A huge misconception with small business owners is that they don’t need to do things “on the record” like hug incorporations. However, this theory can – and will – land small businesses in a lot of trouble. So if you think you don’t think you need a corporate lawyer, think again!

Get help from Belize Lawyers

No matter the size, every company should solicit the help of a corporate lawyer to ensure that all legalities concerning the business is taken care of. Luckily, there are expert corporate lawyers in Belize that can ensure your business is fully covered against any legal liabilities. Here are some scenarios where your small business will definitely need a corporate lawyer.

Partnership Agreement

This is an integral element of your business that needs to be solidified with a formal contract. Most times small business partnerships are formed between very familiar parties that may not explicitly express their role in detail. Similarly, verbal agreements may be made that are never put into writing. It is best to get a corporate lawyer on board that can prepare a Partnership Agreement that specifically states each partner’s role, rights and obligations in the business as well as an asset and ownership split.

Negotiations

A constant part of owning a business is engaging in negotiations with other businesses or customers. For example, on any given day you could be negotiating your lease with your landlord, corresponding with other businesses that you contract services from, or you could be entering an agreement to expand your business. All these scenarios require a thorough knowledge of the legalities involved as well as due diligence and impeccable attention to detail. This is where a corporate lawyer can help. In the case of dealing with your landlord, a corporate lawyer would ensure that you are well aware of any provision that may be unfavorable to you like common space utilities, lease renewal terms, or any increases in rent. Similarly with contracting services or growing your business, corporate lawyers will make you aware of any unfavorable terms or “fine prints” that may deter your business’ success.

Drafting Contracts

Contracts serve as the instruction manual to how your business operates as a structure, with its employees, with its customers, and any other entity it associates with. As such, a contract is a very integral instrument in ensuring that every operation runs smoothly within the business and that its best interests are maintained. So it doesn’t help that contracts are written in a jargon so difficult to understand that people need go to school well into adulthood to fully comprehend. Lawyers are formally trained to create and analyze contracts. Don’t risk undertaking any liabilities because you didn’t understand what the agreement stated. Get a lawyer to verify the legitimacy and benefits of every agreement you enter into.

Litigation

Handling litigations is the area that lawyers are probably most needed (and appreciated). You will never have a 100% customer satisfaction rate. Your customers will find faults; some will even go so far as to make legal claims against you because of their dissatisfaction. This is where lawyers shine! In situations like this, it is your lawyers job to deal with any disgruntled customers whether it be advising you to settle with the customer or not, or convincing the customer to drop the lawsuit.

Confidentiality

It’s very hard to find complete honesty and trust within any business, be it big or small. When information gets shared that was meant to remain only between parties of a private discussion, the business looks bad and may incur liabilities because of that leak. Having a corporate lawyer can quickly remedy this situation via an injunction. The entire situation could be prevented also by having a corporate lawyer to create a Confidentiality Agreement and ensure its implementation.

Other ways corporate lawyers can help your small business is through the development of effective Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy for your business website, protection of your Intellectual Property, taxation, finance, and more. Never discount the benefits of having a corporate lawyer in Belize assist you with the day-to-day transactions of your small business.

For a Belize lawyer visit https://www.attorneybelize.com or contact Steve Perera at +501-610-4444 or email [email protected].

Belize trust formations are a great way to secure your hard earn money and make even more by earning profits on your investment. There are many reasons why the formation of these offshore Belize Trusts is beneficial. We’ll look over a few reasons how you can benefit from them as well as where you can go to effectively form Belize Trusts.

Benefits of Belize trusts

1. Provides shield from creditors

Forming a Belize trust is an excellent way to protect your assets. Creditors cannot access or cease your funds once they are invested in a trust. Once the Belize trust is formed before any legal grievances are levied against you, your investments will remain secure and cannot be incorporated into any legal settlement that intends to seize your assets.

2. Avoid probate and estate taxes

Probate is the process in which a judge certifies a will’s validity. This process can be expensive and time consuming. An offshore trust in Belize allows you to bypass the probate process, giving your beneficiaries instant access to their assets.

3. Familiarity of laws and language

Belize Trusts are prepared in English and conform to the laws of England which is almost identical to the law of Belize.

