June 3, 2010
Washington, DC

As a permanent traveler with no fixed home, I’m fortunate to be largely insulated from the incompetence and negative consequences of most governments. Through the proper use of internationalization techniques, I’m able to reduce my tax burdens, increase my privacy, protect my assets, take advantage of more opportunities, and substantially reduce my exposure to thieving bureaucrats.

Consequently, I generally try to avoid complaining too much about governments in this letter (though I don’t always succeed). I’d say it’s a given that just about every government is perversely inefficient… we all know it, so there’s need to waste time speaking out about it. Internationalization is a much more powerful statement.

Today, though, I thought I’d take a different approach and highlight a government that is doing a lot of things right.

Switzerland is one example, and it should come as no surprise. At a time when other governments are keen to pillage and plunder their citizens and private industries through increased taxes, Switzerland is actually cutting taxes in order to attract businesses.

They’re able to do this because of the way the system in Switzerland is designed– flat, simple, and as efficient as possible. Real political power and decision making in Switzerland occurs at the local level because each of the 26 cantons (like provinces or states) is effectively sovereign and autonomous.

To put it more clearly, an individual canton like Schaffhausen (population 76,000) has the constitutional authority to negotiate its own trade relations, set tax rates, and anything else that is not specifically reserved for the Swiss federal government.

Sound familiar?

With this authority, Swiss cantons are competing with each other, cutting their tax rates in order to attract companies and wealthy individuals. The end result is more jobs in Switzerland, more capital deployed within the country, and greater economic prosperity for everyone.

Meanwhile, western European governments are busy cannibalizing their domestic industries with high tax rates (like the Portuguese ‘crisis tax’) and unpopular austerity packages. Even Australia has quite disappointingly passed a special tax on resource companies, singling out its most profitable industry for income redistribution.

It appears that they could all take a page from Switzerland’s book.

You might think I’m crazy for lauding the Swiss government at a time when their banking privacy is in critical condition. It’s true, the federal parliament is backing a deal to disclose the names and transaction details of 4,450 UBS clients to US tax authorities.

They originally agreed to the deal in August 2009, though a Swiss court blocked the entire process in January 2010 on the grounds that it would violate Swiss law. Now it appears that the deal is once again going forward… except for one hitch.

Built into the Swiss system is a direct democracy platform that provides a mechanism for both cantons and private citizens to reverse parliamentary decisions.

If a group of citizens can gather 50,000 signatures against a law, a national vote must be scheduled whereby a simple majority determines if the law in dispute will stand or be overturned.

Thus, while the Swiss parliament will likely vote to approve the transfer of banking information to US authorities, it is even more likely that the vote will be called to referendum. The Swiss Bankers Association alone has over 1/3 of the necessary signatures to call for a referendum.

As Churchill once said, ‘democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others…’ Yet as democracies go, one could argue that Switzerland is one of the best.

Power is concentrated at the lowest, least bureaucratic level possible, and responsible citizens have multiple mechanisms to countermand any idiotic decisions made by their politicians. Even for a self-avowed anarchist like me, I can live with that.

It is precisely this flatness and efficiency that makes the free market work so well in Switzerland, and why the economic downturn has mostly bypassed the country.

Going forward, I’m convinced that it will be these small governments that thrive while the old, established, mammoth governments collapse under their own weight. That puts places like Switzerland high up on the list of places to consider for residency and eventual citizenship.

More to follow on this topic.

April 30, 2010
Las Vegas, NV

It’s chilly in Las Vegas, but I’m having a great time meeting so many subscribers here at the Casey conference; I’m pleased at how many have turned up for the event, and I’m always humbled by the exceptional people we have in our community.

My only regret is that the conference organizers could not allocate more space for Sovereign Man readers, and I will personally ensure this doesn’t happen next time.

As I need to get going shortly to mingle with all the incoming attendees, let’s jump right in to this week’s questions:

First, a question that I have been asked hundreds of times over the last two months– “Simon, several weeks ago you posted two job openings on your website for people who were interested in working with you. What is the status of those positions?”

We recently filled both of the positions. It was one of the more difficult business decisions that I’ve had to make given the quality and number of applications that we received. We may be hiring again soon, and I will post that to the website as well if/when the time comes.

Second, Dana asks, “Dear Simon, if I trade US/Canadian financial markets from my home in Ecuador, would the government of Ecuador expect me to pay taxes on that income?”

No, especially as a non-resident foreigner. It’s the same in several countries, like Panama. This is one of the reasons for taking a multiple flags approach– having citizenship of one country, tax residence in another, and spending time/owning property in another.

Next, Neil writes, “Simon- I’m an investor and US citizen with residency in Uruguay. I want to hold gold coins in Hong Kong or Singapore, but I have a question– will I be able to open a bank account in Asia so that I will be able to wire money to my account in Uruguay once I sell my gold?”

Even as a US citizen, you should not have any problems opening a personal bank account at any number of multinational banks in Asia… try HSBC or Standard Chartered Bank, both of which have US branches and are accustomed to dealing with the Treasury Department’s arcane regulations.

Once you have the account open, you shouldn’t have any problems wiring the proceeds to your Uruguayan account once you sell your gold. Just remember a couple of things-

1) Singapore charges GST (VAT) on gold sales;

2) Don’t forget to fill out TDF 90-22.1, report of foreign financial account, each year after you open the new bank account;

3) You will have to report the proceeds of your gold sales on your tax return if you turn a profit.

Next, Dave asks, “Simon- I am currently living in Treviso, Italy, and I’m considering moving to Switzerland. However, I haven’t seen any posts about living in or considering Switzerland. What’s your take on the country?”

