What We Say

In the clearest sign yet that some buoyancy has returned to the TCI real estate market, the TCI Government has announced changes to TCI’s stamp duty regime. With effect from 1st July 2013:- The previous discount of 10% for payment of stamp duty in a lump sum within 30 days of the date of the instrument concerned will be removed; The rate of stamp duty on TCI land transactions will increase, with the new rates …

Attorney General of the Turks and Caicos Islands and another (Appellants) -v- Ross Richardson (as Trustee in the bankruptcy of Yellowstone Club World LLC) (Respondent) In a recent case before the Privy Council in London, Ariel Misick O.B.E, Q.C. appeared on behalf of the Respondent in an appeal by the Turks and Caicos Islands Attorney General. The case was heard before Lord Hope, Lord Kerr, Lord Reed, Lord Carnwath, and Sir John Chadwich. The TCI …

Kishanti Hall is the newest member of the Misick & Stanbrook team of attorneys. Having worked closely under the guidance of Ariel Misick QC to complete her pupilage, she was called to the Turks and Caicos Bar before Judge Margaret Ramsay-Hale acting as Chief Justice in February 2013. Kishanti was born in the Bahamas and completed an undergraduate degree in Mass Communications and Journalis/blog/misick-stanbrook…l-called-tci-bar/m at Clark Atlanta University in Georgia in 2006. Following this, she …

Article by Owen Foley. Click here to download a copy The Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) has recently introduced a raft of legislation to enhance its existing comprehensive anti-money laundering regime. The provisions largely follow the “Review of Financial Regulation in the Caribbean Overseas Territories and Bermuda” recently conducted for the British Government by KPMG (generally known as “the KPMG Report”). Since passage of the legislation, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has published its updated list of …

INTRODUCTION The Turks & Caicos Islands (“TCI”) has recently introduced a law regulating investment dealers, The Investment Dealers Ordinance 2001. The Ordinance came into effect on 22nd May 2001. INVESTMENT DEALERS An investment dealer means a person who trades on behalf of customers, acts as a fund manager, solicits subscriptions for new issues of investments, and offers advice about investments by way of a business. Investments include commodities trading, corporate bonds, equities, government and local …

During the years of the recent property and development boom in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), stamp duty on the real estate transactions became a substantial contributor to Government coffers. All real estate transactions in TCI are subject to stamp duty at varying rates depending on the size of the transaction and on the island on which the real estate is situate.    In most cases, stamp duty is charged at the rate of 9.75% of the consideration …

Outside the work permit regime, there are two possible types of residency in TCI- a. Permanent residency (which frequently comes with the right to work); b. Shorter term residency. Permanent residency is now available only to those who have lived and worked in TCI for a stipulated period. Previously such residency was available to individuals who made a specific level of investment in TCI: since September 2012, that is no longer the case. The two …

There are several TCI legal entities regularly established for carrying out business either internationally or domestically. The registration process of these entities is comparatively straightforward and can usually be completed for a fixed cost and within a short timeframe and are often attractive options in TCI as an offshore financial centre with no corporate or personal income tax. In terms of international business, a TCI Exempted Company (or IBC) is a company incorporated in TCI …

Enforcement-of-Tax

LEGAL SYSTEM 1. What is the legal system (civil law, common law or a mixture of both)? The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) is a common law jurisdiction modeled on the English legal system. A Magistrates’ Court sits in each of the Islands and there is an appeal process from the Magistrates’ Court to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is similar to the High Court in England and is presided over by a single …