Sanne Connect Issue 2 - Private client - The transparency issue

Welcome to our second edition of Connect, Sanne’s regular technical bulletin, with this edition aimed at private clients, family offices and their professional advisors.

Following a period of pronounced political and regulatory turbulence, are we as an industry of professional private client lawyers, financial and tax advisors, accountants and trustees, any closer to being in a position where we are able to update clients on what the global wealth and estate structuring landscape ahead looks like for them?

For the most part, the leaking of the ‘Panama Papers’ in April simply acted as a catalyst for the industry to, yet again, debate the appropriate level of transparency and key related issues like registers of beneficial ownership. ‘Panama-gate’ also provided a number of leading financial centres, like Jersey and the other crown dependencies, with the opportunity to reinforce their sensible and balanced position on appropriate information exchange programmes with clients’ and families’ right to privacy in a tax compliant environment.

This Private client focused issue has a 'transparency' theme to it and provides readers with the following insights:

• In the pursuit of transparency - Trusts and disclosure: The PSC regime - Sarah Cormack, Withers
• Tax and transparency in a post Panama Papers world - Simon Brewer, Sanne
• The US connection: Planning for global UHNW families who have American family connections - Joshua S. Rubenstein, Katten Muchin Rosenmann.
• Brexit, bonds and burgers – A review of immigration issues - Russel Cohen & Sharmila Mehta, Farrer & Co.