Gold is indeed not a new investment class, being used to store wealth since 4000 years. However, holding physical gold substantially increased its importance during the last decades. Our “modern” economies lost all and any inhibition to accumulate debts, finding the solution in transferring the...

2020 could be the year for the price action of Gold due to the recent upturn! The US/Iran conflict where the metal acts as a hedge against geopolitical risk and negative interest rates are main supporter of gold prices. Furthermore, does it appear that China’s expansion into Eurasia pushes...

“Unallocated”, “allocated”, “segregated”, or “allocated and segregated”. These terms describe the type of storage and the legal relation the gold owner has to their purchased gold. It is therefore important to know the differences in order to purchase your gold through the correct channel...

Earlier this year, Lloyd's of London, the specialist insurance market, issued a warning to a number of its marine syndicates, including those that underwrite superyacht businesses. The warning gave loss-making marine syndicates three months to create viable business plans or be dropped -...

France, Germany and the UK are seeking to establish a payment channel to bypass the new US sanctions against Iran in order to enable trading between European and Iranian businesses in key sectors, specifically oil industry. According to Heiko Maas, German Foreign Minister, European officials...

Despite its challenges, Iran is an interesting country to invest in with lots of opportunities and market chances locally and in the region. There are many areas in services and production that are far from saturation. Especially smaller foreign investors continue profitable operations in Iran....

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) set up a secondary market for foreign exchange due to a major change in Iran’s foreign exchange policy which resulted reduction in the availability of foreign currency and the volume of foreign exchange transactions. According to Valiollah Seif, Governor of the...

Cyprus residence and work permits – Companies with Foreign Interest Cyprus companies with non-EU shareholders that provided a paid-up capital of the company of minimum EUR 171.000 can employ up to 15 non-EU persons in upper and middle management positions, with residence and work permits issued...

VAT Interpretative Circular 222 – Holding Companies On 9 January 2018, the Interpretative Circular 222 has been announced by the Cyprus Tax Department explaining the VAT treatment of holding companies. The Circular provides guidance on the interaction between holding companies and VAT based...

The new Cyprus Law regulating Alternative Investment Funds, approved by the parliament on 10 July 2018, provides for so-called Registered Alternative Investment Funds (RAIF), which will not be regulated by the Cyprus Security and Exchange Commission (CySEC). The new Law regulating Alternative...

The purchasing power of physical gold and silver – hedging inflation and economic risks Physical gold and silver are one of the most preferred ways to protect wealth in the long term. As physical gold and silver are outperforming any currency in the long run, they are one of the best solutions...

The double taxation avoidance treaty between Cyprus and Luxembourg which was signed on 8 May 2017 in Nicosia, has entered into force on 21 of May 2018 with the application of its provisions starting 1 January 2019 aiming to expand trade and economic relations between the two countries. This...

Simultaneously with all other EU countries, Cyprus adopted a new IP Box Regime as per the provisions of the OECD BEPS Action 5 and the new EU rules for the tax treatment of profit from the utilisation of intellectual property. Transitional provisions for IP assets under the old Cyprus IP Box...

Cyprus has become a gateway to Europe for many Asian investment funds. Due to its strategic location, flexible legislation, low costs and numerous other advantages many Asian funds prefer to establish their base in Cyprus. According to Mr Andreas Yiasemides, vice president of the Cyprus...

Hong Kong has been ranked as the second most competitive economy in the world by the IMD, International Institute for Management Development in its World Competitiveness Ranking 2018. 63 countries have been assessed for the purpose of the study based on the following four competitiveness...

According to Lebanon’s Central Bank or Banque du Liban (BDL)’s balance sheet, total assets of the bank reached $118.3 billion at the end of 2017, rising by $15.9 billion which is 16% increase compared with the previous year. Moreover, the securities’ portfolio of the Central Bank increased by...

Cyprus Notional Tax Deduction (NID) is a deduction against taxable profit calculated by applying a “reference interest rate” to new equity injected into companies and used by companies for the performance of its activities under certain conditions and constraints.The notional tax deduction in...

Cyprus is currently the fastest growing fund centre in Europe thanks to its modern funds legislation fully in line with all relevant EU Directives and its well-established network of financial and professional service providers. Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) are new investment vehicles as...

An individual enjoys the Cyprus Non-Domiciled Status if he/she is tax resident of Cyprus and has not been a tax resident of Cyprus as per the Income Tax Law for a period of 20 consecutive years prior to the introduction of the law (i.e. prior to 16 July 2015). An individual is considered to...

Unallocated gold storage, allocated gold storage, segregated gold storage or allocated and segregated gold storage – these terms describe the form of storage and the legal relation of a gold owner with his or her physical gold purchased and stored. The same terms are of course also used for the...