Offshore Ownership in Shepway

LAND including Bouverie Place Shopping Centre the Saga Buildings and the former site of Silver Spring are owned by companies based in offshore tax havens it can be revealed.

Private Eye Have produced and excellent interactive map click Private Eye just locate Shepway and enjoy.

Many other properties such as 66 Tontine Street, 57-59 Sandgate Road and 84 Sandgate Road and many others across Shepway are owned by Companies based in the British Virgin Islands and other tax havens.

Companies are often based offshore to gain from three tax loopholes, including no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax and no stamp duty.

The government allows property buyers to hide their identities on the official land registry, with more and more properties being listed as owned by anonymous offshore companies.

Purchasers pay fees of between £800 and £1000 to offshoring agencies to ensure that their names are not made public.

Bouverie Place owners CCP III SHOPPING FOLKESTONE S.A.R.L. who are based in Luxembourg while the Saga Buildings are owned by Acromas Insurance Company Ltd who are registered in Gibraltar and the former Silver Spring site is owned by RAINSTORM HOLDING S.A R.L. based in Luxembourg.

Other land in Folkestone and Shepway is owned by companies based in Jersey, The Isle of Man, Luxembourg, the British Virgin Islands, France, Ireland and Guernsey.

A former accountant said: “Three major tax loopholes are currently fuelling the secretive offshore property boom.

“Offshore entities, provided they are genuinely controlled and managed outside the UK, do not pay any tax on the proceeds of property speculation, unlike resident Britons.

“People living abroad and non-doms who say they are only living in Britain temporarily can legally avoid inheritance tax by buying a property in the name of an offshore entity.

“It is then considered to be a tax-free holding in a foreign company, not a British asset.

“Anyone, British or foreign, can legally avoid up to five per cent stamp duty being imposed on the next purchaser by holding their property in an offshore company – upon sale the company shares are transferred, not the property.

“The company has to be managed offshore, which also saves 0.5 per cent duty on UK share transfers.

Two of the sites were bought for over this amount.

CCP III paid £19.7m exclusive of VAT for Bouverie Place in June 2013, The former Silver Spring site was registered in March 2003 to Rainstorm Holdings what they paid is unknown. The Saga Buildings were registered offshore in Jan 2013 and the price paid was close to 15 million for both sites

Offshore property companies can be used by bankrupt persons and celebrities.

The former accountant added: “Aside from the obvious tax reasons for such transactions, this anonymity is extended to others.

“A transparent land register would be invaluable for UK law enforcement, regulatory and tax authorities.

“Bankrupt persons and those carrying out mortgage fraud are able to conduct their property transactions anonymously using an offshore company.

“The restrictions imposed following a bankruptcy can be circumvented by using an offshore company to borrow money and purchase UK property.

“Many rich and famous do not want their personal details listed in the land registry for security purposes so are able to use an offshore company to keep secret from the general public and press their UK property assets.”

Shepwayvox