Top 5 reasons why people choose Jersey for SPV and governance

Jersey is one of the world’s leading international finance centres. Its effective combination of stability and reliability combined with tax neutrality has been consistently recognised and endorsed by independent bodies and institutions of the highest standard.

Jersey has gained a strong reputation as a prime location in which to establish a fund domicile. Jersey’s stable political and fiscal infrastructure, and the wealth of experience and expertise offered by the Island’s highly skilled financial service providers gives an unparalleled experience to clients. 

Here are 5 reasons why you should choose Jersey:

Familiar regulatory regime

Jersey law is recognised for its clarity, flexibility and the fact that it is constantly being amended to reflect the changing world in which businesses operate. Jersey law permits the incorporation of no-par value companies, which are even more flexible.  Converting shares across classes is straightforward and distributions can be made from the stated capital account.

Flexible corporate laws

Flexibility in terms of what can be distributed back to shareholders, especially when compared with the UK.  Where permitted, Jersey allows share buybacks and redemptions, and directors can declare a dividend based on a 12-month forward-looking cashflow solvency statement. This is often particularly attractive to funds clients.

There is no requirement to audit or file annual accounts (except for public companies), which can reduce costs and make administration less onerous.

It is possible to migrate a Jersey company to another jurisdiction and vice versa.

Listing

The International Stock Exchange (TISE) is a "recognised stock exchange". Investor or Institutional debt used to fund any Jersey private equity acquisition stack can be listed on TISE. Jersey Topcos can also be used as vehicles for international listings such as LSE, NYSE or NASDAQ.

Confidentiality and security

Jersey companies can offer privacy as there is no public register of ownership. This can be especially important for private equity firms who are looking to target a company for acquisition and wish to remain confidential until the deal is completed.

Exiting by dissolving a Jersey company or company stack is a quick and straightforward process which doesn't need any court sanction and there is no local transfer tax and/or stamp duty levied on share sales in a Jersey company.

Expertise

Jersey has been at the forefront of the global finance industry for over 50 years. It is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading international finance centres for banking, capital markets, structured finance and securitisation and has robust and mature legal, financial, corporate and administration sectors.

Why use a third-party provider in Jersey? 

Foreign companies i.e. those without a local presence must use a regulated service provider so it’s not really an option not to have one -although some local companies also choose to use our services rather than employing someone in-house for the company secretarial role.

Why choose Ocorian as your SPV partner in Jersey?

We have a dedicated corporate services team that specialises in providing services to a wide range of clients, including funds, global corporations as well as smaller family run business with a mix of private, public and listed entities administered.

To reflect the flexibility of the options open to our clients we are equally as flexible in terms of services that we provide. From the lightest touch of Nominated Person to the Companies Registry with Registered Office to a full suite of end-to-end corporate services including incorporation and establishment, administration, reporting, accounting, cash treasury, director/cosec requirements, dissolutions and migrations. 

We’ll work alongside your legal and tax advisors, leveraging our industry credentials, international and local knowledge, and extensive network of contacts. Ocorian simplifies the SPV process of setting up, managing, and dissolving, providing support at every stage of the lifecycle.

For more information and support, please reach out to Brendan and the team.

Download our jurisdictional guide to SPVs now