The Mutual Funds Act recognizes three different types of offshore investment funds in Belize. These can generally be categorized according to their openness to the general public and according to the types of investors who use them.
Foreign investors open a company in Belize or incorporate an investment fund because of the favorable business regulations and the lack of taxes on profits, including for those obtained from the fund.
Table of Contents
Public funds in Belize
A Belize public fund is one that, as its name suggests, offers its shares to the general public. Registration is mandatory for this type of fund and there is s certain degree of control and regulation for it. For example, it is required to submit audited annual financial statements.
When the fund is created, the names of the directors, administrators, and managers are disclosed in the application for registration. Complete transparency is required as means of protecting the investor’s rights and particularly because of is an open fund which may be accessed by any individual.
Private funds in Belize
In contrast to the public fund, the private investment fund in Belize may have no more than fifty investors and may not sell its shares openly. The founders will be required to prove the private nature of the fund upon registration and for this purpose, the fund will need to set forth specific regulations and criteria for qualifying investors. This specific regime of the private fund is subject to approval.
One of our Belize company registration agents can help you with complete information about the requirements applicable to a private investment fund.
Professional funds in Belize
The professional fund is one that is open solely to professional investors and will impose a specific minimum amount that is required from each of these experienced investors. For the purpose of this specialized type of investment fund in Belize, the professional investor is either an individual who has an investment portfolio and is aware of the usual investment strategies, risks and gains or an individual who acknowledged the investment particularities and risks and may be qualified as a high net worth individual.
Private and professional funds in Belize are not required to go through the same registration procedure as the public ones. They benefit from lighter requirements and one of our Belize offshore company formation agents can give you more details.
Please contact us for more information on the Belize Mutual Funds Act and the policies for funds in the country.
We can also assist those who are interested in Belize offshore company formation in addition to fund creation.
Our local team of attorneys in Belize offers assistance to investors interested in exploring the local investment opportunities. We offer legal guidance in a variety of corporate matters, starting with corporate creation, real estate, immigration and wealth management solutions, intellectual property law or employment. Reach out to us to find out more about our solutions.
If you have questions about how you can relocate to the country, once you have made an investment here or for this very purpose, our team can answer questions about immigration to Belize. The residence process is one that starts with the application for a temporary residence permit, followed by a permanent residence permit, if the applicant qualifies for this status. We can give you more details as needed.
If you are already a permanent resident, after five years you can apply for citizenship in Belize. Other conditions are important, such as the maximum period one can be absent from the country if he wishes to apply for this status. Our team can give you details about the application process, the needed documents, fees, and the expected processing time.