Matthew Smith

Nevis is part of the federal constitutional monarchy of St. Kitts and Nevis, with two spheres of government: the federal government and the Nevis Island administration. Nevis (Oualie – the land of beautiful waters) is one of the most pristine and tranquil islands in the Caribbean. With its lush green landscapes, clear blue skies, fresh…

Back in our 2024 outlook, we asked whether the Federal Reserve had achieved a soft landing for the US economy (see here). At the time inflation was falling and economic growth was slowing but we weren’t seeing any conditions that would indicate a recession. Those themes have continued. Inflation is at 2.5%, slightly above the 2%…

Welcome to our August INsight. We have been busy keeping abreast of potential legislative changes in both the Cook Islands and Nevis lately. In the Cook Islands, a suite of amendments designed to further strengthen the protective features of Cook Islands trusts is being worked on. As part of this process, we have drafted an…

Using your offshore trust can unlock a wealth of opportunities for asset protection, tax optimization, and efficient estate management. However, understanding how to effectively use and manage your offshore trust is crucial to maximizing its benefits. This article provides detailed guidance on adding property to your trust, requesting distributions, and managing transactions.

Kia Orana to all our clients and referrers. We would like to inform you that the Cook Islands Registry will be closed between Friday 19 July and Monday 29 July. This is to allow for the introduction of a new IT system which will streamline the Registry’s operations. The Registry will be unable to process any applications for…

Kia Ora! I am a great believer in the concept of marginal gains. This was famously espoused by the British Track Cycling coach Dave Brailsford at the 2012 Olympics when Team GB cleaned up at the velodrome. While the theory has its detractors and certain elements of it can verge on the absurd, I believe…

Kia Ora! May brought with it an enjoyable and very valuable two-week trip to the US for me, with a week spent on each coast. I was proud to attend the America Outbound Summits in Los Angeles and San Francisco with Cook Islands Finance, the government agency tasked with promoting and developing the Cook Islands…

The journey of cryptocurrency from obscurity to prominence has been a remarkable saga, with its market cap today soaring to approximately USD$2.43 trillion, surpassing the GDPs of major nations like Brazil and Italy. This exponential growth, driven largely by Bitcoin, has posed significant challenges to governments worldwide.

The concept of the nominee manager (or director depending on the company type – we will use the term ‘manager’ throughout this article for consistency) is not a new one, and is one that has been used for decades. Historically, nominee arrangements have allowed a person who does not wish to broadcast their position as a company…

Nevis (formerly known as Oualie- the land of beautiful waters) is situated in the north-eastern Caribbean. Nevis is renowned in the international financial services industry for its advantageous financial and asset protection regulations. Its attractive business landscape and flexibility for diverse company structures establishment makes Nevis an important global financial center. Nevis is an Outstanding Place for…

Welcome to February’s edition of INsight.  We are firmly into tax reporting season with the 15 March annual 3520-A filing deadline fast approaching for those US grantor trust clients who do not have an extension to September in place. This is one of our busiest times of the year and we kindly request our clients…

IR Global, the world’s largest exclusive network of advisory firms is delighted to introduce Matthew Smith of Southpac Group. Matthew has joined IR as our exclusive Trust & Estates member in New Zealand. Matthew is the Group General Manager of Southpac Group and is based at the Group office in Tauranga, New Zealand. He is…