Brexit: the View from Dublin

Ireland is once again being impacted by decisions reached in the UK, with no say in the outcome. The old strategy of courting allies in Europe and the U.S. has been followed strongly. Irish history shows that evolutionary change is preferred to radical transformation,...

Beneficial Ownership Registers

The UK government was forced to withdraw from consideration a finance bill that had been amended by a cross-party group of MPs. Its new form would have attempted to force the Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man) to enact a beneficial ownership...

UK Political Realignment

The long-predicted emergence of a new centrist political force started yesterday, with seven MPs resigning from the Labour party. This could herald a wider shift, with some Conservative MPs rumoured to be considering their positions. We believe this provides a...

The Lure of Offshore Stability

While the tax benefits of being offshore have largely eroded a new driver has been unleashed – the desire for stability. As the economic and political fabric of countries destabilises the psychological need for risk aversion rises. This is likely to reduce investment...

EU Substance Rules

Yet another process designed to pressure smaller jurisdictions with low tax regimes has been rumbling in the background – Substance Rules. These are being applied by EU bodies to countries outside of its borders but with the ultimate aim of making it uneconomic for EU...

The International Financial System

The various organisations in the wider international financial system have been built according to the preferences of the U.S., and to a lesser extent, the EU. The long-term viability of the system will now be dependent upon how China is accommodated (or not). We...