SOffshore bonds: a long way from hearsay

A lot has already been written about offshore bonds following the Budget - some facts and many assumptions. Commentators have suggested that investors would be better off using a portfolio of collectives rather than an offshore bond, citing the obvious differences between a maximum (and minimum) tax rate of 18% on the collectives and a maximum 40% tax rate on the chargeable event gain on a bond. The real position is not quite so simple: the actual overall tax charge is determined by a number of factors. Tax is also only one issue that should be taken into account when selecting an inves...