Menu
Samoa, country in the central South Pacific Ocean, among the westernmost of the island countries of Polynesia.
Samoan culture is undoubtedly central to Polynesian life, and its styles of music, dance, and visual art have gained renown throughout the Pacific islands and the world.
Samoa lies approximately 80 miles (130 km) west of American Samoa, 1,800 miles (2,900 km) northeast of New Zealand, and 2,600 miles (4,200 km) southwest of Hawaii. Samoa, which shares the Samoan archipelago with American Samoa, consists of nine islands west of longitude 171° W—Upolu, Savai‘i, Manono, and Apolima, all of which are inhabited, and the uninhabited islands of Fanuatapu, Namu‘a, Nu‘utele, Nu‘ulua, and Nu‘usafee. (The six Samoan islands east of the meridian are part of American Samoa.) The total land area is smaller than the U.S. state of Rhode Island but about 2.5 times larger than Hong Kong.
Samoans are mainly of Polynesian heritage, and about nine-tenths of the population are ethnic Samoans. Euronesians (people of mixed European and Polynesian ancestry) account for most of the rest of the population, and a tiny fraction are of wholly European heritage.
A Samoa offshore company or called an International Company (IC) also referred to as an International Business Company (IBC) is incorporated under the International Companies Act in 1987, and though the industry has been around for thirty years it has largely remained a secret international company formation destination.
Though it is relatively unknown it offers very noteworthy offshore financial opportunities. An International Company (IC) formed in Samoa enjoys many of the typical benefits associated with other offshore company formation jurisdictions including tax benefits, client confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements.
It also benefits from administrative flexibility, no financial reporting requirements, and no language restrictions—all in a stable political and economic environment.
Samoa has an English common law system that protects the identity and records of offshore investing shareholders and directors. The government has taken a strong stance against fraud and money laundering in the wake of many global commissions that have risen to try and reshape the offshore industry.
| Company type | International Company(IO) |
| Governing corporate legislation | International company act 1987 |
| Shareholders | A Samoan IC must have a minimum of one shareholder of any nationality. Corporate shareholders are allowed. |
| Directors | One Director is required for a Samoa IC. A Director may be of any nationality and may be either an individual or a corporate entity. |
| Information published relating to company officers | The legislation ensures confidentiality making it a criminal offense to divulge information regarding shareholders, officers or directors of a Samoan based IC. |
| Liability | The liability of the shareholders for the company is limited to the amount of their respective shareholdings. |
| Accounting requirement/ compliance | No financial statements are required to be submitted and need not be audited. Financial statements are not open to the public. There are no reporting requirements or any requirements to file accounts, though a company must prepare its financial records. There are no audit requirements for a Samoan IC. |
| Corporate income tax | No corporate taxation |
| Standard currency | USD |
| Shared capital/paid up | There is a US$1 minimum share capital and a usual authorized share capital of $1,000,000, which may be issued in any currency |
| Basis of the Legal System | English Common Law |
| Secretary | A Samoan IBC requires a local qualified secretary. |
| Shares | A Samoan IC may issue bearer shares, shares of par value or no par value, preferences shares, redeemable shares, shares with no voting rights and discounted shares. We do not recommend bearer shares, but offers nominee services for added layers of security. |
| Registered address | A Samoan IC is required to have a registered office in Samoa |
| General meeting | Company meetings of a Samoan IC may take place anywhere and are not required. |
| Electronic Signature | Permitted |
| Time to form | 3-5 days |
| Renewal date | Anniversary date of the company / Each Year |
| Time Zone | GMT+14 |
| Confidentiality | High Levels |
Ask questions about citizenship planning, offshore banking, company formation, asset protection and related topics.
Orion Global Consultants assists and focuses on helping high net worth individuals and their families immigrate to some of the most welcoming, prosperous and secure countries in the world through investor immigration programs.