I like Switzerland. For me, it’s as close to a perfect civilization as it gets in this world. The government is [relatively] hands off, the people are [relatively] intelligent and freedom loving, and the country is quite clean and modern.

On the downside, the weather is too cold for my taste, it’s unconscionably expensive, and the people are boring.

Despite what has happened with Switzerland’s banking privacy, I still think the country is worthy of a number of flags, including banking, residency, citizenship, and tax home. I’ll be spending time there this summer and will report more at that time.

Lastly, Ken asks, “Simon, you wrote about Joel Nagel’s upcoming asset protection conference in Belize yesterday. It sounds worthwhile… but aren’t you negative about Belize?”

To be clear, I have no issues with Belize as a banking jurisdiction. True, I personally do not like Belize as a place to spend much time, but I don’t expect everyone to share my tastes.

I know that there are many subscribers who are very interested in Belize, and Joel Nagel’s asset protection conference is probably the perfect opportunity to go check it out.

Why? Because Joel is one of the best international tax attorneys in the business, so you’ll learn everything you need to know about protecting your assets. Plus, you’ll be able to open a Belize bank account through his personal connections, and you’ll have plenty of time to spend exploring the country to see if you like it.

January 29, 2010
Boquete, Panama

It’s a beautiful day in the Panamanian highlands, and I’m taking the opportunity to explore the countryside for undervalued land deals.  The Chiriqui province of Panama, where I am now, is sort of like the Panamanian version of Texas– fiercely independent and proud… locals consider themselves to be citizens of Chiriqui first, and Panamanians second.

As we’ve discussed in previous letters, I have been sincerely exploring the idea of developing a subscribers-only sustainable community, and Chiriqui is on the short list of locations.

On that note, I really want to thank you for providing me with your feedback about the community concept; over 650 people have filled out the survey so far, and I’m convinced that the idea has tremendous merit. More to follow on that in the future– for now, let me get to some subscriber questions:

From Denise Dale: “Simon- I enjoyed your comparison between Panama & Costa Rica, but I felt you missed an important comparison:  the medical aspects of each country.  I, being 73 years young, would appreciate some statement regarding the medical facilities and medical personnel.  I do intend to move to Central America this year and may even renounce my current citizenship.”

Denise- Thanks for reminding us of such an important lesson… regardless of your situation in life– young, old, rich, poor, employed, jobless, etc., you can always expand your opportunities by looking overseas. Many US citizens are finding that the cost of healthcare is absolutely crippling, and you are sharp to consider opportunities south of the border.

In my opinion, *western* medical facilities and staff in Panama are unquestionably of higher quality than in Costa Rica– the hospitals are better equipped, the doctors are often US trained, and the costs are comparable to Costa Rica.

In regards to holistic and eastern medical practice, however, I would say that Costa Rica still edges out Panama, but this is a sector that is gaining quite quickly in Panama and I would estimate that within a few years it will surpass Costa Rica in its quality and breadth of service.

From Louis: “Simon, I noticed that the Swiss have halted their deal with U.S. authorities to turn over Americans with secret UBS bank accounts.  What do you think? Is this just a battle or has the whole war ended?”

Unfortunately, neither. It’s just a speed bump in the worldwide campaign to end financial privacy. I want to be very clear about this– you cannot rely on privacy with any financial institution in any jurisdiction, period… and do not expect that piling a complex array of bearer share companies and trustees will make the situation any better. It won’t.

Governments can obtain access to your bank and brokerage accounts, they will find out who the beneficial owners are, and they will absolutely demand their ’share’ of the income. Rest assured, penalties from noncompliance will be severe.

The reasons for going offshore have nothing to do with hiding money, but rather planting multiple flags– diversifying away from a single jurisdiction. If you are a US citizen with all of your money in the US, you will really wish that you had moved some money to a foreign bank account once they impose capital controls.

If you’re tired of giving your hard-earned money to corrupt bureaucrats, and your goal is to cut down on taxes, there are much, much better ways of doing that without taking the risk of ending up in prison.

Use foreign bank accounts for what they’re best purpose: protecting your capital from regulatory, litigation, and administrative risks. If you want to cut down on your taxes and achieve a lucrative deferral benefit, consider what I have discussed in the past about proper offshore and retirement structuring. I will continue to revisit these topics in the future.

Clayton asks: “Hello Simon, I am a new member. Are there any articles on buying foreclosed property in Panama?”

No, I have not yet specifically addressed foreclosures in Panama.  Like most things in life, to get access to foreclosure deals in Panama you have to know someone, usually a senior bank executive. There are a handful of real estate agents in Panama that tout foreclosed condos, but most of the time the deals have been stepped on and marked up so many times they do not even resemble a bargain.

On that note, one of the troubles about Panama’s real estate market is the lack of integrity and competence among the majority of agents. I’ve been operating down here for about 7 years and have burned through hundreds who have shown me their true colors. That’s why I put together the Panama Black Paper, which provides a short list of agents here that I actually trust.

Next week I plan on organizing a call with one of my trusted Panamanian real estate contacts who will discuss the state of the market, foreclosures, and some of the best deals he is working on.   Initially, I will make the call available exclusively to everyone who purchased a Black Paper, and then to the rest of the community.  Stay tuned for more details about that.

Lastly, Ken asks: “Simon, what are your thoughts on Belize?”

I wouldn’t go there. It’s pretty, but so are hundreds of other locations. Belize lacks the freedom that I’m looking for, and one needn’t look any further than their recent ‘amendment #6′ to the Belize Firearms Act.

This recent change to the law is about as draconian as it gets, threatening imprisonment without bail or trial for three months (and up to 5-years) just for being caught in the vicinity of an unregistered handgun. I won’t set foot in the country as long as this law is on the books.

That’s it for today, and I hope you have a great weekend.