 1, "E-day", disaster looms.

More on this story here.

OFFSHORE VARIABLE LIFE INSURANCE

How it might offer legal relief from some US taxes.

More on this story here.

WHEN NIXON KILLED THE U.S. GOLD STANDARD

Thirty years ago the late US president cut loose the dollar from its gold peg. The rest is downhill monetary history.

More on this story here.

TAX REFUGEES ABANDON U.S. CITIZENSHIP

The US is one of only four countries that taxes its citizens when they choose to live abroad. Read why expatriates are renouncing US citizenship to avoid paying huge taxes to the IRS.

More on this story here.

IRS Q.I. RULES IN COURT CHALLENGE

NASSAU. The Bahamas based Institute For Economic Freedom, (http://www.iefbahamas.org) backed by US free market leaders, plans legal action against the IRS "qualified intermediary" rules.

More on this story here.

BRITISH BLACKMAIL. BELIZE BANK FOR SALE?

LONDON. Lord Michael ASHCROFT reportedly plans to sell his offshore financial services operation in BELIZE, including the Bank of Belize. The Belize government is threatened by the UK Foreign Office with major financial harm unless Ashcroft's Belize tax breaks end.

More on this story here and here.

Ashcroft has been the central figure in making Belize a major tax and asset protection haven. For an Ashcroft-Belize news history see,

More on this story here.

PANAMA BANKING SECTOR SLIPS

Globalization, OECD and FATF attacks have cut into Panama's $38 billion offshore banking activity.

More on this story here and here.

ST. VINCENT CRACKDOWN CONTINUES

The government of this faltering tax haven continues to suck up to the OECD and FATF toadies with new laws and bank closings.

More on this story here and here.

CYPRUS OFFSHORE TAXES TRIPLED

NICOSIA. As ordered by the European Union, Cyprus continues killing its tax haven status with a huge boost in offshore corporate taxes.

More on this story here.

THE ISLAND THAT ROARED

NAURU. A Pacific nations forum hears Nauru (pop 12,000) president Rene HARRIS vehemently defend nationhood and sovereignty against the OECD, as his nations sinks into recession.

More on this story here, here, here, and here.

GUIDE TO WORLD TAX HAVENS

A Manchester Guardian reporter gives a flippant guide to offshore tax havens, from Andorra to the Turks & Caicos.

More on this story here.

LABUAN KEEPS TRYING

Labuan, the wannabe tax haven in MALAYSIA has failed to attract big money, but claims it's clean.

More on this story here.

And they're starting a global Islamic money market.

More on this story here.

SINGAPORE: FREE MARKET BUT NO FREEDOM

Singapore's prime minister says his city-state is loosening up in cultural matters but political freedom must wait.

More on this story here.

RHODESIA REDUX

21 years after independence, a bloody civil war, and liberation from white minority rule, ZIMBABWE is back where it started.

More on this story here.

LEFTIST ATTACK PRO-OFFSHORE C.F.P.

WASHINGTON. The Center for Freedom & Prosperity has been a leader in the defense of offshore financial freedom, with some success. The leftist at the New Republic can't stand it, so they smear.

More on this story here.

W.T.O. RULING OFFERS CHANCE FOR U.S TAX REFORM

The WTO claims US export rules give unfair export subsidies.

More on this story here.

Daniel MITCHELL says this could help US tax reforms.

More on this story here.

SPECIAL REPORT ON THE U.S. ECONOMY

Business Week looks at America's future: the Boom, the Bust.

More on this story here.

U.S. TAX SHELTERS EXPLAINED

Here's Tax-News.com new special report on US venture capital tax laws and tax shelters. Informative read at

More on this story here.

NOT AS GOOD AS OFFSHORE BUT...

Foreign investment OPPORTUNITY abound at the Nasdaq, the New York & American Stock Exchanges. They're called ADRs.

More on this story here.

CANADIAN LAW HINDERS INVESTMENTS

Limits on foreign investment are hurting Canadian investors.

More on this story here.

ANXIOUS COUNTDOWN TO THE EURO

Evidence mounts that E-day on Jan. 1 may be a mega-mess.

More on this story here.

SOUTH AFRICAN WEALTH PROFILING

JOHANNESBURG. Justice Minister Penuell MADUNA says the arrest of an alleged tax evader is part of government's efforts to "criminalize unexplained wealth".

More on this story here.

INSIDE HEDGE FUNDS

Financial Times examines current hedge fund philosophy.

More on this story here.

The Guardian suggests hedge fund investors better hedge their bets.

More on this story here.

IRELAND AS BUSINESS TAX HAVEN

How free market economics and lower taxes made IRELAND Europe's leading business tax haven.

More on this story here.

MONEY LAUNDERING NEWS

Online casino gambling is now a big time washer of dirty money.

More on this story here.

Are UNITED ARAB EMIRATES tax-free business haven zones being used as a cover for massive money laundering?

More on this story here.

MOSCOW. Get an inside look at Russian corruption as the first major money laundering case is prosecuted in court.

More on this story here.
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