4. Tax planning

Trusts can afford grantors huge savings when it comes to tax planning since trust assets are not considered property of the grantor, and all profits and capital gains earned by the trust would be taxable based on the laws of the country where the trust was established. Belize trusts are exempted from all income and corporate taxes based on the Belize Trust Act. There is neither any estate, inheritance, succession or gift tax on assets that are attained by a trust nor is there any stamp duty imposed.

5. Inheritance planning

Trusts are a great instrument in planning how you will manage your inheritance. For example if you are leaving real estate or a car to be shared between multiple beneficiaries, you can then include stipulations within the trust details to specify who all has access to the asset, how it should be shared, if it can be sold, who can sell it, and the manner in which the proceeds of selling the asset should be disbursed.

6. Confidentiality

Trusts provide more privacy than wills because they do not undergo the probate process. This means that there will be no public record of the trust and its details of neither assets nor beneficiaries.

7. Flexible Distribution

Trusts allow the grantor to dictate how they want the assets distributed to the beneficiary. For instance, if money is being disbursed, the grantor may choose for it to be issued by annuity payments instead of a large sum. They can also specify how they want the beneficiary to use the assets. Using the same instance above, the grantor can specify that the money is used to pay rent or medical expenses.

If you’re ready to secure your investments with an offshore trust, visit the Belize Corporate Services’ website for full Belize trust formation specifications. Belize Corporate Services specializes in the formation of Belize IBCs, Belize Trusts and Belize Foundations with supplementary services in offshore banking, virtual office services and more. You can also get assistance from trusted Belize lawyers.

Belize Corporate Services Ltd. (BCS) is the leading offshore provider in Belize specializing in Belize IBC, Belize Trust and Belize Foundation formations. BCS has a global network of clients and professional intermediaries that benefit from their international financial services. Some such services include Belize IBC formations as well as other international company formations in BVI, Nevis, Panama, Hong Kong among several others; trustee and trust agent services; opening offshore bank accounts; opening online and offline securities brokerage accounts; visa credit, debit and prepaid cards; virtual office services; and bookkeeping services.

Belize Corporate Services is a full-service Belize offshore provider that can guide you through the entire process of Belize IBC, Belize Trust and Belize Foundation formations.

Belize IBC (International Business Company)

Invest in Belize and enjoy all the perks of conducting business in a tax haven. In 1990, Belize passed its International Business Companies Act which is based heavily on that of the British Virgin Islands and allows for the formation of Belize IBCs.

An International Business Company or IBC is an untaxed offshore business that is formed under the laws of another jurisdiction. IBCs are a convenient, private and tax efficient way of conducting offshore transactions and provides asset protection.

Belize IBCs (International Business Companies) are normally exempt from all local corporate taxes and can issue shares from the business to a set of shareholders from anywhere in the world except Belize. The IBCs directors and employees can also be from anywhere around the world and not necessarily be working from within Belize. Although it is not necessary to have the business physically located in Belize, there can be a local registered agent in the country if the business owner(s) desire. Because the Belize IBC is exempt from corporate taxes, they are not permitted to conduct business with other companies in the country.

Belize IBCs are a great means of achieving profitable offshore investments but there are some limitations to how these International Business Companies can conduct business in Belize. They are restricted from conducting any business in Belize using the IBC name which includes owning real estate in Belize, holding shares in a local company or having Belizean shareholders in the IBC.

Belize IBC formations are fast and easy to create, especially with the help of Belize Corporate services who specialize in Belize IBC, foundation and trust formations. Here are some benefits of creating a Belize IBC.

• Tax-freeExempt from all forms of taxes in Belize including stamp duty
• No currency barriersThere are no foreign exchange controls as Belize IBCs are free to open and maintain any currency account
• FlexibleBelize IBCs provide flexibility. IBCs can have only one director. Shareholder meetings do not have to take place in Belize. IBC’s are free to migrate in and out of Belize and can be incorporated in any language.
• Speedy RegistrationThere is a fast registration process of Belize IBCs as they are normally incorporated within 24 hours of the submission of the constitutive documents and fees.
• AffordableBelize IBCs are affordable with an incorporation and annual license fee at USD $100.
• ConfidentialBecause only the memorandum and articles of association along with the name of registered agent and the address of the registered location are necessary when filing for an IBC, the owners are guaranteed the highest privacy and confidentiality when conducting business.
• Small marketThere is no need to worry about your company name being taken since Belize has a very small market of IBC’s currently registered.

