Dear ,

As each week passes another government introduces their anti-fraud plan, aimed at combating the hidden economy and tax fraud, by setting limits on cash payments, and by obliging taxpayers to declare their accounts and assets located overseas.

Meanwhile, the U.S. The Congressional Budget Office has just released three very telling infographics which, unintentionally, spell out a pretty dreary picture of US government finances. It doesn't matter how much tax is collected, it'll never be enough to stem the tide of sovereign debt.

Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. Bind the government down with the strong chains of a constitution. ~ George Washington

You have every reason, and every right, to protect yourself from runaway government spending. There has never been a better time to invest offshore.

Aaron A Day

After much fanfare and rumors, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs have finally released their official new guidance paper for the Qualifying Recognized Overseas Pension Scheme.

For those of you who are unaware of the QROPS, and why it's been getting so much attention, here's a quick breakdown of what a QROPS is and why HMRC are so intent on new legislation.

A QROPS is a pension transfer scheme that allows expatriates who are entitled to a UK pension, yet no longer live in the UK, to move their pension out of the UK and into an offshore jurisdiction. By doing so the pension becomes free of UK tax, and the restrictions that come with having a pension in the UK, including no need to purchase an annuity. A QROPS also allows greater flexibility with regards to investments, and even allows the usage of multiple currencies- a highly useful factor for an international individual.

Since many offshore jurisdictions offer very favorable rates of tax for expatriates, and with all the aforementioned benefits in mind, it's not surprising that the QROPS is becoming an increasingly popular option for UK expatriates. In fact, its rise has been so exponential that many now regard it as a "mainstream financial product" and not just a niche item.

Recently, HMRC have attempted to restrict its growth by creating a new set of rules they believed would deter expats from transferring into the QROPS. The main points of the new rules are that the five year reporting period has been extended to ten years, jurisdictions must offer QROPS to native residents at the same rate as expats, and generally the QROPS landscape must be monitored efficiently.

For more information about QROPS visit Which Offshore.

An investment combining the potential for Annualized Returns of up to 15%, Early Redemption opportunities every month, and linked to the performance of a diversified selection of Social Media Stocks.

Investment Description

The Social Media Phoenix Notes (the 'Notes') are designed for investors seeking regular Bonus Coupons (1.25% p/month) compared to low deposit rates, and are moderately bullish on equity markets over the medium term.

The Notes are a Phoenix structure linked to four Stocks operating in the Social Media Sector. These Stocks may benefit from a positive stock price movement linked to the overall sector impact of the FacebookTM Initial Public Offering scheduled for summer 2012. The autocall feature allows for the Notes to be redeemed on a monthly observation date, and is designed to increase the opportunity for investors to benefit from any stock price increase and trigger a return of capital plus the relevant Bonus Coupon.

The Notes will deliver a regular monthly Bonus Coupon of 1.25% if All Stocks are at or above 65% of their initial levels, providing an excellent opportunity for investors to benefit from strong regular bonus payments, even in bearish markets.

The Notes 'Autocall' or early redeem on the first monthly period that all the Stocks are recorded as being at or above 100% of their Initial Levels. On Early Redemption the Notes return 100% of capital, plus the relevant 1.25% Bonus Coupon.

Even if the Notes do not early redeem, they contain a valuable 'Capital Buffer' protection feature. The Notes will return 100% of capital invested as long as none of the Stocks at the Final Valuation Date have fallen by more than 50% from their Initial Valuation Levels. If any Stock has fallen by more than 50% at the Final Valuation Date, then the Final Redemption Amount will be equivalent to the performance of the Worst Performing Stock, and some capital will be lost.

Please bear in mind that Note investors are exposed to the credit risk of the Issuer. The Notes are not capital protected and investors may receive back less than the original amount invested. The value of the investment can go down as well as up and investors can potentially lose all of their investment. Any secondary market provided by Royal Bank of Canada is subject to change and may be stopped without notice and investors may therefore be unable to sell or redeem the Notes until their maturity. If the Notes are redeemed early they may be redeemed at a level less than the amount originally invested.

Request a brochure from RBC Capital Markets.

The opportunity to become a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda is truly unmatched. A member of the British Commonwealth and world-class destination as evidenced by its growing international population over the last decade, thousands of international travelers visit annually and leave the islands harboring dreams of having a home here.

Citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda presents diverse benefits such as visa-free travel to over 120 countries including Europe and Canada, and the opportunity to reside in one of the most desirable destinations in the Americas. Relaxed, yet sophisticated, families can enjoy superior education amongst a mosaic of cultures, and the lifestyle is idyllic.

The Government will limit the number of citizenships available each year, and the program will be offered solely to select individuals who invest in approved tourism projects.

Papaya Hotel & Spa will be one of the first approved projects under the Citizenship Investment Program.

Currently Available Fifty five one- and two-bedroom hotel villas will be available for purchase from May 2012. Prices start at $759,000 USD.

How Does The Program Work?
The inaugural Antigua & Barbuda Citizenship Investment Program has been passed by Cabinet and will soon be accepting its first applications. The main criteria of the program are: Minimum $500,000 US investment in an approved property.

Background information and medical certificate required for a thorough security processing. If approved for citizenship, government processing fees will be required of $40,000 US per adult and $20,000 US per child. A final interview will take place in Antigua before citizenship is granted. Passports will be issued for a five-year period. There is a residency requirement of 150 days in Antigua & Barbuda during that five-years.

Invest Offshore is offering you the opportunity to be first to apply for the limited spaces in the new program through investment in Papaya Hotel & Spa villas in Rendezvous Bay, Antigua. Please email us to be added to the Papaya Hotel & Spa Villas reservation list.

The Karatbars group based in Germany, Belize and Thailand are bank-independent trading houses for merchandise and precious metals, especially Gold bullion in the form of a card in small denominations.

Karatbars International is an Internet trading company and its products are shipped worldwide to an expanding list of countries. They offer one of the most extraordinary range of products on the market. "Atasay Sanayi Ve Ticaret AS Kuyumculuk" of Turkey are the producer and supplier of the one-gram gold bars of the brand "ATAkulche".

Karatbars International is listed with the London Bullion Association Market (LBMA).

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