Visit Belize Corporate Services for more information on Belize IBC formations. If you need legal help, select a reputable lawyer from our list.

Download your own copy of the Belize IBC Act.

Moving to a new home is a very exciting experience in a person’s life. It marks a new beginning. Whether it is moving on your own for the first time, the first home with your new family, or moving from an old family home to a more modern one, moving signifies starting over a new leaf.

However, preparing to move is the polar opposite of exciting. People describe their moving experiences as tiresome, frustrating, and a total pain in the rear! Luckily CPC Real Estate Solutions Ltd. (a Belize Real Estate company), have put together some really helpful moving tips to make your move easier and more organized on a whole.

1. Create a Master List

This is the most important step in keeping your move organized and keeping track of all your stuff. This list will be your “Master List”, so it needs to be very specific. Label every box and make a log of them on your Master List with additional details of which room the box will go in and what contents are in it.

2. Always have extra supplies

Nothing is worse than saying you’ll pack up on this day then halfway through your out of boxes or tape. Always keep extra supplies on hand to maintain your pace and stick to your plan. Often times things get forgotten when you break your focus by stopping to go buy more supplies.

3. Don’t get distracted

It’s common to stumble across old pictures, gifts and other sentimental items while packing up. Don’t get distracted and waste time reminiscing on all these old items. If you haven’t thought about them nor used them in years DO NOT take them to your new home. All these items will do is take up valuable storage space in your new home and you’ll probably end up forgetting about them just like before. Instead of reminiscing, use this time as an opportunity to get more organized. Categorize unwanted items into three piles – “sell”, “trash” or “donate- then deal with them accordingly after your move.

4. Pack essentials in an overnight bag

You’ll definitely be too tired to unpack all your stuff on moving day. To make things a bit easier, keep an overnight bag with extra clothes and toiletries for everyone in your home so you can all rest the first night and tackle the unpacking on the next day.

5. Clean ahead of your move

This comes under the same concept of being too tired to do anything in your new home on moving day. To avoid moving into a dirty home, go in and make sure everywhere is clean a couple days before your move- especially the kitchen and bathrooms.

6. Start packing with the items you use the least

It’s always best to start packing in advance so you don’t feel overwhelmed trying to get everything done the day before you leave your old home. Start with items you hardly use like extra comforters, curtains, dishes and out of season clothes. We often have more of these items than we think and can save a lot of time by packing them up beforehand. Remember to keep these boxes properly labelled and logged in your Master List!

7. Change your address

This important step is often overlooked when moving. Save yourself a lot of headaches by notifying your post office and bank at least two weeks in advance about your address change. Also, schedule with the utility services to stop service in your old home the day after your move and turn on these services in your new home a couple days before your moving date.

8. Save on supplies by using household items to pack

You can save on buying boxes and padding by packing items in your laundry baskets and suitcases. Clothing is great padding for your glassware. Use socks as padding for drinking glasses, while shirts and sweaters can easily pad dishware inside. This is a great option to kill two birds with one stone.

However, if you choose this method it is even more important to properly label items. Use similar clothing as padding for similar items in the same container. For example, use only your shirts and socks to pad the blue kitchen dishware in the red suitcase. The key to staying organized is to be specific.

9. Keep the kitchen bare and defrost the fridge

You should make your last shopping trip about two weeks before your move. This will leave you with less food to throw out on moving day. Make sure to defrost your fridge the day before you move and wipe away any liquid to avoid a mess and keep bad odors away.

10. Use sandwich bags to pack small assembly items

There will always be screws and bolts rolling around when dismembering appliances, like curtain rods or TV mounts, around your home. The best way to keep all these parts together is to put the smaller ones in a sandwich bag and tape it behind the appliance. This same method can be applied for electronics with chords.

Bonus Moving Tip: On the day of your move, be sure to have a locksmith scheduled to change the locks on your new home and remember to check your Master List to ensure everything came over to the new house.

If you’re moving here and need a Belize shipping agency, BTALCO provides international shipping to Belize. Other real estate companies to consider in Belize are Caribbean Property Development Ltd. and Private Islands. We also know great Belize attorneys and Belize offshore institutions.

If you want to check out an area before settling in, there’s a great hotel in Hopkins Belize. A lot of new development is happening in that area right now and there is a lot of beach front real estate available there.

Has our list helped your move? What other moving tips have you come across that makes this process easier? Share them with us!